Lesson Plan: Choosing Evidence and Developing a Thesis
Near Eastern and Judaic Studies
Objective
To help students identify evidence significant for use in a comparative analysis (via
close readings of texts) and develop a thesis based on this evidence.
Total Estimated Time
50 minutes
Work Completed Before Class
Students have already read and been introduced in class to each of the two primary texts that they will be comparing (Gen 1-2:4a and Gen 2:4b-3:24). They will also have had some experience where similar primary materials were compared in class. For homework, students have read "How to Write a Comparative Analysis" in Brandeis Writing Program In-Class Exercises 2008-2009 (=BWP), 187-8. They will have also reread ("close reading") the two primary texts, and composed a chart outlining the elements that they think are worth comparing in the two stories and the criteria that they used for including these elements in their charts. The following questions were also posed as part of this preparation: Do you detect a common theme in the features you collected from the first story? What about the second story? Students bring the charts that they prepared as homework to class.
In class
- The class collaborates and composes a chart on the board based on the students' individual work. During this process, discuss the way that columns and categories within the chart can be used to try to build a larger picture of the differences between the texts. Also discuss the importance of identifying what data is significant for use as evidence in the comparative analysis and why other data should be excluded. (15 minutes).
- Students write about one or two common themes that they detect in each of the texts based on the elements that were compared in the class chart. (4-5 minutes)
- Divide students into groups of 4. Groups discuss commonalities in the themes they identified for each story. Students are given a handout on thesis writing (see thesis handout) and produce as a group a thesis statement that could inform a comparative essay about the two texts. Make sure each group writes its thesis statement down. (10 minutes)
- Each group writes its thesis on the board. (5 minutes)
- Discuss as a class each of the theses, accessing them according to the criteria on the handout and revising if necessary. (15 minutes)
- As time may not allow discussion of all the theses, you can incorporate a follow-up assignment using LATTE. At the end of class, ask that a student from each of the groups email you their group's thesis. Post all the groups' theses in a forum on LATTE and have each student post at least one constructive post on either their group's or another group's thesis by the end of the week. Read through the students' posts and make a post with any additional comments on the theses (or on the students' posted comments) if necessary.
Molly DeMarco
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