FAQ on Class presentations.

 Hi Everyone,  Here's a draft of an FAQ for Class Presentations. We will go over them in Class on  Tuesday. 


Some Frequently asked Questions about Class Presentations

1.     Why do you want us to present class material? That seems really scary.

Well, it is part of the seminar style. Students in a seminar share in the responsibility of presenting the material. It can be scary to stand in front of people, but it is also a lot of fun. (I say this as a former extremely shy person. I love teaching!!) Even if you don’t find it fun, you’ll gain valuable practice in oral communication which will help you in a variety of real world experiences. 

2. You are probably right about that. It still sounds daunting. How long does this presentation need to be?

You are responsible for presenting lecture/discussion material for a 15-20 minute section of class. 

3. Wow. That’s a lot of time. How will I know what to present on?

Step One. There is a list of possible presentations at the end of this FAQ. Pick one that you’re your schedule and interests best.

Step Two. Read the assigned material several times before your presentation.

 Step Three. Take notes on what seems important or confusing to you.

 Step Four. Read some secondary literature. 

Wait a minute, what’s secondary literature? Where do I find that?
Secondary literature is a piece of writing that some professional academic wrote about the information that you are presenting. You can find some suggested secondary reading after each section in the Curd reader. You can also use Google Scholar or the Philosopher’s Index to find recent scholarly articles. Remember that Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy I told you about earlier. You should consult it as well. 

Okay. How much secondary literature should I read?
Five sources should be sufficient. By the way, construct a bibliography for your presentation. You’ll have to turn that into me on the day of your presentation. 

 Step Five.  Write down how the secondary literature changed your understanding.  

Step Six. Think about how you want to present the material. Presenting well isn’t just about knowing the material well. That’s the first step.  You also have to give some thought to how you want to present it. Think about what kinds of presentations you like best.  What engages you in the learning process? 
 Step Seven. At that point, schedule a meeting with me to go over what you plan to present. 

Wait a minute… Really, I have to come talk to you privately. That sounds scary.
Don’t worry. I am a very nice person. However, you can just email me your ideas also and we can have a discussion electronically. 

Okay, that’s a relief. 

What else to do I need to know about presentations?
Well, that brings us to Step 8. Your presentation should include some basic information about the particular topic you’ve been assigned. You should create a handout for your classmates so they can follow the presentation. You should have some questions to ask your classmates to help generate discussion and thoughtful reflection. You should discuss how your topic relates to other things we have studied in class, this is where you class notes or your previous blogs or the blogs of your classmates might come in handy. You should also mention how this topic relates to topics in your major field of study. You are welcome to make a PowerPoint or a Prezi as well. 

Okay, I feel like the expectations are clear. Except where do I sign up again?
I’m glad you asked. Here’s the sign up sheet. Email me your first second and third options. I’ll fill them in first come, first serve. I’ll email you back with your assignment. 

Presentation Sign UP  sheet.  
 

Week Five Feb 11 Zeno Reading: Curd, 66-72.

Student presentation on the motion/ dichotomy paradox.

Student presentation on paradox on the Achilles paradox

Student presentation on the arrow paradox

Student presentation on the stadium paradox

Week Five Feb 13 Empedocles Reading: Curd, 73-100.

Student presentation Biographical Information on Empedocles.

Student presentation Empedocles -Metaphysics

Student Presentation on Empedocles – Epistemology

Student presentation Empedocles –Ethics.

Student presentation on the recent discoveries of new Empedocles fragments and how that changes our understanding of his work.

Week Six Feb 18 Anaxagoras Reading, Curd, 101-108. Plato’s Phaedo. 96a-102a. I will provide a handout. Also the Phaedo is online at http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/phaedo.html

Student Presentation Biographical Information on Anaxagoras.

Student Presentation on Anaxagoras - Metaphysics.

Student Presentation on Anaxagoras- Epistemology

Student Presentation on Anaxagoras- Ethics.

Dr. Schultz will present on Plato’s Phaedo 96a-102a.

Feb 20 The Atomists: Leucippus and Democritus Reading: Curd, 109-126.

Dr. Schultz will talk briefly about Leucippus. About whom almost nothing is known.

Student Presentation on Democritus- Metaphysics

Student Presentation on Democritus – Epistemology

Student Presentation on Democritus- Ethics.

Week Seven

Feb 25 The Sophists Reading: Curd, 144-161.

 Dr. Schultz will give general overview.

 Student presentations on Prodicus,

Student presentation on Protagoras

Student presentation on Hippias

Student presentation on Gorgias.