Lesson Report:
Title
Introduction to Political Science: Power, Order, and Course Foundations
This first meeting oriented students to course structure, expectations, and tools, and began building a shared conceptual base for political analysis. Through short writing, word-association, and partner interviews, students explored the meanings of power and order as precursors to defining politics and practicing analysis in seminar.
Attendance
– Absent mentions: 0 explicitly named as absent in-class
– Note: At the end of class only ~20 students had submitted the Day 1 Google sign-in; students were told non-submitters would be marked absent unless they completed the form before leaving.
Topics Covered (chronological)
1) Welcome and eCourse onboarding
– Early arrivals asked to join the course on eCourse; access instructions provided:
– Navigate: eCourse home > International and Comparative Politics > Fall 2025 > Introduction to Political Science
– Alternative URL: tinyurl.com/ICP-intro-2025
– Enrollment key: “intro 25â€�
– Day 1 attendance collection via eCourse link to a Google Form (name + AUCA email). Later corrected a mislinked item (student flagged it; link fixed live).
2) Class composition and instructor introduction
– Quick hands survey: majority freshmen; handful of sophomores; a “surprisingly largeâ€� number of juniors; unclear or no seniors.
– Instructor intro: Nate Matala (7th year at AUCA; 2nd full-time year in POLS/ICP; previously NGA Academic Writing). Degrees from Bard College and American University (DC).
– Framing: large lecture on Tuesdays (all ~60 students, interactive as feasible); small seminars on Thursdays (~20 per section) as “labsâ€� to operationalize concepts and practice skills.
3) Course structure and objectives (high-level overview)
– Three-part arc of the course:
– Build conceptual foundations: key terms (e.g., politics, power, order) and big ideas.
– Translate concepts into tools/processes: definitions, typologies, mechanisms.
– Apply via argumentation: make claims and support them with evidence/cases.
– Learning goals (student-friendly phrasing):
– Master core vocabulary and concepts in political science.
– Understand and apply basic political processes and analytic tools.
– Develop the ability to craft arguments using concepts and evidence.
4) Mini-writing: defining Power and Order (no internet/phones)
– Prompt: In 3–4 minutes, write a few sentences each defining “powerâ€� and “orderâ€� from personal experience.
– Purpose: surface preconceptions; practice concise conceptualization from lived examples.
5) Class share-out: word associations
– Power: acceptance, confidence, influence, control, pressure, regime (and related ideas).
– Order: peace, position, understanding, submission, responsibility, predictability, military, appearance.
– Politics: corruption, rule-making, government, social problems, law, interconnectedness, body language, conflicts (likely student meant “conflictsâ€�), money, debate, decisions, obedience, police, power, competition, etc.
– Instructor synthesis: It’s common to have rich associations but struggle to define “politics.â€� Aim this term: build a shared, usable definition linking politics to the relationship between power and order.
6) Icebreaker interviews (partner work)
– Pairing instruction: find someone you have not yet spoken to at AUCA; interview one another.
– Interview Q1: Describe a time you navigated a situation involving power asymmetry. How did you manage it? (Examples encouraged from family, school, work, or government contexts.)
– Interview Q2: Identify one rule/system that maintains order in a group you belong to (family, friend group, campus, society). Why is it important?
– Q3 was planned but skipped for time.
7) Syllabus and policies (administrative core)
– Office hours: Tuesdays 11:00–12:20 and 14:00–15:00 (email to arrange alternatives if needed).
– Attendance and participation (15%):
– Attendance taken in first 5 minutes; arrival ≥15 minutes late = absent unless student informs instructor after class to switch to “late.â€�
– 5 absences = automatic fail (spravka accepted only with AUCA medical office stamp; excused absences not penalized).
– Engagement required; inattentive device use may be marked as absent.
– Homework (~monthly small assignments; ~25%): short, skills-check assignments; good grades expected if instructions are followed.
– Exams (midterm and final; in-class essays; open-note with your handwritten notebook):
– Midterm: demonstrate comprehension of core terms and explain with personal examples.
– Final: analyze a provided case using course tools/processes.
– Field experience reflection (5%):
– Attend at least one Ambassador Talk/Public Lecture; prepare and ask a question linking to course concepts; submit 2–3 pages connecting the speaker’s reply to the concept(s).
– Academic integrity and AI:
– Plagiarism (including from AI systems) earns a zero for that assignment.
– AI can be used for brainstorming/study, not for generating text you submit. If you would cite it, don’t use AI; use human sources.
– Citation style for written take-home/reflection: APSA (details to be provided later). In-class essays require no citations.
– Notebooks (required tool for success):
– Students should maintain a pen-and-paper notebook starting Thursday; laptops allowed for note-taking, but the physical notebook is the only permitted aid during exams.
– Notebooks aren’t graded directly, but quality affects exam performance.
8) Seminar group formation and logistics
– Seminar groups by time:
– Group A = 10:50
– Group B = 12:45
– Group C = 14:10
– In-class pairing: students found a partner within their seminar group; instructor resolved a few mismatches and one student’s confusion about appearing in multiple seminar listings (confirmed Group C is correct; eCourse view showed all seminars, but enrollment is in one).
9) Partner analysis task (building toward Thursday)
– Using the earlier interviews, partners compiled a shared list answering for each scenario:
– Who had more power/less power?
– What form did the power take and how was it used?
– Who benefited (who “wonâ€�)?
– Purpose: translate lived examples into analytic categories; will continue with the same partner(s) in Thursday seminar.
10) Closing reminders and homework
– Immediate: complete the Day 1 sign-in Google Form (only ~20 submissions at announcement time).
– Reading for Thursday (Week 1 PDF, ~8 pages, large font): basic definitions of politics to be used in seminar activities.
– Admin Q&A handled: preferred name in brackets on sign-in; eCourse joining; seminar enrollment clarification.
Actionable Items
Urgent (before Thursday)
– Verify Day 1 attendance:
– Export Google Form responses; reconcile with in-room headcount; follow up with non-submitters. Ensure absences are recorded accurately per policy.
– Double-check eCourse links:
– Confirm “Day 1 Sign-in Sheetâ€� points to the Google Form (and archive a copy of responses).
– Ensure Week 1 reading is visible and downloadable.
– Prepare Thursday seminars:
– Bring/prepare prompts that extend the partner power/order analysis into shared definitions and simple typology building.
– Encourage students to bring pen-and-paper notebooks; consider a 1–2 minute notebook setup activity at start.
High Priority (this week)
– Post a concise “How to succeed in this courseâ€� checklist on eCourse:
– Attendance rules, notebook requirement, exam format, monthly homework cadence, field reflection expectations.
– Publish office hours location and email on eCourse front page.
– Create a roster of seminar partner pairs (A/B/C) from in-class groupings (optional: quick confirm via eCourse forum post).
Medium Priority (next 1–2 weeks)
– Announce tentative dates/windows for midterm and final essays.
– Share a brief APSA quick-reference for the field reflection assignment (or link to AUCA/department guide).
– Coordinate with department on the schedule of Ambassador Talks/Public Lectures; post dates and suggested question prompts aligned to upcoming topics.
Nice to Have
– Clarify in writing the enrollment key formatting (“intro 25â€�) and alternative access URL to reduce student confusion.
– Consider a short reflection prompt to collect anonymous student definitions of “politicsâ€� after Thursday’s reading to measure baseline and growth.
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Week 1 Reading — Defining Politics, Power, and Order
You will read an 8-page introductory text to build shared working definitions of politics, power, and order—the three core ideas we launched in class—so you can apply them in Thursday’s seminar activities with your partner/group.
Instructions:
1) Open our course page and go to the Week 1 section. Locate and open the item titled “Reading for Thursday� (PDF, 8 pages, large font).
2) Read the entire PDF carefully before your Thursday seminar.
3) Set up your paper notebook entry for this reading (you will bring this notebook to class and use it on exams):
– Write your own concise definitions (1–3 sentences each) for: power, order, and politics.
– Under each definition, list 3–5 associated terms that make sense to you from our in-class word cloud. Examples to consider:
• Power: influence, control, pressure, authority
• Order: predictability, responsibility, peace, rules
• Politics: government, law, debate, decisions, corruption
– Add two brief, concrete examples from your experience:
• One situation that involved a power difference and how it was managed (from the interview activity).
• One rule or system that maintains order in a group you belong to (family, school, friends, community).
4) While reading, annotate and question:
– Highlight any definitions or distinctions that are unclear.
– Jot down 1–2 questions you want to raise in seminar (e.g., “How does authority differ from power in practice?â€�).
– Note unfamiliar terms to clarify using course materials.
5) Prepare for seminar application:
– Bring your notebook.
– Be ready to continue working with your same seminar partner/group (A/B/C).
– Be prepared to explain, for your power example: who had more/less power, what that power looked like (tools, resources, status), and who benefited—these were the three prompts we practiced in class.
6) Time guidance: Plan 45–60 minutes for reading and note-making.
7) Academic integrity: Use your own words when summarizing and defining terms. Do not copy wording from the PDF or from AI tools; this assignment is to check your understanding.
8) Completion checkpoint: By your Thursday seminar, you should have:
– Read the PDF once end-to-end,
– Written working definitions and associated terms,
– Two examples (power and order),
– 1–2 questions to discuss.