In their now-classic textbook for first-year college writers, They Say / I Say, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein introduce students to academic argumentation through the use of templates, sharing phrases and sentence structures designed to help emerging writers organize information and connect ideas more effectively. Although these templates were originally designed for longer writing assignments, they can be easily adapted for Hypothesis discussions, as a way to help students engage more directly with their course readings and as supports–or comment starters–for responding to their peers’ annotations. Let’s look at a few examples adapted from Graff and Birkenstein’s templates.
Agreeing / Supporting
- I agree with your point about [topic] because [reason/explanation].
- I also noticed [detail/idea] in the text, which supports your observation.
- You make a good point about [concept]; it’s helpful because [explanation].
Disagreeing / Offering a Different Perspective
- I see your argument about [topic] differently because [reason/explanation].
- Another way to look at [topic] is [alternative idea], which adds to your point.
- On one hand, I agree that [point]. On the other hand, I think [different perspective or concern].
Building / Extending the Idea
- Building on your annotation, [additional insight or question].
- Your comment made me think about [related idea], which connects to [concept].
Questioning / Clarifying
- I’m curious about your point on [topic]; can you clarify [specific part]?
- How does your observation about [concept] relate to [another part of the text]?
Connecting / Synthesizing
- Your note connects with [another idea or annotation] because [explanation].
As you develop annotation instructions for your class, it can be helpful to think about the types of interactions you want students to practice with one another. Are there any template categories missing from this set? You can also encourage students to use Hypothesis’s new @mention feature to tag classmates, helping the discussion—and community-building—continue beyond the first days the reading is available in your LMS.
Looking for additional ideas on developing meaningful discussion? Check out our previous explorations of question-asking (see “The Magic of Open-Ended Questions” and “Question-Asking as a Skill”).
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