Here is a list of the “before class” and “after class” activities included in each chapter.

Before class activities

Strategically reading and watching assigned materials (i.e., articles and videos) ahead of class is one effective strategy for academic success.

There are three pre-reading activities in each chapter.

Key questions to ask while reading and watching

Use the questions to uncover and think about some of the key ideas being explored in each week and module. Identify any questions you may have after finishing your reading and watching.

  “Pile of words”: Group and label key concepts

The purpose of this activity is to introduce you to the key concepts covered in each week.

Some of these ideas may already be familiar to you and some may not. You are encouraged to look up any of the ideas that are new to you in order to complete the exercise.

By sorting these ideas into piles of similar words, you will begin to differentiate the concepts, make sense of the differences as well as similarities, and connect what you will be learning each week with what you already know.

For example, in a class on Canadian politics in the 1960s, you might start with a pile of words that include the following terms. The first step is to sort them into two groups of similar terms.

In the next step, name your piles. For example, you might have divided these words into two piles with the following titles:

Pile 1: Political parties

• • Liberal Party
  • Conservative Party
  • New Democratic Party

Pile 2:  Social movements

• • “War on poverty”
  • Postal workers strike
  • Royal Commission on the Status of Women
  • Bilingualism
  • Multiculturalism
  • Quiet Revolution

You might find it relatively easy to sort these concepts because you already know something about political parties in Canada and Canadian social movements. However, you might have to search for some of the ideas in order to decide how to assign the concepts to each pile.

By doing this sorting, you will become more aware of these “big ideas” before class, and thus will be better prepared to engage in the class discussions and activities.

   Predict a learning outcome

You will be prompted to identify what you think you will be learning each week. Prediction is a powerful tool for preparing your brain to recognize and think about new ideas.

You will answer the following questions by filling in the blanks:

• What do you think you will learn this week?
• What will you be able to accomplish after this week?

After class activities

A “close” or purposeful reading and watching of the assigned materials is critical to acquiring a deep understanding and knowledge of the course content.

You can do some of this close reading and watching before class. However, you can also do it after class, when you have been introduced to and discussed the core content.

Regardless of when you do this close reading and watching, you will learn the material more fully by taking the time to read thoroughly and by annotating the text, i.e.,
highlighting key concepts, taking notes from each reading and video, and summarizing the author’s main points.

Here are three strategies for re-reading weekly materials after class:

• Annotate each reading for key ideas. For videos and podcasts, you can annotate the transcript.
• Summarize the author’s key ideas from each reading.
• Where appropriate, highlight this information:
  • purpose of the reading;
  • scope (the extent of the study);
  • thesis (e.g., main argument[s]);
  • outcome(s) and conclusion.

Respond to a statement about the readings:

• Do you agree or disagree with the statement and why?
• Did this reading provide any inspiration or insights you can use in this or any of your other classes? If yes, what is the inspiration and/or what are your insights?