Paidea 1b
Spring 2010
We will weave together intentionally the strands of Paideia: academics, intercultural, collaborative, and
civic engagement. The Paideia Program seeks to assist the Paideia Scholars in their search for a life that is
connected, thoughtful, and authentic. Our seminar and tutorial sessions are designed to assist each seminar
member in the pursuit of such a life.
The following shared values, methods, and procedures continue to clarify our approach to learning in this
seminar:
 we will take a proactive approach to learning, one that requires personal goal setting, self-directed
study, and self-evaluation
 we will develop our goals and objectives with intentionality (that is, careful consideration and
planning).
 we will reflect on our experiences, and the experiences of others, in an attempt to evaluate our
own preconceived ideas and feelings; to challenge or reinforce our own values and beliefs; to
discover other ways of thinking about complicated issues; and to explore different attitudes and
viewpoints involving diverse perspectives.
 we will endeavor to maintain a supportive learning environment, one in which everyone’s
opinion is valued and ideas that differ from our own are welcome.
 we will seek out and establish connections between what we are learning in our academic studies
and the world at large.
 we will strive for personal growth and this will serve as a measure of our success.
Therefore, this seminar will require all of us to “stretch” beyond our established frames of reference, limits
of understanding, and levels of comfort. The end result will be the integration of diverse learning
experiences and progress toward the realization of our respective personal goals with regard to our
educations.
Requirements:
 Civic engagement. Paideia Scholars will continue to develop our group service project, in
collaboration with the Senior Paideia cohort.
 Intercultural. Scholars will have developed a proposal for the anchoring intercultural experience.
Specific assignments appear in the Assignments tab.
 One-on-one. Please schedule your first one-on-one meeting with Dr. Haskell before spring break.
 Paideia Plan. Please update your written Paideia plan by the end of February (and in advance of
your one-on-one). This plan enables you to think about and express what you think that you might
get out of Paideia and what you might contribute. This is an organic document, one that can be
updated throughout the three year program. Please post this at the Paideia Plan tab - do not replace
the old version, but p[ost an updated version. The plan will not be visible to other student
members of the cohort.
 Attendance Policy. Attendance in your Paideia Seminar and at your Paideia one-on-one
appointments is required. Because attendance and participation are such integral parts of this
program, students who miss either a seminar session or a one-on-one meeting with their Paideia
Professor due to an unexcused absence will receive a lower class participation grade (see below).
In addition, they will be placed on probation with the three-year Paideia Program. Any additional
unexcused absences during the duration of the Paideia Program will typically result in your
termination from the Program. All probationary cases will be reviewed by the group of ten Paideia
Professors.
Program Requirements are detailed in the Paideia Handbook.
Grading:
The class is offered on a P/D/F basis:
70%-100% = P
60%-69% = D
<60% = F
To give a sense of scale, normally reflective essays should run about 300-500 words. This is not a huge
amount of verbiage, and you are asked to reflect carefully and thoughtfully on the assigned readings.
Reflective essays will be graded according to the following scale:
 High Pass(95%). Such essays will contain a clearly, succinctly stated thesis and exemplary
supporting evidence; they will also be stylistically excellent (that is, be well organized, worded,
and presented).
 Pass (85%). Such essays will contain a clearly, succinctly stated thesis and good supporting
evidence; organization word choice, and argumentation will be good but not excellent.
 Low Pass(65%). Such essays will contain a thesis and supporting evidence but clearly lack clear
organization, word choices, and overall effect.
 F (50%). Such essays will either lack a clear thesis, supporting evidence, or be so stylistically
flawed as to make it impossible to determine the thesis.
 F- (0%). Written assignment not turned in
Semester Grade. The semester grade will be calculated as follows:
Class/Program participation 50% of final grade
Assignments: 50% of final grade
Classes:
January 12 Initial meeting, 11 am.
January 26 Please read Thucydides' Funeral Oration.
Post your initial response here by Tuesday noon, January 19. Respond to at least one of the responses by
Friday noon, January 22.
NEXT TUESDAY, January 26, I have a midday opportunity to chase down a somewhat unlikely lead for
substantive service in support of Haiti. THEREFORE THERE WILL BE NO CLASS - WE WILL
POSTPONE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK, FEBRUARY 2.
In the meantime, I am posting another reading. In lieu of class, please respond by Friday, January 29. The
readings are:
Excerpts from Edward Everett's Gettysburg Oration
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Please post here, as the Gettysburg pieces provide a nice comparison for Pericles' Funeral Oration.
February 2 You have completed:
Excerpts from Edward Everett's Gettysburg Oration
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Today we discuss these addresses and Pericles' Funeral Oration.
February 16 Please read the wiki article on Athenian democracy.
Please respond to this descriptive essay: in what major ways is Athenian democracy similar to, and
different from, American democracy?
Post your initial response here by Tuesday noon, February 9. Respond to at least one of the responses by
Friday noon, February 12.
March 2 Toward the end of the 5th century BCE, the "Old Oligarch" wrote an anti-Athenian democracy
pamplet.
Please read this pamplet, and make sure to address the following points:
 what does the text itself say about this unidentified author?
 what do the "modern" (19th cent. CE?) italicized introductory sentences tell us about the "modern"
editor?
First round due February 23, second round February 26.
Thanks.
March 9 Please post here thoughts on what direction we might go now - what to read, etc.
Post by Sunday, March 7.
March 30 Please read Thucydides' Melian Dialog.
The cohort will divide into two groups, one group representing the Athenians, the other the Melians, and
recreate as a debate in class. PLEASE SIGN UP, THROUGH ME (haskell@southwestern.edu), BY
MARCH 12 FOR THE SIDE THAT YOU WISH TO HELP REPRESENT. FIRST COME, FIRST
SERVED. As soon as the list is complete, the team members' names will be listed here.
The debate will take place at our next REQUIRED meeting, March 30, 11:00, CB 36.
In preparing for this performance, you may consult commentaries, articles, whatever.
We will follow the following format:
Rather than following the dialog format as in Thucydides, we will follow a more formal debate format.
Each side, starting with the Athenians, will have 10 minutes to make a formal presentation (total 20 min.)
Each side will have 5 minutes of rebuttal time (10 min.). We will have another 10 minutes or so to wrap up.
The debate text will not be simply a collation of the various sentences in the translation - the original is in
the form of a dialog. Your task kere is to distill the arguments, augment and correct as necessary, into a 10
minute continuous presentation.
Remember, in a debate, you need not personally agree with the stance that you are promoting.
April 13 The first two are on the history of health care in America, and the second is on the histroy of
welfare. I think both give us an idea of what it means to be a responsible citizen in the United States today,
and how it has changed since Athenian time.
Kerry Spare
http://www.slate.com/id/2161736/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_health_care_reform_in_the_United_States
http://law.jrank.org/pages/11271/Welfare.html
Post your initial response here by the end of the day, Tuesday, April 6. Respond to at least one of the
responses by Friday noon, April 9.