Senior Project Orientation- Day 3

3rd/5th- Finish Yes/And Protocol,  Idea Fishing
Finish Yes/And Protocol if necessary.

Intro idea fishing, get them started on this. Tell them they will have more time to finish this on Friday. It will be due next Wednesday at 9:25 AM (the start of 2nd period).

3rd/5th- Zen and Motorcycle- Read, Discuss, Write
Discussion Groups (45 minutes)

1. Read and annotate- make sure to mark favorite lines
2. Divide senior class into mixed groups
3. Spirit Read (each student shares their line)
   1. Discuss patterns, bring into Socratic seminar
4. 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?  How did this discussion spark your imagination, ideas, or intentions? Write the whole time!  Now, underline the most interesting line of your reflection, and share it with a partner.