1. Tentative Unit 1 Schedule
Week 2
1/19- MLK Day-No Class
1/21-Using library databases (bring computer to class)
1/23- Intro to Exploratory Narrative & Source evaluations
Week 3
1/26-Research questions and results
Minor Essay 1 Due
1/28-Class cancelled (teacher workshop)
1/30-Strategies for introductions
Week 4
2/2-Reflective writing and body paragraphs
2/4- Synthesizing sources
2/6-First Draft peer review
Week 5
2/9- Strategies for conclusions
2/11- Grammar & Editing
2/13-Peer review & unit 1 wrap up
2/15-Exploratory Narrative Due

2. Today’s Goals
Understand expectations for the Exploratory Narrative major essay
Deconstruct exploratory narratives as a genre
Do first source analysis to begin exploring your topics

3. Exploratory Narrative Key Elements
Open ended research question
6 Credible sources (3+ peer-reviewed library database sources)
Source evaluation
Critical thinking and reflection
MLA format- citations

4. Exploratory Narrative Structure
Introduction
Grabs reader attention and presents topic in an interesting way
Poses a significant, open-ended research question
Explains your initial personal view on the topic
Body paragraphs
Narrate your research experience and you find sources
Do a with and against the grain analysis of each text, analyzing the strong and weak elements of the source
Reflect on how each source has changed your understanding of the topic
Conclusion
Restate your research question (finding a specific answer is not necessary)
Explain how your viewpoint or understanding on the issue has changed as a result of your research
Leave readers with new questions or ideas about the topic that still remain

5. Group Activity-Exploratory Narrative Analysis
In your unit 1 groups
Read through the example Exploratory Narrative samples provided to your group and answer the following questions:
What is the topic that the student chose to investigate? Does this seem like an arguable topic that is appropriate to our class’ assignment?
What is the research question that the student uses to guide their exploration? Try to take this directly from the text.
What is the student’s initial view on the topic? How does this view or understanding develop throughout the essay?
Does the student write more in first, second, or third person? Does first person writing seem to be acceptable in this genre?
Based on the assignment sheet grading criteria, assign a grade for each section and provide an explanation of why you gave the essay that grade for that section. (Important: this should include four individual letter grades and an explanation, usually about a sentence, for each one.)

6. Group Activity-Source Evaluation
In groups of two students (not dependent on your unit 1 groups)
Have each student share their topic and their first research source. For each student and their first source:
Name each student and the source they brought in. Provide the database used to acquire the source as well as the publication in which it was found.
What is the main argument of the source being analyzed? How does this relate to the student’s (who found the article) view?
Identify the strongest and weakest rhetorical elements of the source.

7. Homework Minor Essay 1- Source Evaluation
Read and analyze the first source you will be using for your Exploratory Narrative
Sum up the argument the source makes, finding a thesis if possible.
Identify the major supporting points of the source as well as its strongest and weakest rhetorical elements. Using a with the grain and against the grain reading may be helpful here.
Finally, reflect on how the source has changed your understanding of the research topic. You should indicate your initial view on the issue as well as your reaction to reading the source and if your view was altered in any way. Consider this an extended version of one of the body paragraphs of the exploratory narratives we looked at in class)
Approximately 2 pages, typed, double spaced, and in MLA format. Make sure to include a Works Cited page and in text citations where appropriate.