World Issues Senior Seminars

This course is designed for students intending to pursue a university level education. In preparation for this endeavor, it is imperative that opportunities be provided to develop the necessary skills to learn in and contribute to this type of academic environment. Seminars are an opportunity for students to engage in a meaningful and critical way with Canadian and world issues through in-depth analysis and discussion of select readings.

Our seminarswill follow the Harkness Discussion Model, which encourages all group members to participate in their own learning. This is a student-focused discussion technique that promotes critical thinking and active student engagement with minimal teacher intervention. We will practice and develop our discussion techniques throughout the semester.

Each week, all students will be assigned a reading on a topic related to our course. All students must come to the seminar having read the article, usually several times, and having contributed to the shared group Google doc. Depending on the week, your responsibility will vary however every week your contribution to the seminar discussion will be assessed (Level 1-4).All of these assessments will inform your final mark for participation in the seminars. You will be assessed on:

  • Your contribution to the shared Google doc leading up to the seminar (glossary, discussion questions)
  • Your contribution to the seminar (asking relevant questions, responding to peers, focusing discussion)

One week before the seminar, seminar leaders will…

  • Read, analyze and understand the article thoroughly
  • Create and share the group Google doc with the teacher and group members, 2-3 days before the seminar once you have written your glossary and discussion questions. Group members will then contribute key terms and discussion questions.Do not include your summary until the night before!
  • Write a point-form summary of the article
  • Createa glossary of 7 terms (minimum) and their definitions
  • Create 10+ discussion questions with answers(don’t share the answers until after your seminar)
  • Createa short interactive activity for the group, including some form of media, visual, props.

Three days before the seminar, seminar leaders must…

  • Meet with the teacher to check understanding of the article, discussion questions and answers if necessary
  • Double check that all group members and the teacher have received the Google Doc

During the seminar leaders will…

  • Briefly review the article with classmates
  • Include a short interactive activity to get people involved
  • Include short media/visual piece that connects to the reading
  • Ask questions, provide feedback, stimulate and lead the discussion
  • Keep group on-task

One week after the seminar, leaders will…

  • Submit a 1-2 page seminar reflection that includes the following:
  • What you learned about the issue from the reading
  • What you feel went well during the seminar
  • What you would change in order to improve for next time

All seminar group members are responsible for…

  • Attending and actively participating in all seminars
  • Reading and understanding the article
  • Taking notes, making annotations, checking for understanding
  • Contributing to the shared Google docby adding to the glossary and sharing your discussion questions (not the answers)
  • Prepare 5+ discussion questions for each seminar with answers in your notebook
  • Participate actively in the Harkness table discussion groups (pose questions to the group, answer questions, debate respectfully etc.)
  • Reflecting on their participation in seminars by examining the Harkness Spider Web
  • Review all seminar content for the final exam

Seminar Overview

  1. 5 Minutes: Quick Quiz (I will include your best 4 quiz results)
  2. 10 Minutes: Seminar leadersbriefly discuss article summary and do interactive activity
  3. 20 Minutes: Discussion, Analysis, Questions in small Harkness table groups
  4. 5 Minutes: Media/visuals that connect to the reading
  5. 10 Minutes: Expand discussion in two larger Harkness table groups
  6. 20 minutes: Whole class Harkness discussion
  7. 5 Minutes: Seminar reflection and debrief

See the evaluation rubric!