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Seminar Friday

Each student is required to bring in a news article from a print, Web, podcast or video (not over 5 minutes) source on a current topic related to national or world issues: social, political, environmental, or cultural.  For second semester presentation, you will need to make an explicit connection between material we are discussing in class and the article of your choice.The best articles are those that focus on what it means to be a global citizen, about human rights, about world changes that affect everyone.  While making explicit connections to classroom content may be challenging, I would encourage you to pick a theme we are covering in one of our classroom texts and then look for an article that shares that theme.Each student will be presenting once per semester.  You will need to print copies of the article, in a computer lab, as well as post it to our Seminar Friday Community Page.
  • Two students per week will be ready to present their articles. If discussion goes longer, we will resume the following Friday (or even Monday if it is appropriate).
  • Call on people who want to participate. Be sure to look around the room and not ignore anyone. However, participants do not need to raise their hands to be recognized. They may simply speak.
  • Bring discussion back to topic if it gets off track.
  • Reel in participants who "attack" others.
  • Respond to presenter’s questions
  • Respond to others’ comments: add to, clarify, etc. (Refer to "About Seminars" handout)
  • Raise new points or questions
  • Ask “what if” kinds of questions
  • Draw connections between the topic and literature, other topics, etc.

Ideas for questions (do not be limited by this list):
• Affects on population/people?
• Future of this issue? What if?
• Connections to other issues?
• Ethical implications?
• Technological implications?

 How will we be graded?Presenting and participating are both important. See the rubric for how you will be graded. Seminar is worth 100 points per semester.

 Procedure for presenter:
1. Read/show your article.
2. Give an brief overview of your thoughts and ideas.
3. Have at least three discussion questions to begin the seminar. The best questions are those that lead others into debate or lively discussion.  Consider framing your questions with a selected quote from the article.
4. Moderate the discussion on your topic.

 Procedure for class (participants):
1. Listen to presenter and take notes (mental or on paper) about what you’re thinking.
2. Engage in discussion in the following ways:
3. Participants do not need to raise hands to talk, but should not interrupt or monopolize the discussion.

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