We’ve been getting a lot of questions from parents of older students (students in high school and college) about what our module-style lessons look like for advanced learners. Our most popular modules for learners of all ages are based on the Socratic method. First, the student reads a short text (a piece of literature or academic nonfiction, usually), and then writes responses to a series of prompts asking them to analyze and reflect on what they've read. After drafting each response, the student reads it out loud, after which their tutor challenges them to expand upon and deepen their original points, posing questions that force them to test the assumptions underlying their ideas.

Though we do recycle basic templates for certain lessons on general topics, every module a student experiences with the Gilliam Writers Group is unique; our tutors design each lesson organically, responding to our students’ interests and arguments in real-time, as we teach.

To show you what I mean, here’s the template for a module I recently designed over several weeks in collaboration with a particularly intellectual high schooler -- a well-read student with a vibrant interest in social theory. This module may expand one day soon, if my student decides to continue exploring Steinbeck’s writing through the lens of social theory, or it might remain as is. It might also be adapted for use with another student.

MODULE: STEINBECK AND THE AMERICAN DREAM 

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Reading task 1: Read Steinbeck’s 1966 essay, “America and Americans.”

Prompt 1: Reflect: What did you take from Steinbeck’s essay? Jot down your initial thoughts and emotional responses to what you’ve read, without worrying too much about the quality of your style and analysis.

Prompt 2: How does Steinbeck define, or fail to define, the American Dream? Do you agree with his assessment? 

Prompt 3: Can you relate Steinbeck’s thoughts in this essay to any specific aspects of his fiction (whatever works of his you’ve read)? Feel free to do your own (quick) research to supplement your response.

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Reading task 2: Skim this Vice article entitled, “Money Actually Can Buy Happiness, Study Says.” Think critically about what this article is saying; consider taking notes as you read.

 

Prompt 4: Debate: How does the above article challenge Steinbeck’s assertion that wealthy Americans are generally unhappy? Are the rich truly less happy? Can money not buy happiness? Think through the limitations of Steinbeck’s argument.

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Reading task 3: Skim section 1 of the New York Times article entitled, “What Students Are Saying About: The American Dream, Mindfulness in Schools and How to Define ‘Family.’”

Prompt 5: What does the American Dream mean to you? Do you think the American Dream is real? How does it manifest (or not) in your life?

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Reading task 4: Read the first two pages of Zelikow’s article entitled, “U.S. Foreign Policy in 2021: Reconceiving America’s Place in the World.” Stop reading when you get to Part II (pg. 2). 

Prompt 6: What is Zelikow arguing here? What is his main point in this introductory section of the article?

Prompt 7: How does Zelikow explain modern world history? What eras does he define? Are you compelled by the picture he paints of modern history?

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Prompt 8: How can you relate Zelikow’s article to Steinbeck’s essay? In what ways do these pieces inform each other and/or expand on each other’s points?

Prompt 9: Do you think the American Dream changes from era to era? Was the American Dream of the first and second eras of modern history different than the version we hold today? If so, how?