Friday Discussions & Guest Speaker

Creating a habit of discussion based on specific social issues is important to the study of all Social Sciences. Over the course of this semester you will have the opportunity to organize and plan a discussion on a topic of your choice. Every Friday the period will be set aside for a specific topic of discussion which will be enriched by a guest speaker.

Here’s how it will work:

Step 1: Group / Date/ Topic Selection

1. Students will form groups of 2-3 (based on class size) and brainstorm potential topics.

2. Dates for the “Friday Discussion and Guest Speaker” will be determined by the instructor (ie. first come, first serve (sign up).

3. Students must get their topic approved by the instructor before the presentation can go forward. The topic should be complex enough to warrant discussion (at least two sides to the issue). Students can consider topics from the list below when choosing their subject.
   
   

Step 2: Contacting a Guest Speaker

4. Each group will research and contact a guest speaker to come in and speak to the class on their designated date. The guest speaker must be highly knowledgeable or an expert in the field / topic and be prepared to speak to the class for an entire period (give an overview of the issue, personal stance on the issue and answer questions). Groups are to make these arrangements on their own with professional mannerisms (contact, meet with guest speaker, greet guest speaker on date in main office, formal introduction to the class, thanks to guest speaker and small token of appreciation).
   
   

Step 3: Preparing the Presentation

5. Each group will prepare a 20 minute classroom presentation (powerpoint, article, resources etc.) to inform the class about your issue / topic. Remember your presentation should deliver an unbiased political, economic and social history of the issue to prepare the class for the guest speaker. You should also pose at least three central discussion questions to the class to frame the guest speaker’s talk / presentation.

Ideas:

You might consider the following when preparing your topic:

PowerPoint Presentation –Providing a presentation on the background of your topic can engage the class and help quicken their learning of the material that will be discussed. Any resources to be posted on Moodle or the website must be given to the instructor by the Monday before the Friday Discussion date.

Think Big- People will be interested if you bring in someone or people that are interesting (Political leaders, journalists, university professors, community leaders, historians, people who experienced the era, etc…)

*Request*
A/V Equipment- Please ask well ahead of time if you need any A/V equipment. Your instructor will book the necessary equipment, and pick it up before your presentation. If you wait too long the equipment might not be available.

Step 4: Reflection

6. Group leaders will prepare a reflection on the discussion due the following Wednesday. Maximum 1 page in length, minimum 1 paragraph.
   
   a) What did you like / dislike about your presentation and the Friday discussion (guest speaker, questions, direction of discussion etc.)?
   b) Was it an effective and interesting discussion?
   c) What would you change and why?
   d) How would you break down the workload for your Friday presentation with your partner / group? Refer to the planning of your topic, powerpoint presentation and contacting the guest speaker.
   
   Note: You have one week following your Friday Discussion to hand in your reflection. Please upload your work to Moodle.
   
   

Evaluation:

Please see the rubric for the evaluation breakdown for the presentation and discussion.