Discussion: Main Idea

Engaged, curious reading is an essential first
step toward being able to create scholarly arguments. In Discussion this
week, you practice “joining the conversation” by creating an argument
in response to a reading.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the materials on critical reading strategies and on the MEAL plan for paragraphs.
• Read the provided article in the Learning Resources, taking note of
  where the authors make claims and support them with evidence.
• Read actively, taking notes and asking questions. If you are a
  hands-on type of learner, you might find it helpful to print out the
  excerpt and mark it up physically; use whatever methods are most
  effective for you as a reader.
• Decide what kind of argument you might make based on what you’ve read.

By Day 4

Post your initial response that includes the following:

• 1 sentence that states an argument you can make about the topic
  based on the article. This sentence will serve as the main idea in your
  eventual MEAL plan paragraph.
• 2-4 sentences that explain why you have chosen this argument as a critical reader.