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Values and Ideologies: MIT Ch. 2 and Bundyville

9/28/2018

 

Starter: What was your biggest takeaway or Ah-Ha moment from Island and Whales?
(have your homework out for me to check during the starter, we’ll have time afterwards to go over confusions and fill in any gaps)

Debrief ch. 2 homework
  • 3 discussion groups
  • Go over vocab terms
  • Share out your notes, address confusions/gaps
  • Make a t-chart as a group and on one side, write down all the values you think those who support sustainability hold and on the other side, all the values you think those who oppose sustainability hold.
  • Send a representative to add to the T-chart on the whiteboard
  • Elect a representative to share out ONE quote/assumption/value/ideology-- perhaps the most dialed one in your opinion?
  • Discussion Questions (talk about these in your small group)
    • On page 58 the author writes, “this chapter discusses two of these controversies with the understanding that they are merely immediate manifestations of inter-related challenges.”  What are the 2 controversies?
    • What is at the root of the political controversies around sustainability? (page 58)
    • What were the TWO major IPCC findings? (63)
    • On page 75, the author provides an example about two different views of a sustainability policy-- what is the policy, what are the two opposing views and values?
    • Can you think of another example of a policy that might spark similar opposing responses?​

Islands and the Whales Discussion
In two groups, discuss at least 5 (if you have time, talk about more!) of the questions listed above.  Treat this like a mini seminar!  Explore the ideas in depth, give examples, make connections!


Bundyville episode #1
Context on Bundy family Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge from Wikipedia:
On January 2, 2016, armed militants seized and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, United States and continued to occupy it until law enforcement made a final arrest on February 11, 2016. Their leader was Ammon Bundy, who participated in the 2014 Bundy standoff at his father's Nevada ranch. Other members of the group were loosely affiliated with non-governmental militias and the sovereign citizen movement.
The organizers were seeking an opportunity to advance their view that the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and other agencies are constitutionally required to turn over most of the federal public land they manage to the individual states. In 2015, the militants believed they could do this by protesting the treatment of two area ranchers convicted of federal land arson, even though the men in question, father and son Dwight and Steven Dwight Hammond, did not want their help. The occupation began when Bundy led an armed party to the refuge headquarters following a peaceful public rally in the nearby city of Burns.

Listen to Bundyville episode 1 to at least the trial start or through the first few minutes of the trial to minute 35. As students listen:
  • On the backside of ch. 2 homework notes, make T-chart and capture as much as you can about the underlying values reflected in the commentary of characters throughout this episode.

Podcast Discussion
  • Do you think the Bundy’s are heroes or villains or something in between?? What about the Federal government?  What does your answer say about your own assumptions, values and ideologies?
  • ​Any parallels in the values/ideologies we heard in Islands and Whales?  

HOMEWORK:  ​None!  Enjoy your weekend.  :)

Islands and the Whales

9/27/2018

 
Read Aloud: PBS DISCUSSION GUIDE
  • Before viewing the film, we will read pages 4, 6-9, 11-13 of the above linked PBS guide.
  • Jot down a question you’re hoping the film will answer, or perhaps a question for one of the Faroese people or the film director.

As you watch, complete the note-taking guide
List of Characters to choose from:
  • Bárður Isaksen – young father whose children have elevated mercury levels but who resists calls to end whaling or to stop eating whale meat or blubber
  • Pál Weihe – a doctor and the head of the Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health of the Faroe Islands
  • Sea Shepherds--  Marine Wildlife COnservation activists
  • The Ornithologist (Puffin-bird guy)-- Local Faroese gentleman who studies birds and insects and has a unique perspective on the Faroese hunting habits

Note-Taking Guide
As you watch, follow along with 2 different characters or groups from the film. Try to identify at least three different arguments or political stances you hear related to environmental concerns, whale hunting, public health, or cultural traditions. Afterwards, you’ll complete the rest of the handout with what you think that person’s underlying assumptions and values are based on his/her/their comments.
  • Example
    • About 20 minutes in, a random narrator says: “Our ancestors were convinced that the Huldufolk existed. They respected nature. They took care of it, and treated it carefully. When they went to catch birds, they would not take more than the population could bear. We don’t have that same connection to nature as our forefathers. We don’t show caution. We have drifted away from nature. So there’s a risk modern man goes too far.”
    • Assumptions??
      • Connection to nature is good for humans
      • Disconnection causes humans to overconsume
      • Overconsumption is bad-- leads to harm for environment/birds/humans
    • Values??
      • Respect for nature
      • Caution
      • Sustainability
      • Respect for authority
      • Cultural tradition

After the film
5 minutes: Complete the rest of your note-taking guide.
10 minutes: Form a group of 4 and share out your notes with each other, helping each other identify assumptions and underlying values that you each may have missed in your own notes. I’ll come around and check y’all’s understanding.

HOMEWORK: Finish MIT Chapter 2 Notes.  Due: Start of Class, Friday

MIT Sustainability- Chapter 2

9/26/2018

 
Announcements
Be ready for Bears Ears food and gear planning in advisory this week--it is SUPER important that you attend advisory this week and next week!

Review- Advisory Food Planning Process
Show them the document and resources, make sure they understand how the process will work.
  1. Personal Gear List- This is all the stuff you need for JUST yourself
  2. Meal and Group Gear Planning- This is the guiding document for your advisory.  You should have one person make a copy of it, and share it with the rest of your advisory

Starter-- A success story in grassroots sustainable development in Kenya
Watch this short video about educating girls in Lwala, Kenya and answer these questions:
  1. What are the various barriers to education in this community?
  2. Pop Quiz: What are the four objectives of Sustainable Development as outlined in yesterday's reading?  Try to answer this WITHOUT looking at your notes or the text!  Then check it.
  3. Which of the four objectives do you see being achieved in the video about Lwala? (If you can answer this, discuss how the Lwala Community Alliance is using a HOLISTIC approach to sustainable development).
  4. Are there any problems in Durango that you think a holistic approach like this could solve? Explain.

Ch 1 and MIT Table Analysis Note Review
  1. Review comprehension questions
  2. Share some of the table connections and the answer to the systems thinking piece

Assign Chapter 2 of MIT Book (Due Friday, beginning of class)
Read, take notes using this guide.  Make a copy of it before you take notes in it!

HOMEWORK- Finish MIT Chapter 2 and notes.  DUE: Friday at the start of class.

Sustainable Development Frameworks

9/25/2018

 
Starter: “Can Rewilding Restore Vanishing Ecosystems”? (Podcast about reintroducing Wolves in Yellowstone)
  1. Why did they decide to introduce wolves to Yellowstone?  What were the effects of that decision?
  2. What larger lesson can this teach us?

​Assign Reading for Wednesday
  1. Read Chapter 1 of Age of Sustainable Development
  2. As you read, you should be taking notes.  In your notes, you should think about the following:
    1. Divide into sections (anytime there is a heading or title, you should have a new section of notes)
    2. Summarize main points
    3. Define terms
  3. After you are done reading and taking notes, answer the comprehension questions.  If you have taken good notes, you should be able to answer all these questions using ONLY your notes.  Try it, and see how you do!
  4. Comprehension Questions:
    1. What are the main problems with the current global economy?
    2. What do Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for?
    3. What are the 4 objectives of Sustainable Development?
    4. How has the concept of Sustainable Development changed?  Give at least two examples.
    5. Why is it important to see the complex system?  How does this guide approaches to sustainable development?
    6. What are the three key things to think about with regards to technological advances?
    7. What are the 5 concerns about the distribution of well-being?
    8. What are the economic definitions of efficiency and equity, and how are they related?  
    9. What is a synergy?
  5. MIT TABLE Analysis
  6. For this table, you are going to do an in-depth analysis, guided by the note-sheet I give you.  The goal is to have a deep understanding of the content, and to practice applying it.
  7. Both of these are due at the start of class, WEDNESDAY.​

Work Time (outside!):
  1. Reading and note-taking for Ch. 1 of Sustainable Development
  2. MIT Table Analysis
  3. Finished?  Come see Lori or Ashley for the next reading!

HOMEWORK:
  1. Finish reading notes and comprehension questions for Chapter 1 of Sustainable Development.
  2. Finish MIT Table Analysis
  3. Both are DUE at the start of class on Wednesday.

Human Element- Notes and Reading Assignment

9/24/2018

 
Announcements
Be ready for Bears Ears food and gear planning in advisory this week--it is SUPER important that you attend advisory this week and next week!

Framing:  In the next week, we’re going to do some work fleshing out our understanding of sustainable development.  We will revisit some frameworks (3 spheres!), talk about the importance of values, and do some reading to get a firm background in the academic approaches to these problems.  Then, next week, we will apply what we are doing this week to the case study of Bears Ears.

Starter:  Review your notes from Friday!
  1. Choose Level 1 or 2 depending on your level of comprehension at this point
    1. Level 1: Write down a definition of sustainable development in your own words
    2. Level 2: Explain how the three spheres of Sustainable Development are interrelated by using an example from the United Nations video on Papua New Guinea.
  2. What is something you want to learn more about (or are wondering about) related to sustainability?
  3. What is one goal you have for yourself for this project?

Intro to Human Element
Renowned photographer James Balog (CHASING ICE) uses his camera to reveal how environmental change is affecting the lives of everyday Americans. Following the four classical elements— air, earth, fire and water— to frame his journey, Balog explores wildfires, hurricanes, sea level rise, coal mining, and the changes in the air we breathe. With compassion and heart, THE HUMAN ELEMENT tells an urgent story while giving inspiration for a more balanced relationship between humanity and nature.

FILM: Human Element
  1. Before beginning the movie, start by asking each student to choose TWO elements.
  2. Review note-taking sheet
  3. Watch movie, students take notes

Human Element Debrief
  1. Get in groups with people who took notes on the same elements, compare notes, fill in gaps
  2. Class discussion:
    1. Use the discussion questions as a guide for the debrief

Reading for Wednesday: Chapter 1 of Age of Sustainable Development
  1. TAKE NOTES:
    1. Divide into sections (anytime there is a heading or title, you should have a new section of notes)
    2. Summarize main points
    3. Define terms
  2. After you are done reading and taking notes, answer the comprehension questions.  If you have taken good notes, you should be able to answer all these questions using ONLY your notes.  Try it, and see how you do!
  3. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
    1. What are the main problems with the current global economy?
    2. What do Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for?
    3. What are the 4 objectives of Sustainable Development?
    4. How has the concept of Sustainable Development changed?  Give at least two examples.
    5. Why is it important to see the complex system?  How does this guide approaches to sustainable development?
    6. What are the three key things to think about with regards to technological advances?
    7. What are the 5 concerns about the distribution of well-being?
    8. What are the economic definitions of efficiency and equity, and how are they related?  
    9. What is a synergy?
  4. MIT TABLE Analysis
    1. For this table, you are going to do an in-depth analysis, guided by the note-sheet I give you.  The goal is to have a deep understanding of the content, and to practice applying it.
  5. Both of these are due at the start of class, WEDNESDAY.

Exit Ticket
What is your biggest takeaway about sustainable development based on this film?  What is one question you have?

Senior Project Brainstorm + Sustainable Development Frameworks

9/21/2018

 
Learning Goals:
  • To develop an understanding of the emerging concept of sustainable development.
  • To understand the interrelatedness between the Economic, Environmental and Social spheres of Sustainability, esp. As applied to the case study of Papua New Guinea

Announcements
  • Writing Goals- Where are they?!?  Share them with me ASAP!  They are now LATE.
  • You have this weekend to get caught up on work before I assign a substantial reading assignment for next week. Let’s all start with a clean slate and ready to dive into Sustainable Development next week!

First Half of Class
Senior Project Brainstorming: Phase 1

Ashley’s Class: 15 minutes brain break
  • Make a list of what you’re missing in Humanities or what you need to finish up this weekend
  • Create a schedule for how you’ll manage your time this weekend
  • Meditate
  • Go for a walk (please check-in with Ashley before hand)
  • Draw
  • Read (see class bookshelf)
  • Nap

Second Half of Class
  • In the next week, we’re going to do some work fleshing out our understanding of sustainable development.  We will revisit some frameworks (3 spheres!), talk about the importance of values, and do some reading to get a firm background in the academic approaches to these problems.  Then, next week, we will apply what we are doing this week to the case study of Bears Ears.
  • Intro to Sustainable Development Frameworks
  • Top 10 Myths About Sustainable Development

HOMEWORK: Get caught up on any work you are missing!

Senior Project Orientation- What Makes a Good Project?

9/20/2018

 
4th Period
11:10-11:40
  1. Get in groups of 4-5
  2. Come up with a list of criteria that a senior project needs to meet to be a “good project.”  Think about our discussions, your brainstorm, the Zen article, and projects you’ve seen in the past.  Aim for 4-8 criteria

11:40-12:00
  1. Give a list of 4-5 case studies
  2. Your group should choose two to focus on
  3. Read it and answer:
    1. By your criteria, was this a good project?  Why/why not?
    2. Did your criteria line up with your initial gut impulse?  Where did they? Where didn’t they?
    3. What could this person have done to make this project more quality?

5th Period
12:45-1:00 Debrief
  1. Talk about what criteria they came up- trends, what were helpful, what were not, what matters to you
  2. What judgements did they make? Differences, similarities
  3. How does this frame how you think about your senior project?  What are you going to have to think about to make yours quality

1:00-1:35 Initial Project Brainstorm
World Cafe- have posterboard set up with different types of projects on them
  1. Buildy projects
  2. Service projects
  3. Events
  4. Academic research
  5. Art projects
  6. Out of the box!
Senior rotate through the stations and brainstorm

​

Senior Project Orientation- Thesis and Writing Goals

9/19/2018

 
Starter:
Based on what you read last night, how prepared do you think you are as a writer to tackle your senior thesis?  What areas are you confident in?  Where will you need to grow as a writer this semester to find success in the spring with your thesis?

Senior Thesis Examples
Get into a group of 3-4 students.  Have the thesis you read yesterday pulled up in front of you.  Discuss the following:
  1. What stood out to you about the thesis you read?  
  2. How well prepared do you feel for this task right now?  What do we need to focus on this semester to make you feel more prepared?
  3. What did you learn from this example that you would like to apply to your own writing?
  4. What questions do you have about the senior thesis now that you have read an example?  Write these down to ask Lori!

Debrief discussions, Lori answers questions when possible.

Writing Goals
Look at the Three Levels of Writing and my Writing Rubric as a resource (honors folks, see the Honors Rubric).

Develop three specific writing goals for yourself as a writer based on these documents and my feedback.  We're going to be using these goals for the rest of the semester to gauge your growth as a writer, and will use your end of semester writing reflection as a springboard for your senior project paper.  As you feel like you achieve your goals, we'll develop new ones!  Please try to keep the grammar/punctuation goals to only one of your goals.  It’s fine to have one goal of this type, but the others should be broader in scope. This reflection will be worth 30 points, and will go into the "Am I developing as a learner?" category. 

Write 3 Goal Paragraphs:  For each of those three goals, write a paragraph.  That paragraph should include:
  1. What your goal is
  2. An example from your sustainable classroom essay or your college essay that shows the need for that goal
  3. Some ideas about how you can work towards improving this skill for your next piece of writing (if you’re stuck on this piece, try Google or talking to me!)
    1. Example:  Goal 1- Understanding the Text.  I will make sure that I thoroughly understand the text I am using in my writing before I use it as evidence.  In my "Habits of Highly Cynical People" writing, I used a quote that said "..........."  In my essay, I said that this quote meant "....quote from essay....." However, I misunderstood this quote because I didn't put it in the larger context of the argument Solnit was making.  In fact, the quote means (tell real meaning of quote here).  To improve this in future writings, I think I need to summarize the meaning of every paragraph of the reading in my annotations, and I need to ask questions more actively during seminar coaching.  If I'm reading it independently, I need to make sure I completely understand one paragraph before moving on to the next paragraph, rather than just continuing to read on.
    2. Example: Goal 2- Logical Flow.  I will  make sure that all my paragraphs logically flow from one idea to the next.  In my seminar reflection, my first paragraph was about how both the presidential campaigns oversimplify what the other one is saying, and my second paragraph was about how naive cynicism is bad.  I didn't connect these two ideas at all, so it was confusing for the reader to make that jump.  In future writing, I could do a number of things to improve this.  Early in my writing process, I could make sure that I have an outline, so that I've clearly thought through the logical flow of my paper.  I can also use transition sentences to show the reader the links between ideas.  Finally, I can references terms and ideas from the previous paragraph in the one after it to show the reader how the ideas from the preceding paragraph connect to the ideas in the next paragraph.
    3. Example: Goal 3- Semicolon Usage.  I will make sure that I'm using semicolons correctly in my writing.  In my college essay, I had written this sentence:  "....example of sentence from college essay that uses semi-colons incorrectly..."  In her feedback, Lori pointed out that I was using the semi-colon incorrectly here.  I looked up the rules on semi-colon usage, and found that I should only be using them to join two complete sentences- right now, the piece after the semi-colon is not a complete sentence.  In future writing, to make sure that I am doing this correctly, I can go through and circle every semi-colon I use, and then read the sentences before and after it out loud to make sure they can stand on their own as complete sentences.

HOMEWORK:
  1. Writing Goals:  Finish writing goals (if you didn't finish in class) and email or share them with Lori before the start of class on Thursday.

Senior Project Orientation- Day 1

9/18/2018

 
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
  1. Bears Ears Forms and Money...get it in!
  2. Modified Schedule for This Week- 
    1. Tuesday- Meet 4th and 5th periods in the Commons
    2. Wednesday- Normal Wednesday schedule
    3. Thursday- Meet 4th and 5th periods in the Commons
    4. Friday- Normal schedule

​FOURTH PERIOD
Week Overview (5 min)
  1. Tuesday- Overview and project skills (Combined pods, 4th and 5th periods)
  2. Wednesday- Senior thesis and writing goals (regular Humanities class pods)
  3. Thursday- Project exploration (Combined pods, 4th and 5th periods)
  4. Friday- Project Brainstorming and Sustainable Development Project Launch (regular Humanities class pods)

Senior Project Overview (15 min)
  1. Ashley and Kyle give overview of the process
  2. Student Q&A to Ashley and Kyle (and Kurt if available)

Skills Inventory/Brainstorm (20-30 min)
  1. Going to think about you as a student and how that relates to senior project in a variety of different ways.  Goal is to get you thinking deeply about you and how you relate to this project in an expansive way
  2. Focus on PROJECT, not thesis.  We’ll be talking about the thesis more specifically in Humanities on Wednesday
  3. Complete TWO graphic organizer/brainstorms.  One is focused on your general traits, and one is focused on concrete skills (send outside, other rooms)
    1. Brainstorm 1: Emotional self, goals/dream, interests, behavior/work habits
    2. Brainstorm 2: Academic Skills, social/emotional skills, non-academic skills, skills to develop

Paseo (20 min)
  1. Split into two groups
  2. Paseo Questions:
    1. What dream do you have that seems unattainable?
    2. What strategies do you have for dealing with anxiety?  Are they effective or not?
    3. What about your senior year is making you anxious?
    4. What’s one behavior or work habit you have that you would like to get rid of?
    5. What’s one behavior or work habit that you have that everyone should cultivate?
    6. What do you want out of your senior year?
    7. What is a skill you would like to have?  Why?
    8. What is your most valued skill?
    9. What kind of problems need to be solved in the world/our community?
    10. What do you consider important work?
    11. In 10 years, what’s something you see yourself doing that would make you happy

FIFTH PERIOD
Discussion Groups (45 minutes)
  1. Spirit Read (each student shares their line)
  2. Seminar Questions:
    1. “The idea that the majority of students attend a university for an education independent of the degree and grades is a little hypocrisy everyone is happier not to expose.”  What does this mean? Do you agree? Why/why not?
    2. How much are you subject to the “mule mentality” (paragraph 8)?  What impact does this have on you? Where does this come from?
    3. “The purpose of abolishing grades and degrees is not to punish mules or to get rid of them but to provide an environment in which that mule can turn into a free man.”  To what extent are you a mule? To what extent are you a free man?
    4. The transformation described in this piece is predicated on the idea that everyone has an innate “creative intelligence” that has been stifled.  Do you agree with this premise? Why/why not?
    5. “He’d be a knowledge-motivated person. He would need no external pushing to learn. His push would come from inside.”  When have you felt this? What contexts/subjects are conducive to this experience?
    6. How motivated are you by grades?  How motivated are you by knowledge?  What implications does this have for your senior project?
    7. Make sure to note that senior project itself is ungraded...how then, can we connect senior project to ideas in this text.  Inspiring? Terrifying? Both?
    8. Last line:  “It would be the real thing.”  What do you need to do to make sure your Senior Project is the “real thing?”
    9. The world outside of school is one that exists without grades.  You succeed or fail based on your track record and reputation as well as a list of your accomplishments, not your GPA.  How can the final senior project provide you with an artifact or story that will propel you forward outside of school?
    10. How can your senior year help you make connections in the community, locally and abroad?  How can those connections help you after your high school career is over?

Final Reflection (15 min)
Take 10 minutes to write.  What are you thinking about senior project right now?  What hopes do you have? Ideas? Questions? Emotions? Write the whole time!  Now, underline the most interesting line of your reflection, and share it with a partner.

HOMEWORK:
Read one of the example Senior Theses linked on Lori’s blog and found below.  Please have it read before the start of class tomorrow!
  1. Tucker Leavitt- Water Arc Explosions (Physics)
  2. Bekah Kuster- Energy Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gases  (Energy)
  3. Lyle Bryson- Trends and Youth Culture  (Marketing/Psychology)
  4. Philip Wiley- What makes good science fiction?  (Literary Analysis)
  5. Allee McKown- Theories of Global Inequality (International Studies)​
  6. Oli Sakadinsky- Special Interest Groups in US Politics (Political Science)
  7. Izzy Bonecutter- Mindfulness and the Brain (Neuroscience)
  8. Isabel Krull- Culture of Ballet (Sociology)
  9. Claire Larson- Brain Trauma and EMDR Therapy (Neuroscience)
  10. Anne Chase- Social Media and Perceptions of Nature (Media Studies)
  11. Grace Frideger- Ecofeminism and the environmental movement. (Philosophy and Environmental Studies)
  12. Corry Arcomano- Dry needling vs. Acupuncture (Medicine)

These are all the finalists from last year- the best thesis award went to Claire Leffler, but it was a close call!
  1. Lily Bisantz- To what extent does the sexualization of young girls and women in Western culture perpetuate sexual violence?  (Sociology)
  2. Dylan King- What in the past 50 years has led to the economic recession of Puerto Rico and how has hurricane Maria impacted the island?​​  (History and Economics)
  3. Quinn Luthy- How do confessional poets use form to create meaning?  (Literary Analysis)
  4. Ben Malone- What are the potential future roles of blockchain-based cryptocurrencies in the economy?  (Economics)
  5. Izzy Simpson- How can the fundamental structure of the stock market be utilized to predict market price fluctuations?  (Economics)
  6. Claire Leffler- How can recurring patterns and forms found in nature be explained mathematically and why are humans visually drawn to recreating these patterns?  (Art and Mathematics) ​​​​

College Essay Boot Camp- Day 7 (Monday)

9/17/2018

 
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
  1. Bears Ears Forms
  2. Class Leadership for Bears Ears Trip- Sign up here!
  3. Modified Schedule for This Week- 
    1. Tuesday- Meet 4th and 5th periods in the Commons
    2. Wednesday- Normal Wednesday schedule
    3. Thursday- Meet 4th and 5th periods in the Commons
    4. Friday- Meet 4th and 5th periods in the Commons

College Essay Work Time
If you need more time to complete your final revisions, now is the time!  You can revise, refine, proofread, conference with me, or do whatever else you need to do to finish up your essay.

WHEN YOU FINISH, do the following...before the end of class!

College Essay Boot Camp Feedback
Complete the Google Form feedback survey on College Essay Bootcamp:  SURVEY IS HERE!
 
Exhibit Your Work:  DONE TODAY
  1. Create your COLLEGE ESSAY DISPLAY BOARD!  See the document linked here, and the example on my board.
  2. When your display board is put together, stack them neatly on the table in the front of the room. 
 
DP Update​:  DUE WEDNESDAY, 9/19
  1. Write 1 paragraph about your revision in your College Essay.  Talk about one specific way that you grew as a writer between your first and final drafts of your College Essay.  In this paragraph, you should include:
    • How you grew (what skill improved?)
    • What it was like before (give a specific example- you could quote an early draft of your essay here!)
    • What feedback you got that pushed you to revise
    • Evidence of your growth in this area (again, you should quote the final draft of your essay here!)
    • Explanation of what you did to make this growth happen- what was your process?
  2. Create a tab for your college essay.  It can be within your Humanities class tab, or can be separate.  Include the information from your Display Board, the full text of your college essay, and the one paragraph reflection.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: DUE TUESDAY, 9/18
Read the text I give you, and annotate it.  Then, do a quick writing on two of the following questions (about a paragraph each).  You can choose one question, but everyone must address the bolded question.
​
  1. “The idea that the majority of students attend a university for an education independent of the degree and grades is a little hypocrisy everyone is happier not to expose.”  What does this mean? Do you agree? Why/why not?
  2. How much are you subject to the “mule mentality” (paragraph 8)?  What impact does this have on you? Where does this come from?
  3. “The purpose of abolishing grades and degrees is not to punish mules or to get rid of them but to provide an environment in which that mule can turn into a free man.”  To what extent are you a mule? To what extent are you a free man?
  4. The transformation described in this piece is predicated on the idea that everyone has an innate “creative intelligence” that has been stifled.  Do you agree with this premise? Why/why not?
  5. “He’d be a knowledge-motivated person. He would need no external pushing to learn. His push would come from inside.”  When have you felt this? What contexts/subjects are conducive to this experience?
  6. How motivated are you by grades?  How motivated are you by knowledge?  What implications does this have for your senior project?
  7. Make sure to note that senior project itself is ungraded...how then, can we connect senior project to ideas in this text.  Inspiring? Terrifying? Both?
  8. Last line:  “It would be the real thing.”  What do you need to do to make sure your Senior Project is the “real thing?”


HOMEWORK
  1. DP Update:  Update it completely with your College Essay (see above for requirements).  DUE: Wednesday 9/19, start of class.
  2. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:  Read and annotate, write a two paragraph response to the bolded question above + one other question.
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