1.2: Classroom Activity

Dinner Party

To practice thinking about different types of sources that work well together, instead of choosing sources, students in small groups will choose who to invite to a small dinner party. The goal is to put together a group of guests that will be able to find enough common ground to have interesting conversations. Small groups will share their plans with the class, and explain their reasoning.

Your goal is to put together a small dinner party where your guests will be able to find enough common ground to have an interesting conversation. Select 3 guests from the following list, then answer a few questions about why you chose these guests and how you, as the host, hope to direct the conversation so that everyone can participate.

• James grew up in a neighborhood with high poverty and crime. He spent 5 years in prison for stealing a car when he was a teen. He’s been out for nearly a decade, and though he had trouble finding work at first, he now works in a well-reviewed restaurant as a line cook and has begun studying in a culinary program. He wants to be an executive chef and eventually open his own restaurant. James has a son who was born when he was in prison, and he wants to be a good role model.
• Madeline is an intellectual property lawyer for a mid-size firm. She loves new tech and gadgets and is always the first to have the latest device or apps. She says that technology changes everything about our lives, though she admits it’s not always good. Madeline loves to talk about the legal and ethical implications of new technologies and how the government should or should not try to regulate them. She’s also an outspoken advocate for equal rights and a card-carrying member of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).
• Mike is a rapper who’s had one album released by a small independent record label. He frequently uploads homemade music videos to YouTube to “be seen.” He plays local clubs and draws decent crowds. His idols are Kendrick Lamar and Common for their social consciousness. To pay the bills, Mike works two part time jobs, at a bookstore and an after-school program. Sometimes it’s hard to pay the rent, especially during the summers, but he’s optimistic that it will all work out for him.
• Carrie is an abstract and conceptual artist who creates paintings and sculptures with found objects. She’s also a huge pop culture fan and loves to incorporate current trends into her art. She currently works as an elementary school art teacher. Due to budget cuts her schedule was cut to part-time and she travels between three different schools. Fortunately her wife is employed full-time, so they are financially stable. Carrie likes to take her time to consider all sides of a topic and rarely has decisive opinions. She enjoys hearing others’ perspectives and particularly values life experience.
• Taryn is an aspiring model and part-time receptionist for a high-end salon. She considers her appearance and presentation to be her brand and she works hard on her social media presence. She has two dogs and is passionate about cruelty-free beauty products. She’s a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and volunteers at her local cat shelter on weekends.
• Sam just finished a PhD in Communication and Media Studies and started a job as an instructor at the local community college. In the class they teach, they talk a lot about Freedom of Information issues, and they’re concerned that students don’t worry enough about online privacy. Sam likes their smartphone, but only uses apps and social media minimally because they’re afraid of identity theft. Sam is also adjusting to being at a community college rather than the large research universities where they were a student and graduate student. Their students have a wide range of life and school experiences, some still improving their English, and some who have returned to school after doing other things. A few of their students are older than they are.
• Aubrey is studying to be a Unitarian minister. He volunteers twice a week leading a class on meditation at the county jail. He often talks about social justice issues such as reforms in juvenile justice and economic inequality. Aubrey often participates in demonstrations for equality including Black Lives Matter. Aubey is not married or currently in a relationship but he would like to have children one day.

ALA Frame: Scholarship as Conversation

(Adapted from Kowalik, E. https://projectcora.org/assignment/usage-sources-party)