special post

http://educationvotes.nea.org/2017sja/

Last Day!!

Philosophy - Final Work Day!!

Happy Monday!

So here it is - your final day of in-class time to work on the Philosophy project.

I do not have anything new to add here that hasn't been said before.

You have all been working so hard for these past few weeks.
I hope the journey has been rewarding in many ways.

Your essay is due Tuesday by 6:00 p.m.

We will not have time in class Tuesday to work on it.

Please be sure to put all of the parts into one document, and then double-check that everything is there before you upload it to turnitin.com

Late work, for any reason, means you will take the final.

For the rest of the week, we'll have some time together, including some fun, a chance to say thank you to people important to you, and an opportunity to bring some closure to our community.

I wish you all deep thoughts and the energy to express them clearly!
I can't wait to read your work!

Enjoy Beyonce's "Countdown" to get you through the last push!

Philosophy - Day 10

The buzz of activity in class last week was a positive one! As you start to turn your attention toward part 5, here are a few thoughts and suggestions :

• This section synthesizes your original ideas with those of a literary text, a philosopher, and a peer.  You may address each of these sources in a separate paragraph (recommended), or organize this section by ideas / questions, or whatever other structure works for you.
• The goal of this section is to name how you are now answering your question. It may be that you have a definitive answer, or new questions, or more confusion, or anywhere in between - all of these, of course, are acceptable responses.
• You do not need new evidence in this section, but you may include some if that works for you. All of the previous evidence you quoted is considered part of the paper at this point, and you may refer to it as much as you need. You do not need to re-quote it.
• You are writing in the first person - this is all about the "I" voice.  Therefore, you may also want to speak about the process - which steps were most helpful to you, and why? Which ones were the most challenging? Which ones made you see different perspectives on your question?

As always, I am happy to conference with you about this or any other section of your essay.  Happy writing!

Philosophy - Day 8

Happy Monday! Happy May!  Sorry I'm not there to say all of that in person today. I'm at a conference for the day.  I hope you had wonderful weekends and are ready to start your final month of high school!

Please take 30 seconds to complete this brief check-in survey. No worries - I just want to have a quick sense of where everyone is.

• Philosophy project check-in survey

As for section 3, here are a few thoughts and reminders:

• The goal for this section is simply to present the work of a philosopher (or more than one) and what that person has to say about yout subject.
• Think of it as a report - summarize their main ideas - quote and explain their points - break it into sections to clarify the different ideas they have.
• You do not need to bring in your personal perspective at all - save that for part 5.
• You do not need to link this section to your book or the dialogue or anything else - save that for part 5.
• I know you are reading complicated stuff - use the tools available to you. Read through that passage from Aristotle or Hume or Aquinas and then check out what different internet sources have to say. If you do happen to find them helpful, just cite them and don't pretend it is your own. No points off or harm in getting assistance for this section.

Are you still looking for your philosopher? Keep trying different keywords in your searches on the Stanford site.  Find articles that sound interesting, and then read the parts that seem relevant. In those parts, find the names of some of the philosophers who wrote about your topic. Then, go find that article. If you need help with that, let's meet on Tuesday.

Good luck today!!

Philosophy - Day 7

Thursday = Dialogue Day! Follow the directions from yesterday's blog post.

Philosophy - Day 6

Lotsa work time today!

If you are fully up to date:

• Question proposal in and reviewed
• Part 1 - done
• Part 2 - mostly done / quotes gathered
• Part 3 - initial research started / articles found

Here is a link to the directions for the dialogue tomorrow, in case you want a preview!

Philosophy - Day 5

Happy Tuesday!
These are big work days this week. I hope you are well into part 2 by now, and just about ready to research and read the work of a philosopher. I shared information about how to do that a few days ago and will briefly review it today.

• Here is the document about finding your philosopher

Happy writing!

Philosophy - Day 4

It's Lit!

Yes, it's the day to think about literature and section 2 of your philosophy project. Hopefully you selected the text(s) you will use in this section and you have the book with you today.

For this part of your project, the thesis tells how the text(s) answers your question / addresses your topic. It might be that this section pushes your question in a different direction - that's ok! You will address that in section 5.

For now your goal is to bring together a wide range of examples from your text(s) to show the different ways in which your topic appears and is addressed.

Philosophy - Day 3

Here is a link to some resources I'll introduce today - these should be helpful in finding the philosopher(s) and text(s) you'll use in part 3.

• Resources for finding your philosopher

Philosophy - Day 2

Big writing day! This is a perfect chance to take a deep dive into Part 1 and get it done. Are you stuck? Here are some suggestions:

• Use the helper questions I posted in the blog yesterday
• Tell another story
• Step back and doubt yourself - and why you believe this
• Come up with a counter example and write about it - why is the answer to your question different in that case?

Happy writing!

Chance The Rapper debuts "Angels" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from O.J. Hays on Vimeo.

Philosophy Essay - Part 1

Greetings!
To start with today, please read my response to your question proposal (in turnitin).
Then, it is time to start writing part 1!
Check out the last two pages of this handout for some ways to push your thinking:

• Exploring Philosophical Questions

Remember - Part 1 is all about you - tell stories, ask questions, explore your ideas. This is your way of getting your head fully around your question(s) and idea(s).

Man's Search for Meaning - Day 6

Today we'll consider some of Frankl's main ideas from the end of part 1 and the postscript, "The Case for a Tragic Optimism." Here are two short videos to give you a taste of Frankl himself:

Man's Search for Meaning - Day 5 - Philosophical Topics

Here are a few links for today:

• Philosophy questions activity and list
• Philosophy question proposal

Man's Search for Meaning - Day 4 - Intro to Philosophy Project

Today we will formally launch into the Philosophy Project! I'm very excited!

• Philosophy Project Calendar
• Philosophy Essay Description
• Philosophy Essay - Planning and Expectations
• Some Philosophical questions to consider

Man's Search for Meaning - Day 3

Today we'll start by writing our own questions about the section of the book you read over the weekend, pages 22-41. You can use any of these question starters:

• Frankl's book has me wondering...
• What does Frankl mean when he says...
• Why does it happen that...
• How does Frankl...
• (other - perhaps a quotation or a question he names)

Here is the structure for today:

• Open a new Google Document. Name for it “MSM dialogue” and share it with the person / people you will be working with today.
• I think it will also be helpful at this point to decide on a color or font for each person to use, so you can distinguish the different voices.
• Write an “opening statement.” This paragraph needs to include both an opening thought about the issue / question you have selected from the reading (what is Frankl saying) and a general sense of what it makes you think about at this point.
• Responder reads this and writes a paragraph that includes their answer to the question and reasons / justifications for it. 
• Then, the responder will ask a question, trying to dig deeper into the beliefs of the writer. The responder may, but it not required, to use one of the following questions we've previously used to expand / focus philosophical questions:
• What are its assumptions and premises?
• What are its implications?
• What different types or contexts exist?
• When does / doesn’t it work?
• What do the specific terms mean?
• What are the reasons underlying the questions / answers?
• Who else shares this belief or perspective, and why?
• Writer now responds to this question with a combination of ideas, reasons, explanations, and examples. This should conclude with a question back to the responder.
• Dialogue continues this way for 15-20 minutes. 
• Both sides are encouraged to challenge the ideas and beliefs of the other person. The idea behind that is to push the writer’s thinking, to consider new possibilities, and to potentially reach new conclusions. 
• Feel free to add in personal stories or make up hypothetical situations ("would your beliefs hold true if...") - philosophy is always at its best and most challenging when it has to be specific and not just theoretical.
• You will be turning in this dialogue as is. Don't worry about the grade here - just have an authentic dialogue for the whole period.
• Enjoy the opportunity to have powerful, deep conversation!

Man's Search for Meaning - Day 2

Today you will be working with a small group.
Here is the handout describing your work.

Man's Search for Meaning - Day 1

Calendar for philosophy unit

Today's work

• Here is a link to the STAR test

Start of your last quarter of high school!

Greetings!

Welcome back from spring break! I hope it was wonderful and can't wait to hear about it!

Tomorrow we will start our final quarter together! The final book you will need to purchase for our class is the one we'll use to start our final unit, exploring our philosophies. The book is by Viktor Frankl and is called Man's Search for Meaning. The bookstore has copies for $13. Please have one by class time on Tuesday.

The Stranger - Day 7

Exploring philosophical questions

Today you will each have a chance to explore a philosophical question related to the text, and how it appears in two different chapters.

A. Norms - who sets them / who goes against them - expectations of following them
B. Judging of others
C. Routines / patterns - what role do they play?
D. Control - when do characters have / lack / want it
E. Emotions / happiness - when are they shown / hidden / prioritized?

Chart for 1st period
*Use this chart for 1st period
Chart for 2nd period

The Stranger - Day 6

Today we'll finish the book together. Then we will have time to read through the assignment.

• Essay assignment for The Stranger

The Stranger - Day 5

Today you can once again work with a partner or small group as we turn our attention to Meursault's imprisonment and the start of his trial. Use this handout for your work.

• The Stranger - Part 2, chapters 2 & 3

The Stranger - Day 5

Here is a link to the questions / chart we'll use for today. Make a copy to share with people in your group.

Choose one of these three questions to discuss with your partner / group:

• Why do we expect other people to feel a certain way? (p. 65)
• Why do the beliefs of others give our lives meaning? (p. 69)
• How do we deal with labels other people give to us, but are not the way we identify ourselves? (p. 70)

The Stranger - Day 4

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend!

For today, we'll look back at our first impressions of Meursault - I'll hand back the story writing you did last week.
Open the document (for your period) below and type your responses into it.

• 1st period
• 2nd period

Then we'll look at the climactic moment at the end of part 1. We'll approach it from a number of perspectives, trying to understand what happens there on the beach.

We'll also check out the song "Killing an Arab" by the Cure - here are the lyrics:

Standing on the beach
With a gun in my hand
Staring at the sea
Staring at the sand
Staring down the barrel
At the Arab on the ground
See his open mouth
But I hear no sound

I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm a stranger
Killing an Arab

I can turn
And walk away
Or I can fire the gun
Staring at the sky
Staring at the sun
Whichever I choose
It amounts to the same
Absolutely nothing

I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm a stranger
Killing an Arab

I feel the silver jump
Smooth in my hand
Staring at the sea
Staring at the sand
Staring at myself
Reflected in the eyes
Of the dead man on the beach
The dead man on the beach

I'm alive
I'm dead
I'm the stranger
Killing an Arab

(Oh Meursault)

The Stranger - Day 3

How well do we know each other? We'll start today with a short conversation about how well we know the people around us every day.

We will get into groups of three and quickly share thoughts about these questions:

• other than academics, what has been important to you in high school?
• what are your future plans - college / work / gap year / etc.?
• what is the best thing you ever ate?
• what is an issue you care about - something beyond yourself / Deerfield

Which of these was the easiest to talk about? Which one was the hardest? Why?

Then, we'll make a list of the different characters we have encountered in the book so far. Your group will focus on three of them, and for each one, you will:

• identify the parts of the book where they are mentioned
• describe what we know about them and their past
• name their values - what is important to the character? how can we determine this, based on the little information we've heard up to this point?

For the weekend, you are reading the rest of part 1. Enjoy! Pay close attention to the last page!

The Stranger - Day 2

I was not in class today.  You had time to read chapters 2 & 3, and then complete this writing:

• The Stranger: Chapter 1-3 writing

Existentialism and The Stranger

Before we get started today, can you please take this short survey:

• Senior English choices survey

Here is a link to the calendar for our next unit.

Then, I will share an overview of Existentialism with you, using this slideshow:

The Myth of Sisyphus

On Thursday in class we will read and discuss an essay by Albert Camus, the author of our next book, The Stranger.

• "The Myth of Sisyphus"

Please be sure to own a copy of the novel by the start of class on Tuesday.

Life of Pi - work days

Yesterday and today are designated work days to complete your essay on Life of Pi. I look forward to reading what you have to say about it, and hope there is a chance for all of us to hear a bit from each other.

We will start our next book, The Stranger, on Tuesday. Please own a copy of it by then.

For those of you who will not be working during class today, we'll have the chance to watch a video interview with Yann Martel as well as some clips from the recent film version, directed by Ang Lee.

Life of Pi - Day 15

Happy Friday!  OK, so I know yesterday was a bit of a mind blower...

But now it is time to figure out what your focus will be, and how you will use ideas and evidence from the book to write an 8-page essay about it.

Today you will be working individually to brainstorm a focus question and then an outline. Here are the two documents you need to complete:

• Developing questions
• Writing an outline

Note that you do not need to complete all of the first one - just the parts you find helpful. But you must submit whatever you have on it, plus the outline worksheet, to turnitin.com. Hopefully, you will be able to do that by the end of the period. I plan on responding to them on Saturday, so if you need to complete it later in the day or early Saturday, please be sure to get it to me.

The key here is to come up with a clear question, and with clear topics (sections) to help answer it. You will use sufficient evidence in each of those sections to support your ideas.

Here is a sample outline, without detailed evidence:

• Question: Who are Pi's teachers? In what ways does he learn from them? Which one(s) is the most effective? Why?
• Direct instruction
• Pi's father teaches him about fearing animals
• Religious leaders teach him about faith - Hinduism, Islam, Christianity
• Mr. Kumar (biology teacher) and Mr. Kumar (Muslim mystic)
• Indirect instruction
• Richard Parker - fear, survival, training
• God - faith, love
• Personal ingenuity / reflection
• Changing his name
• Combining multiple religions - just wants to love God
• Lifeboat and supplies - how to use them - be creative
• Plan for dealing with Richard Parker
• Wonder at the natural world
• Faith in God
• Telling his story
• Seeing "the better story" as more important than "dry, yeastless factuality"
• Thesis: Although Pi learns about animals and religion from a variety of sources, he is ultimately his own best (most effective) teacher due to his ability to see beyond facts and appreciate "the better story."

As you can see, this essay does everything it needs to do: it includes all parts of the book, it is organized into clear topics, and it makes an arguable assertion.

Now it is your turn!  Good luck with it! Please feel free to email me with your questions!

Life of Pi - Day 14

For today's final discussion, I'll give you a paper copy of this handout, but here is a link an electronic version of it.

• Handout for final discussion of Life of Pi

You'll develop a question that will serve as the basis for your essay - your essay will be an answer to this question.

• Developing question handout

For class tomorrow, here is a link to the outline assignment.

• Life of Pi outline assignment

Life of Pi - Day 13

Welcome back! I hope you had an excellent long weekend! By the way, you only have two more long weekends left!

Today we'll discuss the end of the book, including reading some of the final section out loud. We'll set up our work for the rest of the week, which includes:

• Final discussion and question proposal tomorrow
• Outline during class on Friday
• A work day on Tuesday
• The final version of your essay due on Wednesday

We will get into more detail about is, but here are the essentials of your assignment:

• Use one of the formats we used last semester - either a single-text analytic essay, an inter-textual essay (linked to one of the books we read last semester), or a personal-hybrid essay.
• You can choose any one of these, and you will have the same set of choices for our next book. 
• This will be an 8-page minimum essay - double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point font, one inch margins.
• You will be submitting a question proposal (tomorrow in class) and an outline (Friday) before writing the actual essay.
• Your essay must answer your question by using the three parts of the book - the author's note is optional.
• Your essay must make original use of evidence and analysis. I've read the web sites and I can Google "Life of Pi essay" just like you. I look forward to your original interpretations, making use of all of the work we've done in class
• Writing about the author's note
• Comparing zoos and religion
• Writing about names / nicknames
• Discussing Pi's views on religion and animals
• Drawings about early impressions of part 2
• Haiku about part 2
• Survival game
• Writing about routines / rituals
• Written reflection on part 2 - be sure to read my comments in turnitin.com

Life of Pi - Day 12

Here is a link to the writing for today.

If we have a chance to get to it, here is a handout exploring potential ideas about chapter 92.

If you'd like to get a jump on things and start thinking about / working on your essay over the long weekend, here is a link to a handout about the essay, including ways to brainstorm your focus.

Life of Pi - Day 11

We'll watch this video about Indian food together. Then we will read chapters 90 and 91 out loud. Our conversation will explore what happens in these chapters and Pi's condition at this point in the narrative overall.

• Are the dialogues in chapter 90 real or imagined? In what ways can they not be real? Not be imagined? Are there other possibilities?
• What are these chapters saying about the distinction between animals and humans?
• What happens at the end of chapter 90 - and why?
• What role does blindness play in these chapters?
• What do you make of the "story" Pi tells?

Life of Pi - Day 10

Ok, so maybe you aren't singing Destiny's Child in your head when you are reading the book, but we do know that Pi will survive. Somehow.

Yesterday we made a list of the different ways in which fear plays a role during his ordeal at sea - fear of being killed by Richard Parker, fear of not being found and dying of starvation or dehydration, fear of being lonely and not seeing his family again, fear of the ocean and the elements, and fear of the unknown. But we also noted what he does in response to this fear - he accepts his situation and keeps himself busy, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

As we read through the next sections of the book, continue to think about Pi and his situation - what else is happening to him out there? What are the physical, mental, and spiritual factors in this story?

Lastly, we'll write about rituals and routines by looking at chapters 63,74, and 75. What different types of rituals and routines is Pi engaging in here? Why? What is the value / role / importance of those routines?

Life of Pi - Day 9

We'll start the day by writing and sharing haiku. Remember how to write them?

• Write three short lines. Edit all superfluous words. Pare the lines down to their verb and noun roots. Question whether the adjectives and adverbs are necessary. Do you need every article (“a” or “the”)?   
• The essence of Haiku is not descriptive; instead, it presents the reader with a series of images that, when connected with the reader’s imagination, yield a wealth of associations, visions, and emotions.
• A cutting word is the break in a line such as the hyphen before the word mountain that occurred when this poet saw a mountain castle rather than the moon in the sky.  
• Looking for the moon
  In a lonely autumn sky
  - mountain castle lights
• Keep the poem simple; try not to distract the reader with simile, metaphor or rhyme, unless it is necessary to convey the image you see.
• Requirements
• 3-short lines
• 17 syllables: 5 in the first line, 7 in the second, 5 in the third
• You will write two haiku this morning. Start by choosing two phrases / sentences from your reading over the weekend. Those words will appear in your haiku, mixed in with your own words.
• Post your haiku into the document for your class, and be sure to include your name
• First period
• Second period

We'll have a chance for everyone to read one of their poems aloud. We'll also save some time to discuss what we notice in these poems. Lots of them were about fear and its many forms we've seen in the book up to this point.

Life of Pi - Day 8

Today we will start in groups to play a survival game - an imagined scenario in which you need to figure out how to use different items to help your group survive a challenging situation. Then we will read chapters 49-52 to see how Pi's time at sea is going, and how he makes use of the supplies he finds.

Life of Pi - Day 7

Happy Wednesday! Today we will be - drawing! We'll use colored pencils and crayons to create a collage of images from the opening chapters of part 2. Start with images from chapters 37-41, then add one for each of chapters 42-48 as you read.

Life of Pi - Day 6

Yesterday we spoke about the idea of a "leap of faith" - here's a version of it from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade:


Today you will have time to read chapters 30-36, finishing part 1 of the novel. While you are reading, please select a line from either that reading or last night's section (24-29). Choose a line that would be the basis of an interesting discussion - one you will lead with your small group. Copy that line into your notebook for now, and I'll give more instructions later.

After a discussion about the one line you select, you'll work together to name some ideas about what you think this book is about so far. We're at the end of Part 1, so doing this gives us a chance to get our head around it all. We'll list these on the board, and then take a few minutes to do some personal reflecting on one of those ideas - something engaging your interest.

Life of Pi - Day 5

Atheism: an absence of beliefs in the existence of deities; a rejection of beliefs that deities exist; the position that there are no deities

Agnosticism: the existence of God is unknown and is unknowable; the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist

• What happens when religions clash? 
• Can one believe in multiple religions? 
• Who gets to decide? Why? 

Today you will read chapters 21-25 and respond to the questions in bold in your journal. We will have time for a discussion afterwards.

Life of Pi - Day 4

Today we will continue talking about religion. We'll read chapter 15, which happens after Pi's "story that will make us believe in God," when the author visits him at home. We'll talk about the different ritual objects he sees there and the different religions they represent. Then we'll turn our attention to chapter 16 and discuss the different ways in which Pi defines religion - on one side are the object, rituals, and sense associations (smells, tastes, sounds), and on the other are the values and beliefs. We'll finish with a writing about how we balance these in our own lives.

Life of Pi - Day 3

Here is a link to your work for the first part of class today.

Here is a link to the second chart you'll work on today.

		Screen
Windows	Sara Eliana Casey Eddie		Halle Bella Caitlin Eli James
	Kat Lizzie Becky Josh Zach	Nicole Ilana Hannah Jacob Matt	Maddie Erin Tyler Garret

		Screen
Windows	Kylie Caitlin Alan David Conor		Missy Claire Justin L Judd Jacob
	Ellie Camille Maddy Josh Dan	Erika Skyler Aiden Justin G Cam	Marli Audrey Michael Adam Harry

Life of Pi - Day 2

Today we'll talk about our names - their origin, their importance, their meaning, who made them, which names we prefer, and why. We'll then turn our attention to the book, read chapter 5, and discuss the name(s) of the main character.

Tonight's homework is to read chapter 4, and then 6-8. We will have time to start that in class.

Here is a link to the themes you named in the author's note yesterday - keep track of them as we go through the novel.

• Author's note - themes and ideas

Life of Pi - Day 1

Today we'll start reading Yann Martel's Life of Pi.
You'll read the Author's Note at the start of the book. When you are finished, you'll name / identify three themes / key questions / main ideas, and describe what Martel says about them. You'll do this on a sheet of paper you'll turn in.
We'll discuss your responses as a way of getting us started in the book.

Tonight, please read through chapter 3.

Writing poetry

Today we wrote three different poems:

• one based on words we collected on the board
• one based on those same words, plus a second set, using the rhythm and structure of a first verse of a song you like
• one as an "Ode" to one of the things on the brainstormed list we made of your favorite things / important people & places

Contemporary Poetry

Poetry choices - 1st period

1. Hamilton - (any song)
2. J. Cole -  “Crooked Smile” / “False Prophets”
1. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jcole/crookedsmile.html
3. Black-Eyed Peas - “Where is the Love”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FotCW5OIFZc
4. Train - “Drops of Jupiter”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xf-Lesrkuc
5. Get Lit Organization - “Somewhere in America”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YshUDa10JY
6. Megadeth - “Holy Wars - The Punishment Due”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBtYOI8U3Cc
7. Cobie Callait - “Try”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhM3uOXJUqU
8. Maya Angelou - “Still I Rise”
1. http://100.best-poems.net/still-i-rise.html
9. Chance the Rapper - “Same Drugs”
1. https://genius.com/Chance-the-rapper-same-drugs-lyrics
10. Drake - “Back to Back (Freestyle)
1. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/drake/backtobackfreestyle.html

Poetry choices - 2nd period

1. Hamilton (any song)
2. Black-Eyed Peas - “Where is the Love”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FotCW5OIFZc
3. Macklemore - “Same Love”
1. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/macklemore/samelove.html
4. Get Lit Organization - “Somewhere in America”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YshUDa10JYY
5. Tim McGraw - “Humble and Kind”
1. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/timmcgraw/humbleandkind.html
6. Maya Angelou - “Caged Bird”
1. http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poems-and-performance/poems/detail/48989
7. Lauren Alania - “Road Less Traveled”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-4ybMHzQTo
8. Kendrick Lamar - “HiiiPoWer”
1. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kendricklamar/hiiipower.html
9. Jamila Woods - “beverly, huh”
1. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/detail/58590
10. Shane Koyzcan - “To This Day”
1. https://genius.com/Shane-koyczan-to-this-day-annotated

• Read through / watch through the song / poem
• Which parts of it speak to you? Why?
• What is happening poetically that is different from writing / talking about these ideas in another form? Where do you see that happening?