Facilitator Toolkit: Activity Sheet 3 Syllabus

Begin by asking probing questions:

Who has heard the term syllabus?

Have you had to use one?
Do you think it’s important to read the whole thing?

It’s important to gage the current level of knowledge regarding syllabi to determine
which of the follow activities would be the most beneficial.

No-Little Knowledge:
1. Watch the “What’s a Syllabus?” video on YouTube.
2. Break students in to groups of 2-3. Allow 5-7 minutes for discussion for students
to come up with their own definition of what a syllabus is.
3. Have one person from each group share the definition aloud.
4. Review the most common sections typically found on any syllabus.

Some Knowledge:
1. Watch the “What’s a Syllabus?” video on YouTube.
2. Break students in to groups of 2-3. Provide at least two sample syllabi and ask
students to compare. Allow 10-15 minutes for comparison and discussion.
3. Have one person from each group share any differences they found.
4. Discuss the differences and/or similarities of each syllabus.

Strong Knowledge:
1. Skip the video.
2. Break students in to groups of 2-3. Provide at least three sample syllabi and ask
students to rank them best to worst. Allow 10-15 minutes for discussion.
3. Have one person from each group report the ranking order decided.
4. Allow class to discuss and compare their rankings and explain WHY.

GOALS:

Students should be able to:

1. Define what a syllabus is

2. Know what’s typcially included on a syllabus
3. Recognize when key information is missing that shouldn’t be