Lesson Plan: Synthesizing Quotations to Develop a Research Context
Comparative Literature and Culture
Objective
To give students practice placing research quotations in dialogue in preparation for developing a scholarly context that they will use to illuminate the case they have chosen for their research essays; to promote exchange of ideas among students during the research unit
Estimated Time
30-50 minutes, depending on the size of the class
Work Completed Before Class
In preparation for writing their research essays, students have been assigned to “bring two sources to class (one from an online database search, one from a physical book or journal in the library).”
In Class
- Ask students to choose an important quotation from one of the sources they brought to class and write for two minutes reflecting on how they will use this quotation in their essays. (3-4 minutes)
- Ask each student to read the quotation they have chosen and describe their strategy for using it to illuminate their research topic. (2-3 minutes per student)
- Ask students to choose an important quotation from the second source they brought to class and write for 3-4 minutes explaining how the ideas in this quotation relate to those in the quotations they chose in step 1. (5 minutes)
- Ask each student to read the quotation they have chosen, describe their strategy for relating it to their previous quotation, and discuss how this synthesis will be useful in exploring their research topic. (3-4 minutes per student)
Ryan Wepler
Developed at Brandeis University through a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation