Stretching the Evidence
Author
Rosenberg, Aaron
Description
A winner of the Knight Award for Writing Exercises and Handouts, this work originates from English 1147, The Mystery in the Story. "Stretching the Evidence" seeks to circumvent the tendency of students to summarize rather than analyze; it does so by requiring writing that makes far-fetched or counterintuitive claims about a text. By starting with an unusual argument, students learn to take risks and to apply critical skills without restating the plot. Once a debatable claim is in place, students work hard to find evidence in the text that will substantiate their interpretation. This process emphasizes the extent to which evidence always demands critical analysis even when arguments appear more conventional. 4 page pdf
Date Issued
2012
Type
learning object