Course activities include in-class debates, a peer-review exercise supervised by a senior scientist, observing research with animals and human participants, and interpreting science ethics commentaries in national newspapers.
Mills College Professor Joseph Kahne and Ellen Middaugh have found that students from wealthier families are twice as likely as students of average socioeconomic status to report studying how laws are made or to participate in service activities, and one-and-a-half times more likely to do in-class debates.
Evaluation / Assessment: Students will be evaluated on completion of journal entry, participation in class discussions, participation in class debate, and completion of letter.
Asking about a typical weekday, however, can give you a better idea of how students spend the majority of their time — in classes, debating topics discussed in class over coffee with friends, having lunch with professors, writing for the school paper, rehearsing, attending sports practices, etc.
In Rye High School, for example, the social studies department has asked its students to research the presidential candidates' positions on issues like foreign policy, civil rights and tax reform, write a persuasive essay on why they would choose particular candidate, take part in class debates and vote in a mock election on Nov. 1, a day before the real Election Day.
"He would take part in class debates about conscription, have geography lessons pinpointing where British troops were on a map of France and he even referred to his fellow pupils as 'comrades'".
I would frequently get choked up in class debates, so passionate and moved by the discussion, or I would kiss my father when he would drop me off at school.
"Many of them would call me "Republican" or "The Republican" and that was fine although I didn't like how often times in class debates they would automatically write off my opinion because of my party affiliation".
