English 3: December 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014

December 19

Finished our Transcendentalist project

December 18-final transcendentalist project

We finished the movie today and then began work on our Transcendentalist final project:

Choose one of the following activities to complete on these two readings. More than one activity, of course, will count as extra credit.

1) Write your own essay on “Where I Lived and What I Lived For”

--either as you and your life are right now, or what would be ideal for you. This will be an essay on what your philosophy of life is.

At least 400 words, but no upper limit.

2) Discuss Chris Mccandless’ choice to leave his comfortable, upper-class lifestyle, hitchhike across the country and “into the wild.” I don’t want a summary of the movie, but a commentary on what he did and why.

400 words, but no upper limit.

3) Write a play with any of the characters we’ve learned about or ones who are influential to you. Have them discuss the meaning of life. Perform this for extra credit. 400 words but no upper limit.

4) Personal Credo: Create some sort of artistic collage that helps describe who you are and what your basic values and beliefs are. Be sure to explain each thing and why it is important to you. Make sure that these explanations aren’t simply “I like doing this,” but making it clear how this value or belief is a strong part of who you are.

I will be grading this on quality of artwork, so if you aren’t good at artistic projects, don’t pick this one. You may have to complete this at home.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

December 15-Into the Wild worksheet

Started another happiness project

Began watching Into the Wild: As we watch it, students fill out the following worksheet:

Name: _____________________________

Into The Wild is broken into four sections. For section, write down the following:

	My Own Birth	Adolescence	Manhood (adulthood)	Family
A person’s life he touched
A choice he made to make himself more independent from society
A struggle he had
Something you could see yourself doing
Something you definitely wouldn’t be able to do

Friday, December 12, 2014

December 12-happiness 2

We wrote about 100 words on our choice for our happiness/productivity goal for the week.

Here are some possible questions to answer:

Describe what you did and how/if it helped.
Describe any difficulties with your goal
Was there any part of it that made you happy? Explain how it made you happy.
If you weren't successful, why not? What stopped you?
Will you continue doing this? Why or why not?
If you are thinking of doing this more, will you make any changes?
Did you share your goal with anyone? How did they respond?
What do you think of this plan to consciously decide to make our lives happier.

I then read Walden's "On Where I Lived and What I Lived For" to the class.
Then students filled out the following worksheet:

Choose one of the last five paragraphs (Numbers 6-10)

Write the paragraph number here: _________

1. In your own words, explain the paragraph in one sentence.

__________________________________________________________

2. Now boil it down to one word.

__________________________________________________________

Write down an example of this idea in the real world.

__________________________________________________________

3. On the other side of this paper, do some sort of artistic rendition of the message in the paragraph. I’m expecting this to be well thought-out and carefully done.

4. Now explain your drawing and how it connects to the paragraph.

__________________________________________________________

December 11-Walden comic

Did a comic strip picture for each of the following sentences:

I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.	To drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.
We live meanly, like ants.	I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.
Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches today to save nine tomorrow.	Never dreaming the while that he lives in the dark unfathomed mammoth cave of this world, and has but the rudiment of an eye himself.
Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito’s wing that falls on the rails	Let us settle ourselves, and work and wedge our feet downward through the mud and slush of opinion, and prejudice…till we come to a hard bottom and rocks in place, which we can call reality, and say, THIS IS, and no mistake;

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

December 10- Walden Collage

First we watched the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKYJVV7HuZw

Then we worked on our Walden collage:

Making Walden’s pond.

Your assignment is to recreate Thoreau’s cabin and the land surrounding it.

· For this project, you may include sketches, magazine clippings, or any other artistic additions. At least 10.

· In addition, you must number each description that you get directly from “Where I Lived and What I Lived For.” Turn in a sheet that has the numbers and the corresponding quote with the paragraph number.

Can you do more for extra credit? Yes! Please do more!

Monday, December 8, 2014

December 8

Picked a new idea to work on for happiness and productivity.

Also watched two commercials in class- here's the link:

www.businessinsider.sg/ford-destroys-cadillacs-rich-guy-ad-2014-3#.Uzhg2-i9KSP

Then answered the following questions for both videos:

What are they selling? Literally.

What are they selling figuratively?

How do they show this?

What are your thoughts on the commercial?

Which lifestyle is more appealing? Why?

Friday, December 5, 2014

December 5- Emerson Paragraph and reflection on Happiness goal

We went over the Emerson paragraph again and then answered the four questions at the end of the reading.

Also, we reflected on our happiness/productivity goal. Students answered the following:

Describe what you did and how/if it helped.
Describe any difficulties with your goal
Was there any part of it that made you happy? Explain how it made you happy.
If you weren't successful, why not? What stopped you?
Will you continue doing this? Why or why not?
If you are thinking of doing this more, will you make any changes?
Did you share your goal with anyone? How did they respond?
What do you think of this plan to consciously decide to make our lives happier.

December 4

Today we read the Emerson essay, "On Self-Reliance."

Students got into groups to focus on one paragraph and answer the following questions:

Read the paragraph to yourself. Then have someone in the group read it out loud.
Your group should pick two words or phrases that you don’t understand.
Write these down, then write down what you think they mean. Then ask Schachter to check off if you’re right or not.
As a group, write one sentence that could be used to explain the entire paragraph. You may not quote from Emerson, you need to use your own words.
Write up a skit that shows the message of the paragraph and helps explain it.

1. _____________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What you think it means: __________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

What you think it means: __________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

One sentence that describes the entire paragraph.

________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

December 3- Duel video-and homework

We watched a video in class called Duel- this isn't online so you'll have to come in during lunch to watch it.

We answered the following questions as well:

What does the assembly line represent?

What object symbolizes force-fed knowledge?

What does the assembly line produce?

When does the boy start to think for himself?

What happens when the boy begins to think for himself?

How are you being forced along an assembly line? What do you do to keep your own individuality?

100 words.

Homework for the next two weeks:

Transcendentalism homework:

Find one example of each of the following concepts of transcendentalism:

1. Nonconformity 2. Self-reliance 3. Free Thought

4. Confidence 5. Importance of Nature

This can come from a poem, a song, a picture or work of art, an essay, a book, a movie.

For each example, do the following

· Bring in or email me the example (copy of the poem, picture, description of the movie, book, essay)

· Write a 100 word explanation as to how this exemplifies one concept of transcendentalism

v You may do more than five for extra credit.

v You may present to class for extra credit.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

December 2-Anticipation Guide and Fable

Anticipation Guide:

For each question, circle which position most describes your opinion. Also, write a sentence or two explaining yourself.

A simple person who lives in the county has a greater wisdom and insight into the

mysteries of life than a sophisticated person from the city.