Unit 3: Inventing the University

  • Welcome to College. It’s different here.

    On the very first day, I like to discuss the college experience in the abstract. I briefly explain how perceptions of higher education have changed over time and offer students an opportunity to think about how they want to grow and develop over the next four years. It’s not just about the degree! I also…

  • Introduction to Academic Writing

  • Introducing the University

    Materials: Slideshow “Welcome to College,” sticky notes I like to introduce Peter Elbow’s believing and doubting games on the very first day and to explain their relevance to critical thought using this slideshow. Divide students into two groups—one that “doubts” and one that “believes” the statement “Higher education empowers us.” Make 3 columns on the…

  • How to Write an Academic Paper

  • How to Write a Research Question

    I highly recommend presenting this in conjunction with this assignment from writingspaces.org. You may also pair it with the slideshow Practice Writing Research Questions.

  • Synthesis Assignment

  • They Say/I Say Templates

    See also the Academic Phrasebank at https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+academic+phrasebank&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8. While the below handout is useful for introducing theses, the Academic Phrasebook is a lot more expansive. It is also an open educational resource students can access for free online.