Cynicism/Discipline Seminar + Writing Prep

DUE DATES- ON TIME​​​​​​

1. Annotations for "Habits of Highly Cynical People" and "Screw motivation, what you need is discipline" articles. DUE: Tuesday 10/3, End of Class. Turn these in with the in-class writing that day- you may need them to complete it.
2. Idea Fishing- Part 2. DUE: Wednesday 10/4, Start of 2nd period (9:25 am).  Google Classroom.

 
DUE DATES- LATE (-10%)​​

1. Signed Syllabus. LAST DAY TO TURN IN: Tuesday 9/3, Start of Class.  In Turn In Box.
2. Idea Fishing. LAST DAY TO TURN IN: Wednesday 10/4, Start of 2nd period (9:25 am).  Google Classroom.

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Seminar Grades (5-10 min)
Debrief Friday’s starter, decide on graded or ungraded for seminar.

Starter 4- Seminar Habits (10 min)

1. What do you, personally, need to do in order to be a strong participant in our seminar today? Set a goal for yourself.
2. Do you feel prepared for our discussion today? Why/why not?

Seminar Style: (5 min to set up)

1. 2 circles with extra chairs in the middle
2. We’ll switch once, 30 minutes in (could also switch every 10-15 minutes…give kids the choice)
3. Feel free to jump into chairs in the middle at any point- for 30 seconds or the whole seminar, it doesn’t matter
4. Note-taking is highly encouraged! This will be leading into a writing assignment next week- having some notes will likely be helpful in that endeavor.
5. Bring with you- Annotated articles, pen or pencil

Socratic Seminar Questions (50-60 min)
Opening Questions

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?

Core Questions

1. In paragraph 6, Solnit talks about now naïve cynicism “…flattens out the past and the future, and because it reduces the motivation to participate in public life, public discourse, and even intelligent conversation that distinguishes shades of gray, ambiguities and ambivalences, uncertainties, unknowns, and opportunities.”  What does she mean here?  How does the attitude of naïve cynicism do this?
2. Is there a difference between cynicism and skepticism?  What is it?
3. 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?
4. In paragraph 7, she says, “The openness of hope of dangerous.”  What does this mean?  Do you agree?
5. What point is she trying to make with the OWS example on page 3?  How convincing is this example?
6. What point is she trying to make with the climate change example on pages 3-5?  How convincing is this example?
7. In paragraph 20, Solnit says, “Accommodating change and uncertainty requires a looser sense of self…”  What does she mean by this? 
8. Do you have to KNOW things to avoid falling into naive cynicism? (see paragraph 23 about historical memory and long timelines)
9. To what extent is cynicism useful?  Harmful?  What is a healthy level of cynicism?
10. What motivates/causes this attitude of naïve cynicism?
11. Can cynicism be productive?
12. How does our media environment contribute to the development of naive cynicism?
13. What kind of thinking habits do we need to cultivate to move beyond naïve cynicism?
14. How do we see naïve cynicism playing out in this election (think about BOTH parties!)?
15. Are motivation and discipline distinct things, or do they overlap? To what extent?
16. This article makes the argument on page 3 that discipline requires delayed gratification. Is this harder now than it used to be? Why/why not?
17. Do you think motivation or discipline helps more? Which do you tend to rely on?

Personal Questions

1. 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.
2. To what extent are you a naïve cynic?  How much of what Solnit describes rings true to you about yourself?  Explain.
3. How do you see naive cynicism in Durango? AHS?
4. How does this article connect to your education?  To your goals this year in Humanities?  To our class values and behaviors?
5. If we acknowledge naïve cynicism, can we remove it from our classroom?  Do we want to?  How?

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Seminar Writing:
Choose any of seminar questions listed below, and write a 500-750 word response to the question.  This writing should include the following:

1. A clear thesis statement that answers the question.
2. At least two body paragraphs that quote or paraphrase the text(s) that are organized and clear.
3. A small conclusion- this doesn’t have to be large, but a short paragraph that wraps up your argument and synthesizes your ideas.

Choose ONE of the following to answer:

1. In this essay, Solnit offers a number of criticisms of naïve cynicism.  What is the most important/cutting critique she offers?  Why?
2. What kind of thinking habits do we need to cultivate to move beyond naïve cynicism?
3. To what extent are you a naïve cynic?  How much of what Solnit describes rings true to you about yourself?  Explain.
4. How do these articles connect to your education?  To your senior project/thesis? 
5. What impact do you think naive cynicism plays in our current political climate and dialogue?
6. What is a connection you can make between the idea’s in Solnit’s text and the ideas in “Screw motivation…”? What new insight can we gain from that connection?
7. If you have a different question you would like to address that is NOT on this list, run it by Lori/Jessica for approval!