Thursday, February 28th

1. Digging in to the rubric...

Internalize the features of the rubric in order to generate the dopest project possible

Really dig in to the nitty-gritty of the rubric language.  Think about the qualities of projects that would exemplify these standards.  For each of the 5 questions, write answers on one of the mini-whiteboards on the table.  This can be done through bulleted lists, haiku, and/or hashtags.

1. What does thoughtful mean in the context of our project?
2. What does authentic mean in the context of this project?
3. What does it mean for a piece of writing and a creative visual to "work together cohesively"?
4. What does it mean when a project is "refined to exhibition standards"
5. What does it mean to "exemplify beautiful work"?
6. What are some ways that you be creatively intertextual in this project?

For further depth of understanding of using intertextuality as a literary device, click here.
For an example of how to incorporate intertextuality: Jessica's poem "Whichever Road Taken"

2. PROJECT TUNE CRITIQUE

On whiteboards:  Write a focusing question for your project tune that your group could give you feedback on.

In groups of 3-4, follow the steps to “tune” each other’s’ project ideas/draft.  Spend around 15-20 minutes on each, give or take. Be authentic, specific, helpful, and kind.  #goldenrule #ospreysrule

Step 1:  Presenter shares project and focusing question  (3-5 minutes)

PRESENTER:  Describe your project idea and/or share whatever work you have done on it.  Share the perspective you are trying to convey with your project. Share struggles and a focusing question for the group.

TUNERS:  Listen and think of questions you may have about the project

Step 2.  Clarifying Questions (2-3 minutes)

TUNERS:  Ask clarifying questions to better understand the project idea and where the presenter wants to take it, that is, to gain clarity. These questions are to get information about the concrete details of the project.  They are matter of fact, and should not delve into deeper issues.

Examples:
What materials will you need?
Will you write that in free verse or another form?
Will you need permission for that?

PRESENTERS:  Answer the questions.  Verbally process the details.  Take notes as needed.

Step 3.  Probing Questions (5-7 minutes)

TUNERS:  Ask probing questions that help the presenter process the potentials and possibilities of his or her project ideas. The purpose of probing questions is NOT to give suggestions, but to help the presenters think more deeply about their project and what they are trying to do with it.  Probing questions should be big open-ended questions (think: seminar questions). Write these questions on post-its and hand them to the presenter as you ask them.  Every group member must contribute at least one probing question.  More are encouraged.

Examples:
What emotional tone are you trying to create with your art?  How do you hope your audience will respond to your piece?
How can you use community resources and contacts to help you achieve your goals?
How will you make it intertextual?
IF NECESSARY:  Why? (because….)  Why? (because…) Why?  Etc.

PRESENTERS:  Answer the questions OR don’t.  Verbally process the details OR just think about them.  Take notes as needed.

Step 4.  Participant Discussion (5-7 minutes)

ALL:  Have an open discussion about the project and share ideas. Address the focusing question and help the presenter get unstuck or figure out his or her direction.  Be thoughtful and intellectual Ospreys.  Presenter should take notes as need.

Step 5.  Rotate and repeat

3. Re-read your digital comp book if you haven't already!

Journal 2.28: Capture your thoughts after today! What are your take-aways and epiphanies? What are the next steps for your project? What are you still stuck on?  

Project Conference with Me?  Do Beautiful Work!

4. HONORS
Keep reading Cat's Cradle! Seminar pushed back to Tuesday, March 12.
Please revisit the Honors syllabus and make a decision about which essay you might write first. If you want my feedback on a draft, please get it to me ASAP!

Tuesday, Feb 26th/Wednesday, Feb 27th

WORK TIME!
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: “Your Life on Earth” Personal Philosophy Project

DUE AT THE END OF THE HOUR WEDNESDAY: Personal Philosophy Statement and Project Proposal 

Be ready for a CRITIQUE: PROJECT TUNE on Thursday

Conferences!

Monday, February 25th

STARTER: Check IC

On a scratch piece of paper, reflect about where you are in this class. Do you need to conference with Jessica today?

TODAY: Please turn in your Mini-Study from last week

Personal Philosophy Statement and Project Proposal

Now due Wednesday!! If you are done with this piece, sign up for a conference with me today or tomorrow!

We will have a "PROJECT TUNE" on Thursday, so by then you should have a draft or working project idea that you can get feedback on.

STUDENT PROJECT EXAMPLE:

Dana’s project:  “Cuida”

WORK TIME!!!

For inspiration:  Hunter S. Thomson’s letter to a friend

If it helps you to brainstorm your own thoughts about your project, write a letter to a friend or to yourself, trying to express your advice about finding meaning!

CONFERENCE WITH JESSICA THIS WEEK!

Wednesday, February 20th

Oh wow...it's good to see you guys!  Let's finish this project!

Only a few tasks remain:
A. Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Mini-Study (Do one of the following Independent Studies)
MENU

1. Success
2. Connection and Happiness
3. Sense of Place
4. Religion Extended
5. Design your own!  See me...

B. The Project!  “Your Life on Earth” Personal Philosophy Project

Student Examples:

MAX POEM

CELIA SHORT FILM

Personal Philosophy Statement and Project Proposal

(DUE NEXT MONDAY, FEB 25th)

Brainstorm Guiding Questions and Student Examples

If we have more snow days: Work on both your Mini-Study and your Personal Philosophy Statement and Project Proposal. I know it's nice to have all these snow days, but we can't add more time to the calendar! These items are still due Monday, even if we don't have school!

Wednesday/Thursday, February 13-14

Into the Wild film

Intertextual Claim Response Assignment

Soundtrack Resources

Lyrics from the soundtrack

See Genius as well:

Society

Guaranteed


For your reference:  Mini-workshop on interpretive claims 

Tuesday, February 12th

In lieu of a starter, please work on yesterday's journal based on the reading. Add your thoughts on the following philosophical questions as well.

JOURNAL 2.11:  Response to NOMA and the “Skeptic”:

React to the idea of “Non-overlapping Magisteria” and/or Michael Shermer’s article.  Identify a specific passage in the article and agree or disagree with it.

Philosophize:   Are religion and science compatible?  Can they work together to illuminate meaning in our lives?  Or do they contradict each other?

SHARE OUT IDEAS ABOUT "The Creation"
What claims could we make about its meaning?

The Scientific World View:  What Makes Us Human?

In pairs, make a T-chart.

Commonalities between Religion and Science

Areas where you see tension between them

SHARE OUT.

Stephen Jay Gould's "NOMA" Non-overlapping Magisteria

Read Gould's original article (linked) for more depth of information!

Non-overlapping magisteria (NOMA) is the view advocated by Stephen Jay Gould that science and religion each represent different areas of inquiry, fact vs. values, so there is a difference between the "nets" [1] over which they have "a legitimate magisterium, or domain of teaching authority," and the two domains do not overlap.[2] He suggests, with examples, that "NOMA enjoys strong and fully explicit support, even from the primary cultural stereotypes of hard-line traditionalism" and that it is "a sound position of general consensus, established by long struggle among people of goodwill in both magisteria."[1] Still, there continues to be disagreement over where the boundaries between the two magisteria should be.[3]

Quote from Gould:  "Our failure to discern a universal good does not record any lack of insight or ingenuity, but merely demonstrates that nature contains no moral messages framed in human terms. Morality is a subject for philosophers, theologians, students of the humanities, indeed for all thinking people. The answers will not be read passively from nature; they do not, and cannot, arise from the data of science. The factual state of the world does not teach us how we, with our powers for good and evil, should alter or preserve it in the most ethical manner"

Watch Rick Warren's TED Talk"A Life of Purpose"
How does his faith give him purpose?

Are his arguments convincing?
Even if you are not religious, what can we learn from his example?

Journal 2.12:  How do religion and other forms of spirituality give meaning and purpose to human life? Use evidence from Rick Warren's TED Talk and/or your personal experiences and observations.

If time is left over....here is some fun we could have.

Belief Quiz  What were the results?  Did the quiz tell you what you already knew?  Did it surprise you at all?

Monday, February 11th

Questions for this week….

• How do religion and other forms of spirituality give meaning and purpose to human life?
• How does science?
• Are religion and science compatible or at odds?

Starter 2.11: What is the difference between religion and spirituality?

In pairs:  Come up with a short list of phrases, words, sentences, quotes that you associate with each word:  RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY

Discuss Vonnegut, "Yes, We Have no Nirvanas"

a. What do you think of the idea of Transcendental Meditation?

b. What is Kurt Vonnegut's take on it?  Make an interpretive claim about the author’s intention.  

Meet the Maharishi….

"The Creation" by Eduardo Galeano

1. Illustrate the passage.

2. Make an interpretive claim about the passage

3.  Discuss:  What questions is Galeano answering?  How does this passage relate to the questions of the week?

HONORS (and anyone else!):  Check out a copy of Cat’s Cradle.  Book Club meeting will happen on March 7th

READ: The Meaning of Life in a Formula

JOURNAL 2.11:  Response to NOMA and the “Skeptic”:

React to the idea of “Non-overlapping Magisteria” and/or Michael Shermer’s article.  Identify a specific passage in the article and agree or disagree with it.

Friday, February 8th

Get stuff done and de-stress this weekend!

TO-DO LIST
1. Reflection/Synthesis assignment.  On Page 2 of this doc. DUE AT MIDNIGHT!!!
2. Read Kurt Vonnegut, "Yes, We Have no Nirvanas" (pages 28-34 of your reader)
3. Catch up all Digital Comp Book Entries
4. Write philosophical poetry and/or do art to express your philosophical self:)
5. Review project description and start brainstorming your own project.

Thursday, February 7th

Final Lit Circle Meeting:  Copy this Modified Protocol


When you finish with your group meeting, you can have time to work on the Reflection/Synthesis assignment.  On Page 2 on this doc.  
DUE AT THE END OF CLASS TOMORROW!!!

Wednesday, February 6th

Happy Wednesday, my students!  Work hard and be your best selves!  Do the following today:

1. Finish work from yesterday: Journal 2.5 and Transcendentalist Principles and Response to Walden

2. Read Into the Wild and work on pre-write for Thursday’s final literature circle.  (Guidelines)

3. Catch up on starters and journals if you have missed any.  Table of Contents)

4. Optional:  Write philosophical poetry AND/OR do art to process your thoughts.

Tuesday, February 5th

Starter (not written): Neature Walk!!!!  

Let’s GO haiku hunting! Perhaps we find a fleeting moment of transcendence? Perhaps we go salute a tree?  Mary Oliver reminds us that the TO-DO list can wait….

WORK TIME:

1. Transcendentalist Principles and Response to Walden

You can confer on parts of this, but everyone should do their own work.

2. JOURNAL 2.5: CHRIS AS TRANSCENDENTALIST?

Read Keiran Eagen’s intertextual email exchange with Nick Jans

*Note: Nick Jans is the author in Chapter 8 (p.71-72) who criticized Chris and Krakauer’s coverage of him.

Reader Response: Do you agree with Keiran or with Nick Jans?  Was Chris McCandless less competent than a boy scout?  Or was he on a transcendental path that is worthy of our study?

3. If you finish all of this, keep reading Into the Wild and getting ready for Thursday's final lit circle

Monday, February 4th

FINAL LIT CIRCLE: This Thursday, on the rest of the book

Starter 2.4: Write a haiku that attempts to capture one thought snapshot of your personal relationship with nature or another philosophical perspective.

(5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables)

Maybe next lifetime

I could be a butterfly

Who glides through this fog

Discuss: What are our takeaways from the forest bathing article and the lit circle questions? What are humans getting out of their time in nature?  How might our culture impact our personal relationships with nature? How does this play out with Chris?

Lesson:  Transcendentalism

Reading Assignment: Excerpts from Walden

JOURNAL 2.4 Thoughts on Transcendentalism:  How does transcendentalism speak to you personally?  Which pieces resonate and which do you reject? Why? Choose at least one quote from the Thoreau reading OR the Powerpoint lesson and react to it in the context of your response.