Discussion Leadership

Here is a copy of the handout I gave for leading class discussions, as mentioned in this post.

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Some ideas for leading class discussions:
1 . Come up with a reading quiz. You can ask about key arguments, or vocabulary.
2. Break the class into groups, and have them come up with “posters” that convey parts of
the reading.
3. Give each group discussion questions to consider.
4. Assign an in­-class writing that will then be shared and given comments/feedback.
5. Assign different groups to take on different points of view about the topic. Let them
collaborate, and then debate or simply present their arguments.
6. Make a questionnaire that students have to fill out, then share for commentary.
7. Make a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation on the article. You will need your laptop and
connective hardware (Dongle) to use the screen in the classroom.
8. Set up a debate. Assign students a side, give them a little time to come up with some
ideas, and then let it happen.
 
Resources that might help:
1 . Feel free to use the questions/prompts in the book… Questions for Critical Thinking (at
the beginning), and Questions for Connecting/Assignments for Writing (at the end of
each article) are particularly helpful.
2. Spend some time checking out “Exploring Context” at the end of the article to see if there
are other things you want to bring in.
3. Do a Google search for articles related to the reading, and use them as further jumping
off points for discussion.
 
Points to consider:
1 . Try to ask open-­ended questions to gather more feedback.
2. Maybe offer prizes to people that answer questions (candy works well, or team/individual
points).
3. Keep track of who is responding, and who isn’t. Encourage people sitting there silently to
give an answer to something