CONVERSING WITH TWO OR MORE WRITERS

Assignment
Write an essay that draws connections between two or more of the assigned texts/authors. Explain what the sources/texts/authors argue, how they make their arguments, and why they differ or agree. Thesis should answer the question, “On which points is there agreement/disagreement regarding education reform and education in general?”
To support your thesis, you will need to show your careful thinking and analysis of the readings and the ideas of the various reads. Help readers understand how you arrived at your conclusion about the different arguments being made. You may include your opinion on the issue being discussed, but you should stay focused on the readings. In other words, respond critically to the different arguments. Your position or thesis—what you say—must grow out of a careful understanding of the assigned texts—what “they say”—and must reference the texts by quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing specific passages.

Guidelines for Drafting and Revising
“Decide on categories into which your subject can be divided” . With the categories in mind, you can re-read and/or skim the assigned texts, looking for information related to those categories to support your analysis.
When you draft the essay, each body paragraph should focus on one category or supporting point and should include quotes, paraphrases, and/or summaries from at least two sources. You should explain reasons for the agreement and disagreement found in the different readings. Use your own words and your own thinking to weave the information from the different sources together, but keep your own thinking separate from the ideas presented in the readings by using signal phrases and in-text citations. Readers must be able to distinguish between your interpretations, analysis, explanations, examples, and assertions and those that are borrowed from one of the assigned texts
Your opening paragraph should present an overview of the controversy and meet the requirements listed. Should also identify one or more of the texts in your opening. Present your thesis at the end of the opening paragraph.

•

Templates for thesis

While it is unlikely that consensus will ever be reached regarding _______, but experts X and X seem to agree that _________, _________ and _______.

No one disputes the evidence that _________ and ________; however, experts part ways when it comes to _________ and ________. These disagreements are evident particularly when we look at the ideas X and X possess about __________.

Solving the problems in our current education system presents an enormous challenge because little agreement exists regarding ______, _______, and _______. We can see this if we examine the ideas that X and X have about _________.

The disagreements that X and X may have regarding _________ are less significant than their consensus on _________.

Although X and X appear to hold opposing viewpoints about _______, closer scrutiny reveals their arguments are quite similar.