“Any Human to Another” SEMINAR PLAN
Pre-Seminar Content Steps:
Introduce this seminar by stating directly that our purpose in
participating in this dialogue is to gain understanding of: compassion,
connection, perspective, joy, sorrow
In the days prior to the seminar, post a definition for “simile” on the board and
discuss.
Have students read the poem twice silently. After the first reading, have them
number the stanzas for easy reference. After the second, have them paraphrase
each stanza in the margin of the page.
Just prior to the seminar, share the following background information: Countee
Cullen was born with the name Countee LeRoy Porter and was abandoned by
his mother at birth. He spent his early childhood with this grandmother, but it
was unclear where he was born (usually reported as Louisville, Kentucky or
Baltimore, Maryland). In 1918, his grandmother died, and he was raised
thereafter in the home of a Methodist minister, Frederick Cullen, in Harlem. He
earned degrees at the mostly white DeWitt Clinton High School (the same high
school as Mortimer Adler) in New York, New York University, and Harvard
University. He became a leading poetic voice of the Harlem Renaissance. He
died unexpectedly at age 43 of uremic poisoning and high blood pressure.
Pre-Seminar Process Steps:
Prepare participants to participate in seminar discussion by reading the following
script (or putting key points into your own words):
“We are getting ready to have a Paideia Seminar, a collaborative, intellectual
dialogue about a text, facilitated with open-ended questions.
“The main purpose of seminar is to arrive at a fuller understanding of the textual
ideas and values in this speech of ourselves, and of each other. We are going to
work together and practice thinking about compassion, connection,
perspective, joy, sorrow.
“Any Human to Another” Paideia Seminar Plan
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“As the facilitator, I am primarily responsible for asking challenging, open-ended
questions, and I will take a variety of notes to keep up with the talk turns and flow
of ideas. I will help move the discussion along in a productive direction by asking
follow-up questions based on my notes.
“As participants, I am asking you to think, listen, and speak candidly about your
thoughts, reactions, and ideas.
“You do not need to raise your hands in order to speak; rather, the discussion is
collaborative in that you try to stay focused on the main speaker and wait your
turn to talk.
“You should try to both agree and disagree in a courteous, thoughtful manner.
For example, you might say, ‘I disagree with Joanna because…,’ focusing on the
ideas involved, not the individuals.
“Now, let’s think about how we normally participate in a discussion as a group. Is
there a goal that we can set for ourselves that will help the flow and meaning of
the seminar? For this seminar, I would us to focus on asking genuine questions.
[Set group goal and display it for all to see.]
“Please consider the list of personal participation goals that I have listed on the
board.”
To speak at least three times
To refer to the text in detail
To keep an open mind
To speak out of uncertainty
“Which one is a particular challenge for you personally? Please choose one goal
from the list and commit to achieving it during the discussion we are about to
have?... Please write your personal goal (on text, name tent, etc).”
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Now, I’d like for you to think about how you usually participate in a whole
group discussion/ Paideia seminar. Based on your own silent selfassessment, I want you to choose a person goal for today’s seminar.
(Have a list of personal participation goals in writing and have students commit to
the goal somehow in writing. )
Seminar
Opening Questions:
What is the single most important word in this poem? (round-robin response)
What makes that word important? (spontaneous discussion)
Core Questions:
How does the simile in the first stanza (like an arrow) compare to the simile in the
final stanza (like a blade)? What do these images suggest about the nature of
sorrow?
What does the speaker mean about grief being diverse and single in the second
stanza? How does this apply to the human community?
What does the speaker mean by the last sentence: “Of bitter aloes wreathed, my
sorrow must be laid on your head like a crown”? Do you agree?
Why does the speaker feel that joy is more difficult to share than sorrow?
Closing Questions:
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What does this poem teach you about sharing your life with others?
Post-Seminar Process Steps:
Debrief the seminar discussion by reading the following script (or putting key
points into your own words):
Remember our goals for today were to work together and think about compassion,
connection, perspective, joy, sorrow and to practice asking genuine questions.
How do you think we did?
Let’s hold up 5 fingers if we did great; 3 if we did okay; and a fist if we really need to
work at this. Everybody show how you think we did.
Okay, now would somebody tell us why you rated our seminar as you did?
What do you think we should work on next time we have a special (Paideia) discussion?
“Thank you for your focused and thoughtful participation in our seminar.
Post-Seminar Content Step:
Ask participants to write a poem entitled “Another to Any Human”
responding to the ideas that Cullen puts forth in his poem: agreeing or
disagreeing, offering a specific case to illustrate, etc.
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