### Class Summary Report
**Title:** Review and Preparation for Midterm Presentations and Essays
In today’s session, we focused on review and preparation for upcoming midterm assignments, including documentary presentations and essays. The objectives were to clarify expectations around the midterm essay, discuss the structure of background paragraphs, and develop topic sentences for body paragraphs.
**Attendance:**
– Number of students mentioned absent: Not specified in the transcript.
**Topics Covered:**
1. **Midterm Review and Expectations:**
– Upcoming midterm review session.
– Preparation for presentations in two weeks.
– Essay due date on March 20th, during spring break.
2. **Midterm Essay Assignment:**
– Clarification of due date and time.
– Formatting requirements (two pages, 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced).
– Emphasis on the importance of citations and references to avoid plagiarism.
– Encouragement to attend office hours for assistance.
3. **Midterm Rubric and Documentaries:**
– Announcement of discussion on grading rubric on Friday.
– Future discussions on documentaries.
4. **Background Paragraph Workshop:**
– Explanation of the purpose and structure of background paragraphs.
– Highlighting the importance of establishing source credibility.
– Differentiation between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.
– Emphasis on the role of the background paragraph in setting the stage for the essay’s arguments.
5. **Developing Topic Sentences:**
– Students worked on crafting clear topic sentences for their body paragraphs based on learning characteristics.
**Actionable Items:**
– **Essay Preparation:**
– Students need to draft their background paragraphs and create an essay map by next Wednesday.
– Remind students that late assignments cannot be accepted.
– **Class Engagement:**
– Encourage students to finalize their stance on online vs. traditional learning for their essays.
– Address any confusion regarding the structure of topic sentences and learning characteristics.
– **Additional Opportunities:**
– Inform students about the opportunity to shadow ICP department classes for those interested in US foreign policy.
**Homework:**
– Draft a background paragraph for the midterm essay.
– Create an essay map including thesis statement and supporting details.
– No homework due for the upcoming Friday session.