New York City Writing Project
Believing and Doubting
Purpose:
We often support our students to gain a literal understanding of texts we use in the classroom, but in truth we are looking for more than this. We want our students to engage with the text, to dialogue with it in their minds and to take the ideas presented to enhance their thinking. This activity, Believing and Doubting, allows students to read closely and review their thinking in relation to others, to compare and contrast the thinking of the group and to engage in critical thinking. It provides a way to get everyone’s ideas out there, to offer a safer way to respond to controversial content or pieces that there might be disagreement with, to encourage students to see that they can doubt things an author says and/or feel two ways about one article, to really enter in a conversation with an author, and to prepare for essays.
Procedure:
They should write:
“I believe that ….”
“I agree that ….”
Write a quote and add “I agree/disagree with this.”
Remind students to print clearly. They don’t put their names – they are writing anonymously. When they have finished, they post their papers on the wall.
This process can be simplified by having students annotate the text with their beliefs and doubts and then use these as the basis for writing.
This technique based upon an approach by Peter Elbow in “High Stakes and Low Stakes in Assigning and Responding to Writing.” New Directions for Teaching and Learning 69 (1997):
5 – 13.
© 2003 New York City Writing Project
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