Once in the semester, you will lead class discussion as part of a group. There are 25 points for this, and everyone in the group will get the same score.
Each group should prepare to:
1. Introduce the key themes of the week’s texts. What are the commonalities between them? What stood out to you as connections? What was difficult?
2. Bring in examples (from anywhere you like: life, the universe, the internet) that can help us understand what this week’s readings are about.
3. Ask 2-3 questions to invite discussion. Your questions should be open-ended (not yes/no or one-word answers). They should not have obvious answers; good options are things that you are uncertain about yourselves, or that your group disagrees on.
During class, your group will be in charge of the conversation for the first hour. This does not mean you have to talk for an hour – your job, remember, is to get the whole class talking.
Before their turn to lead discussion, each group must make an appointment with me to discuss the readings. I can help you find ideas for questions and examples, suggest which questions are likely to spark good conversation, and clarify anything in the readings that you don’t understand.
You may create a slideshow or blog entry for your examples if you wish.
Sign up for one discussion-leading session by clicking on this link. Groups may not be larger than three or smaller than two.