Project Display

1. Mount project and artist statement on black posterboard.  Make it neat and professional!
2. Hang on a wall in my classroom.  Use the vertical lines to make it straight.

Gallery Walk and Starter

1. Take 10 minutes, walk around, and look at the projects and artist statements.
2. Choose one project to respond to, and answer the questions about it.
3. What does this project make you think/feel?
4. What stands out about it?
5. How do the ideas in this relate to the ideas in your project?

Independent Work Habits Survey
Take the survey linked above.  Make sure the click the "send me a copy of my results" button at the bottom of the page before you submit- we'll be coming back to these later!  We'll review the results as a class, and then in pairs you'll discuss the following things:

1. What is your biggest anticipated difficulty in working independently on your thesis?  Help each other develop potential strategies for overcoming your difficulties.
2. What is your biggest anticipated strength in working independently on your thesis?

Senior Project Deadlines and Expectations
See handout linked on Senior Project Page.

Guest Speaker- Maureen Fallon-Cyr
Maureen is here to talk to us about mindfulness and solitude from the Buddhist perspective.  

HOMEWORK:
Bring all sources you've gathered on your topic to school on Monday.  You'll need them!

​BRING LIBRARY CARD TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY.

SPAM (Senior Project Advisor Meeting) 1

• Step 1:  Read CAREFULLY the two documents about SPAM 1 linked on the Senior Project page of my DP.
• Craft a professional and complete (see the requirements on the handout) to your advisor, requesting a meeting before February 8.
• Have someone proofread that email.
• Send that sucker.
• Have the meeting before February 8, and get SPAM Form 1 to Lori's inbox before 3:15 on February 8.

Mini Project Critiques
Run in-class critiques of mini-projects.

HOMEWORK

• Get a Durango Public Library card before February 1.  Bring it to class!
• Solitude Mini-Project Due at the start of class on Friday.

Senior Project Advisors!
Check out the Senior Project Page for Advisor assignments!

Mini-Project Work Time
Work time on mini-project! See document above for details.

HOMEWORK

• Library Card:  You MUST have a Durango Public Library card for database access by February 1.

Solitude Seminar Prep- TURN IT IN!
Email or share with Lori.

Solitude Seminar
Form 2 circles (one inner, one outer).  Need 10 people in each circle.

ABSENT?  We'll be doing a makeup seminar during lunch sometime next week.

Senior Project Conferences
If you didn't conference with Lori yesterday, make sure you do it today!

Social Media, Solitude and Society Creative Mini-Project!
See the handout above for more details.  Start brainstorming ideas for this, and figure out if you'll need to get any materials over the weekend for this.

HOMEWORK:

1. Get together any materials you need for the mini-project, bring them to school on Tuesday.
2. If you don't have one already, get a Durango Public Library card.  You will need it starting the first week in February for database access and research.

No Tech Challenge Journal
Write your second journal about the no-tech challenge.  What are you missing?  What's hard?  What's easy?  What concessions have you made?

Seminar Coaching
For each article, go through with your group and discuss:

1. The thesis of each article
2. 2-3 main points made on each page
3. 1 amazing seminar question

Senior Project Research Question Refinements
See the document above for tips, tricks, and examples.

1. Read the first page of the document, and put a start next to the category you think your research question is weakest in (clarity, focus, or complexity)
2. Now, complete the practice rewrites on the second page.  Make them good!
3. Finally revise your own research question, get feedback from classmates, and revise it again.

HOMEWORK:

1. Revised Senior Project Research Question:  Turn it in to Lori (either on an index card or via email) BEFORE 8:25 am on THURSDAY.
2. Seminar Prep:  Seminar prep packet with thesis statements, EQ TEA paragraphs, and seminar questions.
   

Note:  All of this is on the Blog page of my DP, but whoever is subbing for me should also write the journal prompts on the board for my students who are giving up technology for the next few days!
Hi students- I’m home with a sick kid today.  You should all know that our week has been a little bit restructured due to the length of Into the Wild.  Here’s the quick overview:

1. Tuesday:  Into the Wild, Journal, Guest speaker
   
2. Wednesday:  Seminar Coaching (readings must be read and annotated), Journal, Senior Project Check Ins
   
3. Thursday:  Seminar Work Time, Journal, Senior Project Check In
   
4. Friday:  Seminar (seminar prep due), Senior Project Check In

AM Class:Starter 6:  No Tech Challenge
Journal for 10 minutes on your experience so far with the No Tech Challenge.  You could address what’s hard, what’s easy, what you miss the most, what’s changed about how you spend your day…
 
Into the Wild
Finish watching Into the Wild.   Start the movie at 1:50 in, and watch to the end.
 
Into the Wild Journal
Journal for the rest of the period on your reactions to the film.  Questions to consider:

1. Are you inspired by Chris McCandless's actions? What about parts of his character? Why/why not? Be specific.  In other words, to what extent does McCandless’s ideas/actions serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?
2. Chris McCandless: Heroic, Foolish or Selfish?
3. What did he seem to learn about what he (WE?) need to be happy?
4. What questions did this film spark for you?

 
3rd Period:  Guest Speaker Andy Gingerich to talk about the Amish and their views on technology and simplicity
Check in with Ashley about this (she’s right next door), as she arranged the Guest Speaker.  Encourage students to ask questions!
 
HOMEWORK:  Continue with the No-Tech Challenge, be ready to seminar coach on Wednesday (all readings should be read and annotated!)
 
PM Class:5th Period:  Guest Speaker Andy Gingerich to talk about the Amish and their views on technology and simplicity
Check in with Ashley about this (she’s right next door), as she arranged the Guest Speaker.  Encourage students to ask questions!
 
Starter 6:  No Tech Challenge
Journal for 10 minutes on your experience so far with the No Tech Challenge.  You could address what’s hard, what’s easy, what you miss the most, what’s changed about how you spend your day…
 
Into the Wild
Finish watching Into the Wild.  Start the movie at 1:50 in, and watch to the end.
 
Into the Wild Journal
Journal for the rest of the period on your reactions to the film.  Questions to consider:

1. Are you inspired by Chris McCandless's actions? What about parts of his character? Why/why not? Be specific.  In other words, to what extent does McCandless’s ideas/actions serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?
2. Chris McCandless: Heroic, Foolish or Selfish?
3. What did he seem to learn about what he (WE?) need to be happy?
4. What questions did this film spark for you?

 
HOMEWORK:  Continue with the No-Tech Challenge, be ready to seminar coach on Wednesday (all readings should be read and annotated!)
 

NO TECH CHALLENGE!
Read the document above carefully- you will need to do one of the four options starting on Monday.  Let me know if you have any questions!

Into the Wild
We watched the first hour and fifty minutes of the movie.  We'll finish it on Tuesday.  If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend that you watch it- it's available on Amazon.

Essential Questions

1. To what extent have our technological advancements and changes in societal structures exacerbated feelings of loneliness and prevent opportunities for solitude?
2. To what extent is it important to be self-reliant?
3. What obstacles prevent us from cultivating self-reliance and solitude?
4. What main claims from Emerson and Thoreau about self-reliance vs. conformity and solitude v. society apply to the ways in which we interact and “connect” in today’s world?
5. What are the benefits of solitude and self-reflection? Time in nature?
6. To what extent do Thoreau, Emerson and McCandless’s ideas serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?

HOMEWORK:

1. No Tech Challenge:  Start one of the options for this on Monday.  We'll do the first journal entry on Tuesday in class.
2. DUE TUESDAY, 1/19:  Have all three readings (Solitude, Self-Reliance, and Pine Forest) read and annotated.
   
3. DUE THURSDAY, 2/21:  Seminar prep packet with thesis statements, EQ TEA paragraphs, and seminar questions.
   

Announcements:

1. Senior Project Calendar:  You need to plan on attending all your other classes through March, but NOT in April.
2. AHS advisors will be announced on January 26
   • If you have an outside advisor, that’s fine, but you’ll also have an in school advisor.  We can talk about what this looks like for SPAM meetings when they start.
3. REMEMBER:  Check ins for Senior Project are happening next week!  The stuff we assigned you at POLS should be largely done by then.

Starter 5- We need this for adviser matching!
GOOGLE DOC List of research questions and summary/project idea

Coach End of Solitude

1. What's the thesis?
2. Share your favorite lines, and why you liked them.
3. Go through paragraph by paragraph and summarize the main ideas.  This is your chance to clear up any confusion.
4. Share seminar questions, come up with two really good ones as a group, give them to Lori on a post it.

Transcendentalism/Romantics Lecture

1. Transcendentalism/Romantics Ppt

 
Review Seminar Prep Guidelines

1. Read and annotate
2. What’s the thesis for each document?
   1. Self Reliance
   2. Solitude
   3. Pine Forest
3. Write a TEA paragraph for each essential question, pulling from all the seminar texts and Into the Wild (you may use “The End of Solitude” too) for evidence
4. Write 2-3 seminar questions.  These could be questions you don’t know the answer to, or questions that you think would spark a healthy discussion.
5. Due, in ONE DOCUMENT, on Thursday, 1/21.  Plan your time well.  You will need to have all documents READ by Tuesday, 1/19.  We will coach the documents that day.

 
Essential Questions

1. To what extent have our technological advancements and changes in societal structures exacerbated feelings of loneliness and prevent opportunities for solitude?
   
2. To what extent is it important to be self-reliant?
   
3. What obstacles prevent us from cultivating self-reliance and solitude?
   
4. What main claims from Emerson and Thoreau about self-reliance vs. conformity and solitude v. society apply to the ways in which we interact and “connect” in today’s world?
   
5. What are the benefits of solitude and self-reflection? Time in nature?
   
6. To what extent do Thoreau, Emerson and McCandless’s ideas serve as a guide for how you want to live your own life? Which ideas resonate with you? Which do you reject?

 
Read “Self-Reliance” by Emerson

HOMEWORK:

1. DUE TUESDAY, 1/19-  Read and Annotate: 
   1. Self Reliance
   2. Solitude
   3. Pine Forest
2. DUE THURSDAY 1/21- Seminar prep packet with thesis statements, EQ TEA paragraphs, and seminar questions.
   

Starter:   “People empty me.  I have to get away to refill.”  -Charles Bukowski

1. First, explain what does “refilling” mean?
2. Then, discuss the extent to which this quote applies to you. Questions to consider: Does this quote resonate with you? Why or why not? Do people energize you or drain you? What group situations/settings/dynamics might make you seek alone time, if at all?

This Week's Essential Questions 4 Corners​

1. Social media, computers, and smartphones prevent opportunities for solitude.
2. You should try to fit in with the society and  culture around you.
3. It is important to be self-reliant.
4. Non-conformity is admirable.
5. Time in nature has no bearing on one's well-being.
6. I dislike being alone for extended periods of time.

 
Lecture:  Romantics
Take notes on the short lecture about the Romantics.  
 
Read “The End of Solitude” (6 pages)
Warning:  This article is quite difficult, and may have terms/references you don’t understand!  Look them up.  For a challenge, try the unmodified article here:  http://chronicle.com/article/The-End-of-Solitude/3708

1. Identify the main argument of this essay
2. Choose a line/passage/idea that stands out to you- mark it with a star.
3. Jot down your clarifying questions/confusions.  This is key for seminar coaching later!
4. Write one question that this article sparked that would generate good discussion
5. Journal entry responding to an idea or a specific line in the text.  Make sure you reference what you are responding to!  Write for at least 10 minutes.

 
HOMEWORK:  DUE THURSDAY

1. Finish reading and working The End of Solitude
2. Finish journal entry on The End of Solitude

Seminar!
Seminar on tech and social media.  No reflection!  Yay!

TED Talk:  The Art of Stillness
Watch the TED Talk linked above by author Pico Iyer.  

Journal 1:  Stillness
Spend 15 minutes writing (either in a notebook or on a computer document) a journal in reaction to the TED Talk you just watched.  Talk about the idea of being still.  If you have trouble getting started, use one of the questions below to get you started.  Write for the whole time!

1. What does it mean to be still?
2. Do you feel like your life is in constant motion?  Do you have time to be “still”?
3. Does technology exacerbate the sense of busy-ness or does it free up our time?
4. What is the relationship between stillness and solitude? 

HOMEWORK:
​None