Description:

This presentation offers a teaching strategy, the Win-Win Quiz, that facilitates class discussion of assigned readings developed in DELL 103, Environmental Disasters & Sustainability in the Roman World. This teaching strategy is called “Win-Win” because all students work toward a score of 100% through preparation and discussion. After a preliminary lecture, students review assigned readings and develop questions from them for the Win-Win Quiz. Each individual member of the class creates four questions, two factual and two critical, that they ask others in the class. Students review the readings as they answer the questions. Critical questions, ones with debatable answers, form the basis for low-stakes writing that can then lead to research papers and presentations. This presentation includes explanation of the strategy, sample questions and responses (with student permission), scoring, and the assessment system. This exercise aids reading comprehension of primary sources and leads to research topics in issues affecting human survival in the ancient world. And, so far, it has been met with enthusiasm from the students!

Objectives:

1. Demonstrate a developing ability to explore issues, analyze evidence, and integrate ideas in a way that leads to informed conclusions

2. Read primary and secondary source texts with the intention of building knowledge

3. Demonstrate the ability to use credible and relevant sources to support written arguments