Thursday, October 31st

STARTER (on paper): Reflect on your intellectual experience during our panels. What new insights did you gain from each or either? What did you notice about the difference in your reactions (intellectual and physical!) during each panel; did you feel differently each day? How so? Why do you think?

DEBRIEF!

The Backfire Effect (Hold on to your amygdala!)

The Oatmeal “ Believe” (WARNING: Young adult self required to read this. Some mature language)

If this is the case (the backfire effect and our stubborn amygdalas), why is it still important to do the work that we are doing?

ZOOM OUT:  Why are we doing this project?

HAVE YOU SET UP YOUR EMPATHY INTERVIEWS YET? Do you need help with this?

RESEARCH TIME:

Research Notes and 2 Thesis Statements due Tuesday

Please have a plan for your interview by this date, even if the interview is scheduled

LOOKING AHEAD TO PROJECT.....

Part 3: Rogerian Rhetoric

Wednesday, October 30th

Welcome, liberal/left-leaning panelists!

Tuesday, October 29th

Welcome, conservative/right-leaning panelists!

Monday, October 28th

Watch this TED talk:  Take the Other to Lunch

Starter (on paper):  React to TED talk. How does the idea of the empathy interview feel to you right now?  Would you like to do a Storycorps style interview with someone “across the aisle”? Or would you like to take the other to lunch?  Where are you in your process to set up any interviews?

Ground rules for panels and empathy interviews!

What others might we need?

From the talk:

• "Don't defend, persuade, or interrupt."
• "Be curious, be conversational, be real."
• "LISTEN." 

A few more of my own....

• Be willing to be disturbed.
• Follow up questions are fine, but don't argue or fact-check.
• LISTEN!!!!  The point here is to learn about where folks are coming from. You must listen in order to understand, rather than listening to disagree. (Know the difference!)

BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS FOR PANELS

CONTINUE RESEARCH

1984:  Seminar December 3rd
Do you have a copy at home?
Or do you prefer to listen to the audio?
1984 Audiobook online 

Thursday, October 24th

GROUPS OF 3 FOR CRITIQUE!

CRITIQUE PROTOCOL: Help each other "tune" your essays!

Monday, October 21st-Wednesday, October 23rd

PROJECT WORK!
You have two main tasks this week:

1. PERSONAL CONNECTION ESSAY
We will have a draft due Thursday at the beginning of class for a quick peer critique.  The final draft will be due to me by Friday, October 25th at 5pm.

If you are struggling to overcome your blank page:  START WITH A BRAINSTORM

Brainstorming/Prewriting strategies:

• Freewrite on the prompts (click on the assignment!)
• Graphic organizer like a concept map 
• Verbally process your ideas with someone else (conference with Jessica?)
• Outline your essay before you write.  (It helps me to brainstorm my topic sentences.)
• Draft furiously and then go in and rearrange your ideas into cohesive paragraphs.

If you are struggling with organization:  PLEASE REVIEW TEA PARAGRAPH GUIDELINES in the assignment document. 

EXAMPLE:  Jessica's Personal Connection Essay draft



2. BEGIN Research:  Part 2 Research Notes
If you are struggling to find sources: PLEASE REVIEW THE GUIDELINES in this document before you start to research.  I can help you find sources, but you should enlist my help only after you have attempted to do some research based on the suggested sources on Page 2.  Pay attention to bias and check for credibility!

(DOES ANYONE WANT A HARD COPY OF THE RESEARCH NOTES TEMPLATE?)

EXAMPLE:  Jessica's Research Notes (I just started!  This will get more filled in as I continue to research alongside you all.)

Friday, October 18th

WORK DAY!!!!
Scroll down to earlier posts for all relevant links to essay assignment, research notes template, Jessica's essay, etc......

By the end of the hour today, please write me an exit ticket (paper OR email) answering the following questions:

1. What is your topic?  Can you frame it as a yes/no question?
2. What is your perspective (bias) on this topic?
3. What will be the opposing perspective that needs investigating?  Do you have any idea who you might interview?
4. What support do you need from Jessica right now?

Thursday, October 17th

SLC's tonight! If you haven't looked at the protocol, please do so today!

Let's critique Jessica's essay!
Give me feedback based on the rubric and the following questions:
1. To what degree am I answering the focusing questions of the assignment?
2. Is anything confusing?
3. Does anything feel extra or unnecessary?
4. What might I add to help you understand where my perspective on my topic comes from?
5. Other comments, suggestions, questions?


PROJECT DUE DATES

Topic Choice: Friday, October 18 (or before!)

Part 1 Personal Connection Narrative: Thursday, October 24

Part 2 Research Notes and 1st interview done by Sunday, November 3rd

Part 3 Rogerian Argument Project Draft for Peer Critique: Thursday, November 7 (start of class)

Part 3 Draft to Jessica for Feedback Conference:  Week of November 11-15 (on assigned date)

Project Final: Exhibition November 20 (tentative)

Tuesday, October 15th

Starter (post-it and verbal pair share):  
What topic or topics are you thinking of focusing on for this project?  Why are you interested in that topic?  What angle or issue might you zoom in on?


SLC PREP!


WORK TIME TODAY:
Finish and turn in all assignments

• Rhetorical Appeals handout: Bryan Stevenson TED talk questions and scenario brainstorms
• (let's all take a moment on this one....)
• Where do the parties stand on the issues?
• Political Ideology Research
• HONORS: Resubmit your finalized essay today!  Note that you have a reading and a journal for this week:)
• PROJECT WORK!!!!!

BRAINSTORM TOPIC IDEAS

1. ProCon.org
2. ISideWith Polls (scroll issues)
3. Intelligence Squared Debates
4. Middle Ground

Are you ready with your topic?  
Start Part 1 of this project.  Jessica did so this weekend!  Read my draft of my personal connection narrative here.  Feel free to give me some feedback;)

PROJECT DUE DATES

Topic Choice: Friday, October 18 (or before!)

Part 1 Personal Connection Narrative: Thursday, October 24

Part 2 Research Notes and 1st interview done by Sunday, November 3rd

Part 3 Rogerian Argument Project Draft for Peer Critique: Thursday, November 7 (start of class)

Part 3 Draft to Jessica for Feedback Conference:  Week of November 11-15 (on assigned date)

Project Final: Exhibition November 20 (tentative)

Wednesday, October 9th

PROJECT DUE DATES

Topic Choice: Friday, October 18 (or before!)

Part 1 Personal Connection Narrative: Thursday, October 24

Part 2 Research Notes and 1st interview done by Sunday, November 3rd

Part 3 Rogerian Argument Project Draft for Peer Critique: Thursday, November 7 (start of class)

Part 3 Draft to Jessica for Feedback Conference:  Week of November 11-15 (on assigned date)

Exhibition:  November 20th (tentative)

WORK TIME:

Continue work from yesterday and/or move forward on your project

Tuesday, October 8th

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND LEARNING

TO-DO LIST FOR TODAY:

***HONORS WRITING CONFERENCES

A. CATCH UP

• Finish yesterday’s journal.
• Finish and turn in Where do the Parties Stand and any other past assignments. 
• Catch up Comp Book?

B. POLITICAL IDEOLOGY RESEARCH (Do you want a hard copy of this?)

Links for Research:

1, The brain research on liberals and conservatives

(Link to You Tube video)

2. Party Platforms

Republican Party Platform

Democratic Party Platform

Libertarian Party Platform

Green Party Platform

C. IF EXTRA TIME:

• Want to watch an episode of my favorite You Tube project?  Perhaps it could inspire some ideas for the project and/or exhibition?  Middle Ground
• Interrogate the differences in media coverage on the same news (Fox/CNN?)
• READ: WaPo Article about Yale study in which they tried to turn conservatives into liberals….
• BRAINSTORM TOPIC IDEAS

1. ProCon.org
2. ISideWith Polls (scroll issues)
3. Intelligence Squared Debates
4. Middle Ground

Monday, October 7th

Starter 10.7: Causes of Partisan Perceptions

Choose several of the items on this list and discuss where you have seen the principles in play in society. Think about yourself and your own views.  Do you find yourself falling victim to any of these causes of partisan perception? Or think about the climate of information we are living in. What are examples of people seeing the same events/ideas in different ways.  Why does this happen?

What is confirmation bias?  How does our media environment feed our confirmation bias in today’s politically divided society and keep us from having our ideas shaken and disturbed?

What is the relationship between the media climate and the political division?

CHECK OUT THIS TOOL:  https://www.adfontesmedia.com/

Did anyone do the optional homework?  What do we learn?

Why is it valuable to do this in divided times?

Shall we continue our deconstruction of the issues?  

Ted Radio Hour, 10-27-17, Part 2: How do we bridge the political divide?

JOURNAL 10.7

What do we learn from Robb Willer about making effective arguments? How might “moral reframing” help with rhetorical effectiveness?

How can the concepts from these TED talks (today's and Jonathan Haidt's last week) help us better communicate with people who are ideologically different than we are? 

How could it help us find compromise in US politics?
How might it help you with your own rhetoric?

HONORS:  
Essay due by midnight tonight
Writing conferences tomorrow and Wednesday
No reading this week; instead, there is an episode of TED Radio Hour to listen to!
See Honors calendar for journal prompt

Friday, October 4th

Friday, October 4th

Storycorps: One Small Step
Starter 10.4:  React to this interview.  How do you feel about the “empathy interview” format as a piece of our project? Is there anyone in your life you might want to sit down with and have a conversation like this?  What is the value of doing so?

DISCUSS GROUP WORK FROM YESTERDAY

GROUPS SHARE OUT ON THEIR ASSIGNED ISSUE

ACTIVITY: What would a liberal/conservative say about _______________?

• Line-up in two even lines (one liberal, one conservative).  You shouldn’t necessarily be in the line that you yourself agree with (although many of you will be). 
• Review issues from “Where do the parties stand on the issues?” taking turns making points and counterpoints on each issue.
• What are the moral frameworks and underlying values driving the viewpoint?
• What questions do we have?

OPTIONAL WEEKEND HOMEWORK:

Switch back and forth between CNN and Fox to notice the difference in their coverage.

Thursday, October 3rd

SEATING CHART

Starter 10.3:  

Knowing what you know about liberals and conservatives, what do you think are the morals and values driving each side of the political aisle? Complete these sentences…

Liberals are driven by_____, ______, and _______. They value _____, ______, and _____.

Conservatives are driven by _____, ______, and _______. They value _____, ______, and _______.

The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives

During the talk, jot down 5 interesting insights, quotes, questions, or new ideas that make you think.

GROUP WORK

(Each group should make a copy of the document. Someone should scribe the main ideas of your conversation. Please share the document with Jessica.)

Wednesday, October 2nd

Dear students:  Be industrious today!  Continue to explore your own political ideology. Use your time wisely to work on the following assignments.  

WORK TIME TO-DO LIST:

1. Starter/Journal 10.2  Where do you believe you are on the American political spectrum?  Where do you think your political ideology comes from? What values is it rooted in?

2. “I Side With” Political Quiz

Take the quiz and explore the “I Side With” website.

Click on “Other Stances” for more nuanced results

After Quiz:  Add to your starter/journal.  What were your results? Did you learn anything new about your own ideology?

3. Brainstorm: What are some topics/political issues that you could study for this project?  (REVIEW “Topic Choice: Framing the Binary, Choosing Sides” on your project description)  The https://www.procon.org/ website might be helpful to check out at this point.  You don’t have to choose your topic just yet, but let’s get a good list started! Send Jessica an email with some possible topics you are thinking about.

4. Where do the parties stand on the issues?

Make a copy of this document, or ask Athena for a hard copy (on my desk).  Try to fill out the T-chart to the best of your ability.  Work in groups if you like, but keep your own notes.  

5. Work on Rhetorical Appeals handout: Bryan Stevenson TED talk questions and scenario brainstorms

******If you were gone last week Thursday/Friday, please review my DP to catch up on new content.  

6. HONORS:  Response Paper

7. OPTIONAL:  Project Implicit

Tuesday, October 1st

Starter 10.1  

What does it mean to be “on the left” of the political spectrum?  What does it mean to be “on the right”? DO YOUR BEST TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS WITH YOUR CURRENT KNOWLEDGE.

IN PAIRS, ON WHITEBOARDS:

Draw a T-chart describing what you understand to be “left” (liberal) and “right” (conservative).  You don’t necessarily need to get bogged down in specific issues, but try to DEFINE each to the best of your ability.  Perhaps it helps to think about what each side cares about or values.

MINI-LESSON:  The Political Compass

ACTIVITY:  Political Compass Quiz:  As you work through the quiz, ask me clarifying questions!!! 

Journal 10.1: How did the quiz add to your understanding of political ideology?  Explain.

–OR—

Did you find anything surprising or did it confirm what you already knew about your political identity?  Explain. 

ADDITIONAL WORK TIME???

1. Work on Rhetorical Appeals handout: Bryan Stevenson TED talk questions and scenario brainstorms

******If you were gone last week Thursday/Friday, please review my DP to catch up on new content.  

2. OPTIONAL: Project Implicit

3. HONORS:  Response Paper
4. Struggling with content? Conference with Jessica!