Writing & Thinking: Script for The Dragon in My Garage, by Carl Sagan Contains several FFWs, a Belief &

Doubt, and a Process. I thought it would be cool to explore this piece in stages and allow Sagans ideas to slowly accumulate in each students mind as we progress through the piece. There are several opportunities for thinking along the way as the great Carl Sagan adds new, substantive, and challenging ideas with each subsequent paragraph. Possible challenging vocabulary: Incorporeal: Not composed of matter; having no material existence (ghostly presences and incorporeal beings); Having no physical existence. Veridical: Truthful; Coinciding with reality. Skeptic: Someone who questions opinions and requires evidence for claims, especially extraordinary claims. Start: Get the words off the page perhaps by having each member of the group read one line until you reach the first full paragraph. The last line to be read begins, And so on.why it wont work. ***STOP BEFORE THE FIRST FULL PARAGRAPH, which begins, Now, whats the difference.*** Repeat; that is reread that first bit again to let the dialogue sink in. FFW: Write a reaction to the authors claim that there is a fire-breathing dragon in his garage. What do you make of such a claim and the authors rejoinders to each question posed to him? (5 minutes) Share. Reread the passage from the beginning, this time continue through to the end of the first full paragraph. ***STOP BEFORE THE BREAK; do not read the last two paragraphs yet.*** Reread the first full paragraph again if necessary, perhaps having the students underline passages that stick out. Belief & Doubt Prompt: Carl Sagan said, Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. FFW: Agreeing with the prompt. (5 minutes) FFW: Disagreeing with the prompt. (5 minutes) Have each member choose one of the FFWs above and share it. PROCESS: Focusing the challenges of written the previous 2 FFW. Which point of viewbelieving or doubtingwas more challenging for you in your writing and why? (5 minutes) Share. Now continue: Have a volunteer read aloud ONLY the FIRST of the last two remaining paragraphs. Reread if necessary, perhaps having the students underline passages that stick out. FFW: Suppose its not just one person making an extraordinary claim. What if more than one person is making the same extraordinary claim? Does that change anything for you? Does the increasing number of adherents increase the credibility of the claim? (5 minutes) Share.

Finally, have a volunteer read the FINAL paragraph. Reread if necessary, underline etc. FFW: Thinking more generally and not specifically about the dragon claim (but you can if you want), what might cause so many apparently sane and sober people to share the same strange delusion? (5 minutes) Share.