Group Work

Groups. Three times during the term we will spend an entire class doing Group Work (In-Class Discussion). Class work on those days will be broken into three stages: (1) Formation of Groups, (2) Creation of Questions/Thesis Topics (QTT's) and (3) Outlining Papers.

A. In-Class Discussions (3 X 40 pts. each).

Stage 1: Formation of Groups. At the beginning of each class period designated for In-Class Discussion, students will be divided into groups of five called Pentads. These Pentads will be created randomly and will be different for each In-Class Discussion. Late-coming students will be added to Pentads which have not as yet had a QTT approved (see below, Creation of QTT's). If there are no such Pentads remaining, late-comers will be dismissed from class with no chance to get credit for Group Work or write a Paper on that occasion (see below, Outlining Papers).

Stage 2: Creation of Questions/Thesis Topics (QTT's). Students in each Pentad will determine through discussion a QTT which they would like to use as the foundation of a Paper based on the Part of the class most recently covered. Suitable QTT's must address directly an issue raised in one or more of the three Sections of the Part of the class most recently covered, though they may incorporate topics covered in previous Parts. A Pentad that believes their QTT is suitable should call me or one of the Graduate Assistants over to approve it. If it is suitable, it will be checked off on their In-Class Discussion Forms and the Pentad may move on to the next stage (Outlining Papers). If it is not suitable, I or the GA will discuss with the Pentad how to improve it. Then the Pentad will rework the QTT and call one of us back to approve it. This process will continue until there is a suitable QTT. Students may also seek the advice of Undergraduate Teaching Fellows working for the class.

Stage 3: Outlining Papers. Once a Pentad's QTT has been approved, the members of that Pentad may begin assembling collaboratively an outline for the Paper based on that QTT. Outlines should follow the format specified in The Writing Guide (click here to see that outline), with sections noted appropriately (e.g. 1.A, 1.B, etc.). Once sufficient data have been assembled and arranged on the outline, the Pentad may call over me or one of my GA's for approval. The approving of outlines will follow the same procedure as that for QTT's (see above, Creation of QTT's).

After finishing all three stages, a Pentad is excused and may leave. Please remember that Papers based on a QTT must follow the outline carefully and the In-Class Discussion Form which has my or a GA's approval on it must be attached to the Paper when it is turned in.

B. What makes a QTT suitable?

The criteria on which that decision will be made are whether the QTT reflects a positive and professional approach to an important historical issue and whether it can be answered with the data found in course materials. If that is the case, I or one of my assistants will give the students approval to write an outline based on the outline found in the Writing Guide (click here to see that outline). If the same person who approved the QTT (I or one of my assistants) deems that outline suitable, s/he will check off each of the students' attendance sheet with that QTT and outline written on it. That attendance sheet must be stapled to the front of any Paper based on that QTT.

C. In-Class Discussion Forms

Once Pentads are formed, each student will receive an In-Class Discussion Form to fill out during the in-class discussion. This form can be turned in at the end of class after the Pentad's QTT and Outline have been approved, or students can hold onto it if they intend to write a Paper based on the QTT and outline on the form. If they keep it, the form must be attached to the Paper when it is turned in. An approved In-Class Discussion Form is worth 40 points of credit.

D. The Goals and Methods of this Exercise

There are two important goals in this assignment: learning to think and write critically about the past, and learning to work together with others on a project.

First, one of the most important things to be gained from this class is the ability to formulate penetrating questions and tackle complex issues. We will spend a good part of the class learning to phrase and frame historical questions and thesis statements in a manner which respects the depth and complexity of thought necessary in understanding the past. By nature, historical issues can be expressed as either Questions (e.g. "What factors led to the purported ‘Fall of Rome'?") or Thesis Topics (e.g. "Economic and military factors represent the principal reasons for the collapse of centralized government in Rome during the fifth century CE."). As Questions, they should have a realistic potential for being answered, which means they should be informed by the available data (in this case, course materials), avoid bias as much as possible and foster a sophisticated, multi-dimensional approach to the past. As Thesis Topics, they should encompass assertions about aspects of history around which practical debates and realistic arguments can center and which can feasibly be discussed using the materials provided in the Chapters assigned for reading.

Second, learning to work collaboratively is an essential ingredient in your future success as a professional so I will ask you to hone those skills here. As with all things, good practice begins with good preparation. So before you meet with your Pentad, ask yourself what you personally would like to explore further among many things you've encountered in the latest Part of the class. Think about what interested you most during lectures and readings. Bring those interests to class on an In-Class Discussion day and share them with those in your Pentad. Listen to what interests other people have and collaborate. Surely you will not find perfect consensus so you will have to work together to discover a middle ground where all members get a little of what they want to write about. Learning to be a good partner who willingly shares both interests and outlook will make you a better team member in any future group endeavor.

E. Sample Questions and Thesis Topics

Here are examples of how to phrase questions and thesis topics and the types of issues to aim at:

• "Why did organized settlements first arise in the so-called Cradles of Civilization (Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China)? Or, as a Thesis Topic, "Organized settlements first arose in the so-called Cradles of Civilization because these areas offered economic and geographical advantages other sites did not."

• "Even though much of recorded history centers on DWEM's (Dead White European Males), is that all that history entails?" Or, as a Thesis Topic, "Though much of recorded history centers on DWEM's, historical data embrace the lives of women, foreigners, children, people of color and others, too."

• "What's 'dark' about the Medieval Period sometimes called the ‘Dark Ages'?" Or, as a Thesis Topic, "There's nothing ‘dark' about the Dark Ages, which was in reality a bustling era of reform and dynamic growth."

F. WARNING: Do not plagiarize the words of other students in your Pentad!

Finally, when you are working together so closely with others, you will have to make an effort not to copy each other's words exactly. All the members of a Pentad may use exactly the same words in stating the Theme of their Paper, but outside of that you cannot use the exact same words as another member of your Pentad. A sequence of more than FIVE words in the exact same order constitutes plagiarism. So once you've left class and your Pentad, write your Paper independently. Be assured: All the Papers from each Pentad will be read together by whoever grades it. The penalties for plagiarism in this class are strict and follow the University's regulations.