Teaching Political Science Sections

In Class Activities

Brainstorming

Brainstorming encourages students to consider a range of possible answers. This is a good technique when you are beginning a topic. You can do this as a class or in small groups. You may even want to go around the room and ask each student for a possible explanation of X. The key is to limit the amount of time that you will allow for this activity up front – ask for as many possible ideas within this period of time.

Divide students into pairs or small groups

Give them a problem to solve or a game to play. This will encourage discussion and allow students to ask questions and explore alternatives in a smaller setting. Some students are reluctant to speak in front of a larger group – this is a method to "loosen them up".

Show videos or slides

This is especially helpful when studying a case with which students may be completely unfamiliar, like Nigeria for example. If students have a mental picture of a country they will be better able to make abstract concepts concrete. In other words, videos help students make connections between the course material and the real world. See the list of resources on campus on the Leading Sections page.

Play Jeopardy!

Provide questions and answers on 3x5 cards. You can do this as a class with three or four teams, or you can break them up into smaller groups. This is an excellent exercise for the last class before an exam. Making up the questions and answers, (or should I say answers and questions?), is also a good exercise for you!

Quizzes

Quizzes will allow you to test their understanding of the material before exams. You can ask direct questions, ask them to list variables, or ask them to summarize an argument. You might even try a quick quiz at the end of a section to see how well they have synthesized the material from that day! This is also a good way to allocate points for section.

Lecture

You may find it necessary to lecture if the readings are particularly difficult or if you want to introduce an organizational schema for new information. The first rule is to be organized; make an outline and follow it through. The second rule is the same for any presentation: tell them what you are going to say, say it, and tell them what you said. You may want to put your outline on the board so the students can follow along as well. If at all possible, use a diagram to illustrate what you say. Some students learn well from outlined text, but others learn more easily through pictorial relationships. You will need to use both if you want to connect with all of your students.

Keep in mind that people learn differently.
Try to present the same information in as many ways as possible!