Working Together: Make Connections among Sources

Work together with a group of classmates to identify general approaches to the subject of returning veterans. To prepare for the group activity, each member should read, mark, and annotate the articles, Web pages, and reports on veterans in this chapter. During class, you should carry out the following activities:

  1. Members of the group should take turns reporting what they’ve learned about one of the sources.
  2. As each report is made, the other members of the group should take notes on the key ideas highlighted by the reporter.
  3. When the reports have been completed, the group should create an overall list of the key ideas discussed in the individual reports.
  4. Identify sources that seem to share similar approaches to the issue. Give each group of sources a name, and provide a brief description of the ideas its authors have in common.
  5. Describe each group in detail. Explain what makes the authors part of the same group (their similarities) and how each group differs from the others you’ve defined.

Once you’ve completed the activity, consider how you would respond to each group of authors. Ask whether you agree or disagree with their approaches, and describe the extent to which you agree or disagree. Consider whether you would want to join a group, whether you would want to refine a particular approach to better fit your understanding of the subject, or whether you would rather develop a new approach.