|
|
LITR 4340 American Immigrant Literature Poetry reader / discussion leader |
|
PowerPoint presentations (and other such programs) are discouraged. If you prefer to use PowerPoint (etc.), use only for materials not available on course website (e.g., your own questions or summaries of your points). Go directly to website for its materials (e.g., text passages, instructor's discussion questions, objectives, etc.).
Student location: Student may work up-front or remain seated; instructor can help with computer-projector.
Length: app. 8-12 minutes for presentation; Discussion may continue indefinitely.
Responsibility: You're not responsible for knowing everything about your poem. You may present questions of your own and ask for help.
Paper-copy handouts for students: Instructor provides.
Steps in poetry presentation—these can be varied.
Announce
author, title, date, basic info on
author's life, place in history or course.
Preview
themes, contexts, etc. in terms of course objectives, course terms, but
especially preview
discussion questions.
Don't
dwell on author's biography beyond a few facts relevant to course—or ignore
author's biography as inclined.
Don't
feel responsible for covering every possibility of the poem's meaning.
Read poem aloud (practice pronunciations,
look up unfamiliar words. Don't stop
reading the poem to ask how to pronounce a word—ask before you start reading.
After reading aloud, review 2-3 parts of the poem that stood out or apply
to discussion questions or Course Objectives.
Ask question(s) to start
discussion. Question(s)
should follow from your interpretation or appeal more broadly to challenges in
the text or intertexts with other class
readings.
If questions are provided on poem's webpage, you may still
ask your own questions, but please use at least one of the instructor's
questions.
Lead discussion.
You may follow up or re-start discussion with follow-up
questions as prepared.
Conclude discussion by highlighting major points
from discussion + relation to course objective
Single biggest aid to a good discussion: Start discussion as soon as possible after reading the poem. After hearing and sharing the poem, the class is ready to jump in and discuss. Usually the only discussions that "die" are the ones where the students have to wait too long to start talking.
Next biggest aid to a good discussion: Don't save questions and discussion for end, but mix in questions and discussion as presentation proceeds.
(Below are web-links to summaries of poetry presentations in earlier semesters--no longer required.)
Examples from 2007 Student Poetry Presentations
Examples from 2006 Student Poetry Presentations
Examples from 2003 Student Poetry Presentations
