The document outlines the agenda for Day 3 of an academic interactions class. It includes introducing conversation starters where students write a question related to their major using new vocabulary, working with the syllabus by reading sections in pairs and presenting to the class, a syllabus quiz, and previewing the next class. It provides an example conversation starter and requirements for submitting them. It also assigns homework of buying course materials and starting a language journal in preparation for introducing course technology in the next class session.

1. Academic Interactions
130 – Day 3
Zachary Shellenberger (Zak)

2. Agenda
 Introduce conversation starters
 Work with the syllabus
 Syllabus quiz
 Tomorrow Preview
 Show What You Know (SWYK) activity

3. Intro to Conversation Starters
 Write a problem related to your major and ask a
question that relates to it that the class can discuss.
 Include some background information about the
problem.
 Use at least 1 new vocabulary word from the book
chapter.

4. Example:
 The HIV virus is a very dangerous virus that can cause
serious disease, but recently some studies have shown
that one of HIV’s characteristics can kill some cancer
cells. Do you believe that the HIV virus can play a role
in treating some kinds of cancer? How might this work?
(Microbiology, “Name”)

5.  Conversation starters will be due on Saturdays by
midnight (12:00)
 Post them in the Google Doc
 Next week, each day we will discuss several of
the conversation starters to start the class
 I will edit/correct them for grammar when needed
 Each conversation starter is worth 5 points.
 I will return them to you, graded on paper

6. Syllabus Introduction
 In pairs, read and discuss the page you are given
 Highlight the main points of information
 You will present these points to the rest of the class

7. Syllabus Quiz
1. When are my office hours?
2. What will you be able to do by the end of this course?
3. What materials are required for this course?
4. What percentage grade is needed to pass this class?
5. What are the projects we will be doing?
6. What should you do if you are absent?
7. What happens to an assignment grade if it is turned in more than 2 days
after returning from being absent?
8. What happens to assignments submitted late online?
9. What happens if a student is late on the date of his/her individual
presentation?
10. What should you do if you miss a test?
11. What is the cellphone policy?

8. Homework
 Buy course book:
 Pathways – Listening, Speaking, and Critical
Thinking
 can be used, but cannot have answers
 Buy/Start Language Journal
 I recommend a Moleskine journal
 If not, Google Docs could work

9. Tomorrow
 Meet here, in Boucke 304
 We will walk over to a computer lab in Sparks 006 to
introduce the course technology

10. SWYK = Show What You Know!
 Help me get a better idea of your language ability
relative to course content
1. Watch the lecture on marriage and society, and take
notes
2. Answer questions about the lecture
3. Listen to a discussion
4. Answer questions about the discussion
5. Match vocabulary
6. Then, you are free to go!
PLEASE WRITE YOUR PSU EMAIL AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST PAGE
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