Friday, October 30th

 Welcome, liberal panel!

Panel Reflection due @ 11:59 Monday

Please reflect on any or all of the following questions in A FEW WELL-DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS.

1. Reflect on your intellectual experience during our panels. What new insights did you gain from each or either? 

2. 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?

3. What do you understand now about American politics that you didn't understand before? How might these new understandings help you as a participant in our democracy?

Thursday, October 29th

 Welcome, conservative panel!

Tuesday, October 27th

Starter: How does the assignment in Julian’s class today (the Wash Post article about mask data) relate to RHETORIC and/or IDEOLOGY?

PANELS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY!

LOGISTICS

• Everyone has Humanities at 10:00

• Here is the modified schedule.

BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS

• Submit them via Google Form before Humanities class on Thursday. To be clear, you will be asking the questions themselves, but I like to collect them in advance. I might have some feedback about how to phrase the questions in diplomatic ways:)

NORMS 

• This is NOT A DEBATE of any kind. It is a listening session. Please do not argue, fact-check, or whisper to your neighbor. LISTEN and take it in. We can debrief after the experience, so save the release of your pressure valve for later.

• Thank you for your WILLINGNESS TO BE DISTURBED! Remember why we do this. It is to understand the bigger picture of what is going on in American politics and to examine your own views  more clearly.

• When ASKING QUESTIONS, please come up to the computer and speak directly into the camera so the panelists can see you. Say your name and then ask your question. If you are learning from home, please leave your mic muted and your camera off until you ask a question. You are welcome to type it into the comments thread in lieu of turning your mic on.

• TAKE NOTES on what you hear! These notes might help you later in your reflection assignment and/or your actual project.

• WEEKEND HOMEWORK: Reflect on your experience and learning from having participated in both panels. 

TODAY’S ASSIGNMENT….

Watch this TED Talk! The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives

• Complete the assignment in Google Classroom! Due @ midnight tomorrow
• Who is Jonathan Haidt? What gives his argument ethos?
• OPTIONAL: Participate in the study! Add your data to the yourmorals.org project.

HONORS CREW: Stick around for a minute to clarify expectations around the essay.

 

Thursday, October 22nd

If you stayed home today, please click on my Google Classroom link to join us!

Details about panels next week: Last call for parent participation!

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

If you have not already done so, please do Ideology Journal #2 in Google Classroom! 

Tuesday, October 20th

Starter (Discussion): What does it mean to be “on the left” of the political spectrum?  What does it mean to be “on the right”?  

Perhaps it is more complicated than a spectrum….

IDEOLOGY JOURNAL #2

ACTIVITY:  Political Compass Quiz  

HONORS: We meet!

Monday, October 19th

Finish up mini-project and self-evaluation. Turn in on Google Classroom! Even if you already turned in the project, please don't forget to answer the questions on page 2.

Finish up the T-chart Where do the parties stand on the issues?

Honors Meeting

Friday, October 16th

Dear students:  Be industrious today! Use your time wisely to work on the following assignments.  

FRIDAY TO-DO LIST:

1. PODS 2 and 3 (and 1 if you want to go deeper!)

MINI-PROJECT Mini-tune

1. Groups of 3-4

2. Share out your draft or verbally process your idea to your peers. Explain the rhetorical situation (THINK: triangle). Share which of the Aristotelian appeals your project seeks to focus on.

3. Peers ask questions and give feedback or suggestions to the projecteer. Essentially, have an organic, supportive conversation around the project that helps move each other forward.

2. IDEOLOGY JOURNAL #1 (DO THIS IN GOOGLE CLASSROOM!!!)  

• FIRST, ANSWER: 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?

• THEN: Take the Pew Research Center’s Political Typology Quiz

• AFTER QUIZ: Add some thoughts to your journal entry. Did the Quiz confirm what you already believed to be true? How does the label sit with you?

3. Where do the parties stand on the issues? (GC OR PAPER)

Make a copy of this document, or ask Melissa for a hard copy.  Try to fill out the T-chart to the best of your ability.  Work with peers if you like, but keep your own notes.  This will be due Monday @midnight.

4. Work on refining your Rhetorical Discourse Mini-Project

5. Honors: We will have a meeting on Monday October 19 about the two podcast episodes. Please finish them no later than Sunday!

6. Don't forget to vote in the StuCo election! (See Google Classroom!)

Thursday, October 15th

THE QUESTIONS:

• What do liberals believe/value?

• What do conservatives believe/value?

• What do Americans generally agree on?

ANNOUNCEMENT: Looking for panelists, especially conservatives....

Starter (On whiteboards):  

America loves Satire!!! Watch this video and respond:  What liberal and conservative perspectives are being spoofed in this video?  Give at least one example of each and explain the perspective that is being satirized.

Today’s Question:

What are the American values and principles of democracy that transcend party?  What do we agree on?

Once upon a time in America, my grandma was a Republican and my grandpa was a Democrat, and they held hands as they went to the polls together to cancel each other's vote out.

In that same America, George H.W. Bush left this note for Bill Clinton in the Oval Office during their peaceful transfer of power.

Group Read: John McCain’s Final Letter to America

Watch: Barack Obama’s eulogy for John McCain

BRAINSTORM:  

What are the American values and principles of democracy that transcend party?  What might most Americans agree on despite their political affiliation?

MINI-PROJECT Mini-tune

1. Groups of 3-4

2. Share out your draft or verbally process your idea to your peers. Explain the rhetorical situation (THINK: triangle). Share which of the Aristotelian appeals your project seeks to focus on.

3. Peers ask questions and give feedback or suggestions to the projecteer. Essentially, have an organic, supportive conversation around the project that helps move each other forward.

IF TIME: Project Refinement?

Let’s do some democracy!

Freshpeep STUCO Elections

• Candidate Profiles

• Ballot

Tuesday, October 13th

No class, SLC's

Work on the Rhetorical Discourse Mini-Project!

Monday, October 12th

Rhetorical Discourse Mini-Project: Have some fun with this!

SLC Guidelines: 

1. Schedule! Work this out with your parents and flock leader.

2. Create the Google Meet and invite your flock leader and parents.

3. Fill out an Academic Improvement Plan for EACH CLASS you are struggling in. Email it to the teacher of the class, your flock leader, and your parents.

POD 3 ONLY: I posted Friday’s TED talk in Google Classroom. Please finish it some time before Thursday. You can just turn in the hard copy when we see each other in class again.

HONORS UPDATE: Due to the cancellation of the presidential debate on Thursday, I am extending all essay deadlines by a week to make room for the potential October 22nd debate on your list of options. If you KNOW you prefer to write it on the Harris/Pence debate, feel free to get going on it now. If you want to conference with me on your essay ideas, please set up a meeting in office hours. We will discuss the two podcasts next Monday in e-class during an Honors meeting.

Friday, October 9th

Aristotelian Appeals

• Aristotelian Appeals: Notes/Examples

Case Study in Rhetoric: Bryan Stevenson TED Talk

PREVIEW of Monday/Tuesday Mini-project….

MINI-PROJECT: Craft some discourse that contains a message on a topic you have strong feelings on. Identify an audience or leave it open. Consider all you have learned about what makes rhetoric effective.  Try to develop at least two of the three Aristotelian appeals. Consider how you might develop the third in a larger project with more time.

Options: 

• TEA paragraph 

• Social media post (hypothetical or real)

• Letter to the editor

• Mini-monologue (video or live)

• Mixed-media expression

• Graphic expression: Political Cartoon? Infographic? Meme?

• Other idea?

Requirements:

1. Express a message on a topic of political or social or spiritual import to you or your world.

2. Should contain some text, even if you create an image as the main medium for your message.

3. Must draw clearly on 2 of the 3 Aristotelian appeals

• How might you use facts and/or logic?

• How might you appeal to the emotions or values of your audience?

• How might you make your audience trust the message more (or you as the source)?

Thursday, October 8th

Starter 10.8: Are you convinced by this rhetoric?  What makes it effective?  Who might not find it effective?  Why?  

Work on Film Analysis in groups

Brief “Seminar” on the texts/topics

• Major takeaways? What questions?

• 13th as rhetorical discourse: Why effective or not? 

• How about Monday’s texts?

• What makes rhetoric effective? 

Aristotelian Appeals: The Basics

Tuesday, October 6th

Announcements:

• SLC’s are next Tuesday. They are conditional based on your current academic standing and performance thus far. (You guys already know, right?)
• There will be no online class meeting that day, but you will have time to work on stuff for class.

• Last call for assignments to Jessica: By Wednesday, noon. None of this week's stuff will be included in the IC grade. Just through the Self-assessment and Process Reflection.

• What questions do you all have still regarding SLC’s?

Today:

Finish work from yesterday? Due at midnight

Watch 13th (Netflix! Let me know if you have struggles accessing this.)

Film Analysis (Prepare to do this as a group or partners on Thursday.)

HONORS: Let’s talk about the next few weeks….

Podcasts: Meeting next Tuesday to discuss these two podcasts.

"Who won the debate?" Evaluative Essay:

First draft due October 18th

All of these debates are fair game:

• Last Tuesday, Trump v Biden (good luck?)

• Tomorrow’s VP debate between Pence and Harris

• Next Thursday, POTUS debate (We think? This one might be postponed or modified in ways we haven’t seen before.)

• Any historical one you would like to watch (Some famous ones: Nixon v Kennedy (1960), Carter v Reagan (1980), Bush v Gore (2000), Obama v McCain (2008))

• John Stewart v Bill O’Reilly (2012): “The Rumble in the Air-conditioned Auditorium” (Satire, but also legit!)

• Beto O’Rourke v Ted Cruz (2018)

Monday, October 5th

Starter 10.5: Rhetoric is a response and invites a response!  Discuss this rhetorical "appropriation": Proud Boys: Far-right group becomes LGBT trend online  (Boy oh boy hashtag discourse is FASCINATING!)

Please finish the Process Reflection (due at midnight!)

Today's Tasks: Let's analyze some rhetorical discourse!

1. Watch this video and explore the website it comes from: https://bluelivesmatternyc.org/ 

2. Read this op-ed: I'm a cop. If you don't want to get hurt, don't challenge me.

(Here is a Google Doc version if you have struggles with the Washington Post website or want a cleaner document.)

3. Answer these questions (on Google Classroom)

Tomorrow's work (if you want to work ahead):

Watch the documentary 13th on Netflix and brainstorm around the ideas in this analysis. We will be doing the questions as group/partner work on Thursday, so WATCH THE MOVIE BEFORE CLASS ON THURSDAY.

HONORS: Plan on sticking around tomorrow for a brief meeting!

Friday, October 2nd

RHETORIC AS AN ART Continued….

Self-Assessment: Daily Classwork and Participation/Intellectual Presence

Rhetoric and Ideology Process Reflection: Google Classroom assignment due Monday @ midnight.

Thursday, October 1st

 Starter: So, that debate anyway…

Tuesday’s debate was not what I expected when I assigned it to you. But let’s share our observations? How does this particular rhetoric function in our democracy?

Discuss Rhetorical Analysis of Dr. King’s speech: How do we see the principles of rhetoric at play in this speech?

Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary

• How is Malcolm X’s message both similar and different from MLK’s?

• What exigency do they have in common?

• How are their appeals different?  What might this have to do with audience?

• Which rhetorical strategy do you think has been more effective at bringing about change?  Why?

• How do both MLK’s and Malcolm X's rhetoric impact you personally as an "audience member," an American, a student of rhetoric? 

• Reflect on the ideological progress we have or haven’t made as Americans since the exigency of the Civil Rights Movement.

RHETORIC AS AN ART

Discuss debate in light of “Rhetoric as an art” (if this is even possible…)