RAGG/WAGG

• Readers/Writers Analytical Generative Grid

This is a useful technique for students who are writing papers about texts.

It can be employed when students are generating material, developing their work, or revising.

WAGG/RAGG is particularly helpful when:

• When students are having a hard time understanding the texts.

• When students say, “I have nothing to say.”• When students say, “This is boring.”

How to use the RAGG/WAGG

• In brief, students list out the main points from the text.

• As they list the points, they analyze the points/claims by looking at the evidence provided and by considering the techniques employed.

The grid below can help.

Claim Evidence Technique Evaluation

North

Claim

I am frustrated. You do not understand writing centers unless you have spent 100 or more hours in one.

Evidence

His experience?

Technique

Appeal to emotion via voice and tone.

Evaluation

A risk.What do you think?

North

Claim

Most do not understand the true work of Writing Centers

Evidence

Examples: Faculty/students who expect papers to be “cleaned up.”Administrators who cheer on improvement in skills

Technique

Appeal to emotion via details/language

Appeal to logic: building a case deductively via examples

Evaluation

Successful

North Claim

Elaborates on frustration: Because folks claim to understand, it is hard to get “the idea of a writing center” through to them.Connects WC issues to greater problems in teaching

Evidence

?

Technique

Ethos: established his character in first two paragraphs.

Recognizes alternative perspectives: “plaint of remedial teacher”

Establishes importance of argument

Evaluation

Successful.

Pre-analysis writing

• In what ways did you find North to be true/false/persuasive/unpersuasive.

• Write about this for a few minutes

In class activity: use the grid to analyze the section I assign to your group.

Claim Evidence Technique Evaluation

Discussion/Writing

How did the WAGG/RAGG, our collective analysis and our discussion change your reading of North?

Please write a bit about this. I will collect it next week.