We’ll do this on Fridays, twice before and once after the midterm exam (wks 2,4,8). Discussions will focus on community case studies. You’ll be assigned reading material, and asked to bring to class a short abstract or summary, 200-250 words. This should be about 1/3 summary of the readings, and about 2/3 analysis. Your group will be given a set of questions to which you’ll spend the class period responding. Here’s the point breakdown:

• Turning in abstract: possible 6 pts (5-6 shows effort and thought; 3-4 is lacking one of the two; 1-2 means you physically turned something in, but it isn’t clear you learned from the exercise; 0 means you were physically present, but there was something terribly awry or random about what you submitted);
• Responding to group questions: possible 24 pts (20-24 shows effort and thought; 15-19 is lacking one of the two; 14 or below is a recognition that the group turned something in)

You have the possibility of making up a discussion if your absence is excused. You will need to write the abstract and respond to the questions from class (spending the same amount of time reflecting on them that you otherwise would have in-person). You can turn it in no later than one week late for possible credit.

Making up small group discussions

Make-up papers should be no less than 3 pages, double-spaced (11 or 12 pt font) in length. Here’s how to structure it:

1. What for you were the most important points that you took from the readings and discussion for the Friday topic (do not use the regular readings for the week)? This calls for abstract thinking—what is the ‘big picture?’ You should touch on each source, discuss common threads between them, focus on the discussion of the articles, Describe what you gleaned from the readings and the week’s topic, and gauge your depth of understanding. No book reports here—do some summary, but your paper should be no more than 1/3 summary (and no less than 2/3 analysis).
2. Critically evaluate the authors’ arguments. Don’t be afraid to question the authors’ reasoning or evidence, or to use your own experiences or background to offer other views. Just keep in mind—take a stand, but support points you make with evidence or logic.
3. Questions. I will send you the questions groups responded to in class, and you will need to respond to those as well. You can use points you’ve made previously to do this, as long as they seem appropriate and relevant to the questions. Plan to spend an hour and a half on this—time writing the summary/analysis, and responding to the group questions (about the same amount of time you would have spent had you attended class and submitted the abstract).

Total of 90 points possible (30 for each discussion day).