Presentations: Seminar Papers

HI361F: AGE OF AUGUSTUS PRESENTATIONS: SEMINAR PAPERS These presentations, modelled on "seminar papers" in the UK, will be at the heart of our discussions about the topics at hand, and their success will depend upon your preparation for and participation in the presentations and discussions. Your preparation (whether you are presenting the paper or participating in the discussion) should include

doing the reading prior to the class discussion
identifying key terms that frequently occur, and asking yourself what they mean and how they're used
determining if there are different schools of thought on the topic and what the different arguments "for" and "against" are
making a list of points you want to raise and the questions you want to ask before you go to the seminar.

Reading critically:
Can students really have an opinion? Many students feel that, having only done a few hours of reading on a topic, they can not argue against an author who is the "authority" on the topic. You should realize that one of the main purposes of a Classics education is to enable students to read rapidly and to evaluate critically what they read. As you grapple with a topic, ask yourself some of the following:

when was the piece written? does it reflect the views of its time in any way?
from what intellectual standpoint (marxist, conservative, feminist, nationalist, etc.) was it written?
what does it omit? Does the author ignore religioius, economic, intellectual, social, cultural or literary perspectives? Whose voices are ignored?

Preparing the Presentation:
A seminar paper is neither a research paper nor an essay, but a piece intended to introduce and provoke discussion. With that in mind,

give your paper a clear structure. State its theme, make the central section easy to follow (you might bullet the main points), make the conclusion sharp and controversial when possible.
produce the paper in a word processor. Feel free to organize it for a presentation - you might number the paragraphs, for example, for reference during the discussion. When you present the paper, speak clearly and slowly and to the group, not down at your notes.
stick to the topic. Do not give lots of detail and do not pad out a paper with irrelevancies. DO NOT SUMMARIZE WHAT YOU HAVE READ. Assume that all of us have read the piece and are familiar with the factual details of the topic.

REMEMBER: A seminar paper is neither a research paper nor an essay, and so need not be in narrative form. It's purposes are to prepare your readers in advance for a discussion, to guide them through a discussion, and to focus your thoughts for your presentation.

Seminar Paper Presentations:

Arrive on time, whether you are presenting or participating. Have a copy of the text, a copy of the seminar paper, and your notes handy.
Listen carefully, take notes during the seminar paper and the discussion that follows, but you're there to participate, so keep your notes succinct during the discussion and write them out more fully after class.
Join the discussion early on (commenting on a portion of the seminar paper is a good place to begin) so that you don't feel like a spectator.
You don't always have to be negative or critical; you can intervene to agree with someone. You can also use stating your agreement to introduce another point or question.
ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING. If you're confused, others probably are, also.
Don't be embarrassed by silences. Short pauses will occur, when an issue has been exhausted. This is a good opportunity to look at your notes and see if you have other questions or points you wish to make. If you haven't spoken yet, this is the time.