While our class was primarily discussion-based, one class activity stood out from the rest. We played “Chopped”, a variation of the Food Network show that challenged our essay-building skills. We competed in groups through three “rounds” and three of our classmates would determine who would be “chopped.” For the first round, we created a strong, debatable thesis based on the novel we were reading. The next round challenged us to find a quote in the novel that relates to our thesis and our reasoning behind it. In the last round, we had to connect our thesis to another novel that we read in class. In the end, my group won!

While this exercise was stressful, it exercised teamwork under pressure. I am inspired to use a similar activity in my own classroom to encourage better writing through collaborative efforts.