Seminar

Seminar 5: McCullough

]STEP 1: Read teacher  David McCullough's commencement speech  to the Wellesley High School graduating class of 2012, and choose 3 the following questions to answer in at least 5 sentences each, using direct quotes from the text to contextualize and support your insights whenever possible.

1. What is McCullough's message, specifically? Summarize it. Is the speaker really telling students they are "not special"? Or is there more to it?

2. Do you agree with his message or not? Is it an important one for college-bound students in this day-and-age--or not? Explain. 

3. This speech received a mixed welcome, dubbed by some as the best speech and by others as the worst. What do you think? Does this speech blast students and/or build them up? Do you feel condescended to or galvanized? 

4. Choose a quote from the speech that you either question, oppose, or support. Explain why, following reason with example.

5. To what extent was the speaker effective in achieving his purpose through the  rhetorical  choices he made? For instance, how would you characterize his tone? Was it appropriate, given his audience? Would a different tone work better? Furthermore, in his attempt to be persuasive, does he employ effective  patterns of development (Links to an external site.)  to make his points (e.g. narration, description, exemplification/illustration, compare and contrast, cause and effect)? Feel free to note any other rhetorical methods you notice.

6. Do you notice any through-lines between this speech and any other text we have read this quarter? In other words, do you detect any themes they have in common?

 

STEP 2: Come up with your own question for discussion--regarding the issues presented in the speech--and answer it in at least 5 sentences. Be sure the question is an open-ended discussion question rather than a fact-based question. In other words, it should encourage conversation and needn't have an answer; instead, it should value exploration over verifiability.  MLA Tips: 

· MLA in-text citation for a speech

· MLA in-text citation for a single source  Download MLA in-text citation for a single source

STEP 3: Comment constructively on the responses of at least 2 peers in at least 5 sentences each, going beyond mere acknowledgement and/or flattery, furthering an exploratory and analytical discussion that complicates--rather than simplifies--the subject matter at hand.

Ground Rules :

· When challenging your peers’ interpretations or offering alternative views, try to refer to evidence from the text to support your ideas.

· Be respectful. Don't put down the ideas of another student. 

· Ask questions if you do not understand what someone has said.

· Remember this is a discussion first and foremost (characterized by inquiry, participation, and communal spirit), as opposed to debate (characterized by persuasion, prepared rebuttals, clear sides).

Goals:

· Help one another understand the ideas, issues, values, and rhetorical features reflected in these texts. Through a process of listening, making-meaning, and finding common ground, work toward shared understanding rather than trying to prove a particular argument. A Socratic seminar, like this one, is not used for the purpose of debate, persuasion, or personal reflection, as the focus is on developing shared meaning of a text.

· Have a robust discussion. In such a seminar, the participants--namely, you--carry the burden of responsibility for the quality of the discussion. Good discussions occur when participants study the text closely in advance, listen actively, share their ideas and questions in response to the ideas and questions of others, and search for evidence in the text to support their ideas. 

Submission Guidelines :  Be sure to number the questions you responded to, single-space your answers, and proofread your work carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

To post Steps 1-2, click "Reply" at the bottom of the screen. You may either (a) copy & paste your pre-written response in the text entry box that appears, or (b) click "Attach" (bottom-left) and upload your pre-written response. Then, click "Post Reply." Keep in mind that you must post before you can see other replies.

To post Step 3 (your peer response/ discussion contribution), find at least 2 reading responses that pique your interest and click on "Reply" at the bottom of each post.

Rubric & Grading: To view the grading rubric, see below--or click the toggle button on the top-right-side of the screen (above the light blue bar) and select "Show Rubric."

Otherwise, consider that the following criteria will be used for assessment... 

· preparation (does the student's work reflect a close reading of the text?)

· engagement (did the student thoughtfully engage with their peers?)

· respect (no interruptions or put-downs)

· meaning-making (students understand the text more deeply at the end of the seminar)

· use of evidence (student comments always refer back to specifics from the text).