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Section 2: Overview

Seminar Reading and Discussion

We will continue to explore the unit’s Central Questions by reading and discussing a selected personal essay and lyrical poem in a seminar format. After those text-centered discussions, we will refine our understanding and interests to focus on a topical connection, human quality or virtue, or life compass that we find personally meaningful. From this, we will develop a set of personal inquiry questions and submit a proposal for further research and reading in the form of a business memo. Our decisions about what we want to focus on in further reading and discussion will inform our participation in a final seminar team, with whom we will plan and discuss supplemental reading in our common interest areas.

  • Lesson 1:

    We will begin the seminar discussion process by joining a team who has read the same personal essay. We will use a question set to examine and discuss our essay, and we will individually develop a summary of its central ideas and important details.

  • Lesson 2:

    We will continue the seminar discussion process by joining a team of peers who read the same lyrical poem. We will use a common question set to examine and discuss our poem, and we will individually develop a summary and explication of its central ideas, important details, and use of figurative language.

  • Lesson 3:

    We will learn more about how our individual reading and research will occur within the seminar team format, and we will identify the topics or themes we are interested in and the next texts we want to read. We will then write a research proposal memo.

  • Lesson 4:

    We will learn more about how to do keyword searches for additional texts and information. Then, we will begin reading, analyzing, summarizing, and responding to supplemental texts.

  • Lesson 5:

    We will join our seminar teams and conduct our first seminar, sharing what we have learned from the first supplemental text we each read. We will synthesize ideas from and about our initial reading, then consider where to go next in our individual and team research.

  • Lesson 6:

    We will continue the seminar-based research, reading, and discussion process.

  • Lesson 7:

    We will continue the seminar-based research, reading, and discussion process.

  • Lesson 8:

    We will review and potentially conclude the seminar-based research, reading, and discussion process. We will then individually write a progress report memo to our teacher and prepare for the Section 2 Diagnostic.

  • Lesson 9:

    We will develop a short personal reflection, essay, or narrative in response to the second Central Question: What compass might you carry as you undertake your journey in the world?

  • Lesson 10:

    We will review feedback on the Section Diagnostic. We will use the feedback to make revisions to our work.

  • Lesson 11:

    We will share the understanding we have gained through our independent reading and continue reading our texts.