Do the Risks Outweigh the Gains?

Today, argument writers continued to grapple with two positions: Position A -Professional Athletes Make Too Much Money and Position B – Professional Athletes Deserve What They Make. 

Engaging in dialogue around a video clip which showed a variety of professional MLB catcher collisions, students had to question, “Do the risks outweigh the gains?”  In doing so, students added fragments of their thinking to either directly support their claim, or respectfully acknowledge the counterclaim.  Writers also examined a few statistics which showcased the top MLB injuries of all times.  This information included invaluable data, including whether or not these players were able to return to the sport after the injury, or if the injury hindered their ability to play.

Writers are working to piece their arguments together, utilizing various mentor article exemplars to coach their writing.  Some began to write hooks, while others worked to fill in the thinking and explaining portion of their position.

Next week will be the final week and writers will continue to work to bring all researched evidence and thinking and explaining to a close. As this workshop is process over product, a finished piece is not necessarily the goal.  The gathering, collecting, dialogic thinking, rehearsing, and fast drafting is what’s important.