Preface:  Independence!
One of the themes of this year for me, for you, is increasing independence.  As such, I’m putting you in the driver’s seat for much of this process.  In college, it’s unlikely that your professors will have interim deadlines for papers and projects.  You will have to plan your time, hold yourself accountable, and seek the help you need.  So let’s practice that with this project—there’s some symbolic resonance, no?
 
Starter 5

1. What does success look like for you in this project?  How will you measure if you’ve achieved it? 
2. What is a potential obstacle to success, and how do you intend to overcome it? 
3. Look through the tips of dos and don’ts.  Which of these will be most helpful to you?  Which of these might you have difficulty with?  Why?

 
Sample Essay Read-aloud.    
Choose one of the sample essays in your group to read out loud.  Non-readers should follow along with the paper in front of you.  As you read look for the following.  When the read aloud is done, discuss:

1. Personality- where does it come from (use of story, written word, other?)
2. Favorite sentences/essay moments
3. What are the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the essay? 
4. Would you want this person in your college?  Why/why not?

 
Where Are You?
The corners of the classroom have been labeled with numbers 1-4.  Go to the corner that best represents your current status in regards to college essays.  Use the following criterion:
 
Which phrase best describes your current situation in regards to college essay writing?

1. I haven't started yet, and don't have a clue what the outcome might look like. 
2. I have a prompt and have started writing, but I'm nowhere near done. 
3. I have finished at least one essay, but it would benefit from some more refinement
4. I have mostly finished my college essays, but still have a few more and/or supplementary writing I can work on and refine.

 
Support Groups
Pick a group of 3 students from your corner and form a support group.  You will be working in/with your support group for many of the remaining College Essay Boot Camp tasks.  After your group is formed, go to the link for Support Group Scheduling.  MAKE A COPY of this document, and work with your group to fill it out. You'll run through the following tasks:
 
As a group, you'll create a schedule using the handout and resources on the handout.   

Deadlines and Resources

1. Review deadlines (see class calendar if you were absent)
2. Review resources- tons of helpful stuff on the docs page of my DP!  Explore them, use them if you get stuck!
3. Need a meeting with Jess Adams?  She will be here on Thursday during 3rd and 5th periods.  Sign up on the board!

Start Writing!
Start work on brainstorming for your college essay draft!

HOMEWORK:

1. Seminar Response:  Finish it, and share it with Lori before the start of class on Thursday.
   

Starter 4
Look over the appropriate rubric linked below.  Generally speaking, what's something on this rubric that you feel strong in?  What is something on your rubric that you struggle with?  What strategy do you plan to use for this piece of writing to improve in that category or bullet point?

• Senior Humanities Writing Rubric
• Honors Writing Rubric

Writing Time!
Work on your seminar response (see yesterday's blog post for details on this assignment).  Remember, quote and use the text to support your argument!  This should take the form of an essay, yes, with a thesis statement and everything.  Do your best work here, so we can figure out where you need to focus to be ready for your senior thesis.

Proofreading Groups
Get into pairs, swap papers, and proofread!  You can either fix the errors, or comment on them for the other person to fix.  Try to do this at least twice.  

HOMEWORK
Finish Seminar Response, and share or email the finished writing to Lori.  DUE: Start of Class, Thursday.

Starter Debrief
Verbal debrief of Friday's starter- let's decide how we want to handle seminar grading!

Seminar:  The Habits of Highly Cynical People
Let's think!  And talk!

Seminar Response
Choose any of seminar questions listed below, and write a 500-750 word response to the question.  Make sure to quote and use evidence from the text.  Feel free to draw on our seminar discussion.  This should be organized in formal academic paragraphs, and proofread before you turn it in to me.  I will be grading this using the Writing Rubric linked at the top of the documents page- this assessment will be used for feedback purposes, and to help you set writing goals for this semester.  
 

1. What is Solnit’s definition of a naïve cynic?  What are the two types (see paragraphs 8 and 11), and what characterizes their thinking?
   
2. In this essay, Solnit offers a number of criticisms of naïve cynicism.  What is the most important/cutting critique she offers?  Why?
   
3. To what extent is cynicism useful?  Harmful?
   
4. What kind of thinking habits do we need to cultivate to move beyond naïve cynicism?
   
5. In paragraph 6, Solnit makes a number of points about complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity.  To what extent are you comfortable with complexity and uncertainty?  Give at least one concrete example.
   
6. To what extent are you a naïve cynic?  How much of what Solnit describes rings true to you about yourself?  Explain.
   
7. How does this article connect to your education?  To your goals this year in Humanities?  To our class values and behaviors?

 
HONORS:  You have 750-1000 words.  You must incorporate one of the additional sources linked below, and write a short essay on one of the following questions.  I will be grading this using the Honors Writing Rubric linked at the top of the Honors page- this assessment will be used for feedback purposes, and to help you set writing goals for this semester.  
 

1. To what extent are you a naïve cynic?  How much of what Solnit describes rings true to you about yourself?  Explain.
   
2. What impact do you think cynicism has in our current political climate and dialogue?
   
3. How do the ideas in the second text you read relate to Solnit’s ideas?  To what extent do the ideas of the two texts reinforce or build on one another?  To what extent are they contradictory?
   
4. How can we reduce the prevalence of naïve cynicism?

 
Additional Resources:

• Beyond Cynicism About Government
• For 'Millenials,' A Tide of Cynicism and a Partisan Gap
• We Must Fight Political Cynicism in the Media
• Cynicism, Irony, and Politics
• Reconsidering Political Cynicism and Political Involvment
• The Relationship of Entertaining Political News Use to Political Cynicism and Mistrust
• Substance Matters: How News Content Can Reduce Political Cynicism

HOMEWORK:
Work on your Seminar Response.  You will have all class on Tuesday to write and refine, and the final draft will be due on Thursday at the start of class (shared or emailed to Lori)

Announcments
Reminder that you have until FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 to add or drop honors!  Talk to me if you'd like to add, talk to Laurel if you'd like to drop.

Jess Adams here!
She is here to talk to you about colleges.  Do what she tells you!

Starter 3

1. What needs to happen for a class to have a successful seminar (from students, from teacher, preparation, etc.)?
2. Do you prefer to have seminars graded or ungraded (the post-seminar writing will be graded regardless).  Why?  If graded, how should they be graded?

​
Finish "The Habits of Highly Cynical People" Coaching
In groups of 4-5, do the following tasks to ensure your understanding.

1. Summarize the main point of this article.  What, in one sentence, is it saying?
2. Go paragraph by paragraph.  Pay special attention to paragraphs 3-7, 20, 23
   1. Summarize main idea
   2. Answer questions/clarify meaning
3. Have your group write two thought-provoking seminar questions on post it notes and give them to me.

 
Seminar Prewrite
Answer two of the questions below.  Must be typed, and answered thoroughly in well organized paragraphs.  Be ready to show me on Monday (you can share with me before class, or pull it up on the screen).

1. What is Solnit’s definition of a naïve cynic?  What are the two types (see paragraphs 8 and 11), and what characterizes their thinking?
2. To what extent are you a naïve cynic?  How much of what Solnit describes rings true to you about yourself?  Explain.
3. In paragraph 6, Solnit makes a number of points about complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity.  To what extent are you comfortable with complexity and uncertainty?  Give a concrete example.
4. In paragraph 7, Solnit offers a number of criticisms of naïve cynicism.  What is the most important/cutting critique she offers in this paragraph?  Why?
5. In paragraph 20, Solnit says, “Accommodating change and uncertainty requires a looser sense of self…”  What does she mean by this?
6. To what extent is cynicism useful?  Harmful?
7. What kind of thinking habits do we need to cultivate to move beyond naïve cynicism?
8. How does this article connect to your education?  To your goals this year in Humanities?

HOMEWORK
Finish seminar prewrite (see above for details), have it ready to go at the start of class Monday.

Announcements
You have until the morning of Friday, September 8 to add or drop honors in Humanities.  That gives you two weeks to decide!  If you're unsure, come talk to me.  If you'd like to add, email me!  If you want to drop, talk to Laurel.

Starter 2- Values

1. What are the three highest values you have?  Why do you value these so highly?
   
2. What do you do in your life that concretely shows these values?

 
Revisit Values, Add Behaviors (35 min)
Yesterday we talked about what we value as a class.  Today, we’ll make it a little more concrete. 
 
Values mean nothing until the rubber hits the road.  Unless you show it in action, can you really say that you truly value it?

1. Values listed on boards
   
2. Students in pairs
   
3. We value __________, so we____________
   
4. Brainstorm together for a few minutes.  Then hit at LEAST 3 of the values on the board and finish the sentences!

Come back together, gallery walk.  Put a star next to the sentences that really stand out to you.  Lori will compile the top choices!
 
The Habits of Highly Cynical People (rest of class)
Read and annotate this article—it will be the basis for a Socratic seminar that is connected to our critical thinking goals for the course this year.  Make sure to mark:

1. Places where you are confused
2. Important or beautiful sentences/ideas
3. Vocab (look it up!)
4. Questions you have
5. HINT…you’re probably going to want to look up a definition of cynicism!

As you finish reading, put your name on the board, and I'll put you in coaching groups.

Highly Cynical Coaching

1. Summarize the main point of this article.  What, in one sentence, is it saying?
   
2. Go paragraph by paragraph.  Pay special attention to paragraphs 3-7, 20, 23
   
   1. Summarize main idea
      
   2. Answer questions/clarify meaning
      
   3. Have your group write two thought-provoking seminar questions on an index card and give them to me.
      

HOMEWORK:
None.  We will finish coaching tomorrow if necessary.

Set Up Starters
Every student creates a Google Doc labeled with “Full Name Humanities Starters,” and shares it with me.  Make sure to give me permission to comment!

• Every starter should be clearly labeled with the Starter # and date
  
• Newest starter goes at the TOP of the page

 
Starter 1
Syllabus: Go to Lori’s DP, and find the Syllabus page.  Read closely!  Then explore the rest of Lori’s DP.  Bookmark it!

• What are you most excited about for Humanities this year?
  
• What are you apprehensive/nervous about?  What can I do to help alleviate those fears?
  
• What questions do you have?  List them!

Pair/share, try to answer each other’s questions.  Then come back as a whole class, I will answer any remaining questions.
 
Class Values:  The Bill of Rights
Given that we’re going to move into creating a class constitution, let’s start by looking at the Bill of  Rights of our own constitution to see what values were included there.

• Students in pairs or small groups
  
• Look at each amendment, make sure you all understand and can summarize verbally what it means
  
• What values does this amendment show?  If they wanted this in the constitution, what underlying values drove this inclusion?
  
• Based on these values, which amendment is most important?  If you had to cut one, which would you cut?
  
• Share out, annotate a class version

 
Our Class Values 
This will ultimately end in a class constitution of sorts.  What do we value?

1. Count off by 4.
2. Split into groups, go into different corners of the classroom
3. 5 min- brainstorm on sticky notes things that you value (one item per sticky)
4. 10 min- group, combine, winnow.  Get to 5 that your group agrees on.
5. Merge with another group.
6. 10 min- Share your qualities, group, combine, winnow.  Get to 5.
7. Merge two big groups.
8. 10 min- Both groups share their qualities.  Combine where appropriate/easy.
9. Get to a final class list if possible!
10. Debrief the process if time
    1. How did you make decisions?
    2. How did that decision making process change as you went from small groups to the whole class?
    3. How did it feel when one of the things you valued didn’t make the cut?
    4. Were you surprised at any of the values of your classmates?  Why?

 
The Habits of Highly Cynical People 
Read and annotate this article—it will be the basis for a Socratic seminar that is connected to our critical thinking goals for the course this year.  Make sure to mark:

1. Places where you are confused
2. Important or beautiful sentences/ideas
3. Vocab (look it up!)
4. Questions you have
5. HINT…you’re probably going to want to look up a definition of cynicism!

You’ll have time to finish reading and annotating in class tomorrow, so no need to do this for homework.

HOMEWORK:  NONE!  (Let's ease back into this year, eh?)