Discussion and Attendance (20%)

Your discussion grade consists of three parts.

1. Attendance (5%): Your attendance grade will depend on how frequently you attend class. Furthermore, if you are a student, your job consists of learning. I expect you to come to class prepared to learn.

• Come to class having completed the readings assigned for that day (including the textbook reading).
• If we are scheduled to discuss a book or an excerpt out of the coursepack, bring the reading to class so that you can refer to it.
  
• Bring the textbook to class.
  

Also, please arrive on time if not a little early. If you must leave class early, let me know in advance.

2. Class Participation (10%): I will base your class participation grade on the frequency and quality of your contribution to classroom discussion. Positive contributions consist not merely of answering the professor's questions. They also include:

• Asking questions concerning the reading, the discussion, or the class in general
• Challenging what either the professor or your peers have said
• Making pertinent observations of all sorts
  

Remember, if you are not attending class, you are not participating.

3. Leading Class Discussion (5%): I have set aside 9 particular topics—each on a specific day—in which groups consisting of three students will lead classroom discussion. I will circulate a sign-up sheet in class: first come, first served. Your grade on this assignment will depend not only on my evaluation of your presentation, but on the opinion of your fellow students. After each presentation, I will ask your peers to provide a short written assessment of your performance, which I will forward to you with my own comments. Here are your options:

• Friday, September 14: Anglo-Saxon Society (Kari Kristensen and Jake Goodchild)
• Monday, September 24: Manorialism (Rachel Murphy and Matt Covello)
• Wednesday, October 3: The Rise of the Medieval Town (Tami Greve and Sarah Garcia)
• Friday, October 12: The Emergence of Parliament (Aimee Rawlins and Melissa Ehret)
• Wednesday, October 17: The Black Death (Claire Rabun and Carmen Caruso)
• Friday, October 19: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 (Rosie Hutchinson, Kristi Nelson, and Carol Zolnowsky)
• Monday, October 29: Good Kings and Bad (Tim Horsfall and Andrew Piraino)
• Friday, November 16: What and Who Were the Puritans? (Sydney Snyder and Tonie Bodley)
• Monday, November 19: The Stuarts and Parliament (Emlyn Freeman-Toole and Isaac Bohren)

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Copyrighted by Hugh Dubrulle, 2001
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