Participating in a Group Discussion When you participate in a job, a club, or a committee, you have opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions. In this assignment, you will get the chance to hone this skill by preparing and actively leading a discussion on the American identity.

These Group Discussion Tips will help you as you work through this task.

Part A
Synthesize and evaluate your thoughts and response. Researching and preparing for a discussion helps to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of a group discussion. To start forming your response, write down your initial thoughts on your chosen topic.

Answer these questions as you develop your thesis and prepare for the small-group discussion:

What is the American identity?

What is your cultural background?

How does your culture fit into the American identity?

How have historical events contributed to the development of an American identity?

How has the American identity evolved over time?

What is the “American Dream”?

Is the “American Dream” synonymous to the American identity?
Part C
Record the names of the discussion participants below. If you organized the discussion, record how you know each person, and summarize how you chose and invited the participants and how you organized the time and place for the discussion.

Part D
Record the questions asked by the participants as well as your responses to these questions.

Part E
During the discussion, what main points did participants make supporting or opposing your thesis? What new questions or thoughts were raised about your thesis?

Part F
Describe the discussion of the thesis. How balanced was the participation? What would you change if you could do it again? What insights did you gain about your thesis from discussing it with others? What did you learn from discussing others’ theses?