Entering the Conversation: This portion of the book had to do with how to write a paper argumentatively and also how to write papers with a conversation. It references Martin Luther king jrs. speech on Birmingham where he basically is writing a script or dialogue. The one part of this chapter that stuck out to me was the They say, I say portion. If there is one thing the book tells you to take back from it, it is the they say/I say formula. It tells you to not only express ideas of your own, but the ideas of others to make your paper into something the reader actually wants to read. No one wants to read a paper that has no point. Stating a claim is great but if there is nothing to back it up or to counter argue it becomes boring. This chapter also explains that the book is not only teaching you how to write but also how to have meaningful conversations with people.

Reading for the Conversation: This passage is about the average student or students picking out the main points or views in a story. The author points out that the teacher or educator should point out first that there are different claims and almost a conversation going on in the piece. This makes students more interested therefore easier for them to pick out the supporting or not supporting claims. This also proves that the more interesting something is the easier it is to work on it. This chapter also talks about imagining the writer in a different setting that could make understanding the points easier. Imagine the author sitting in a room with people arguing and supporting there evidence and claims and simply the text becomes alive and easier to read and talk about. Breaking down claims into they say i say statements is also quite helpful when trying to interpret writing.