Great Books - Group Learning Routine

Basic System

1. Answering a prereading question.
2. Reading text twice and taking notes
3. Sharing questions and notes.
4. Textual analysis.
5. Post discussion writing.

For more in depth information on 2 & 4 see How to Read a Book section.

Great Books - Learning Routine

Basic System

1. Answering a prereading question.
2. Reading text twice and taking notes
3. Sharing questions and notes.
4. Textual analysis.
5. Post discussion writing.

For more in depth information on 2 & 4 see How to Read a Book section.

Answering Prereading Questions

1. Is there a word or phrase in the prereading question that needs to be explained or defined?
2. Is there a personal example or more general situation that can be used to illustrate your answer?
3. Are there plausible objections that you would like to point out?  What might someone who disagreed with you say?
4. Do you want to qualify your answer?
5. Are there any further implications of what you say?

Skills That Should Grow For Members

The following lists show skills group members should be developing throughout the Great Books program.

Reading Comprehension Skills

1. Comment about specific passages in the book.
2. Connect, compare and contrast passages in the book.
3. Note patterns and contradictions.
4. Synthesize definitions of unfamiliar terms on the fly.
5. Draw conclusions about the whole material.

Oral Language Skills

1. Talk about their ideas clearly and purposefully.
2. Incorporate other students comments into their own responses.
3. Question each other.
4. Agree or disagree with an idea they have heard.
5. Offer evidence for and against an idea they did not come up with.
6. Help answer questions that other students raise.
7. Participate with seriousness and enthusiasm.

Critical Thinking Skills

1. Point to evidence from text.
2. Compare, relate and revise ideas.
3. Analyze evidence, critically weighing new material.
4. Relate relevant personal experience to text.
5. Assimilate new information with their original ideas.

Writing Skills

1. State a thesis clearly and forcefully.
2. Develop an idea consistently and in a logical sequence.
3. Provide contexts for their ideas that makes their significance clear.
4. Cite evidence accurately and in context.
5. Provide convincing supporting argumentation.
6. Have a coherent, organized structure.
7. Show a clear sense of audience.
8. Improve final product upon revision.