Please see Coding for social and cultural analysis to assist with your analysis.
18 December 2009
How to upload your project to your blog
Juniors: the time is almost here! On Monday, December 21, you'll be sharing your final project for The Great Gatsby and the 1920's with small group of your classmates. You'll click on your blog, and the link for your project will be there for us to see.
Reminder: Only use your pseudonym on the Internet. That means the name on your title slide is your pseudonym.
How do I upload my project to my blog?
First, check to make sure that your blog is active today in class: Friday, December 18.
Second, upload your presentation.
If your platform is a Photostory 3 for Windows or Windows Movie, you need to save it as a "mpg." This is one of the standards for posting on the Internet. Then close the file. Go to youtube.com. Register as a user if you've never done so before. Afterward, in the upper right hand corner, hit "upload," browse through your files at the prompt for your mpg, and click "done." It will take several minutes to upload. Once it uploads, copy the url.
If your platform is a Power Point, go to scribd.com and register. Then hit "upload," browse through your files at the prompt for your Power Point, and click "done." It may take a few minutes to upload. Once it uploads, copy the url.
Third, open up your blog. Go to "new post." Add in a small new post that invites your viewers to go to your project. It might read something like this: "Please see my new presentation about the 1920's." Then click on the word "Link" on the blog toolbar. It will ask you two questions:
a) "text to display:" Type in the name of your presentation here.
b) web address: Paste in the url of your presentation.
c) Hit "ok."
d) Hit "publish post."
Voila! You have created a link to your presentation for Internet users to view. Good for you!
Reminder: Only use your pseudonym on the Internet. That means the name on your title slide is your pseudonym.
How do I upload my project to my blog?
First, check to make sure that your blog is active today in class: Friday, December 18.
Second, upload your presentation.
If your platform is a Photostory 3 for Windows or Windows Movie, you need to save it as a "mpg." This is one of the standards for posting on the Internet. Then close the file. Go to youtube.com. Register as a user if you've never done so before. Afterward, in the upper right hand corner, hit "upload," browse through your files at the prompt for your mpg, and click "done." It will take several minutes to upload. Once it uploads, copy the url.
If your platform is a Power Point, go to scribd.com and register. Then hit "upload," browse through your files at the prompt for your Power Point, and click "done." It may take a few minutes to upload. Once it uploads, copy the url.
Third, open up your blog. Go to "new post." Add in a small new post that invites your viewers to go to your project. It might read something like this: "Please see my new presentation about the 1920's." Then click on the word "Link" on the blog toolbar. It will ask you two questions:
a) "text to display:" Type in the name of your presentation here.
b) web address: Paste in the url of your presentation.
c) Hit "ok."
d) Hit "publish post."
Voila! You have created a link to your presentation for Internet users to view. Good for you!
15 December 2009
PEPI Suggestions for The Great Gatsby
PEPI Power Pointe
14 December 2009
10 December 2009
Getting Started with Research
Hello, Juniors!
The time has come for you to begin to research themes that interest you in conjunction with the texts you are reading for English class. The directions below will help you to begin the process. By the end of our session today, you'll have several good sources to turn to as you write. You must accumulate at least five citations by the end of class today.
Most of your research citations must be peer-reviewed/ scholarly research. If you find a secondary source that you think is valuable, see your teacher for input and approval before moving on.
Here are three different places to go for scholarly research.
Most of your research citations must be peer-reviewed/ scholarly research. If you find a secondary source that you think is valuable, see your teacher for input and approval before moving on.
Here are three different places to go for scholarly research.
A) Directions to access online databases for research:
Minimize this page so you'll be able to follow the directions.
1) Go to the website of your local library.
Click on "online databases" [You'll be directed immediately to this site from your school computer. If not, ask your teacher for the library card or user name. From home, you' can log in with your own library card or borrow the FHS Library code.] Search through the following databases:
Academic One File; Expanded Academic ASAP; General One File; Power Search.
Enter in different keywords until you find articles that seem of interest to you. Click on "peer-reviewed" and "full text" so that you'll find the best full sources for your area of interest.
2) Google Scholar: Did you know that Google offers specific databases for research? Go to Google, Advanced Search, then scroll down to Google Scholar. Type in your keywords. You will find abstracts [which are summaries of whole articles], book reviews, pdf's, and some articles.
3) Your teacher also holds a college library identification card, which offers access to some different databases. Ask her about this resource if you need special access to special themes.
B) Saving the citations you find:
Finding good sources is only a start! Saving is much more than copying a URL, You have to save your research in files so that you can have access to the research in the future. Here goes:
Open a Word file. Save it as "research sources for English class." Everytime you find a good source, enter in each of the following criterion:
Author
Title of article
Journal where the article was published
Date of the article's publication
Date you accessed the article
Page numbers of the citation from beginning to end
[MLA no longer requires you to save the URL, by the way.]
[MLA no longer requires you to save the URL, by the way.]
Then copy and paste any text you think might be valuable below this citation. You may just save part of an article, like the introduction, or you may save the entire article. Make sure you have the page numbers correctly noted in either case.
Yes, you must cite the author and the page numbers for websites. Citing other author's ideas does take time, but, once you get accustomed to this process, you'll be a great researcher!
08 December 2009
Juniors' The Great Gatsby Research Project Descriptions
Assignment:
You will create a research project in which you choose one topic of interest from the 1920s and argue it.
You’ll support your argument using peer-reviewed/ scholarly research and textual excerpts from The Great Gatsby. Your composition will have two components:
1) You will create a slide show in which you organize your ideas using visual, digital, audio, and print sources to argue and support a particular position.
2) Afterward, you will use the information you assembled in the slide show to write a 2-3 page paper.
Objectives:
You will choose and become an expert in an area of your own interest from the 1920s.
You will design an argument statement.
You will gather research from books and online databases and include excerpts from research resources to support your argument statement.
You will support your argument through textual excerpts from The Great Gatsby.
You will interpret the peer-reviewed/ scholarly and textual evidence to create your own unique voice.
You will manipulate media and design to suite your purpose and genres.
Purpose:
The purpose of any learning event is to explore and extend your thinking. These research compositions will accomplish that purpose by giving you the opportunity to express your ideas through a series of meaningful choices regarding selection of information, interpretation of resources, writing, design, and public presentation.
Whenever you synthesize your prior knowledge with new knowledge, you change as an individual. Ultimately, you share a new sense of self through new ideas, feelings, and thinking, which helps you to connect better to others in your community and the world beyond it.
PART ONE:
Overview of your Research Project
Slide/ section one: Title slide
The title slide is the argument, or main persuasive idea, of your overall project. Titles in the academic world have two parts. The first part of the title is often a clever play-on-words; the second part of the title points to your specific argument and names the primary text around which you are designing your discussion.
Here are example titles:
“Three Houses Divided: The Great Gatsby and Metaphors of Socio-economic Class”
“Carelessness and Culture: Playing Forward The Sun Also Rises to the New Millennium”
“Spiritual Shallowness: How Our Town Can Inform Contemporary Society”
Slide 2: Diagram slide
The diagram slide describes relationships among concepts. The diagram slide is a one slide representation of your argument (which doesn’t refer to the primary text, but, rather, to universal ideas), the key terms from your evidence, and the core ideas of your entire project. The diagram slide should be composed primarily of images/ visuals/ schematics. You should have very few words on your diagram.
The Body of Your Project: Three Slides
Each slide should explain your argument in one of three different ways. Each slide discusses a dimension of the particular point of view upon which you have decided. To construct a body slide, you must adhere to a formula which is known as PEPI: Point, Evidence from the primary text, Peer-reviewed/ scholarly research, and Interpretation. These are the slides in which your unique voice should shine.
Slide 3: PEPI a
Point a) Write one topic sentence that describes the situation you want to explore in this slide. Do not refer to the primary text in this topic sentence.
Evidence from the primary text a) Pull one excerpt from the primary text that supports the point you made above.
Peer-reviewed/ scholarly research a) Pull one excerpt from research that connects to the point you made above.
Interpretation a): Synthesize the point, evidence from the primary text, and peer-reviewed/ scholarly research into one sentence in which your own unique voice shines through. Remember: interpretations answer “why” and “how” not “what.”
Slide 4: PEPI b
Repeat the steps above, but, this time, use a second point that explains your argument. Of course, you’ll use a new excerpt from the text, a new peer-reviewed/ scholarly article except (yes, that means a new author, too), and a new approach to interpreting it all.
Slide 5: PEPI c
Repeat the steps above, but, this time, use a second point that explains your argument. Of course, you’ll use a new excerpt from the text, a new peer-reviewed/ scholarly article excerpt (yes, that means a new author, too), and a new way to interpreting it all.
Slide 6: Synthesis Slide
The synthesis slide draws together the most important information from your five previous slides. It captures the essence, totality, and significance of the messages that you have targeted. Suggestion: copy the most important words and phrases from each of the PEPI slides, and rewrite them in a new and invigorating way in your synthesis.
Have fun! Be creative! Make a research project shine with your unique voice!
PART TWO: The MLA Research Paper
You will draw the majority of the writing and ideas for this paper from your research project. Thus, your MLA research paper will utilize the PEPI formula so you can write with academic voice and authority.
Print length: 2-3 pages, not including the Works Cited page.
Style: The paper must cite all sources using MLA format, including in-text citations.
Number of textual excerpts: at least three
Number of research sources: at least three (with three different authors)
In these two projects, students will…
communicate effectively by listening, speaking , writing, using a variety of media and techniques
• read critically with understanding
analyze and solve problems effectively by…
o identifying, clarifying and describing issues/problems;
o locating, organizing and processing information from various sources;
o utilizing thinking skills and reasoning strategies;
o creating, testing and justifying solutions and conclusions
You will create a research project in which you choose one topic of interest from the 1920s and argue it.
You’ll support your argument using peer-reviewed/ scholarly research and textual excerpts from The Great Gatsby. Your composition will have two components:
1) You will create a slide show in which you organize your ideas using visual, digital, audio, and print sources to argue and support a particular position.
2) Afterward, you will use the information you assembled in the slide show to write a 2-3 page paper.
Objectives:
You will choose and become an expert in an area of your own interest from the 1920s.
You will design an argument statement.
You will gather research from books and online databases and include excerpts from research resources to support your argument statement.
You will support your argument through textual excerpts from The Great Gatsby.
You will interpret the peer-reviewed/ scholarly and textual evidence to create your own unique voice.
You will manipulate media and design to suite your purpose and genres.
Purpose:
The purpose of any learning event is to explore and extend your thinking. These research compositions will accomplish that purpose by giving you the opportunity to express your ideas through a series of meaningful choices regarding selection of information, interpretation of resources, writing, design, and public presentation.
Whenever you synthesize your prior knowledge with new knowledge, you change as an individual. Ultimately, you share a new sense of self through new ideas, feelings, and thinking, which helps you to connect better to others in your community and the world beyond it.
PART ONE:
Overview of your Research Project
Slide/ section one: Title slide
The title slide is the argument, or main persuasive idea, of your overall project. Titles in the academic world have two parts. The first part of the title is often a clever play-on-words; the second part of the title points to your specific argument and names the primary text around which you are designing your discussion.
Here are example titles:
“Three Houses Divided: The Great Gatsby and Metaphors of Socio-economic Class”
“Carelessness and Culture: Playing Forward The Sun Also Rises to the New Millennium”
“Spiritual Shallowness: How Our Town Can Inform Contemporary Society”
Slide 2: Diagram slide
The diagram slide describes relationships among concepts. The diagram slide is a one slide representation of your argument (which doesn’t refer to the primary text, but, rather, to universal ideas), the key terms from your evidence, and the core ideas of your entire project. The diagram slide should be composed primarily of images/ visuals/ schematics. You should have very few words on your diagram.
The Body of Your Project: Three Slides
Each slide should explain your argument in one of three different ways. Each slide discusses a dimension of the particular point of view upon which you have decided. To construct a body slide, you must adhere to a formula which is known as PEPI: Point, Evidence from the primary text, Peer-reviewed/ scholarly research, and Interpretation. These are the slides in which your unique voice should shine.
Slide 3: PEPI a
Point a) Write one topic sentence that describes the situation you want to explore in this slide. Do not refer to the primary text in this topic sentence.
Evidence from the primary text a) Pull one excerpt from the primary text that supports the point you made above.
Peer-reviewed/ scholarly research a) Pull one excerpt from research that connects to the point you made above.
Interpretation a): Synthesize the point, evidence from the primary text, and peer-reviewed/ scholarly research into one sentence in which your own unique voice shines through. Remember: interpretations answer “why” and “how” not “what.”
Slide 4: PEPI b
Repeat the steps above, but, this time, use a second point that explains your argument. Of course, you’ll use a new excerpt from the text, a new peer-reviewed/ scholarly article except (yes, that means a new author, too), and a new approach to interpreting it all.
Slide 5: PEPI c
Repeat the steps above, but, this time, use a second point that explains your argument. Of course, you’ll use a new excerpt from the text, a new peer-reviewed/ scholarly article excerpt (yes, that means a new author, too), and a new way to interpreting it all.
Slide 6: Synthesis Slide
The synthesis slide draws together the most important information from your five previous slides. It captures the essence, totality, and significance of the messages that you have targeted. Suggestion: copy the most important words and phrases from each of the PEPI slides, and rewrite them in a new and invigorating way in your synthesis.
Have fun! Be creative! Make a research project shine with your unique voice!
PART TWO: The MLA Research Paper
You will draw the majority of the writing and ideas for this paper from your research project. Thus, your MLA research paper will utilize the PEPI formula so you can write with academic voice and authority.
Print length: 2-3 pages, not including the Works Cited page.
Style: The paper must cite all sources using MLA format, including in-text citations.
Number of textual excerpts: at least three
Number of research sources: at least three (with three different authors)
In these two projects, students will…
communicate effectively by listening, speaking , writing, using a variety of media and techniques
• read critically with understanding
analyze and solve problems effectively by…
o identifying, clarifying and describing issues/problems;
o locating, organizing and processing information from various sources;
o utilizing thinking skills and reasoning strategies;
o creating, testing and justifying solutions and conclusions
01 December 2009
Seniors' Multimedia Project Description for Othello
Hello, Seniors,
Please review the Multimedia Project Description for Othello located below. CF
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhkmtpnj_2f5kjsgfz
Please review the Multimedia Project Description for Othello located below. CF
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhkmtpnj_2f5kjsgfz
27 November 2009
Seniors' blogs for Critical Commentary
Below is a list of seniors' blogs.
Abby www.abbyfhsblogs.blogspot.com
Alessa www.silentalessa.blogspot.com
Anniee www.annieesblog.blogspot.com
Athena www.blogofathena.blogspot.com
Baldwin http://www.baldwins-blog.blogspot.com
Beatrice www.blogofbeatrice.blogspot.com
Brandy www.brandysblog13.blogspot.com
Chloe www.chloesawesomeblog-chloe.blogspot.com
DeMarcus www.getthatchocomilk.blogspot.com
Draco www.dracosblogger.blogspot.com
Elaine www.insaneelainsblog.blogspot.com
Elijah www.elijahsbigblogday.blogspot.com
Elliot http://www.elliotsotherblog.blogspot.com/
Carl http://www.carlsmarks.blogspot.com/
Kasandra www.kasandrarocks.blogspot.com
Koll www.kollsblog.blogspot.com
Lucy www.blogofluigi.blogspot.com
Madaline www.madelinesfhsblog.blogspot.com
Marie www.mariesblogspot24.blogspot.com
Micahel www.michaelsmagnificentblog.blogspot.com
Mikaela http://www.mikaela23.blogspot.com/
Rhonda www.rhondasblogyah.blogspot.com
Sandra www.Sandrasblog7.blogspot.com
Scarlett www.scarlett-scarlettsblog.blogspot.com
Susanna www.susannasenglishblog.blogspot.com
Zeke http://zekeamroseblog.blogspot.com
Abby www.abbyfhsblogs.blogspot.com
Alessa www.silentalessa.blogspot.com
Anniee www.annieesblog.blogspot.com
Athena www.blogofathena.blogspot.com
Baldwin http://www.baldwins-blog.blogspot.com
Beatrice www.blogofbeatrice.blogspot.com
Brandy www.brandysblog13.blogspot.com
Chloe www.chloesawesomeblog-chloe.blogspot.com
DeMarcus www.getthatchocomilk.blogspot.com
Draco www.dracosblogger.blogspot.com
Elaine www.insaneelainsblog.blogspot.com
Elijah www.elijahsbigblogday.blogspot.com
Elliot http://www.elliotsotherblog.blogspot.com/
Carl http://www.carlsmarks.blogspot.com/
Kasandra www.kasandrarocks.blogspot.com
Koll www.kollsblog.blogspot.com
Lucy www.blogofluigi.blogspot.com
Madaline www.madelinesfhsblog.blogspot.com
Marie www.mariesblogspot24.blogspot.com
Micahel www.michaelsmagnificentblog.blogspot.com
Mikaela http://www.mikaela23.blogspot.com/
Rhonda www.rhondasblogyah.blogspot.com
Sandra www.Sandrasblog7.blogspot.com
Scarlett www.scarlett-scarlettsblog.blogspot.com
Susanna www.susannasenglishblog.blogspot.com
Zeke http://zekeamroseblog.blogspot.com
23 November 2009
Thanksgiving recess updates for seniors
What's due after the Thanksgiving recess? What should each of CF's seniors have prepared for return to school on Monday, November 30?
1) You should have completed reading Othello, by William Shakespeare. We'll have a full-class sharing session and discussion on Monday. CF will participate in this ungraded discussion, unlike the previous Socratic Seminar, which you ran.
2) Complete the "Online Persona Roleplay: Advertisement Analysis" that we discussed in class on Monday, November 23. Remember to post your work on your blog, as we'll be engaging in critique of theoretical frameworks on Tuesday, December 1 in the Tech Center on the Pod 30 workstations.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, your loved ones, and to all the people near and far who influence our lives in small and often unknown ways.
(almost) Dr. Carolyn
1) You should have completed reading Othello, by William Shakespeare. We'll have a full-class sharing session and discussion on Monday. CF will participate in this ungraded discussion, unlike the previous Socratic Seminar, which you ran.
2) Complete the "Online Persona Roleplay: Advertisement Analysis" that we discussed in class on Monday, November 23. Remember to post your work on your blog, as we'll be engaging in critique of theoretical frameworks on Tuesday, December 1 in the Tech Center on the Pod 30 workstations.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, your loved ones, and to all the people near and far who influence our lives in small and often unknown ways.
(almost) Dr. Carolyn
Thanksgiving recess updates for juniors
What's due after the Thanksgiving recess? What should each of CF's juniors have prepared for return to school on Monday, November 30?
1) You should complete reading chapter six of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
2) Also, you should have revised the "Dreams" freewriting that we composed in class on Wednesday, November 18 and Thursday, November 19 into a two page (maximum) persuasive essay. This essay will take any position you want on the nature of "dreams." For example, why do people dream? What is the function of "dreams" for the collective good of a society? How can "dreams" become illusions that distract individual and drag them down from their life potentials?
These and many, many other questions can become possibilities for you to consider as you formulate your own question and your own persuasive response. We'll all be looking forward to sharing these persuasive essays about "dreams" when we return from recess through posting on our blogs.
3) [optional] Oh, and, by the way, have you updated your blog lately? If not, why don't you get a head start over vacation? Time you spend now will alleviate time you'll have to spend upon return from recess...
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, your loved ones, and to all the people near and far who influence our lives in small and often unknown ways.
(almost) Dr. Carolyn
1) You should complete reading chapter six of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
These and many, many other questions can become possibilities for you to consider as you formulate your own question and your own persuasive response. We'll all be looking forward to sharing these persuasive essays about "dreams" when we return from recess through posting on our blogs.
3) [optional] Oh, and, by the way, have you updated your blog lately? If not, why don't you get a head start over vacation? Time you spend now will alleviate time you'll have to spend upon return from recess...
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, your loved ones, and to all the people near and far who influence our lives in small and often unknown ways.
(almost) Dr. Carolyn
26 October 2009
Seniors: Assembling the First Draft of Your Project
In the first stage of your Own Town research project, you composed a
schematic that describes your own particular vision of the relationships among three theories. In this second stage, you'll build the first draft of your project.
Here's the overview of what your project should look like.
Slide 1: title
Slide 2: diagram
Slide 3: PEPI theory one
Slide 4: PEPI theory two
Slide 5: PEPI theory three
Slide 6: Synthesis slide
Details about each slide:
The title slide is the argument, or main persuasive idea, of your overall project. Titles in the academic world have two parts. Here are example titles:
New vocabularies in film semiotics: Structuralism, post-structuralism, and beyond
A critical discourse analysis of family literacy practices: Power in and out of print
The diagram slide should be composed primarily of images/ visuals/ schematics. The print should only comprised of keywords.
The three PEPI slides should delineate the particular theories upon which you have decided. Each of these theories connects to your particular area of interest. These are the slides in which your unique voice should shine through.
The synthesis slide draws together the most important information from your five previous slides. It captures the essence, totality, and significance of the messages that you have targeted.
schematic that describes your own particular vision of the relationships among three theories. In this second stage, you'll build the first draft of your project.
Here's the overview of what your project should look like.
Slide 1: title
Slide 2: diagram
Slide 3: PEPI theory one
Slide 4: PEPI theory two
Slide 5: PEPI theory three
Slide 6: Synthesis slide
Details about each slide:
The title slide is the argument, or main persuasive idea, of your overall project. Titles in the academic world have two parts. Here are example titles:
New vocabularies in film semiotics: Structuralism, post-structuralism, and beyond
A critical discourse analysis of family literacy practices: Power in and out of print
The diagram slide should be composed primarily of images/ visuals/ schematics. The print should only comprised of keywords.
The three PEPI slides should delineate the particular theories upon which you have decided. Each of these theories connects to your particular area of interest. These are the slides in which your unique voice should shine through.
The synthesis slide draws together the most important information from your five previous slides. It captures the essence, totality, and significance of the messages that you have targeted.
21 October 2009
It's time to combine textual analysis and research
Where do we begin? How do we start to compose our own research?
First, decide on the discourse that resonates with you most intensely. This would include a combination of textual evidence and specific theoretical lenses from which you might draw deductions.
Second, create a diagram, also called a schema, that visually represents the relationships you see between discourse and theory. 
Third, in life, we need to know rules in order to know when we're breaking rules or extending rules. It's the same way when a person conducts research and shares findings with others. When we compose research texts, the following information comprises a commonly accepted formula or set of rules for necessary criteria to include when describing research.
P: Point
E: Evidence
P: Peer-reviewed, scholarly research
I: Interpretation
Create a series of three templates that outline three different PEPI formulas for your particular foci for your upcoming research. In our next session, we'll extend this foundation of planning for research into the beginnings of what will become a hyperlinked research project. New literacies meet the traditional public school!
P: Point
E: Evidence
P: Peer-reviewed, scholarly research
I: Interpretation
Create a series of three templates that outline three different PEPI formulas for your particular foci for your upcoming research. In our next session, we'll extend this foundation of planning for research into the beginnings of what will become a hyperlinked research project. New literacies meet the traditional public school!
16 October 2009
Our Town Peer-Reviewed Articles
Here are four of the six peer-reviewed articles for the Our Town, in case they'd be helpful for future reference.
A Project for Communication Classes...
In our Living and Dying...
Thornton Wilder Analysis...
Worlds of Works of Art....
Fortuna's master answers
A Project for Communication Classes...
In our Living and Dying...
Thornton Wilder Analysis...
Worlds of Works of Art....
Fortuna's master answers
13 October 2009
Juniors' Inherit the Wind Photostory
Inherit the Wind Final Project: A Contemporary Film Trailer
Project Overview:
You have finished reading/ viewing Inherit the Wind, by Lawrence and Lee, and now you are ready for your final project. You are going to create the script for a ‘film trailer’ to inspire others to experience this text.
The ability to build an intelligent discussion around the viewing of a film is very important. In your film trailer, you are going to describe a contemporary/ current version of the film. Think of it as a version of the text that’s going to be released in 2011. You will create a photostory, which is a short film. You, as a composer, will make the same decisions as any producer or director of a film.
Your finished product will have ten sections: each section represents a frame of the trailer. You’ll incorporate 10 graphics, 10 excerpts from the Lawrence and Lee print text, and 10 interpretations.
Resources for reviewing the play and film
http://www.shsu.edu/~his_www/tah08/scopestrial.pdf
http://www.smusd.org/1679206516174780/lib/1679206516174780/_files/Inherit_the_Wind-theme,_motif,_prof.help,_act_1,act_3.ppt#256,1,Inherit the Wind: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
http://www.doesgodexist.org/SepOct96/ExposingTheLieInheritTheWind.html
http://thedispersalofdarwin.wordpress.com/2009/03/28/inherit-the-wind/
Introduction:
You will unveil your film trailer to a prospective audience through identifying an essential question and developing a narrative that entices the viewer to learn more about the plot through the ways you answer that essential question.
What is a film trailer?
A ‘film trailer’ is an advertisement for a future film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. Film trailers have now become extremely popular on the internet. Of some 10-billion videos watched online annually, movie trailers rank #3, after news and user-created video. Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the film being advertised. Since the purpose of the trailer is to attract an audience to the film, these excerpts are usually drawn from the most exciting, funny, or otherwise noteworthy parts of the film but in abbreviated form and without giving away the ending.
For this purpose, the scenes are not necessarily in the order in which they appear in the film. A trailer has to achieve that in less than two and a half minutes, the maximum length allowed by theaters.
What is an essential question?
An essential question is a question you pose as a central organizing principle. All information that is collected is helps the audience to learn answers to the essential question you have proposed. Essential questions help to clarify why people have different kinds of ideas. Have you ever wondered where ideas originate? This project is designed to encourage you to become a self-conscious learner, exploring not only the what, but also the how and why of knowing.
The project focuses on the nature of truth and reality and the role in the world each of us has constructed. The project challenges you to become an independent, introspective, and self-motivated learner. This project will embrace the nature of ideas via three different, but very much related ways of zooming in to look at the world: (1) the human; (2) the natural/biological; and (3) the spiritual. Through the use of ethical and moral themes, you will confront, examine, and explain personal and social belief systems.
You will use a pseudonym, or a false name, when posting your film on your blog for audiences on the internet.
Some ideas for the foundation of essential questions tied to Inherit the Wind:
1. Individual rights and the good of society
2. Creationism and Darwin’s theory of evolution in our contemporary world
3. The possible incompatibility of science and religion
4. Freedom of speech and pluralism in a democratic society
5. Separation of church and state in a democratic society
6. Fundamentalism in the United States: Impacts on the contemporary political scene
7. Loss of privacy rights in times of national security
8. Dividing lines: Geographic differences that lead to different points of view
9. Freedom to think and believe outside institutional constraints
10. Inevitability and need for progress in uncertain times
11. The relationship between self-esteem and self-worth
12. The value and chaos of multiple perspectives as means of human progress
13. Reconciling culture, custom, and tradition with changing times
14. Censorship and the pursuit of the common good: Irreconcilable differences?
15. Controversies and successes: The American Civil Liberties Union
Gathering your thoughts --- and materials you’ve already constructed
Now it’s time to start. When do you begin? Begin by assembling the materials you have already created during the Inherit the Wind unit. What can you draw out of these materials to use in your film trailer? They can help you to draw ideas for this project; let them serve as your initial brainstorming.
Go for it! This is new media composition in the classroom for the 21st century learner: you.
Project Overview:
You have finished reading/ viewing Inherit the Wind, by Lawrence and Lee, and now you are ready for your final project. You are going to create the script for a ‘film trailer’ to inspire others to experience this text.
The ability to build an intelligent discussion around the viewing of a film is very important. In your film trailer, you are going to describe a contemporary/ current version of the film. Think of it as a version of the text that’s going to be released in 2011. You will create a photostory, which is a short film. You, as a composer, will make the same decisions as any producer or director of a film.
Your finished product will have ten sections: each section represents a frame of the trailer. You’ll incorporate 10 graphics, 10 excerpts from the Lawrence and Lee print text, and 10 interpretations.
Resources for reviewing the play and film
http://www.shsu.edu/~his_www/tah08/scopestrial.pdf
http://www.smusd.org/1679206516174780/lib/1679206516174780/_files/Inherit_the_Wind-theme,_motif,_prof.help,_act_1,act_3.ppt#256,1,Inherit the Wind: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols
http://www.doesgodexist.org/SepOct96/ExposingTheLieInheritTheWind.html
http://thedispersalofdarwin.wordpress.com/2009/03/28/inherit-the-wind/
Introduction:
You will unveil your film trailer to a prospective audience through identifying an essential question and developing a narrative that entices the viewer to learn more about the plot through the ways you answer that essential question.
What is a film trailer?
A ‘film trailer’ is an advertisement for a future film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. Film trailers have now become extremely popular on the internet. Of some 10-billion videos watched online annually, movie trailers rank #3, after news and user-created video. Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the film being advertised. Since the purpose of the trailer is to attract an audience to the film, these excerpts are usually drawn from the most exciting, funny, or otherwise noteworthy parts of the film but in abbreviated form and without giving away the ending.
For this purpose, the scenes are not necessarily in the order in which they appear in the film. A trailer has to achieve that in less than two and a half minutes, the maximum length allowed by theaters.
What is an essential question?
An essential question is a question you pose as a central organizing principle. All information that is collected is helps the audience to learn answers to the essential question you have proposed. Essential questions help to clarify why people have different kinds of ideas. Have you ever wondered where ideas originate? This project is designed to encourage you to become a self-conscious learner, exploring not only the what, but also the how and why of knowing.
The project focuses on the nature of truth and reality and the role in the world each of us has constructed. The project challenges you to become an independent, introspective, and self-motivated learner. This project will embrace the nature of ideas via three different, but very much related ways of zooming in to look at the world: (1) the human; (2) the natural/biological; and (3) the spiritual. Through the use of ethical and moral themes, you will confront, examine, and explain personal and social belief systems.
You will use a pseudonym, or a false name, when posting your film on your blog for audiences on the internet.
Some ideas for the foundation of essential questions tied to Inherit the Wind:
1. Individual rights and the good of society
2. Creationism and Darwin’s theory of evolution in our contemporary world
3. The possible incompatibility of science and religion
4. Freedom of speech and pluralism in a democratic society
5. Separation of church and state in a democratic society
6. Fundamentalism in the United States: Impacts on the contemporary political scene
7. Loss of privacy rights in times of national security
8. Dividing lines: Geographic differences that lead to different points of view
9. Freedom to think and believe outside institutional constraints
10. Inevitability and need for progress in uncertain times
11. The relationship between self-esteem and self-worth
12. The value and chaos of multiple perspectives as means of human progress
13. Reconciling culture, custom, and tradition with changing times
14. Censorship and the pursuit of the common good: Irreconcilable differences?
15. Controversies and successes: The American Civil Liberties Union
Gathering your thoughts --- and materials you’ve already constructed
Now it’s time to start. When do you begin? Begin by assembling the materials you have already created during the Inherit the Wind unit. What can you draw out of these materials to use in your film trailer? They can help you to draw ideas for this project; let them serve as your initial brainstorming.
Go for it! This is new media composition in the classroom for the 21st century learner: you.
10 September 2009
Digital Magazine for Juniors
Overview:
You will design a digital magazine that incorporates your own original compositions and visuals. Each prose composition must be about 100 words; each poem must be two stanzas/ eight lines long. These compositions have their origins in the work we have done together in class.
Digital Platform:
You will import and design your digital magazine on the internet platform called a “blog.” You can access the blog program at http://www.blogger.com/ You will need to set up an account with ‘blogger,’ which we will do together in class in the technology center.
Once you create a blog for the Digital Magazine project, you must let Dr. Carolyn know the url for your blog. She will guide you along your composition and design process by reviewing your blog periodically.
Your privacy:
You will be required to use a pseudonym (fake name) while publishing on the internet for class assignments. You and Dr. Carolyn will work together to choose an appropriate name.
Session One:
Please choose three of the following four writing events from this past week’s lessons.
Ø “My Inspirational Motto”
Ø “Media and Technology Metaphors of My Life”
Ø “Memory Map”
Ø “Poem of Happiness”
Input them into your newly created blog. Use the “import images” icon to add images to your blog.
Have fun!
Our Town and Its Special Qualities: An Assignment for Seniors
"Where are the centers of activity in our community?"
A) Brainstorm in a word file the following items to start off our activity today:
1) Identify the significant areas of our town and explain what makes it a center of activity.
2) What sights, sounds, people and/or activities might be encountered there?
3) When are most of the activities in the area taking place (any particular days or times)?
4) What about that area is appealing to you, and why?
5) What's unappealing, and why?
6) As you lean over the PCs and look at your peers’ brainstormings, was one area identified more than any others? Why might that be?
7) Did you ever stand back and observe the area and the people and activities in it? If so, what did you discover?
8) What activities normally take place here?
9) Other than the people, what makes this location interesting or unique (sights, sounds or smells)?
10) At what times might special moments, characters, stories and/or images be found at particular sites?
B) Your assignment:
You will create a blog/ documentary that captures the moments, characters, stories and images that your community can offer.
http://www.blogger.com/ is a Google site that is easy to navigate and is useful for these types of assignments.
Be creative, original, and resourceful. And have fun!
C) Internet protection and access:
1) You must choose and register a pseudonym with Dr. Carolyn.
2) You must register the url you choose for this particular blog assignment with Dr. Carolyn, who will, in turn, visit your blog occasionally to add comments and light suggestions.
09 September 2009
Our Town Project Rubric
The student has created a project that meets the requirements of the project description through print and visual means (audio is optional but would receive extra points). The project is, overall, well-designed, colorful, imaginative, original, and insightful. 8
The student has identified the significant areas of our town and delineated as to what makes those the centers of activity. 5
The student has incorporated a plethora of sights, sounds, people and/or activities that might be encountered there. Additionally, there are some types of markers that indicate the special moments, characters, stories and/or images that might be found at these particular sites. 5
The student has signified in clever ways how some areas of our town are appealing and others are unappealing and why. 5
The student has recreated unique sensory perceptions: sights, sounds, smells, textures, textures). 5
Possible score. 28
The student has identified the significant areas of our town and delineated as to what makes those the centers of activity. 5
The student has incorporated a plethora of sights, sounds, people and/or activities that might be encountered there. Additionally, there are some types of markers that indicate the special moments, characters, stories and/or images that might be found at these particular sites. 5
The student has signified in clever ways how some areas of our town are appealing and others are unappealing and why. 5
The student has recreated unique sensory perceptions: sights, sounds, smells, textures, textures). 5
Possible score. 28
02 September 2009
Three Cups of Tea reading guide
OVERVIEW OF TEXT
· In Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan's K2, the world's second highest mountain.
· Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe. In return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school
· The project grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.
· Mortenson replaced ‘guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading’ to ‘promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia’ [taken from the authors’ website].
· Book includes portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, Mujahedeen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls
· Authors argue that the U.S. must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls.
· Book chronicles how some failures lead to success
INTRODUCTION
· Has anyone ever climbed a mountain? What is the experience like? What do you recall about Mortenson’s climb in what came to be a failed attempt of K2 (p. 7-8, 10-11, 13, 15, 17)
· Description of Korphe (intro., pp. 17-24) (specific, p. 24, last paragraph)
· Epigrammatic quote: "Progress and Perfection” (p. 27), how it relates to the chapter, how it relates to the book itself.
· Medical issues abound among the Balti people (p. 30)
· The visit to the Korphe School with Haji Ali (p. 31, bottom)
· Cultural differences as wrap-up to introduction
MORTENSON’S CHARACTER
After Haji Ali’s family saves Greg’s life, he reflects that he could never “imagine discharging the debt he felt to his hosts in Korphe” (p. 30). What is it about Mortenson’s character in which “debts” are paramount? Why do you think that Mortenson was compelled to return to the region again and again over the decade span of the text?
[Looking back to Mortenson’s cultural African childhood] Mortenson is a mountain climber turned humanitarian. He is a school builder for two countries in the Mideast, each of which has been labeled as enemy to the U.S. However, looking back, it’s clear that his sense of mission is rooted in his childhood, the values of his parents, and his relationship with his sister Christa. How do you think Mortenson's childhood shaped him? (p. 34 – 46)
Discuss the various facets of Mortenson’s character—the freewheeling mountain climber, expedition medic (p. 45), the ER nurse, the devoted son and brother, and the leader of a humanitarian cause.
To what extent has his father been a role model for the work he had done? [i.e. “listener” (p. 37); at hospital ribbon cutting, Dempsey wore a “traditional black Tanzanian outfit” (p. 38); Dempsey turned the hospital over to the local people: “It’s your country. It’s your hospital” (p. 38); “Dempsey was often away for months at a time, recruiting founds and qualified hospital staff in Europe and America” (p. 37)]
To what extent is Mortenson an anti-hero? “wrestled with sleep” (p. 42); “never been on time in his life” (p. 39); had a “mother’s highly structured home, then the army, college, and graduate school” (p. 44) but was also “meaninglessly adrift” (p. 45).
There is a telling passage about Mortenson’s change of direction at the start of the book: “One evening, he went to bed by a yak dung fire a mountaineer who’d lost his way, and one morning, by the time he’d shared a pot of butter tea with his hosts and laced up his boots, he’d become a humanitarian who’d found a meaningful path to follow for the rest of his life” (p. 2). What made Mortenson particularly ready for such a transformation? How do individuals transform their lives? What mechanisms are necessary for transformations to occur? [i.e. he says about Mother Theresa: “Since I was a little boy she’d been on e of my heroes” (p. 235)
Has anything comparable to Mortenson’s transformation happened in your own life?
Looking at Mortenson as an adult, what aspects of his personality have made him able to succeed so well in his efforts in Pakistan? [i.e. “fit fm football and high school track team” (p. 40); “training as a medic” in Army (p. 40); “University of South Dakota” due to its more “diverse” campus (p. 41); liked to “catch free military flights with black soldiers” and “found it and the company exhilarating” (p. 40); “every rupee counted” in ways that demonstrate how selfless and frugal he is (p. 57); wears the shalwar kamiz; refuses to tell the CIA agents where the “Wahhabi madrassas” are (p. 295).]
BALTI CULTURE
The authors write that “the Balti held the key to a kind of uncomplicated happiness that was disappearing in the developing world” (p. ?). This peaceful simplicity of life seems to be part of what attracts Mortenson to the villagers. Discuss the pros and cons of bringing “civilization” to the mountain community. [i.e. “the village of Korphe, where the population survived through the interminable winter months in the basement of their stone and mud homes, huddled with their animals around smoldering yak dung fires, in their one and only set of clothing” (p. 62); interesting story of the high-altitude trek to hunt the ibex (pp. 114-119)]
The Balti people are fierce yet extremely hospitable, kind yet rigid, determined to better themselves yet stuck in the past. Discuss your reactions to them and the other groups that Mortenson tries to help.
EDUCATION
Why do you think the villagers in Korphe were so excited about getting their own school? What is unique about having a school, as opposed to other things Mortenson could have built, like a hospital or community center?
It seems as if everywhere Mortenson turns he has to deal with politics. What were some of the political obstacles (local, regional, global) he had to overcome? What does his experience tell us about the relationship between politics and education? [people seem to respond to him in a way that informs us that people respond to others when they are doing good deeds, such as he received “free tutorials until.. computer literate” (p. 50); also, he is multilingual: “Swahili” (p. 42), Farci, etc.
Epigram, “Red Velvet Box” (p. 198), middle, “foremost Shia clerics in northern Pakistan” create an edict as to whether they, the Supreme Council, will allows the CAI schools to continue, or whether “the school recruit for Christianity” and “promote Western-style licentiousness” (p. 198).
RELIGION AND CULTURE
· Through Mortenson’s experiences we get a glimpse into the world of Islam. Mortenson participates in rituals embedded with Islam. How was this awareness of the essence of Islam critical to the success of his (and the Central Asian Institute) programs? [i.e. His Lutheran missionary parents wore “their faith lightly” and the Tanzanian home was “more of a community than a religious center” (p. 36); “’Will you show me how to pray? Mortenson asks Manzoor as they begin the journey to build the first school (p. 62)’ “inshallah” (p. 240).]
· What have you learned about Islam by reading Three Cups of Tea?
· There is a danger in imposing our own solutions to the problems faced by other cultures and societies. How was Greg Mortenson able to avoid this trap? What about his background made him sensitive to the specific needs of those he encountered in Pakistan and Afghanistan?
EDUCATION OF GIRLS
· What does Three Cups of Tea tell us about the status of women in this region of the world? Why does Mortenson feel the education of girls is so important? How will it improve their status? Is the same dynamic true in our culture?
At the beginning of the chapter titled, “580 Letters, One Check,” Mortenson has tremendous difficulty getting any donations for his idea to build a school in Korphe. At his mother, Jerene’s elementary school, “The kids got it right away. When they say the pictures, they couldn’t believe that there was a place where children sat outside in cold weather and tried to hold classes without teachers” (p. 52). This is the beginning of the foundation known as Pennies for Education. Why do you think it is that children understood the project before adults did? [i.e. the one check that he did get that made a difference is from Dr. Jean Hoerni, $12,000]: show The two children's books: one for young adults (The Young Reader’s Edition) and the picture book (Listen to the Wind)
· Uzra Faiad is principal of the Dirkhani School, where forty-five hundred students are educated (p. 288); she says that “I’m a conservative lady…” and [the burka] suits me. Also, I feel safer in it. In fact, I insist that all my lady teachers wear the burka in the bazaar. We don’t want to give anyone an excuse to interfere with our girls’ studies” (p. 289). Do you agree with the womens’ concessions to wear the burka as part of Islamic tradition in order to teach girls?
· At the heart of Three Cups of Tea is a simple message: education is important. Reflect on your own education to this point. How has it mattered to you? What might your future be like if you were limited to the education available to most in Pakistan and Afghanistan? Why is higher education – especially in our society – important?
METAPHORS
How is building schools in Pakistan similar to climbing a mountain? What did Mortenson learn from his failed attempt to summit K2?
References to paradise run throughout the book—Mortenson’s childhood home in Tanzania (p. 36), the mountain scenery, even Berkeley, California, are all referred to as “paradise.” Discuss the concept of paradise, lost and regained, and how it influences Mortenson’s mission.
There are several times in the book when things seem to serendipitously come together for Mortenson -- like stumbling upon Korphe when he was lost and receiving a $20,000 donation from an audience of two. How do the losses make Mortenson stronger? Is this true of most/ all humans?
Mortenson hits many bumps in the road—he’s broke, his girlfriend dumps him, he is forced to build a bridge before he can build the school (p. 10), his health suffers, and he drives his family crazy. Discuss his repeated brushes with failure and how they influenced your opinion of Mortenson and his efforts. [i.e. his initial failure, upon coming to U.S. to attend school, to acclimate to the student body (p. 39).]
· The Parade article: Three Cups of Tea is the chronicle of one person’s failure that ultimately led to success. Think about a time in your life when you experienced adversity. How did you deal with it? How can failure lead to success?
What risks has Mortenson taken? Do you think he has been brave or foolish? W talked earlier about his feeling of “indebtedness.” In your opinion, does he repay his debt by the end of the book?
VISIONS OF PEACE
Did the book change your views toward Islam or Muslims? Consider the cleric Syed Abbas, and also the cleric who called a fatwa on Mortenson. Syed Abbas implores Americans to “look into our hearts and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people” (p. 257). Discuss this statement. Has the book inspired you to learn more about the region?
[Tone shift in text after attacks on U.S.] “I expected something like this from an ignorant village mullah, but to get those kinds of letters from my fellow Americans made me wonder whether I should just give up” (p. ?) Mortenson remarked after he started getting hate mail in the wake of September 11. What was your reaction to the letters Mortenson received? [i.e. CIA agents interrogate him on pp. 270-272]
· "The Enemy is Ignorance" (p. 297), end. The hardcover version of the subtitle to Three Cups of Tea was “One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations … One School at a Time,” yet the authors repeatedly requested Penguin Books to change the paperback version to “One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time.” Regardless of which you think is the more accurate subtitle, what – according to Three Cups of Tea – is the relationship between education and the war against terrorism? What might be the implications for current U.S. policy? [i.e. Jon Krakauer throws his support to Mortenson and reads William Butler Keats’ “The Second Coming (p. 276).
· What would be the effects around the world if the U.S. interventions were directed strictly – or even partially --- toward non-military purposes?
CAN INDIVIDUALS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
· According to Three Cups of Tea, how does Mortenson characterize the concept of community? What is the relationship of the individual to his sense of community? As an individual, what specific steps might you be willing to take to meet the challenges posed by Three Cups of Tea? In other words, what next steps are you willing to take?
At the heart of the book is a powerful but simple political message: we each as individuals have the power to change the world, one cup of tea at a time. Yet the book powerfully dramatizes the obstacles in the way of this philosophy: bloody wars waged by huge armies, prejudice, religious extremism, cultural barriers. What do you think of the “one cup of tea at a time” philosophy? Do you think Mortenson’s vision can work for lasting and meaningful change?
Have you ever known anyone like Mortenson? Have you ever had the experience of making a difference yourself through acts of generosity, aid, or leadership?
Did Three Cups of Tea challenge you to make more of a positive difference in the world?
OUR CHANGING VIEWS
Much of the book is a meditation on what it means to be a foreigner assimilating with another culture. Discuss your own experiences with foreign cultures—things that you have learned, mistakes you have made, misunderstandings you have endured.
What did you learn about the culture in Northern Pakistan? Did anything surprise you?
After reading Three Cups of Tea, are you optimistic about peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan?
Research resources
Penguin Group reading guide
Publisher’s Weekly review
www.threecupsoftea.com
· In Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time, Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan's K2, the world's second highest mountain.
· Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe. In return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school
· The project grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.
· Mortenson replaced ‘guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading’ to ‘promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia’ [taken from the authors’ website].
· Book includes portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, Mujahedeen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls
· Authors argue that the U.S. must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls.
· Book chronicles how some failures lead to success
INTRODUCTION
· Has anyone ever climbed a mountain? What is the experience like? What do you recall about Mortenson’s climb in what came to be a failed attempt of K2 (p. 7-8, 10-11, 13, 15, 17)
· Description of Korphe (intro., pp. 17-24) (specific, p. 24, last paragraph)
· Epigrammatic quote: "Progress and Perfection” (p. 27), how it relates to the chapter, how it relates to the book itself.
· Medical issues abound among the Balti people (p. 30)
· The visit to the Korphe School with Haji Ali (p. 31, bottom)
· Cultural differences as wrap-up to introduction
MORTENSON’S CHARACTER
After Haji Ali’s family saves Greg’s life, he reflects that he could never “imagine discharging the debt he felt to his hosts in Korphe” (p. 30). What is it about Mortenson’s character in which “debts” are paramount? Why do you think that Mortenson was compelled to return to the region again and again over the decade span of the text?
[Looking back to Mortenson’s cultural African childhood] Mortenson is a mountain climber turned humanitarian. He is a school builder for two countries in the Mideast, each of which has been labeled as enemy to the U.S. However, looking back, it’s clear that his sense of mission is rooted in his childhood, the values of his parents, and his relationship with his sister Christa. How do you think Mortenson's childhood shaped him? (p. 34 – 46)
Discuss the various facets of Mortenson’s character—the freewheeling mountain climber, expedition medic (p. 45), the ER nurse, the devoted son and brother, and the leader of a humanitarian cause.
To what extent has his father been a role model for the work he had done? [i.e. “listener” (p. 37); at hospital ribbon cutting, Dempsey wore a “traditional black Tanzanian outfit” (p. 38); Dempsey turned the hospital over to the local people: “It’s your country. It’s your hospital” (p. 38); “Dempsey was often away for months at a time, recruiting founds and qualified hospital staff in Europe and America” (p. 37)]
To what extent is Mortenson an anti-hero? “wrestled with sleep” (p. 42); “never been on time in his life” (p. 39); had a “mother’s highly structured home, then the army, college, and graduate school” (p. 44) but was also “meaninglessly adrift” (p. 45).
There is a telling passage about Mortenson’s change of direction at the start of the book: “One evening, he went to bed by a yak dung fire a mountaineer who’d lost his way, and one morning, by the time he’d shared a pot of butter tea with his hosts and laced up his boots, he’d become a humanitarian who’d found a meaningful path to follow for the rest of his life” (p. 2). What made Mortenson particularly ready for such a transformation? How do individuals transform their lives? What mechanisms are necessary for transformations to occur? [i.e. he says about Mother Theresa: “Since I was a little boy she’d been on e of my heroes” (p. 235)
Has anything comparable to Mortenson’s transformation happened in your own life?
Looking at Mortenson as an adult, what aspects of his personality have made him able to succeed so well in his efforts in Pakistan? [i.e. “fit fm football and high school track team” (p. 40); “training as a medic” in Army (p. 40); “University of South Dakota” due to its more “diverse” campus (p. 41); liked to “catch free military flights with black soldiers” and “found it and the company exhilarating” (p. 40); “every rupee counted” in ways that demonstrate how selfless and frugal he is (p. 57); wears the shalwar kamiz; refuses to tell the CIA agents where the “Wahhabi madrassas” are (p. 295).]
BALTI CULTURE
The authors write that “the Balti held the key to a kind of uncomplicated happiness that was disappearing in the developing world” (p. ?). This peaceful simplicity of life seems to be part of what attracts Mortenson to the villagers. Discuss the pros and cons of bringing “civilization” to the mountain community. [i.e. “the village of Korphe, where the population survived through the interminable winter months in the basement of their stone and mud homes, huddled with their animals around smoldering yak dung fires, in their one and only set of clothing” (p. 62); interesting story of the high-altitude trek to hunt the ibex (pp. 114-119)]
The Balti people are fierce yet extremely hospitable, kind yet rigid, determined to better themselves yet stuck in the past. Discuss your reactions to them and the other groups that Mortenson tries to help.
EDUCATION
Why do you think the villagers in Korphe were so excited about getting their own school? What is unique about having a school, as opposed to other things Mortenson could have built, like a hospital or community center?
It seems as if everywhere Mortenson turns he has to deal with politics. What were some of the political obstacles (local, regional, global) he had to overcome? What does his experience tell us about the relationship between politics and education? [people seem to respond to him in a way that informs us that people respond to others when they are doing good deeds, such as he received “free tutorials until.. computer literate” (p. 50); also, he is multilingual: “Swahili” (p. 42), Farci, etc.
Epigram, “Red Velvet Box” (p. 198), middle, “foremost Shia clerics in northern Pakistan” create an edict as to whether they, the Supreme Council, will allows the CAI schools to continue, or whether “the school recruit for Christianity” and “promote Western-style licentiousness” (p. 198).
RELIGION AND CULTURE
· Through Mortenson’s experiences we get a glimpse into the world of Islam. Mortenson participates in rituals embedded with Islam. How was this awareness of the essence of Islam critical to the success of his (and the Central Asian Institute) programs? [i.e. His Lutheran missionary parents wore “their faith lightly” and the Tanzanian home was “more of a community than a religious center” (p. 36); “’Will you show me how to pray? Mortenson asks Manzoor as they begin the journey to build the first school (p. 62)’ “inshallah” (p. 240).]
· What have you learned about Islam by reading Three Cups of Tea?
· There is a danger in imposing our own solutions to the problems faced by other cultures and societies. How was Greg Mortenson able to avoid this trap? What about his background made him sensitive to the specific needs of those he encountered in Pakistan and Afghanistan?
EDUCATION OF GIRLS
· What does Three Cups of Tea tell us about the status of women in this region of the world? Why does Mortenson feel the education of girls is so important? How will it improve their status? Is the same dynamic true in our culture?
At the beginning of the chapter titled, “580 Letters, One Check,” Mortenson has tremendous difficulty getting any donations for his idea to build a school in Korphe. At his mother, Jerene’s elementary school, “The kids got it right away. When they say the pictures, they couldn’t believe that there was a place where children sat outside in cold weather and tried to hold classes without teachers” (p. 52). This is the beginning of the foundation known as Pennies for Education. Why do you think it is that children understood the project before adults did? [i.e. the one check that he did get that made a difference is from Dr. Jean Hoerni, $12,000]: show The two children's books: one for young adults (The Young Reader’s Edition) and the picture book (Listen to the Wind)
· Uzra Faiad is principal of the Dirkhani School, where forty-five hundred students are educated (p. 288); she says that “I’m a conservative lady…” and [the burka] suits me. Also, I feel safer in it. In fact, I insist that all my lady teachers wear the burka in the bazaar. We don’t want to give anyone an excuse to interfere with our girls’ studies” (p. 289). Do you agree with the womens’ concessions to wear the burka as part of Islamic tradition in order to teach girls?
· At the heart of Three Cups of Tea is a simple message: education is important. Reflect on your own education to this point. How has it mattered to you? What might your future be like if you were limited to the education available to most in Pakistan and Afghanistan? Why is higher education – especially in our society – important?
METAPHORS
How is building schools in Pakistan similar to climbing a mountain? What did Mortenson learn from his failed attempt to summit K2?
References to paradise run throughout the book—Mortenson’s childhood home in Tanzania (p. 36), the mountain scenery, even Berkeley, California, are all referred to as “paradise.” Discuss the concept of paradise, lost and regained, and how it influences Mortenson’s mission.
There are several times in the book when things seem to serendipitously come together for Mortenson -- like stumbling upon Korphe when he was lost and receiving a $20,000 donation from an audience of two. How do the losses make Mortenson stronger? Is this true of most/ all humans?
Mortenson hits many bumps in the road—he’s broke, his girlfriend dumps him, he is forced to build a bridge before he can build the school (p. 10), his health suffers, and he drives his family crazy. Discuss his repeated brushes with failure and how they influenced your opinion of Mortenson and his efforts. [i.e. his initial failure, upon coming to U.S. to attend school, to acclimate to the student body (p. 39).]
· The Parade article: Three Cups of Tea is the chronicle of one person’s failure that ultimately led to success. Think about a time in your life when you experienced adversity. How did you deal with it? How can failure lead to success?
What risks has Mortenson taken? Do you think he has been brave or foolish? W talked earlier about his feeling of “indebtedness.” In your opinion, does he repay his debt by the end of the book?
VISIONS OF PEACE
Did the book change your views toward Islam or Muslims? Consider the cleric Syed Abbas, and also the cleric who called a fatwa on Mortenson. Syed Abbas implores Americans to “look into our hearts and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people” (p. 257). Discuss this statement. Has the book inspired you to learn more about the region?
[Tone shift in text after attacks on U.S.] “I expected something like this from an ignorant village mullah, but to get those kinds of letters from my fellow Americans made me wonder whether I should just give up” (p. ?) Mortenson remarked after he started getting hate mail in the wake of September 11. What was your reaction to the letters Mortenson received? [i.e. CIA agents interrogate him on pp. 270-272]
· "The Enemy is Ignorance" (p. 297), end. The hardcover version of the subtitle to Three Cups of Tea was “One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations … One School at a Time,” yet the authors repeatedly requested Penguin Books to change the paperback version to “One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time.” Regardless of which you think is the more accurate subtitle, what – according to Three Cups of Tea – is the relationship between education and the war against terrorism? What might be the implications for current U.S. policy? [i.e. Jon Krakauer throws his support to Mortenson and reads William Butler Keats’ “The Second Coming (p. 276).
· What would be the effects around the world if the U.S. interventions were directed strictly – or even partially --- toward non-military purposes?
CAN INDIVIDUALS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
· According to Three Cups of Tea, how does Mortenson characterize the concept of community? What is the relationship of the individual to his sense of community? As an individual, what specific steps might you be willing to take to meet the challenges posed by Three Cups of Tea? In other words, what next steps are you willing to take?
At the heart of the book is a powerful but simple political message: we each as individuals have the power to change the world, one cup of tea at a time. Yet the book powerfully dramatizes the obstacles in the way of this philosophy: bloody wars waged by huge armies, prejudice, religious extremism, cultural barriers. What do you think of the “one cup of tea at a time” philosophy? Do you think Mortenson’s vision can work for lasting and meaningful change?
Have you ever known anyone like Mortenson? Have you ever had the experience of making a difference yourself through acts of generosity, aid, or leadership?
Did Three Cups of Tea challenge you to make more of a positive difference in the world?
OUR CHANGING VIEWS
Much of the book is a meditation on what it means to be a foreigner assimilating with another culture. Discuss your own experiences with foreign cultures—things that you have learned, mistakes you have made, misunderstandings you have endured.
What did you learn about the culture in Northern Pakistan? Did anything surprise you?
After reading Three Cups of Tea, are you optimistic about peace in Pakistan and Afghanistan?
Research resources
Penguin Group reading guide
Publisher’s Weekly review
www.threecupsoftea.com
01 September 2009
Syllabus for Seniors
[1]Dr. Carolyn
Fortuna
fortunac@franklin.k12.ma.ua
508. 541. 3200, extension 3013
Syllabus for Senior Honors English, 2009-2010
Franklin High School (MA)
http://www.drcarolynsblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.societyissuesidentity.blogspot.com/
www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/fhs/depts/english/Fortuna/default.htm
“… (E)ducating students to be critical rather than merely good citizens must recognize the multiple narratives and histories that make pluralistic societies”
(Freire & Giroux, 1989).
Course overview
English 12 Honors will respect grammar (examination of the component parts of language --- semantics, pragmatics, and syntax), rhetoric (the art of persuasion through language), and dialectics (questioning and argumentation as a means to interrogate the structures of the society in which we live). Our goals are to become more fully literate and to deepen our understanding of ways that society and culture contribute to identity formation and worldviews. The cultural aspect of literacy asks readers to consider texts in relation to context and to recognize the socially constructed components in all human acts and practices. Called critical literacy, this education will draw from Freire’s model of critical pedagogy and encourage you to ask questions and dialogue with Ms. Fortuna about what you watch, see, and read. Freire (1992) refers to “critical and liberating dialogue, which presupposes action” (p. 52) as essential to engaged learning, because you respond in authentic ways when engaged in inquiry. Evaluation of sources comprises a significant role in critical literacy education, so you will examine structures and framing of messages.
Course philosophy
Language choices have tremendous power to shape a reader’s conceptualization of reading. Texts in this course will include all forms of symbolic expression that create meaning for readers. As a result, texts will transcend print and include visual, digital, and audio sources. This definition of literacy is sometimes referred to as multimodality (Bourdieu, 1977; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001).
Student rights, responsibilities, policies, and procedures
Please note that all FHS Student Handbook rights, responsibilities, policies, and procedures apply to Ms. Fortuna’s senior honor English classes.
Curriculum policies
Unless otherwise stated, all assignments are due at the beginning of class. You should have the assignment printed prior to class and ready to turn in. If you’re late to class, so is your paper. Students should always write in pen for in-class assessments. All English class students at FHS will be held accountable for originality through the computer program, Turn It In.
Course description: In this course, you will:
Ø Grow as literate learners by naming and defining key constructs of literacy, including communication models, communication technologies, literacy terminology, message design, and symbol systems;
Ø Compare and contrast different theoretical frameworks;
Ø Define structural features and intents of multimodal texts.
Ø Reconceptualize learning as a long-term, thinking-centered process
· Speak, listen, interpret, read, and write as significant means in which to reflect on our own thinking processes
· Develop structures for discussing, analyzing, and composing texts
· Compose and deliver several presentations to the class of varying lengths
· Survey online research databases
· To help you think more clearly and effectively by:
* Organizing your ideas in a well-structured, succinct, and creative manner
* Designing argument statements
* Realizing that what you write is an extension of you and your ideas
* Understanding that good writing comes from rewriting
* Improving your writing and thinking and rethinking
Course texts and core assignments
Senior honors English requires that you read and analyze text 30 to 45 minutes every school night. The following texts are required in the curriculum:
Chaim Potek’s The Chosen, Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts and A Doll’s House, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer, Edward Albee’s American Dream and The Zoo Story, William Shakespeare’s Othello, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
Seniors will study vocabulary, parts of speech, and SAT prep through Vocabulary Workshop G. Seniors must subscribe to “The Official SAT Question of the Day” at the website called, http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/prep_one.html
Seniors will study grammar through Elements of Language.
The senior honors English curriculum contains several core writing assignments. Among them are:
· A style and language analysis, based on Othello by Shakespeare
· A characterization as a reflection of culture analysis, based on Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God
· A critique of contemporary society after reading Ibsen and Albee
· A 10-page paper, comprised of discussion of two independent reading texts, one curriculum text, and a literature review with ten (minimum) peer-reviewed scholarly research sources
A composer’s digital portfolio
You will keep throughout the year a record of your progress as a writer, thinker, analyst, learner, visualizer, and composer. Aside from full-length curriculum assignments, your digital portfolio is an open field. Here are a few samples of how your thinking might be captured in digital form.
Conferences
You will have abundant opportunities for in-class help with individual conferences. In addition, while we’re working in the library or in one of the computer labs, you and Ms. Fortuna will conference. Ms. Fortuna can also schedule occasional conferences before or after school [by appointment only]. Conferences are intended to individualize your learning experience, to give your personal time to brainstorm ideas with an adult, and to give you practical help. It is highly encouraged that you plan for and take advantage of these conferences.
Grading
Grading is typically as follows:
One day assignments: 5 points
Extended day/ process assignments: 10 points
Quizzes: 20- 25 points
Projects: 50 - 100 points (depending on complexity)
Presentations to the class: 20- 100 points (depending on time requirements)
Research paper: 250 points
[1] Ph.D. in Education: dissertation defense autumn 2009
Fortuna
fortunac@franklin.k12.ma.ua
508. 541. 3200, extension 3013
Syllabus for Senior Honors English, 2009-2010
Franklin High School (MA)
http://www.drcarolynsblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.societyissuesidentity.blogspot.com/
www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/fhs/depts/english/Fortuna/default.htm
“… (E)ducating students to be critical rather than merely good citizens must recognize the multiple narratives and histories that make pluralistic societies”
(Freire & Giroux, 1989).
Course overview
English 12 Honors will respect grammar (examination of the component parts of language --- semantics, pragmatics, and syntax), rhetoric (the art of persuasion through language), and dialectics (questioning and argumentation as a means to interrogate the structures of the society in which we live). Our goals are to become more fully literate and to deepen our understanding of ways that society and culture contribute to identity formation and worldviews. The cultural aspect of literacy asks readers to consider texts in relation to context and to recognize the socially constructed components in all human acts and practices. Called critical literacy, this education will draw from Freire’s model of critical pedagogy and encourage you to ask questions and dialogue with Ms. Fortuna about what you watch, see, and read. Freire (1992) refers to “critical and liberating dialogue, which presupposes action” (p. 52) as essential to engaged learning, because you respond in authentic ways when engaged in inquiry. Evaluation of sources comprises a significant role in critical literacy education, so you will examine structures and framing of messages.
Course philosophy
Language choices have tremendous power to shape a reader’s conceptualization of reading. Texts in this course will include all forms of symbolic expression that create meaning for readers. As a result, texts will transcend print and include visual, digital, and audio sources. This definition of literacy is sometimes referred to as multimodality (Bourdieu, 1977; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001).
Student rights, responsibilities, policies, and procedures
Please note that all FHS Student Handbook rights, responsibilities, policies, and procedures apply to Ms. Fortuna’s senior honor English classes.
Curriculum policies
Unless otherwise stated, all assignments are due at the beginning of class. You should have the assignment printed prior to class and ready to turn in. If you’re late to class, so is your paper. Students should always write in pen for in-class assessments. All English class students at FHS will be held accountable for originality through the computer program, Turn It In.
Course description: In this course, you will:
Ø Grow as literate learners by naming and defining key constructs of literacy, including communication models, communication technologies, literacy terminology, message design, and symbol systems;
Ø Compare and contrast different theoretical frameworks;
Ø Define structural features and intents of multimodal texts.
Ø Reconceptualize learning as a long-term, thinking-centered process
· Speak, listen, interpret, read, and write as significant means in which to reflect on our own thinking processes
· Develop structures for discussing, analyzing, and composing texts
· Compose and deliver several presentations to the class of varying lengths
· Survey online research databases
· To help you think more clearly and effectively by:
* Organizing your ideas in a well-structured, succinct, and creative manner
* Designing argument statements
* Realizing that what you write is an extension of you and your ideas
* Understanding that good writing comes from rewriting
* Improving your writing and thinking and rethinking
Course texts and core assignments
Senior honors English requires that you read and analyze text 30 to 45 minutes every school night. The following texts are required in the curriculum:
Chaim Potek’s The Chosen, Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts and A Doll’s House, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer, Edward Albee’s American Dream and The Zoo Story, William Shakespeare’s Othello, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
Seniors will study vocabulary, parts of speech, and SAT prep through Vocabulary Workshop G. Seniors must subscribe to “The Official SAT Question of the Day” at the website called, http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/prep_one.html
Seniors will study grammar through Elements of Language.
The senior honors English curriculum contains several core writing assignments. Among them are:
· A style and language analysis, based on Othello by Shakespeare
· A characterization as a reflection of culture analysis, based on Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God
· A critique of contemporary society after reading Ibsen and Albee
· A 10-page paper, comprised of discussion of two independent reading texts, one curriculum text, and a literature review with ten (minimum) peer-reviewed scholarly research sources
A composer’s digital portfolio
You will keep throughout the year a record of your progress as a writer, thinker, analyst, learner, visualizer, and composer. Aside from full-length curriculum assignments, your digital portfolio is an open field. Here are a few samples of how your thinking might be captured in digital form.
Conferences
You will have abundant opportunities for in-class help with individual conferences. In addition, while we’re working in the library or in one of the computer labs, you and Ms. Fortuna will conference. Ms. Fortuna can also schedule occasional conferences before or after school [by appointment only]. Conferences are intended to individualize your learning experience, to give your personal time to brainstorm ideas with an adult, and to give you practical help. It is highly encouraged that you plan for and take advantage of these conferences.
Grading
Grading is typically as follows:
One day assignments: 5 points
Extended day/ process assignments: 10 points
Quizzes: 20- 25 points
Projects: 50 - 100 points (depending on complexity)
Presentations to the class: 20- 100 points (depending on time requirements)
Research paper: 250 points
[1] Ph.D. in Education: dissertation defense autumn 2009
Syllabus for Juniors
Dr. Carolyn
Fortuna[1]
fortunac@franklin.k12.ma.ua
508. 541. 3200, extension 3013
Syllabus for Junior College Preparatory English, 2009-2010
Franklin High School (MA)
www.drcarolynsblog.blogspot.com
www.societyissuesidentity.blogspot.com
www.franklin.ma.us/auto/schools/fhs/depts/english/Fortuna/default.htm
“… (E)ducating students to be critical rather than merely good citizens must recognize the multiple narratives and histories that make pluralistic societies”
(Freire & Giroux, 1989).
Course philosophy
This course will help students to be more fully literate in all aspects of their lives. Literacy instruction in the junior year will have many components and will reconcile literature within a subset of literacy. We will develop familiarity with reading new information communications technologies and multimodal, multiliterate, and transcultural representations (Collins & Blot, 2003) in our society.
We will constantly pose new questions. What is a text? How do different texts produce certain meanings? How do literate identities emerge within certain sociocultural contexts? The cultural aspect of literacy asks readers to consider texts in relation to context and to recognize the socially constructed components in all human acts and practices. Texts in this course will include all forms of symbolic expression that create meaning for readers. As a result, texts will transcend print and will include visual, digital, and audio sources. This definition of literacy is sometimes referred to as multimodality (Bourdieu, 1977; Kress & van Leeuwen, 2001).
Course reading texts
Junior college preparatory English requires that you read and analyze text 30 minutes every day, including outside reading. The following print texts are required:
Ø Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby;
Ø Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises;
Ø Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye;
Ø Miller’s Death of a Salesman; and,
Ø Lawrence and Lee’s Inherit the Wind.
Juniors will study vocabulary, parts of speech, and SAT prep through Vocabulary Power Plus. Juniors must subscribe to “The Official SAT Question of the Day” at the website called, http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/prep_one.html
Juniors will study grammar through Elements of Language.
Curriculum policies
Unless otherwise stated, all assignments are due at the beginning of class. You should have the assignment printed prior to class and ready to share. If you’re late to class, so is your assignment. Students should always write in pen for in-class assessments. All English class students at FHS will be held accountable for originality through the computer program, Turn It In.
Course description: In this course, you will:
Ø Grow as literate learners by naming and defining key constructs of literacy, including communication models, communication technologies, literacy terminology, message design, and symbol systems;
Ø Compare and contrast different theoretical frameworks;
Ø Define structural features and intents of multimodal texts;
Ø Reconceptualize learning as a long-term, thinking-centered process;
· Speak, listen, interpret, read, and write as significant means in which to reflect on our own thinking processes;
· Develop structures for discussing, analyzing, and composing texts;
· Compose and deliver several presentations to the class of varying lengths;
· Survey online research databases;
· To help you think more clearly and effectively by:
* Organizing your ideas in a well-structured, succinct, and creative manner
* Designing argument statements
* Realizing that what you write is an extension of you and your ideas
* Understanding that good writing comes from rewriting
* Improving your writing and thinking and rethinking
Student rights, responsibilities, policies, and procedures
Please note that all FHS Student Handbook rights, responsibilities, policies, and procedures apply to Dr. Carolyn’s/ Ms. Fortuna’s junior English classes.
A composer’s digital portfolio
You will keep throughout the year a record of your progress as a writer, thinker, analyst, learner, visualizer, and composer. All composition for English class must be saved in digital form. Aside from full-length curriculum assignments, your digital portfolio is an open field. Please bring a laptop to class if you have one available. You are also welcomed to bring earphones to class for times when audio feeds are available.
Grading
One day assignments: 5 points
Extended day/ process assignments: 10 points
Quizzes: 20- 25 points
Projects: 50 - 100 points (depending on complexity)
Presentations to the class: 20- 100 points (depending on time requirements)
Research paper: 125 points
Extra credit: max. 10 pts. per term, including signed lass progress reports, signed
[1] Ph.D. in Education from Rhode Island College: dissertation defense autumn 2009
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