Group Essay on _Oryx and Crake_

In your group, come up with a thesis for your given essay topic, as well as body topics and evidence to support the thesis. Your evidence should be integrated as a sentence. If the evidence is a word or short phrase that requires some explanation, take the time to give that explanation.

There is a twist to this group assignment: each person in your group will be randomly assigned a role to fulfil within the context of the group. While all members will have specific guiding questions (outlined below), ALL members should confer on:

-        ideas

-        the wording of the topic sentences and the thesis

-        thinking of the evidence to support the idea

Here are the roles which may be assigned to you:

1)      Moderator:

- This member is the leader, but not the boss. Their job is to ask the following questions of themselves, and say constructive things with these questions in mind: is the group on task? Are you answering the essay question? What needs to be completed in order to move on to the next section? Can any tasks be delegated, or how can you help the other members do their roles?

2)      Speaker:

- This member should be participating and listening in equal measure, because they will report the group's findings to the rest of the class. They should ask these questions of themselves: Do you understand the group's answers in such a way that you can teach them to your audience? If not, are you asking clarifying questions to ensure that you are giving the best answer possible?

3)      Writer:

- This person collects the information on the hand out provided, and ensures that the hand out is given to Elyn at the end of the class. (Even if they have to pry it out of someone's hands). They should ask these questions: Is the answer you record whole and complete? Do you need to explain the evidence or embellish a point? Do you understand the answer well enough to write it so that others comprehend your meaning easily? Is the answer convincing? If not, how can you help change the wording so it is more convincing?

4)      Detective:

- This person is in charge of finding evidence in the text. They may participate less in the discussion (in fact, discussion should continue while they look for evidence), but they are no less important, as they will ask these questions of their work: Are you able to find evidence that supports the ideas of your group members? Are you able to distinguish between defensible and non-defensible positions? Are you being meticulous about your evidence (that is, are you searching or the BEST evidence possible?) Are you asking for help from your group members when you need it?

* This person should ask the others to find specific pieces of evidence when necessary. There may be more than one detective if there are five members in the group.