PowerPoint presentations are discouraged. If you prefer to use PowerPoint, use only for materials not available on the course website (e.g., for your own questions or summaries of your answers).

Do not copy and paste materials from course website into PowerPoint. Instead go directly to website for materials (e.g., text passages, instructor's discussion questions, objectives, etc.).

If we're using a paper-text, take the class to proper page numbers and help find the passage on the page.

Rationale: Student leadership of text discussions introduces fresh insights for first-time readers, encourages critical thinking, and reduces pressure to conform to instructor's leadership.

Students are not responsible for covering whole text or showing mastery of every topic.

If several texts are assigned, students may feature one or two and exclude others, but please preview to instructor.

Variable Format: These requirements may go in any order:

Invite questions, comments, or issues from class (to be answered by other students, presenter, or instructor).

Identify discussion question (your own or instructor's), or other idea, theme, problem, issue, or course objective to discuss relative to reading assignment.

(Optional) Compare to other texts or presentations, or connect to other course materials on webpage.

Direct class to 2 or 3 brief passages and read selections. Comment on how passages relate to question, objective, etc. (Choose passages that appealed to you, but make them matter to the class.)

Ask question to begin discussion. The question should follow from your reading, but it may also appeal more broadly to the challenges the text may present to the class. Your question(s) may also refer to other class readings.

Ask at least one of the instructor's "Discussion Questions"

Lead discussion.

General advice:

Don't necessarily save questions till the end. Often it helps to preview questions or ask them one at a time at different stages of presentation.

Don't do all discussion at once or just at end. Ask a question for discussion halfway through, then when discussion fades, resume presentation leading to another question. Repeat cycle.