olume ouchstones T · T OUCHSTONES ® V OLUME C Touchstones® Volume C Teacher’s Guide Touchstones® Discussion Project Who uses Touchstones®? More …

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Touchstones® Volume C

Teacher’s Guide

Touchstones® Discussion Project

Who uses Touchstones®?More than 2,000,000 students and thousands of teachers around the world use the Touchstones® Discussion Project toenhance and deepen their education. Through Touchstones, students strengthen their speaking, listening, reading,writing, thinking, and collaboration skills, and teachers develop more effective classroom management and improvestudent engagement and efficacy.

What do teachers and students gain from using the Touchstones program?Touchstones programs facilitate improved formulation, consideration, and articulation of ideas, increase appreciationof diverse perspectives, and foster collaboration in students’ thinking and problem solving.

Why are Touchstones programs relevant in today’s world?The skills developed in Touchstones programs transfer across many dimensions in life, empowering students asparticipants and leaders in their educations, schools, and communities, and as future members of the workforce and21st century society.

How does Touchstones address state and national standards for learning?Touchstones programming addresses more than 95% of established learning standards, including the Common CoreStandards for ELA, the NCTE standards, and AERO standards for Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, Discussion,Collaboration, Community Service, and Leadership. Lesson-by-lesson alignments to the standards may be found onthe Touchstones’ website.

What is included in the Teacher’s Guide?This Touchstones Teacher’s Guide leads you and your students step-by-step through lessons that correspond to theTouchstones discussion texts in the Student Edition. Touchstones carefully selects, translates, edits, and adapts textsfrom many different cultures and traditions. The texts elicit thoughtful discussion and come from the Humanities,Philosophy, Mathematics, and Science. Each Touchstones Teacher’s Guide lesson includes the following materials:

• introduction to each lesson, overall lesson goals and a fully outlined lesson plan• summary of the text from the Student Edition and suggested questions for discussion• tips and strategies to improve student engagement, skill development, and outcomes• benchmarks and evaluation tools for that gauge teacher, student, and class progress• a copy of the Student Edition text for teacher use and worksheets for student individual and small-group activities

What other materials are available from Touchstones?Touchstones provides discussion-based programming to build essential skills in ELA, social studies and civics,mathematics, and science, within the IB curricula, and for test preparation. A complete listing of all Touchstonesvolumes is provided inside this book. For more information, to download samples of Touchstones volumes, and tolearn about Touchstones workshops for educators, please visit the Touchstones website at www.touchstones.org.

What do educators say about Touchstones?I know of no developmental reading or literature program that addresses listening and speaking skills as effectively asthe Touchstones Discussion Project… Written expression is enhanced as students think a little deeper and reallycommunicate their thoughts… This program provides a smooth transition in the listening, speaking, reading, writing,and refining language sequence.

-L. Powell, Reading Coordinator, Wicomico County, MD

Touchstones fits perfectly with [having] students participate in formal discussions to further enhance their learning,speaking, thinking, and cooperative learning skills. We see Touchstones as leading the way in bringing teachers andstudents to work in this fashion, in and outside the classroom, and opening up even more to who they are and howthey fit in this world.

-F. Girouard, Dept. of Education, Manitoba

The benefits of Touchstones Discussion Project program are many: student engagement and participation increases,curricular areas come together in a cohesive whole, intellect is stimulated, skills in speaking and voice are strengthened,students support their thoughts with references to the text, writing skills are enhanced, student’s ideas become morerelevant and insightful, reflective thinking becomes natural, and critical thinking deepens. We use TouchstonesDiscussion Project materials in all of our schools.

-K. Stotts, NEISD G/T Coordinator, K-12, San Antonio, TX

Touchstones®

Discussion Project

PO Box 2329Annapolis, MD 21404www.touchstones.org

(800) 456-6542

Touchstones®: Building critical thinkers &collaborative leaders

TOUCHSTONESV O L U M E C

Teacher’s Guide

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Other Available Touchstones Program Materials

Elementary SchoolTouchpebbles Volume A (Student and Teacher editions)Touchpebbles Volume B (Student and Teacher editions)

Middle SchoolTouchstones Volume A (Student and Teacher editions)Touchstones Volume B (Student and Teacher editions)Touchstones Volume C (Student and Teacher editions)Courage to Care, Building Community through Service (our community service

volume for middle grades) (Student and Teacher editions)Where’d They Get That Idea?: Issues and Ideas in Science and Mathematics - Vol. I

(Student and Teacher editions)Where’d They Get That Idea?: Issues and Ideas in Science and Mathematics - Vol. II

(Student and Teacher editions)

High SchoolTouchstones Volume I (Student and Teacher editions)Touchstones Volume II (Student and Teacher editions)Discussing the African American Experience (Student and Teacher editions)Discussing U.S. History (Student and Teacher editions)Getting Ready for the Reading Section of the ACT (Student edition)Investigating Mathematics (Student edition)Readings in Social Studies (Anthology)SAT Preparation for Critical Reading (Student edition)Touchstones Alif: Readings from the Arab Tradition

(Student and Teacher editions)

Post-secondaryMapping the Future (Reader’s guide and Leader’s supplement)New Landscapes (Student edition)The Compass (College edition)

Other volumesCourage to Care, Strength to Serve (our community service volume for older

grades or adults) (Student and Leader editions)The Compass (Executive level)Discussion Leadership: Getting Started (Leader’s guide)

In support of your work to bring dialogue, increased critical thinking, collaborative leadership,and community to your students, Touchstones Discussion Project offers educators a range ofprofessional development services. Contact us for more information or to schedule an introductory presentation.

II TOUCHSTONES® VOLUME C

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About the Touchstones Discussion ProjectThe Touchstones Discussion Project is a nonprofit organizationfounded on the belief that all people can benefit from the listening,speaking, thinking, and interpersonal skills gained by engaging inactive, focused discussions. Since 1984, Touchstones has helpedmillions of students and others develop and improve these skills inschool, work, and life. For more information about the TouchstonesDiscussion Project, visit www.touchstones.org.

Texts selected, translated, and edited byGeoffrey Comber

Howard ZeidermanNicholas Maistrellis

Guidebook written by Howard Zeidermanand edited by Stefanie Takacs

©1996, 2002, 2005, 2012by Touchstones Discussion Project

PO Box 2329Annapolis, Maryland 21404

800-456-6542www.touchstones.org

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or repurposed in any form without prior written consent of the authors.

ISBN: 978-1-937742-23-2

TOUCHSTONES® VOLUME C III

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WHY TOUCHSTONES? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

1. The Orientation Class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2. The Republic by Plato. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

3. Of Anger by Francis Bacon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

4. On Human Cures for Sadness by Thomas Aquinas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5. God, Death, and the Hungry Peasant A Tale from Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

6. Two Different Kinds of Minds by Blaise Pascal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

7. The Histories by Herodotus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

8. A Mathematician’s Defense by Godfrey Harold Hardy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

9. Democracy in America, Equality and Liberty by Alexis de Tocqueville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

C o n t e n t s

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10. The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

11. The Declaration of Independence Opening Paragraphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

12. On Public Education by Thomas Jefferson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

13. Continuity and Irrational Numbers by Richard Dedekind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

14. Character by Voltaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

15. On Moral Education by Horace Mann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

16. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

17. First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

18. On Religion and the State by Thomas Jefferson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

19. Federalist Paper No. 10 by James Madison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

20. Federalist Paper No. 2 by John Jay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

21. Democracy in America, Why Americans Are So Restless by Alexis de Tocqueville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

22. The Meno by Plato. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

23. Prisoners Listening to Music by Käthe Kollwitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

24. To Emancipate the Mind by Abraham Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

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25. Bonifacius—Essays to Do Good by Cotton Mather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

26. Emile or On Education by Jean Jacques Rousseau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

27. Open Letter to His Former Master by Frederick Douglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

28. The Life of Alcibiades by Plutarch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

29. Woman Holding a Balance by Johannes Vermeer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

30. We Cannot Live for Ourselves Alone by Vernon E. Jordan Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

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As the world changes, so must the ways we teach and learn change. Our worldis becoming more interconnected, bringing together people with diversebackgrounds and differing perspectives. Technology places volumes of informationat our fingertips. Skills such as problem-solving in groups, processing and evaluatingnew information, and working with diverse groups of people are more critical thanever to students’ success. Students must now also learn how to teach themselves.

The Touchstones Discussion Project offers students and teachers the tools tomeet the demands of this emerging environment. Students of all backgrounds andskill levels, across the United States and around the world, currently participate inTouchstones. In their weekly Touchstones discussion classes, students learn strategiesto help them navigate their way through school and through life. Touchstones helpsstudents learn to process information, ask the right questions, and enlist the help ofothers in making decisions. As they listen, explore, cooperate, and solve problems,they become true collaborators in their own learning. They learn that life is not alwaysabout answers being right or wrong but rather about decisions being better or worse.

Not only do students learn how to learn, teachers learn a new way to teach. TheTouchstones method offers teachers a powerful, new approach to group discussionthat results in fully active and eager participation by the students. Eventually, thestudents themselves take the lead in the process. By bridging the gap betweenstudents’ schoolwork and their experiences outside of school, Touchstonesdiscussions bring the classroom to life.

Why Touchstones?

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Introduction

THE TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION METHODWhile most people can enter into a group and be polite and not interrupt, the

development of higher-level discussion skills requires time, practice, and guidedeffort. The Touchstones discussion class setting develops those very skills by usingcarefully chosen texts, an effective discussion leader, and basic discussion groundrules. As students progress through this volume’s lessons, they will have theopportunity to acquire fundamental listening, speaking, and thinking skills, and theywill become better learners, capable of teaching themselves and others.

Touchstones develops these skills through the systematic use of individualwork, small group work, and full classdiscussion all grounded in textscarefully chosen to exercise certainskills and to highlight the discussionprocess itself. Touchstones does indeedteach students how to participate indiscussions. But more importantly,Touchstones helps students hone theskills that will increase their abilities togain from their entire education.

OUTCOMESThe Touchstones discussion

method cultivates students’ academicand social skills. Many students whodon’t excel in other learningenvironments thrive in theirTouchstones class. For some students,Touchstones brings a new sense of

WHAT IS A

TOUCH STONES DISCUSSION?A discussion is not a debate, a casualconversation, a question-and-answersession, or a simple sharing of stories.A discussion has no rigid agenda andno definite conclusion to be reached.Rather, a discussion is a cooperativeexploration of ideas, where allparticipants have an equal right tospeak and learn and an equalresponsibility to listen and make roomfor others. Touchstones Discussionsoffer a setting in which students, bysharing and examining their ideas, cancome to a greater understanding ofthemselves and others.


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relevance to their education. Some will gain respect for and learn to work with othersregardless of social or academic background. Although Touchstones discussionsprovide different benefits for different students, all students will benefit from bettercritical thinking, reading, speaking, and listening skills while becoming more activelyinvolved in their own education.

Critical Thinking and Reading SkillsCritical thinking skills are exercised in all aspects of Touchstones discussion

classes throughout the year. Individually, and in small and large groups, your studentsevaluate opinions, generate ideas, and identify key facets of the topic being discussed.

Because students are asked toconsider difficult and unfamiliarquestions that do not have clear rightand wrong answers, they practicecreative problem-solving, makinginferences, and inductive as well asdeductive reasoning. They becomemore confident and competent whenmaking decisions in areas of greatuncertainty.

Though the purpose of aTouchstones discussion is not to cometo a specific understanding of the text,the discussion of the topics presentedin the text will help students developimportant reading strategies andabilities that will help make themactive readers. Students’ asking ofcritical questions, comparing their

own ideas with those in the text, makingtextual inferences, using the text to challenge or support ideas, and applying theirprevious knowledge and experience all play an important role in Touchstonesdiscussions. These skills help your students become better readers by offering themdifferent avenues for understanding the text—from a general understanding of whatis being discussed to the personal understanding gained from integrating theirexperiences with the topic at hand. To determine an author’s assumptions and pointof view, students must first make their own points of view explicit. To draw inferencesrequires the ability to evaluate evidence. For each of these skills to develop, studentsmust learn how to step back from themselves so that they can identify and understandthe assumptions that have shaped their thoughts and opinions. Achieving thisimportant personal distance requires the assistance and cooperation of others thatoccurs in the Touchstones discussion format.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLSIdentifying Key IssuesConfronting Difficult QuestionsEvaluating Opinions and EvidenceGenerating IdeasMaking InferencesRecognizing Assumptions

CRITICAL READING SKILLSRelating Text and ExperienceUtilizing Questioning StrategiesAnalyzing a TextSupporting Opinions with TextAsking Critical QuestionsExploring Various Interpretations

Introduction

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Discussion SkillsThe discussion and cooperation skills at the foundation of the Touchstones

discussion method reinforce and refine critical thinking and reading abilities. Becausethe discussion questions do not have clear answers and the texts are unfamiliar, yourstudents should realize the need to work together to understand and make decisions.Furthermore, because individual students have strengths and weaknesses (sometypical examples are described in the chart below), they learn to look to others forhelp in overcoming their own weaknesses and similarly to offer their strengths to helpclassmates overcome their limitations. Recognizing what others offer and how to learnfrom others are important learning skills developed in Touchstones. For instance, astudent who is a strong reader needs the student who listens very well; a student whoexcels in clear-cut situations with right and wrong answers needs the student whocan see the big picture and isn’t afraid to take chances; the analytical student needsthe creative thinker—and vice versa.

All the abilities that each individual brings will come into play through thecourse of the year. But none of this development happens overnight. At differentstages of your discussion group’s progress different skills are developed and practiced.

Introduction

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF STUDENTS INDISCUSSION

Student A

Student B

Student C

STRENGTH

■■ Follows teacher’s lead■■ Attends to text■■ Gives clear and precise answers

■■ Acts independently of teacher■■ Thinks about serious issues in terms of

his or her experience

■■ Is not afraid of being wrong

■■ Listens equally to teacher andstudents

■■ Follows topic of discussion■■ Acts as member of group

WEAKNESS

■■ Expects teacher’s approval■■ Does not speak or listen to classmates■■ Is uncomfortable with uncertainty

■■ May exhibit antagonistic behavior■■ Finds no place in school for the

seriousness with which he or sheconsiders life

■■ Does not know how to receive criticism

■■ Does not take initiative in the classroom■■ Does not initiate new lines of inquiry■■ Does not take individual responsibility

for actions and opinions


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During the first discussions, your students are asked to share their responses to a textas well as their experiences and opinions. From here, group formation begins.Soliciting students’ experiences—the one thing about which they are all experts—makes all students equally capable of contributing. Throughout the early discussions,participation increases and quieter students find their way into the conversation. Atthe same time, the experiences that your students are asked to share are those thatrelate to the topic covered by the text. This is the first step toward integrating pastexperience and prior knowledge with the text or content at hand. Such skill atintegrating experience and knowledge extends beyond the Touchstones discussioninto all areas of study.

As the collection of individuals coalesces into a whole group, your studentsbegin to gain a sense ofownership of the process—theysee it as an academic activitythat belongs to them and seethat they share the responsibilityfor its success. They becomemore concerned with beingunderstood and recognize thevalue of speaking clearly andrephrasing their statements.Over time, students devisestrategies for speaking todifferent audiences and becomebetter at forming complex ideas.

As your students assume ownership of the discussion process, they becomemore willing to ask questions when they do not understand—another skill that willtranslate to their other classes. They also begin speaking directly to each other andnot just through you as the discussion leader. This student-to-student interaction isan early indicator that your students are beginning to think of their classmates aspeople from whom they can learn. Without this sense of respect and value, nocooperative learning can occur.

Because they cannot all talk at once and are specifically reminded by the groundrules (discussed on page 9) not to interrupt, students learn both how to find room tospeak and how to make room for others. Your students are also introduced, indirectly,to the different ways they each think and learn and the variety of experiences thatshape their opinions and their perspectives. This personal understanding is even moreessential in the small group activities where students are asked to move beyond theirindividual considerations to make group decisions or come to a group consensus. Thesmall and large group exercises help students learn the skills necessary for workingwith others, from respecting others and exploring various perspectives to supportingideas with evidence and reflecting on their own views and assumptions.

Small group work also fosters cooperation skills by encouraging collaborationamong students who might not otherwise work together. In any discussion group,

DISCUSSION SKILLSCooperating with All ClassmatesStating Ideas ClearlyExploring Various PerspectivesFollowing Lines of Discussion and ThoughtRelating Directly to PeersAnalyzing Group EffectivenessReflecting on Viewpoint of Self and OthersRespecting Others’ OpinionsAsking Questions to Clarify DiscussionFormulating Complex Ideas

Introduction


Purchase this volume to read the whole introduction.

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1Lesson

The Orientation Class

PURPOSEThe Orientation Class lays the foundation on which future discussions will be

built by introducing the class to the ground rules and goals for the TouchstonesDiscussion Project. The more that students understand the Touchstones process andgoals, and the more conscious they become of their roles in the class, the greatersuccess the class will achieve.

Students will:• Discuss the process and progress of the class and determine what they

will need to do for the class to succeed.• Examine the goals of the project and determine their personal goals for

the discussion class.

INTRODUCTIONThis is the first time that most of your students will be participating in a group

discussion class. You may be wondering about the best way to prepare your students,so that they get the most out of each lesson and reach the project’s goals more quickly.The best way to prepare students is simply to let them participate in the project. Witheach lesson, they will gain the valuable experiences and skills that are necessary toachieve success. It is important to realize that this process includes occasions whenlessons do not go as well as you might like. Sometimes students are particularlyuncooperative with one another, and the discussion dissolves into a debate. However,no matter how the class goes, students will have those experiences, good and bad, toreflect on when you hold discussions on the progress of the class. Therefore, this firstlesson is important as an introduction because it lays the foundation for futurediscussions concerning the dynamics of the class. Let the Orientation Class be thestudents’ only introduction to the Touchstones Discussion Project. It is important that,from the very beginning, you show the students that you will not explain everythingto them in this program. They must become more active and learn to figure out what


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this new class is and what should be happening in it. Under your direction, you andyour students will refer back to this first lesson in the future as a way to gauge the classprogress and determine which direction it should take. In future lessons, students willhave to address such questions as the following:

• Are students getting better at upholding the ground rules?• Were their concerns or worries about certain ground rules justified? • Have the subsequent lessons shown them more about the process than

they originally expected? • What still needs improvement and what can they do to achieve it?• What are their personal goals?

Because you will refer back to this lesson in the future, it is important not tosupply the students with answers or explanations. Depending on their experiences,they may be truly surprised by this new type of class and may not have any ideas ofwhat it could be like. Or they may have had previous experiences of all kinds, goodand bad, with discussion groups and have fixed ideas about how this type of classworks and what is expected of them. Whether students are unsure of what they think,are unwilling to answer, or have set opinions, it is best to finish today's lesson withopen-ended questions that the students can answer only with the experience ofparticipating in future Touchstones lessons. For example, when dealing with studentswhose past discussion experiences were negative, ask students to assess why that classwas not successful. Can they make suggestions so that this class avoids the samepitfalls? With that information, you will be able to relegate negative experiences toparticular circumstances that will not be repeated in this class. Problems that studentsmay raise include scenarios in which a few students dominated all year or the teacherbased the discussions on content, which created pressure to give correct answers.Regardless of the particulars, keeping an optimistic and open attitude throughout thislesson will help set the tone for this year.

Remember, the ground rules are purposely general. The students must work tounderstand why these are the ground rules and how the rules apply in particularcircumstances. For example, your students will be surprised to learn that they can beunintentionally disrespectful to the class when they all clamor to offer an opinion orpersonal story.

SUMMARY OF THE TEXTThis text in this lesson tells the students how their Touchstones class will differ

from their usual classes. They will sit in a circle and learn to monitor themselveswithout raising their hands. There is no preparation; the teacher acts as part of thegroup and is not to be seen as the person with the correct answers. All students shouldbe involved. Discussions will be about readings from the Touchstones book as well asthe students’ personal experiences, and the lessons will occur at regularly scheduledtimes, usually once a week. The students must learn to follow and uphold certainground rules for this project to be successful. They must (1) read the text carefully, (2)

Lesson 1: The Orientation Class


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listen to what others say and not interrupt, (3) speak clearly, and (4) give othersrespect. Finally, the text presents a list of goals that can be achieved from participatingin the Touchstones Discussion Project.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO RAISERemember to reword questions to make them more accessible to students if

necessary. • Which ground rules will be hardest or easiest for this class to follow?• What are the benefits of sitting in a circle for a discussion? (If the students

do not have an answer, do not help them or give them an answer. Tellthem that you will give them more time to think about it and that you willask them again in a few weeks after they have participated in a few morelessons.)

• Has anyone participated in a Touchstones or another discussion classbefore? If so, what were your experiences? What parts would you like tohave repeated or not repeated in this class?

• What types of activities do you like best in your regular classes? • Do you think our class will be successful using Touchstones?• How should we handle problems like breaking the ground rules?• If we don't raise our hands, how will we be able to tell if someone wants

to speak?• Read a goal aloud. In what situation would it help to have this skill?

SUGGESTIONMake a poster of the four ground rules and display it in the classroom. This

visual aid will help the students remember the rules. It will also serve as a useful toolwhen you decide to have the students evaluate their progress according to how wellthey have been following the ground rules.

The following lesson plan is highly specific to help you determine how to directthis lesson. In future plans, less detail will appear under the assumption that, after afew lessons, you will be well acquainted with such details as reminding students toreview the text silently or to bring a pencil to the group. The time breakdown is also onlya suggestion. It is most important that you are always aware of how much time is beingspent on each section so that all activities can be completed during class or so yourchoices of activities are strategic from week to week.



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LESSON PLAN 1

Activity Time1. ARRANGE CLASSROOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 min • Remind students to bring a pen or pencil. • Have students place their chairs in a circle, including a chair for you. • Do not attempt to save time by having a discussion with the students

sitting in rows or in the regular classroom configuration. • Give students some time to learn how to efficiently rearrange the

room. Don’t worry—they will get better. • Once in the circle, ask students to make sure they can see everyone’s

eyes and move chairs accordingly.2. TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 min • Distribute books and ask students to turn to the first lesson. • Read the text aloud slowly and carefully, as students follow along in

their own books.3. STUDENTS REVIEW TEXT SILENTLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 min4. INDIVIDUAL WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 min • Make copies of worksheets for your students prior to each lesson. • Pass out worksheets and read questions aloud, explaining if necessary. • Have students complete only questions 1 and 2.5. SMALL GROUP WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 min • Read the directions aloud, explaining if necessary. • Divide the class into small groups of four or five students, depending

on class size. • Appoint a chairperson and secretary for each group. • Have small groups relocate to different parts of the room so that each

group has its own space and does not disturb others. • Remind students what group work should look like—group members

should face one another and be discussing their work. • Visit each small group as it works. Be careful not to get pulled into

conversation. Make it clear to students that you are only visiting tomake sure that each group is on task.

6. DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 min • Have students form the circle again. • Have each student successively say which rule will be hardest for the

class to follow. When your turn comes, give your answer. Start thesequence so that you speak neither first nor last.

• Discuss which rule will be the most difficult to follow and why. • Do not be surprised if there is silence after your question. If a twenty-

second period of silence ensues, call on a student, neither the best northe worst in the class, to state which rule and why. Ask for commentsfrom others. At some point, have students comment on a particularground rule that you read aloud.



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• As the group discusses, ground rules may be violated or broken. Donot point this out at first. Eventually, bring violations to students’attention and ask them how they might have avoided breaking the rules.

• Ask students about their previous experiences with discussions, andwhat types of classes in school they appreciate most and why.

• Read each of the goals aloud, discussing each one. Are these skillsuseful skills to have? Where are these skills most useful, in school, ona job, doing research, figuring out a problem, etc.?

7. END DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 min • Reread the goals aloud to the class. Ask students to answer question 3

in the Individual Work section of the worksheets. 8. END TOUCHSTONES CLASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 min • Collect the worksheets and books. • Have students rearrange the classroom into the usual configuration.

Total: 45 min



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The Orientation Class( S T U D E N T V O L U M E , P. 1 )

You, your classmates, and your teacher are about to begin a class that differs insome ways from your regular classes. The purpose of this class is to enable you to gaincertain skills that will help you profit more from your regular classes. The new class isa discussion class. You will be talking to one another as well as to your teacher. We areall familiar with discussions because we all discuss problems, feelings, opinions, andexperiences with friends and relatives throughout our lives. However, the discussionsyou will have in this class differ in some ways from your previous experiences.

Unlike your regular classes, in Touchstones discussions:1. everyone sits in a circle;2. the teacher is a member of the group and will help, but your teacher

isn’t an authority with the correct answers; 3. there is no hand raising—instead everyone will learn how to run

the discussion; and4. there is no preparation.

Unlike discussions that happen outside of class with friends and relatives, inTouchstones classes:

1. discussions involve everyone in the class, your friends as well asstudents who you don’t know very well;

2. discussions are about readings from your Touchstones book andnot just our own concerns and experiences; and

3. discussions occur once a week at a scheduled time, begin with aquestion asked by the teacher, and end when the teacher decidesor when the bell rings.

Because of these differences, everyone must follow certain ground rules.



Ground Rules

1. Read the Text Carefully. In Touchstones discussions, your opinions are important,but these opinions are your thoughts about the text.

2. Listen to What Others Say and Don’t Interrupt. A discussion cannot occur if youdon’t listen carefully to what people say.

3. Speak Clearly. For others to respond to your opinions, everyone must be able tohear and understand you.

4. Give Others Your Respect. A discussion is a cooperative exchange of ideas and notan argument or a debate. You may become excited and wish to share your ideas,but don’t talk privately to your neighbor. In a Touchstones class, you will talkpublicly for the whole class.

Goals: What You Gain fromTouchstones Discussion Classes

You will learn to: a. listen better to what others say, b. explain your own ideas, c. speak and work with others whether you know them or not, d. receive correction and criticism from others, e. ask about what you don’t understand, f. admit when you’re wrong, g. think about questions for which the answers are uncertain, h. learn from others, i. teach others, j. teach yourself, and k. become more aware of how others see you.



Worksheet 1: The Orientation Class

INDIVIDUAL WORK1. Which ground rule do you think will be the hardest for the class to follow? Why?

2. Which ground rule will be hardest for you to follow? Why?

Complete question 3 after the discussion.

3. Choose one or two of the goals (items a through k in the text) that you would liketo achieve through this program. Write the letters here.

SMALL GROUP WORK1. The chairperson of your group is responsible for organizing the group, making sure

everyone participates, and presenting the group’s answers to the whole class. Thesecretary is responsible for recording your group’s answers. The participants areresponsible for being cooperative and helping make sure that the group work gets done.

2. Form a circle with your chairs to make sure each person in the group is included. 3. Each person in the group should tell the group what he or she wrote down for

question 1 in the Individual Work.4. Everyone in the group should decide which ground rule will be the most difficult

for the class to follow. Write your group’s choice below. Why did your group choosethis ground rule?


THIS PAGE MAY BE REPRODUCED FOR CLASSROOM USE.


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Lesson3Of Angerby Francis Bacon

PURPOSEIn this lesson, students will discuss the topic of anger. Anger is an emotion that

all of your students have experienced. It is, therefore, a good topic to use to increaseparticipation during the discussion.

Students will:• Compare their own feelings of anger with the description given by Francis

Bacon in the reading.• Investigate the effect anger has on their lives.

INTRODUCTIONTo begin the class, have each student complete the worksheet before you read

the text aloud. The worksheet asks them to rank their level of anger in a variety ofpainful situations. Begin the discussion by having some students share their choices.Encourage them to give reasons for their rankings and allow disagreements to beexpressed. This may evolve into a discussion. However, after a few minutes, read thetext to the class so as to allow time for the students to discuss it too.

In the discussion, you should ask your students to compare their own reasonsfor getting angry with the reasons that Bacon describes. This exercise will allow yourstudents to compare their own experiences with their fellow students experiences aswell as with Bacon’s thoughts.

One good place to concentrate the student’s attention may be on Bacon’sassertion that the habit or tendency to be angrycan be changed or softened but not stampedout. If discussion did not begin when thestudents compared their worksheet responses,you could start it by asking the studentswhether they agree with Bacon’s assertion.Some people may not think that the way people

BENCHMARKOne of the first signs of groupformation is that your studentsare talking to one another ratherthan through you.


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manage a strong emotion like anger can be changed or even softened. They maybelieve that it depends on particular factors such as the specific situation and thepeople involved. In what cases is it easy to restrain your anger and in what cases is itvery difficult? These are the decisions that your students are asked to make in the worksheet.

Another issue in the text that is particularly worth exploring is in the secondparagraph, where Bacon urges people to think deeply about the affects of anger onour lives. Does this mean that thinking about a problem can help a person to changeor must more be involved? If so, what exactly is involved in this process? The studentsshould go over the three main causes Bacon gives for anger and discuss variousexamples of each. Are there any other motives that Bacon did not cover? Some otheremotions may even cause anger. Jealousy is one example. How might these twoemotions be related? Although most people would agree with Bacon that the best timeto deal with a situation is when one is no longer angry, how do you keep yourself fromacting in the heat of the moment?

SUMMARY OF THE TEXTBacon discusses the issue of anger by focusing on the way it can be changed or

softened and how we can minimize the harm that anger can cause. He firstrecommends that to change the habits of anger, people must address their anger afterthey have calmed down. He stresses the importance of patience in that process. Baconthen describes the three main causes of anger—being hurt, being hurt combined withhaving hatred, and having one’s reputation spoken about. For all these, he emphasizesthe importance of having patience and letting time heal the anger. Finally, hediscusses what one should do once a person has lost his temper. He states that aperson should not say anything that he or she might regret later and that a personshould never “end any matter in anger” because any actions taken or words spokencannot be undone later.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO RAISE• Can thinking about anger make it go away? • Do you think you could ever stop getting angry?• How does anger affect our lives?• What are the types of things that make you angry?• Bacon says anger can be controlled but not stamped out. Do you agree? Why?

Lesson 3: Of Anger


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SUGGESTIONHow should you participate? When your class engages in Touchstones, you

must shift roles from teacher to facilitator because discussions will not happenunless you assist your students. Keep in mind that your main tasks are to assist themin articulating and exploring their own thoughts and to guide them in learning howto listen to the ideas shared by others. You will probably be tempted to participate,as you might do in regular classes, by telling stories about your own experiences. Youmay think this will help the students understand something or help them relate toyou. And students will want to hear your opinions. You should not shy away fromgiving them. However, in a discussion with students, any lengthy response made byyou will stand out. A danger also exists that students, because they are used to youhaving the “right” answer, will amend their opinions so as to agree with yours. Theymay even think that they are wrong if their opinion is different. Therefore, you shouldgenerally only give your opinion when the students ask for it or when they need aconcrete example to illustrate an idea. Other than in these limited ways, yourparticipation will consist of questions and guidance to the students. When the class’attention does turn to you, express your opinion simply and shortly, then direct theattention away from you by (a) asking others what they think, (b) returning to whatanother student had previously said, or (c) raising a new question.

Lesson 3: Of Anger


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LESSON PLAN 3

Activity Time1. ARRANGE CLASSROOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 min • Have the class move the desks out of the way and place the chairs in a

circle, including a chair for you. • Once in the circle, ask the students to make sure that they can see

everyone’s eyes and move their chairs accordingly.2. INDIVIDUAL WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 min • Pass out the worksheets and read the questions aloud. • Have students complete questions 1 and 2. • Ask for volunteers to share. Allow a discussion to continue if it arises.3. TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 min • Read the text aloud slowly and carefully. Direct your students to read

along in their books. • Have the students review the text silently.4. SMALL GROUP WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 min • Read the directions aloud, explaining as necessary. • Divide the class into groups containing four or five students. • Have each group appoint a chairperson and secretary. • Visit each small group as it works. • Have the groups discuss Bacon’s three main causes of anger. They

should order them by deciding which causes the most anger.5. DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 min • Have the students form a circle again. • Then the groups report their answers. • Ask a question to open the discussion.6. END DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 min • Collect the worksheets and the books. • Have your students rearrange the classroom into its usual configuration.

Total: 45 minutes

Lesson 3: Of Anger


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Of Angerby Francis Bacon

( S T U D E N T V O L U M E , P. 7 )

Anger cannot be completely stamped out, but it can be controlled and calmed.We will speak first about how the tendency or habit to be angry can be changed orsoftened; secondly, about how to prevent anger from causing further harm.

For the first, there is no other way but to think deeply about how much beingangry disturbs, troubles, and throws your life into turmoil. The best time to do this iswhen the fit of anger is thoroughly over. The Bible urges us to try and be more patient.When people lose their patience, they lose possession of their souls.

For the second point, there are three main causes and motives of anger. The firstis being hurt too easily—for no one is angry unless he or she feels hurt. Therefore,weak, soft, and delicate persons often become angry. They have so many things totrouble them of which stronger people are not even aware. The second main cause isif, in addition to feeling hurt, the hurt is combined with hatred. For hatred can causeanger as much or more than the hurt itself. Lastly, anger becomes much sharper if aperson’s reputation is touched or even spoken about. The best cure for this is to havea tougher hide. But the best way to prevent getting angry is to gain time. Make yourselfbelieve that now is not the best time to get even, but later will be better. In themeantime, you can calm down.

There are two things you should be very careful about if you lose your temper.The first is not to say anything you will regret, such as bitter and spiteful words,especially if they are true. Also never reveal a secret. The other is that you should notend any matter in anger. Never take any action which cannot ever be changed backagain into how it was before.

Lesson 3: Of Anger


Worksheet 3: Of Anger

INDIVIDUAL WORK1. Order the following in terms of what makes you most angry, with “1” being most

angry, and “5” being least angry.

_____ a) Someone lies to you.

_____ b) Someone hurts you physically.

_____ c) Someone insults you.

_____ d) Someone spreads a false rumor about you.

_____ e) Someone steals something from you.

2. Remember the last time you were angry.

a) What happened?

b) Did you handle the situation well?

c) Could you have done something differently?

d) If yes, what could you have done differently?

Lesson 3: Of Anger



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SMALL GROUP WORK1. The chairperson of your group is responsible for organizing the group, making sure

everyone participates, and presenting the group’s answers to the whole class. Thesecretary is responsible for recording your group’s answers. The participants areresponsible for being cooperative and helping to make sure the group work gets done.

2. Form a circle with your chairs to make sure each person in the group is included. 3. Group members should tell one another what they wrote down for question 1 in

the Individual Work.4. Discuss the three main causes of anger that Bacon describes in the text. Which of

the three do you think causes the most anger? Which causes the least? As a group,decide which you think causes the most anger and why. The secretary should writethe answer below.

Lesson 3: Of Anger



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11The Declaration of IndependenceOpening Paragraphs

Lesson

PURPOSEIn this week’s lesson, your class will face the problem of translation in regard to a

much-interpreted document from the eighteenth century. Students will need to thinkabout the deeper meanings involved in understanding and rewriting texts by developingtheir own versions of the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.

Students will:• Translate the opening words of the Declaration of Independence into

contemporary English.• Explore how translation can affect a text’s meaning.• Discuss whether the meaning of the original text is the same for us now as it

was many years ago.

INTRODUCTIONYour students have been reading translations throughout their studies in

Touchstones. Even those texts that were originally written in English are subject tosome translation and adaptation by the editors of Touchstones: from, say, theseventeenth century English of Francis Bacon into the English of the late twentiethcentury. This has been done to make the texts equally accessible to all the students.Our task was not only to retain the integrity of an author’s thought as much aspossible, but also to make the language available to the reader. Your students will nowattempt a similar task.

The Declaration of Independence is a central document in American history. Itis of the utmost importance to all Americans, yet it is rarely thought about in depth.For this lesson, the text has been left in its original form with only a few definitions,given in footnotes, for the more unusual words. This solves the most simple problemof enabling the students to read the text without having to ask “what does this wordmean?” After an initial reading of the text, they will focus on trying to grasp the deepermeanings and conceptual difficulties in the text. The goal of the worksheet is to helpthe students make the bridge between the text and their experience.


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Begin the class by reading the text aloud. After you have read the whole text oncethrough, go over the first paragraph as a class and have the students offer theirunderstanding of it. You can ask them to interpret each phrase and then figure outwhat the main point of this sentence is.

After the students and you feel comfortable with the first paragraph, go on tothe worksheet. The worksheet asks the students to think carefully about two phrasesthat to a great degree may define democracy for many Americans. The phrases, “allmen are created equal” and “the unalienable right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit ofhappiness,” are familiar to us all. Indeed, they are so familiar in America that it maybe rare to approach them critically—to ask what they imply, what they assume, andon what grounds and conditions they might be true. The first approach the worksheetuses to help unpack the meanings of these phrases is to ask the students to try toexpress the ideas in their own words.

The small group work will be modeled on the large group’s earlier work togetherto translate the first paragraph. However, instead of only translating, students willconsider and discuss the implications of the second paragraph. For example, in thefirst phrase, they should address in their response what they think is intended by “allmen” and “equal.” Are women and children included in all men? Are a one hour-oldbaby, a ten-year-old, and a ninety-year-old equal in some way? What way? Studentsshould compare their attempts at translating in their small groups and try to decideon one translation for each phrase. Be sure each group writes its translation on the worksheet.

During the whole class discussion, each group should report its final set oftranslations. If there are notable differences among the versions, encouragediscussion to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Try to get the entireclass to work toward one version. After they have reached agreement on the firstphrase,“We hold these truths to be self-evident”, reread the sentence up to “equal.”Ask for a vote on whether they think this statement is true.

Now move on to the rest of the paragraph, discussing each right in turn: “life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” How does the class understand the usage of theword “life” as a right? Also, liberty raises some interesting issues. For example, isn’t ittrue that one person’s right to liberty may be harmful to other citizens? Studentsshould consider if it is always clear when liberty may become harmful. The right topursue happiness is an equally strange phrase. Encourage the students to offerinterpretations of these rights. Finally, you should ask whether there are any otherrights students think that they have. In making this effort at rendering these phrasesunderstandable, your students are facing the major issues in translation. At somestage in the discussion, you might ask students directly about their own experiencewith foreign languages and translating and with those instances in day-to-day lifewhen they find they speak differently from other speakers of English.

Lesson 11: Declaration of Independence


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SUMMARY OF THE TEXTThe opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence begin by setting out

the need for the document’s creation: the causes of separation arise from the relationshipwith another political group or system of governance that no longer meets the needs ofthe populace. The second paragraph then introduces the familiar list of “inalienablerights” which are the very things believed to be essentially guaranteed for all people.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO RAISE• Do you think that the words “all men” include women? Children?• What was the hardest part of trying to translate these sentences?• Are there rights not listed here that you think all people have?• What were the biggest differences between the groups’ translations? • Why do you think that these differences occurred?• Do you agree that “all men are created equal?” Why or why not?

SUGGESTIONWhat do you do with a class that seems to progress slowly? As you conduct

Touchstones discussions, you will have to be patient with the progress of your class. Thisform is a new experience for your students, and they have habits that cause themproblems in their participation. All groups must go through a period of adjustment beforebecoming adept at discussion. Both you and your students will have to learn to adjust tothe new roles and expectations of Touchstones classes. Most of your students will comearound quickly and Touchstones will be a favorite activity. On rare occasions, however, aparticular class may respond negatively. The students may not believe that they can learnfrom one another, or they may find it hard to change their sense of what a class should belike. When you try to have them discuss the discussion process itself, it can evenexacerbate the difficulty if students feel as if they are under a microscope. Becausestudents feel scrutinized, either by one another, you, or a combination, they may becomeunwilling to participate at all.

Why does this tense dynamic occur? Some students may have a history of gettinginto trouble and they may be reluctant to try new activities out of fear that they willexperience more failure and cause more trouble. Other students bring baggage from badexperiences in sharing their ideas, and they fear getting into the same situations againwith this new class. They may have been embarrassed or mocked in another situationwhen they shared their thoughts. If those students are leaders, the rest of the class maytake their cue from the hostility and misinterpret what they are supposed to do or whatyou are trying to do. Regardless of the causes, if this problem occurs with one of yourclasses, you must change the dynamics immediately. To get the students involved, focusmostly on the worksheets and students’ personal experiences. Because almost all studentslove to tell each other stories and opinions, let them indulge in this for several classes untilthey feel more comfortable as a group. Gradually you can shift how they engage in thediscussion to help create a better forum in the future. If the students are excited aboutspeaking together, then they will have an investment in the success of the class. They willwant to work together to ensure that they can continue participating in this forum.



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LESSON PLAN 11

Activity Time1. ARRANGE CLASSROOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 min2. TEXT AND BRIEF DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 min • Read the text once through, then reread first paragraph. • Ask the students to offer their understanding of first paragraph.3. INDIVIDUAL WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 min • Have your students translate the two phrases.4. SMALL GROUP WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 min • Divide the class into groups of four or five students. • Have your students compare their translations. Encourage them to

focus on key phrases.5. DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 min • Have the small groups report their translations to the entire class. • Ask a question to open the discussion. Discuss the difficulties in

translating as well as the differences between translations. At somepoint, ask your students whether they agree with the statements,particularly the ones concerning rights, as well as whether they thinkthere are other rights that everybody has or should have.

6. END DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 minTotal: 45 minutes


DISCUSSION EVALUATION

You may wish to have your students complete a ParticipantQuestionnaire or Discussion Evaluation Sheet. These tools can be foundin Appendices G and H of this book and may be photocopied fordistribution to your students. If you decide to use one of these as partof this lesson, leave about 10 minutes for a class discussion about theirresponses. Having your students evaluate themselves and their worktogether from time to time will reinforce their ownership of theirdiscussions.


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The Declaration of IndependenceOpening Paragraphs

( S T U D E N T V O L U M E , P. 2 7 )

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people todissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assumeamong the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws ofnature and of nature’s god entitle 1 them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankindrequires that they should declare the causes which impel 2 them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident 3: that all men are created equal; that theyare endowed 4 by their Creator with certain inalienable5 rights; that among these arelife, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

1 give 2 urge3 obvious if you think about it4 provided5 rights which cannot be taken or given away



Worksheet 11: The Declaration of Independence

INDIVIDUAL WORKWrite in your own words what you think each phrase below means. Try to rewrite eachphrase in a way that makes the meaning clearer.

1. ...all men are created equal

2. ...that we have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

SMALL GROUP WORK1. Share your answers from the individual work with the other members of your group. 2. As a group, come up with one translation or re-writing for each phrase. Be specific

and focus on what is meant by “all men,” “equal,” “inalienable right,” “life,” and“liberty.” Write your group’s translation below.




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TEACHER DISCUSSION EVALUATION SHEET 3

As we near the halfway mark of the volume, participation should be less of anissue, and now the focus is moving toward cooperation among the students. This isnot to say that all the previous goals have been met but rather that the generaldirection of the discussions is toward getting students to work with one another.

Are students talking directly to one another and not through you? ■■ Never ■■ Sometimes ■■ Often ■■ Always

Are students working with students whom they otherwise might not? ■■ Never ■■ Sometimes ■■ Often ■■ Always

Are there a lot of arguments? ■■ Yes ■■ No

Are students accepting of other opinions? ■■ Never ■■ Sometimes ■■ Often ■■ Always

Are students stating their ideas clearly? ■■ Never ■■ Sometimes ■■ Often ■■ Always

Are students identifying main ideas and key questions about the topic? ■■ Never ■■ Sometimes ■■ Often ■■ Always

Do students refer to past discussions or other classes? ■■ Never ■■ Sometimes ■■ Often ■■ Always



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Documents

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