Overall, I thought the seminar went pretty well today, especially considering it was your first time. A few comments:
All that said, I was pleased by the discussion. With practice and better preparation, they will get easier, more engaging, and more fun.
I will give you individual feedback and a score based on the rubric via Google Drive. Read these carefully and work to make solid improvements over time.
As for your homework, you must write a blog post answering the Essential Question,
Of course, to answer this effectively, you will have to explain what those "founding principles" are, as well as develop an argument supported by evidence as why you agree or disagree with the statement. I also want you to write a short reflection on how you felt the seminar went and what you think you can do to help improve it for next time. Don't forget to upload your notes and questions for today on Google Drive.
- I really liked how you supported each other through friendly agreement, extension, connection-making, as well as constructive disagreement.
- There were a lot of good questions asked, some even excellent. Beginning with simpler questions and then moving to more complex ones will help build momentum more easily.
- While there were a lot of opinions expressed, many times they were not well-developed and needed more explanation. That is, sometimes statements were made where the point was not really clear and/or where they were not substantiated with evidence. It's crucial that you all develop of the skill of defending assertions with credible evidence.
- Sometimes people spoke without much forethought and the main point of the statement got lost. It's crucial to prepare a set of notes not only on the details of the readings, but also on what you consider to be the main points and connections so that you can reference them easily rather than trying to put complex ideas together on the spot. Because there was insufficient preparation by some, there were too many "stream-of-consciousness" type of statements. Sometimes these would contain multiple cited facts from the sources, but nevertheless came off as disconnected and unclear.
All that said, I was pleased by the discussion. With practice and better preparation, they will get easier, more engaging, and more fun.
I will give you individual feedback and a score based on the rubric via Google Drive. Read these carefully and work to make solid improvements over time.
As for your homework, you must write a blog post answering the Essential Question,
- To what extent do you agree with the statement that America is a nation "in search of itself--a country striving to realize its founding principles."
Of course, to answer this effectively, you will have to explain what those "founding principles" are, as well as develop an argument supported by evidence as why you agree or disagree with the statement. I also want you to write a short reflection on how you felt the seminar went and what you think you can do to help improve it for next time. Don't forget to upload your notes and questions for today on Google Drive.