Activity that worked really well in my class – to share. ~submitted by Julie Hill
This is what I put on Blackboard:
General Assignment: Exercise designed to work on your note taking and critical
thinking ability. Must be completed and brought to class on Thursday, Sept. 8.
Listen to the prologue and Act 1 from This American Life. Take notes on the program
and be prepared to discuss the important points.
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Listening Assignment: Listen to the Prologue and Act 1: One Pill Two Pill Red Pill
Blue Pill from This American Life, with the theme The Fine Print, which originally aired
on 4/15/2011. As you listen to these 2 reports, take notes as if you were listening to a
lecture. Both reports together take about 22 minutes to listen to. Bring your notes to
class on Thursday, September 8.
If you have trouble following the embedded link, you can copy & paste this one into your
browser:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/433/fine-print-2011
And here are my notes from my lesson plan – this took up at least half the class
period.
Study Skills – note taking
Give them the quiz on the note taking from TAL. Collect it. Then explain that it really
doesn’t count except to show that they did the work.
Go over the answers to the quiz questions – make note of how each question relates to
figuring out what’s important, critical thinking etc. (“tertiary” isn’t defined in the story, but
you should always look up concepts that you don’t know from lecture/reading.)
Divide class into small groups to discuss the story and answer these questions:
What were the important points of the story?
How would what’s important change depending on the course? (have
them come up with a class they might get this info in, and figure out what details
would be more important for that class)
What did you think about this information?
What does this tell you about how complicated health care reform is?
Have each small group report out – ask each group for 1 important point, for one class
idea, and then ask anyone who wants to comment about their impressions about the
information.
Name: _____________________________
Note Taking Assignments
QUIZ
GEP 101-35
(prologue)
1. What is a contract rider for a rock concert?
a. Someone who checks a contract for problems
b. A section listing all the details for a performance
c. The cover sheet that all parties sign off on
d. Any last minute additions to an earlier contract
2. What is a tertiary market?
a. A specialty store
b. A small Mom & Pop operation
c. A smaller venue
d. A special place for ticket sales
3. What color M&Ms did Van Halen specifically forbid in their dressing room?
a. Brown
b. Green
c. Red
d. Yellow
4. Why did Ira think Van Halen required special M&Ms in their dressing room?
a. Food coloring allergies
b. Rock stars are divas
c. To match their costumes
d. Performers’ superstitions
5. What was the real reason that Van Halen had specific M&M requirements?
(One Pill, Two Pill…)
6. To what does the commentator compare the conflict about prescription co-pays?
7. Who are the 2 major parties in the conflict?
8. What is the approximate price difference between Solodyn and Ted’s earlier
medicine?
9. What is the difference between Solodyn and Ted’s earlier medicine?
(Over)
10. What is the end result if lots of consumers, like Ted, choose to use a discount card
in order to purchase brand name medications when generics are available?
11. From listening to this story, what did you learn in general about the issues
surrounding lowering the cost of health care in America?