Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Thursday, September 15

Starter 9.15
Where do you find yourself on the issue of foreign policy?  Do you tend to agree more with the ideology of President Bush and the authors of “Commit for the Long Run”?  Or do you seem more swayed by Dr. Grossman’s claims?  Are you somewhere in the middle?
Review Readings: What is the bias of each? What recommendations do they make?

 FOUR CORNERS:  US Foreign Policy
1. The United States military is the best in the world.
2. It is the US military’s duty to enforce world law.
3. The US military is always on the just side of conflicts.       
4. Citizens should have a say in whether or not a country goes to war.
5. War can be a good thing.
6. When a foreign people is being governed by a leader that commits human rights violations, the United States should intervene to overthrow that leader.
7. The benefits of a just war are worth the costs.
What do you know about the conflict in Israel/Palestine?  


Rafeef Ziadah: We teach life, sir.
JOURNAL 9.15:
How does this video expand your understanding of what is happening in Israel and Palestine?
Why is Rafeef' Ziadah's perspective important?
HOMEWORK

Read Willing to be Disturbed for tomorrow’s spirit read
Honors:  Read Chapter 5 “A Kind of Revolution”

  1. Many historians argue that the US Constitution creates a neutral, level playing field on which contestants prove their worth (that inequality in wealth is not due to unfair rules but to unequal abilities).  For what reasons does Zinn disagree with this interpretation?
  2. Why were the Founders worried about “factions”?  What are examples in American history or in the current political system where factions have banded together to challenge the status quo?  Have the Founders concerns played out?
  3. Zinn’s economic bias is very strong in this chapter.  What is the other side of this story?  How else can the story of the Constitution be spun?
  4. Come up with some questions that you would ask the Founding Fathers.  (James Madison is coming Tuesday!  Perhaps you can ask him.)

Wednesday, September 14

Goals for the Day
  • Compare and contrast the rhetoric of conflicting ideologies
  • Evaluate multiple perspectives on US foreign policy (and continue to develop our own)
Starter 9.14:  What was most interesting, surprising, or disturbing about the experience of reading Bin Laden's letter?
Group Work:  Rhetorical Analysis of Osama bin Laden's open letter to America.
Whole Class:  T-chart
  • What are the similarities and differences between Osama bin Laden's and George Bush's rhetoric?
Discuss
  • How does each use Aristotelian appeals?  (Arguments? Pathos? Ethos is relative to audience?)
  • Whose rhetoric is more effective?  Why?
  • How does our own ideology influence each rhetorical transaction?
What are some conflicting biases on foreign policy?
Answer the following questions in your Digital Comp Books
1.  What ideological bias on foreign policy do Kagan and Asmus represent?  
2.  What recommendations do they make?
3.  What ideological bias on foreign policy does Dr. Grossman represent?
4.  What recommendations does he make?
Optional:  Research
Wikipedia articles of note
Check out:
Dr. Grossman's website:  History of Military Interventions

Monday, September 12, 2016

Tuesday, September 13

Starter 9.13:  How should the United States have responded to the terrorists attacks of 9-11?  Had you been a member of Bush's administration, how would you have advised him?
Rhetorical Analysis of President Bush's Response
Be a critical consumer of rhetoric! Annotate the speech for the principles of rhetoric that we have learned about so far.
Rhetorical Analysis Questions:  You may work together with your peers, but each person should do and submit their own assignment.  
"The Bush Doctrine"
In his book "Decision Points" (Crown Publishers, 2010), President Bush articulates his discrete concept of the Bush Doctrine. According to the President, his doctrine consisted of four "prongs," three of them practical, and one idealistic. They are the following: (In his words)
1.    "Make no distinction between terrorists and the nations that harbor them--and hold both to account."
2.    "Take the fight to the enemy overseas before they can attack us again here at home."
3.    "Confront threats before they fully materialize."
4.    "Advance liberty and hope as an alternative to the enemy's ideology of repression and fear."
Key Points:
Unilateralism
With us or with the terrorists
Discuss:
What are the advantages of this viewpoint?  What good points does the Bush doctrine have?
What drawbacks are there to this strategy?
The Rhetoric of the Enemy:  Osama bin Laden’s open letter to America (November, 2002)
3. Be prepared to analyze his both his rhetoric and his ideology!
HOMEWORK:  Read/annotate Bin Laden’s letter as a work of rhetoric.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Friday, September 9

PM Class: pruebita

The Pathos of Patriotism
Starter 9.9:  Watch this video.
How does this video make you feel?  


Homework:
Talk to the adults in your life about their memories of 9-11 and the days, months, years that followed.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Thursday, September 8

Please put your reverse outline out so that I can check it off during work time.
Turn in your MLK Rhetorical Analysis if you have not already done so!

JOURNAL 9.8:  Rhetoric is a Response and Invites a Response

  • Respond to this rhetoric in at least 250 words in Digital Comp Book.  (Approx. 2 well-developed paragraphs)  
  • Your response should have two parts:
    • 1) Relate this clip to any of the ideas from the "RHETORIC AS AN ART" section of the Herrick article;
    • 2) Respond to the message itself as an "audience member." What is your ideological reaction to this clip?  (Be rhetorical! That is to say: take an ideological perspective on this clip and try to be convincing.)
  • Cut and paste PART 2 of your response in this Google Doc (sign your name!). Respond to the rhetoric of at least three of your peers in the comments.  Feel free to continue commenting beyond that. Rhetoric is a response and invites a response!


Goal:
  • Understand Aristotelian Appeals (logos, pathos, and ethos) and identify examples in rhetorical discourse.


  • What is the exigency?
  • What are Obama's motives, both hidden and revealed?
  • How does it impact on you personally as an American?

Lesson: Aristotelian Appeals
Pruebita (little quiz): On a blank piece of paper, identify each Aristotelian Appeal (logos, pathos, ethos) in Dr. King's speech. Explain with evidence from the speech.

  • How does MLK use logos?
  • How does MLK use pathos?
  • How does MLK establish ethos?


 Honors reading for this weekend: Chapter 25 with questions

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Wednesday, September 7

Key question:  What function does rhetoric perform in a (democratic) society?
20-30 minutes to Finish Rhetorical Analysis of Dr. King
Review Analysis of Dr. King’s Speech
Discuss and clarify:  RHETORIC  AS AN ART
SHARE EXAMPLES

Homework? (if any)
Tomorrow I will check your Reverse Outline. Please have it finished to show me.
Finish Dr. King assignment if you can.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Tuesday, September 6

Key question:  What are the features of rhetoric that set it apart from other types of discourse?

Starter 9.6:  Freewrite on one of the following ethical questions surrounding rhetoric.
1.  Should persuasion only be used in the service of truth?
-OR-
2.  Is it ethical to use rhetoric to achieve power over people?






  • Listen intently and annotate for the characteristics of rhetorical discourse that Herrick outlines in his article. (review Powerpoint)
What are the components of the Rhetorical Triangle?
1.  What is the message?
2.  Who is MLK Jr.?
3.  Who is the audience?
4.  What is the purpose?
5.  What is the historical context?
Group (or solo) Work:  Rhetorical Analysis
HOMEWORK

Complete Herrick article; Complete Reverse Outline by Thursday.

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