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Group Discussion Rubric and Who Are the Best Citizens Discussion Topic
Different cultures have different expectations as to what is considered appropriate and valuable in a discussion participant. Hence, it is useful to clarify what these attributes are in English-speaking countries, like the United States, and to grade students accordingly. I like to display the rubric in this file, write the students´ names across the top of it, and visibly check off one box every time a student participates. Since there are 10 criteria, the students can easily figure out what their grades are by multiplying the number of checks they´ve received by ten. Quickly, they will realize that merely tossing in a few comments does not yield a decent grade. They will then start addressing some of the other attributes, and the quality of their discussions and cooperative behavior will significantly improve. Any single contribution by a participant may lend itself to giving checks in several boxes, but restrict yourself to selecting only one box, so participants will have to make many contributions. Finding a topic that students will feel compelled to express themselves on is often difficult, so I’ve included an example of a discussion topic that I’ve had a lot of success with. The students have to reach an agreement on who of several very deserving people should receive a “Best Citizen Award.” To reach a decision, the students need to consider what really makes someone a hero, and often the discussion gets so heated that the students don’t want to stop.
Level:intermediate
Age: +12
Downloads:4 |
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Copyright 21/8/2015 Barbara McQueen
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