Discussion

The WOW discussion is an opportunity to share with the class something that surprised you in your reading, research, or study of the topics we cover in this module. As you read and watch the stories that make up our history, look for things that make you say to yourself “I didn’t know that” or “WOW! That’s cool!” You will convert this fun fact or pertinent point into a mini-lesson on the topic and share it with your peers in this discussion.

This assignment is designed to help you develop an internal dialogue while reading and studying history. An internal dialogue while reading makes us more effective readers and efficient learners as it improves understanding and memory of story told in the text.

Instructions

WOW! Lesson

1. While reading and watching the lectures and explorations in this module, write down several WOW “I didn’t know that” or “That’s amazing!” facts.
2. Select one WOW! fact that you noted and write at least 3 critical thinking questions about this topic.
3. Research and find the answers to your WOW! fact questions. If you can’t find a definitive answer to a question, look for interesting related topics and list them as your answer.
4. Use your questions and answers to build a WOW! lesson for your classmates (as described below). This may be the only thing your classmates learn about your WOW! fact and you are the teacher, so please be thorough!
   • Example WOW APA
   • Example WOW Chicago Style
   • Example WOW MLA

Formatting

1. At the top of your discussion post, state the WOW! fact (as a quote or paraphrase) followed by an in-text citation of your fact’s source. Use in-text citation (not bibliographic citation) in either APA, MLA or Chicago Style format.
2. Write a brief paragraph about why that information excited you or why you found it interesting.
3. Below the paragraph, list each WOW! fact question with your answer. Each answer should also include an in-text citation or note in APA, MLA or Chicago Style format.
4. While reading the required text or participating in a content discussion, make your own list of some WOW “I didn’t know that” or “That’s amazing” facts. Then, for each WOW, write at least three questions about that topic which come to mind and which you would like to ask the author about, or that you would like to know more about.
5. From the list you made, select one WOW fact and the three related questions you came up with about that issue,  and build a reflective assignment that you will share in a discussion with your classmates. At the top of the assignment, show the WOW fact and provide the source of where you got that WOW fact (from our reading assignment, from a fellow student’s discussion post, etc).  If from our readings or any other published source, list the source in either APA or MLA format.
6. Write a brief paragraph about why that information excited you or interested you. Then, below the paragraph, list the three questions you came up with, along with an answer for each that came from more reading and research.  The goal is to show that you did do research on each question.   Each answer should also include the information sources you used, in APA or MLA format.