Humanities1100



Spring Semester 2013A DaysHumanities1100SyllabusInstructor: Ms. Cindy DahleE-Mail: cindy.dahle@Weebly: DahleHumanities1100.Phone: 801-826-5718 (office) 801-455-9292 (cell)Office: Rm. 2306Office Hours: 7:00 – 7:45; 2:30-3:00, A DaysRead the following information about course objectives, policies, grading, resources, and expectations. When you have thoroughly read the information, sign the attached slip and return it to me. Please insist that your parents read the information. You and they should know and use the following websites:* SLCC Humanities website: * My weebly website: * Skyward website: * Alta High school website: * SLCC website: slcc.edu*SLCC concurrent enrollment website: * SLCC Learning Center Website: ’s imperative that you and your parents use these resources in order to allow you to succeed as a college student and to promote efficient, quality use of class time.What fall ’13 students said about studying:“At the beginning of the unit, reading our texts every night was a challenge for me. I couldn’t focus, and it was difficult for me to comprehend. Now I feel a lot more comfortable with the readings, which will be a great study skill to have throughout my life.” Claire Anderson“I would recommend this class to any deep, open thinkers. But warn of the workload. I’d tell them if they had other hard classes, or a job, to wait to take the class since it is countless hours of reading on top of all your other work. Rachel Kamradt“The Humanities complicate our vision, expand the reach of our understandingpull our most cherished notions out by the roots, (and, therefore, our compassion),flay our pieties, even as they force us to drawgrow uncertainty, and redraw the border of tolerance.” --Mark SloukaOverviewThe humanities consist of all those branches of learning that are concerned with human thought and relations, including literature, philosophy, religious studies, languages, art history, sociology, psychology, political science, musicology, etc. Humanities subjects investigate the human world, what it is to be human, and how human beings relate to their political, religious, social, intellectual, economic, and geographic environments. Using a thematic approach, this course will introduce you to some of the primary and universal conditions of human existence.The goal of the thematic approach is to demonstrate that the humanities are truly interdisciplinary and that because of this, it is possible to find a multitude of complementary answers proposed to humankind’s fundamental and perennial questions. This course looks at these questions from the perspectives of the different mediums used in the humanities: poems, novels, plays, dance, philosophy, painting, sculpture, and music.Learning OutcomesWith luck and effort, at the completion of this course you should have expanded your minds and imaginations, have become interested enough to pursue further study in the humanities disciplines, and have developed essential lifelong learning skills that will prepare you not only for further studies, but also for employment in our demanding new interdisciplinary and intercultural world. Specifically, you should be able to do the following:read, view, and listen to a variety of humanities “texts”—poems, plays, stories, speeches, paintings, sculpture, musical compositions, etc.—and demonstrate improved facility in comprehension, interpretation and argument, and demonstrate this through both oral and written communication.demonstrate the ability to think independently, analytically, critically, and creatively about the products of culture and the information they contain.demonstrate the ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in your own work and that of others.demonstrate the ability to evaluate the effects of geography, economics, politics, religion, philosophy, science, etc. on the values of a culture and the stylistic features of the arts. This includes the ability to analyze similarities and differences among values of diverse cultures, eras, and artistic products.demonstrate the ability to relate another’s culture to your own and demonstrate tolerance for the different answers to major questions about the human condition that exist as a result of the myriad of cultures, ideas, and artistic products in the world and the United States.Appreciate and incorporate creativity as an implement to produce changeAbove all, I expect you all to learn to ask questions of everything—to become thinkers and true citizens of your country and world. Warning: Both the content and expectations of this class are college level. We will be viewing paintings, sculpture and short film clips that are of cultural and thematic importance. These are chosen for their artistic quality and relevance to our studies and may contain content which have themes and sometimes language suitable only for mature adults. You may be exposed to nudity, sexual themes, violence, and swearing. All materials are chosen carefully and students are provided with ample background to appreciate and understand them in an academic setting. But we do not shy away from controversy, and I expect that you, as mature college students, will have the appropriate critical faculties necessary for engaging with the material in an objective manner. Requirements of the CoursePersonal Journey Notebook (20%): You will document your journey through the themes we explore. Your notebook will contain poetry, thoughts, quotes, responses, goals, revisions, “To Do” lists, and a final artistic documentation of your journey.Participation/Discussion/Attendance (30%): Weekly reading and intelligent discussion of the reading and other materials in class is your first priority. Every student must participate in the discussions to receive a participation grade. The success of the class depends upon your preparation and participation. In other words you need to be reading, viewing, or listening to the materials and coming to class prepared to discuss the issues and interpretations raised by the authors, painters, musicians, etc. Cultural Activities (10%): You will be required to attend three cultural activities and fill out a critique sheet which you will download from the course website [Cultural Activities]. Visit the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on the University of Utah campus or the BYU Museum of Art. You will need permission from me to substitute another museum/gallery. Get a signed coupon from me to receive free entrance to the U of U museum.Watch one international film from the approved list (see course website for approved list). You can obtain these films from the SLCC library, the Language Center (SLCC Redwood campus, TB418), the Salt Lake County Library, Netflix, or rent from Hollywood or Blockbuster Video. *Note: I will sponsor a foreign film screening of Babette’s Feast at the end of Unit 4 in my room after school. Your attendance at that screening (and completion of the required critique) will fulfill this requirement.One additional cultural activity of your choice. I highly encourage you to participate in the “Where the Hell is Matt” activity sponsored by SLCC on April ??? If you can’t participate in that, please choose an activity that you have NOT DONE before. (symphony, poetry reading, play, concert, opera, modern dance, ballet, lecture, etc.) Whatever activity you choose must be of a professional quality—no high school plays, concerts, art shows, for example. See the course website’s pull down window <Choose Resources> tab then <Cultural Activities> for links and information for a variety of cultural events occurring in the SLC area. Think Stretchers (20%): You will be expected to complete 15 think stretchers—specific kinds of note-taking with clear objectives, pre-writing, analysis, evaluation, discussion, and post-writing. I will provide the template for these assignments. Assignments and Quizzes (20%): There will be approximately 25 assignments/quizzes over the course of the semester. Grading Scale:93-100% = A 74-76% = C90-92% = A- 70-73% = C-87-89% = B+ 67-69% = D+84-86% = B 64-66% = D80–83% = B- 60-63% = D-77-79%= C+ Below 60% - FHow to Succeed in This CourseReview this syllabus, the calendar, the course website, and my weebly site carefully and frequently. Keep all documents well organized.TAKE NOTES. Focus on essential elements.STAY CURRENT WITH READINGS. This is a college course. A substantial amount of reading will be due for each period. For a 90-minute class, plan to spend three hours or more in preparation. This will be active reading, not passive. The readings are more difficult than you’re used to, and I expect you to have an active conversation with the text. Plan to read slowly, carefully, with a dictionary, and annotating and taking notes.Your success in this class and in college hinges on the following: come prepared, pay attention (no text messaging, sidebar conversations, etc.), be engaged, and participate. Be a mature, self-motivated, independent student. Accept responsibility to find materials, ask questions, locate resources, plan a study schedule, and attend class regularly. Be willing to work hard. Don’t give up when it gets difficult. Taking a college class on a high school campus offers an extra challenge. High school and family activities (announcements, lunches, assemblies, sports, dances, family vacations, dentist appointments, etc.) make it tempting for some students to miss class or turn in work late. Please know I WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK. With the exception of the cultural activities (which are worth 50 points each), most assignments/quizzes are worth 10-20 points, with a total of about 1400 points for the semester. If you miss an assignment, just move on to the next. Missing one or two won’t significantly impact your oveall grade. Note, though, that being unprepared will impact your participation grade (because you won’t be able to participate in discussions) and your ability to complete the personal journey notebook. It is absolutely essential that you stay current with readings and come to class prepared. Absences will impact your grade significantly because of the emphasis placed on class participation. Make every effort to attend every class. Arrange your schedule accordingly. Become a committed, curious learner. Committed learners are curious, independent, critical, and creative thinkers who value the ideas and ways of thinking to which they are exposed and who consciously and consistently try to use them. They don’t procrastinate—learning is a priority and is duly scheduled.Take advantage of the resources SLCC offers to students who are struggling with reading or writing. Reading and writing tutors are available at the Redwood Campus, TB217. Access information at slcc.edu/wc/ Taylorsville Redwood CampusTechnology Building (TB)Learning CenterShirley S. Turley801-957-4172email: Shirley.turley@slcc.eduReview Alta’s student handbook for information about other questions you may have. I will follow Alta’s policies. Academic DishonestyAcademic dishonesty is not tolerated at SLCC or at Alta High School. Academic dishonesty refers to actions such as, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, having someone else do your work, copying someone else’s work, etc. and includes all situations where students make use of the work of others and claim such work as their own even though some wording, method of citation, or arrangement of evidence, ideas, or arguments have been altered. Thus, it is expected that all assigned work for this course will be entirely original. In cases of academic dishonesty, the student involved will receive a grade of “0” on the assignment for a first offense. A second offense garners a grade of “F” for permanent record. Please familiarize yourself with the Student Code of Conduct available at This document lists your rights, your full responsibilities, the penalties to be imposed if you do not follow them (especially regarding cheating and plagiarism), and recourse you may have. Why Take This Course? This course is part of the General Education Program at Salt Lake Community College. While the subject of each course is important and useful, we become truly educated through making connections of varied information using the different methods of human experience that are practiced by different disciplines. Therefore, this course, when combined with community and world, as well as challenging previously-held assumptions about the world and its inhabitants, will allow you to explore a wide variety of topics with an eye toward discovering new interests and uncovering new talents. “Affection shall solve every one of the problems of freedom.”Walt Whitmann“I’m not opposed to optimism, but I am fearful of the kind that comes from self delusion.”--Marvin Davis (New England Journal of Medicine, on finding a cure for cancer)Curiosity is, among great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.”--Samuel Johnson (1st English Dictionary – 18th c)“Charles Sumner found himself feeling ‘cabined, cribbed, confined’ by his own ignorance of art, but on a second visit to the Louvre during which he concentrated his attention on works by Raphael and Leonardo, he felt the thrill of a great awakening. ‘They touched my mind, untutored as it is, like a rich strain of music.’”(McCullough, David. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011, p. 47)“After a nine month visit to the United States, and more than a year at work in an attic room in Paris, de Tocqueville had produced as clear-eyed and valuable a study of America as any yet published, in which he wrote about the nature of American politics, the evils of slavery, the American love of money, and of how, from the beginning, ‘the originality of American civilization was most clearly apparent in the provisions made for public education.”’ (McCullough, David. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011, p. 32)“Samuel Johnson’s friend Hester Piozzi noted in her diary, in 1790, that she was ashamed to scribble in the margins of her books, ‘but one longs to say something’” (93).“The glory of the novel [Anna Barbauld, a poet and compiler of fiction from the 18 century] argued, . . . spurred the imagination: ‘It is pleasant to the mind to sport in the boundless regions of possibility; to find relief from the sameness of every-day occurrences by expatiating amidst brighter skies and fairer fields.’ Many people lead lives that are pretty boring to them, and are not going to get better. Reading, for them, is a secret garden, a second life. Men got there first, but women arrived eventually” (93).Acocella, Joan. “Turning the Page: How Women Became Readers. ” The New Yorker, October 15, 2012: 88-93.“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”Audrey Lorde“We have come to the point in history when anyone who is only Japanese or American, only Oriental or Occidental, is only half human. The other half that beats with the pulse of all humanity has yet to be born.”Huston Smith, The World’s Religions, p. 7)"Historically we know that human cultures have regularly destroyed their environment, resulting in their own demise."(need source—text)"What is obvious to an animal is not the embellishment that fattens our emotional resumes but what's bedrock and current in us: aggression, fear, insecurity, happiness, or equanimity. Because they have the ability to read our involuntary tics and scents, we're transparent to them and thus exposed--we' re finally ourselves" (64).? Gretel Ehrlich, The Solace of Open Spaces, p. 64“When wonder matures, it peels back experience to seek deeper layers of marvel below. This is science’s highest purpose. And the firefly’s story is rich in hidden wonder. The beetle’s flash invites admiration for evolution’s ability to cobble together a masterpiece from unremarkable raw materials: the lantern at the tip of the firefly’s abdomen is made from standard-issue insect materials but assembled in such a way that the insect becomes a glowing forest sprite” (139).David George Haskell, The Forest Unseen“Only by examining the fabric that holds and sustains us can we see our place and, therefore, our responsibilities” (66).David George Haskell, The Forest Unseen“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are treated.”Mahatma Gandhi“We must contemplate the shared ground of our common biological being before emphasizing the differences.”Gary Snyder, “The Etiquette of Freedom.”NOTE: SLCC SOCIAL JUSTICE CONFERENCEDANCE BADLY WITH MATT HARDING ON THURS., 25 APRIL FROM 4:30 – 6:00 P.M.ATTEND LECTURE ON FRIDAY, 26 APRIL AT 1:00 P.M.YOU MAY USE THIS ACTIVITY FOR YOUR 2ND CULTURAL RESPONSE."There is nothing in nature that can't be taken as a sign of both mortality and invigoration. Cascading water equates loss followed by loss, a momentum of things falling in the direction of death, then life.? In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the river is a redundancy flowing through rain frost, a channel of solitude, a solid thing, a trap.? Hemingway's “Big Two Hearted River” is the opposite: it's an acceptive, restorative place. Water can stand for what is unconscious, instinctive, and sexual in us, for the creative swill in which we fish for ideas.? It carries, weightlessly, the imponderable things in our lives: death and creation. We can drown in it or else stay buoyant, quench our thirst, stay alive" (Gretel Ehrlich, The Solace of Open Spaces, p. 83)The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being." Carl JungCHECK OUT THESE SUSTAINABILITY WEBSITES: of Conservation Voter’s annual reportPrayerIts occasioncould bea spot of sun,bar sign, labelon jeans,carnation, redlight where youwait andgratitude hits.Or a namethe lengthof a subway carthat only makes sensewhen you say it aloudin your headas it passes. --Lia Purpura (The New Yorker, November 19, 2012, p. 57)One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire. Hinduism. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8““The deeper we sound, the further down into the lower world of the past we probe and press, the more do we find that the earliest foundations of humanity, its history and cultures, reveal themselves unfathomable.”Thomas Mann, Joseph and His Brethren.All compounded things decay. Work out your own salvation with diligence.”Buddha“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Martin Luther King, Jr.“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8 (Old Testament“Religion alive confronts the individual with the most momentous option life can present. It calls the soul to the highest adventure it can undertake, a proposed journey across the jungles, peaks, and deserts of the human spirit. The call is to confront reality, to master the self. Those who dare to hear and follow that secret call soon learn the dangers and difficulties of its lonely journey.”(Huston Smith, The World’s Religions, p. 9)“Tetzlaff [violinist Christian Tetzlaff] is not a religious man, but he describes his art in frankly spiritual terms. Performing music, he says, ‘is the job that has the most to do with the belief in the existence of a soul. I deal in Berg’s soul, in Brahms’s soul—that’s my job. And, you can challenge me, but I find that music is humans’ most advanced achievement, more so than painting and writing, because it’s more mysterious, more magical, and it acts in such a direct way’” (New Yorker, Aug. 27, 2012, p. 35).“Every [hu]man is tasked to make his life, even in its details, worthy of the contemplation of his most elevated and critical hour.”Henry David ThoreauRequired MaterialsTEXT: It Begins with Our Questions: A Thematic Introduction to the Humanities, Paul Allen, Ph.D. and Jennifer Bauman, Ph.D. ISBN 978-0-7380-5515-2This is a new text. You will not be able to buy a used copy since it was just released in the middle of August. You may purchase the text at the SLCC Redwood campus. It may also be available at other campuses, but call first to make sure their bookstore carries the text. Notebook: three ring binder, paper, pens, pencils.HUMANITIES COURSE WEBSITE: SITE: dahlehumanities1100.CalendarDAY 1: Tues., 22 Jan. What are the humanities? Why bother?I just thank my father and mother, my lucky stars, that I had the advantage of an education in the humanities.--David McCulloughReadings Due:Course Website: Skills & Universal Intellectual Standards; 2-How to Read in College; 3-Tune up your Academic Reading skills; 4-How is College Different from High School?There will be a QUIZ on the readings. Download the articles, read them, and annotate them (look up “annotate” if you don’t know what it means). You may use your annotated articles to take the quiz.You will need your text for Thursday’s assignment. You need to have your own text. Sharing won’t work. I require considerable annotation of text readings, and you are often able to use those notes on quizzes. It’s imperative that you learn to have a “conversation with the text.” That requires marking the pages. PLEASE MAKE ACQUIRING THE TEXT A PRIORITY. YOU MAY PURCHASE IT AT THE REDWOOD CAMPUS. YOU NEED THE NEW, 2012 EDITION. Make sure you are a student at SLCC and have your student number, which I will need to register you for the class. Bring number to class on Thurs. We’ll go over registration process during class today.DAY 2: Thurs., 24 Jan. Critical Thinking Skills: How Should We Read? How Should We Respond? Readings Due: “Introduction to the Humanities,” xix-xxvii“How to Read in This Course,” p. 3-6Annotate both texts. Bring texts to class.Other Assignments:1-Personal journey notebook with appropriate quote.2-List of personal goals: critical skills you want to develop or focus on, and how you will assess that you have mastered the skills. Determine the list based on your own current study skill habits, your personal interests, the course objectives, and my stated objectives. Say HOW you will achieve your goals and HOW you will assess whether you have been successful. Be specific. 3-Go to my weebly site and familiarize yourself with it. Look at the links to upcoming cultural events. Note other pages besides “Home” page.DAY 3: Mon., 28 Jan.Perspectives, Assumptions, Point of Views: How Should We Approach the Humanities? Readings Due: “Shakespeare in the Bush,” 26-32Other Assignments:1-Complete think stretcher for “Shakespeare.” Objective: Look again at the reading, “Appendix: How to Read in College.” On the first page, 2nd column, the author provides five bulleted questions to ask about a reading. As you read “Shakespeare in the Bush,” focus on and answer the information listed in the five bullet points(thesis, proofs, analysis, conclusions).Revised course objectives are due.DAY 4: Wed., 30 Jan. Perspectives, Assumptions, PoV, cont.: Where Are We? How Should We Proceed? Readings Due:“Reading and Interpretation Exercise,” p. 33-36From my weebly site: ,Art Genre Interpretations> tab: Icarus poetry and illustrations—notice the context, purpose, focus, etc. Identify the differences in interpretation. Look at the course objectives and determine what objectives you are meeting as you compare and contrast and consider the authors’ and artists’ purposes, tones, and impact of the explorations of the Greek myth. Other Assignments:From my weebly site, go to <art genres interpretations> tab. Download and print the information for poetry (poetry_ toolkit_docx) and visual arts (looking_at_visual_art.docx). Read through the material. Look up and define vocabulary that is unfamiliar. Bring these documents to class. Writing: personal reflection poem or prose piece describing your current position—a polished reflection of influences, desires, weaknesses, strengths, desires, goals, limitations, prejudices, biases, etc. Use “I Am or I Am Not” OR “_______Made Me” as examples. *****“Only by taking responsibility for oneself,to the greatest extent possible, can one ever be free, and only a free person can make responsible choices—between right and wrong, saving and spending, giving or taking.”(Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney’s VP candidate—quoted in The New Yorker, August 6, 2012, p. 29).DAY 5: Fri., 1 Feb. *Last Day to Drop Class, 19 Feb.*FREEDOM, RESPONSIBILITY, JUSTICEReadings Due:*”Introduction to Freedom, Responsibility, and Justice,” p. 141-143*Declaration of Independence, p. 144-146Other Assignments:DAY 6: 5 Feb.What Do “Freedom” and “Rights” mean? Readings Due:*Bill of Rights (1st ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Look up on internet, print out, read, annotate.)*Bill of Responsibilities, p. 254*Bill of Rights Lite p. 255-56Other Assignments Due:Bring these annotated texts to class.Write a statement of a political position (different, foreign or one you consider hostile to your own) in your own words that is accurate and objective. The test would be that a person of intelligence and good will who espoused those beliefs could read it and say, “Yes. That statement is an accurate reflection of my position.”DAY 7: Thurs., 7 Feb.American Historical Perspectives of Freedom Readings Due:* Facts, 1930, p. 167* ”Let America Be America Again,” p. 169* Four Freedoms, p. 171* Our Freedoms, Rights, p. 177Other Assignments Due:*Think Stretcher—Four Freedoms. The Four Freedoms speech was given in the early 1941, before Pearl Harbor was bombed. The English and French were fighting the Germans, but Americans as a whole resisted declaring war. OBJECTIVE: Suggest what arguments about getting into the war Roosevelt seems to be refuting. What rights does he add to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” articulated in 1776? How do you think declaring these four new freedoms as rights changed the way government interacted with its citizens? What new responsibilities are there? And how have the responsibilities shifted? What new limitations are there? Has the balance between “freedom” and “rights” shifted?DAY 8: Tues, 12 Feb.American Historical Perspectives of Freedom, cont.Readings Due:*”Executive Order #9066,” p. 179* “Civilian Exclusion Order #5,” p. 181* “In Response,” p. 183* Poetry: “To the Lady,” “That Damned Fence,” “Kenji,” p 184Using the “poetry toolbox” handout on my weebly site, annotate the poems, showing what tools (strategies) the poet employs and then suggest how the strategies emphasize or communicates effectively the poet’s purpose. Of course, you’ll need to articulate specifically the author’s purpose. Other Assignments Due:Go to the following website. Select one of the Ansel Adams photographs from the Manzanar Concentration camp (daily life, portraits, sports, or agriculture). Using the strategies from the “Learning to Look” document on my weebly site and our discussion in class, critique one photograph. The critique should be about one MLA-formatted page. I am looking for polished, organized, thoughtful, articulate writing. the templates page on my weebly, I have uploaded the specific elements that photographers use to communicate their “argument” or purpose. You will want to review those terms and incorporate them into your critique of the Adams photograph you choose to critique. Remember, 1) begin with an overall description of the piece; 2) suggest the artist’s purpose or argument; 3) explain how specific elements (two or three) contribute to the overall purpose or argument of the photograph. Under the “Critical Thinking” tab on my weebly site there is an example of proper MLA format for a photograph critique. You should follow this format. You will use the same format for any critique of an art work. DAY 9: Thurs., 14 Feb. – Last Day to Drop Course is 19 Feb.Freedom and Social JusticeReadings Due:“Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” p. 225“Great Society Speech 1964,” p. 248Other Assignments Due:Think stretcher for “Great Society” speech. Objective: focus on thinking “independently, critically, analytically, and creatively” about the arguments and information President Johnson communicates in this speech. Consider the definition of each of these words (independently, critically, analytically, and creatively), and be able to explain orally how you thought independently, critically, analytically, and creatively about specific information or arguments in the text. Think stretcher is due today. Start looking for a media article that examines some aspect of the topic of freedom, justice, rights. Give a personal response incorporating the ideas our readings and discussions have ignited for you. You will need to write a personal response to the article. See the “media article” example on the weebly’s Critical Thinking Tab. Response will be due on 25 Feb. DAY 10: Tues., 19 Feb. Last day to drop classFreedom of Speech, Action, ThoughtReadings Due:“Harrison Bergeron,” p. 232Using the Writing Toolbox strategies paper listed in the Critical Thinking tab, bring to class notes on what you see as the author’s purpose. Include in your notes specific examples and quotes from the text that point towards the purpose(s) you infer. Note also, what rhetorical strategies the author uses and how and why he uses them to achieve his purpose. We will have a class discussion based on your notes. You will then need to write an MLA-formatted essay arguing what the author’s purpose was and what rhetorical strategies he uses to achieve his purpose. You will need to use textual evidence to support your argument. Other Assignments Due: Harrison Bergeron essay use next time.DAY 11: Thurs., 21 Feb.Freedom and Civil DisobedienceReadings Due:“Civil Disobedience,” p. 147 (do think stretcher)“My Political Programme,” p. 162Other Assignments Due:Think stretcher – “Civil Disobedience” Objective: Note troubling concepts or ideas for which you feel skepticism. Explain why you’re troubled or skeptical. Describe how your response helps you clarify your own ideas about the concept of civil disobedience. Explain how the “conversation” incites you to redefine your initial position.Revisit your assessment/mastery goals from the beginning of the quarter. Make whatever changes you need to make in response to your experience so far. What are you better at? What can you now focus on that you couldn’t before? What weaknesses or needs have you discovered? Refine your focus, purpose, and assessment strategies. Harrison Bergeron essay dueDAY 12: Mon., 25 Feb.Freedom and ProtestReadings Due:“Public Statement,” p. 236“Letter from Birmingham Jail,” p. 238. As you read, note the different rhetorical strategies MLK, Jr. uses and suggest how the strategy strengthens the author’s purpose. (You can just do this in the margins.)Other Assignments Due:Media Article Response: Choose an up-to-date article that examines a topic regarding freedom, rights, and/or responsibilities from a respected newspaper or news magazine or from a respected media outlet ( is a great one). Then write a response to the article showing your critical thinking approach and applying your own experience or study as you respond. I have posted an example on the weebly site under the Critical Thinking Tab.” Response should be 250 -500 words. DAY 13: Wed., 27 Feb. -- MIDTERMFreedom, Responsibility, Justice GloballyReadings Due:“Jihad vs. McWorld,” p. 257“The Case for Contamination,” p. 265Discussion questions for Barber and Appiah, p. 275Other Assignments Due:In preparation for an in-class writing assignment, come having identified 10 sentences, ideas, or phrases that have been important or resonated with you as we’ve encountered the readings in this unit. Have them at your fingertips so that you can access them easily for the writing assignment we’ll begin in class and that you’ll finish at home. Creative writing piece due March 5th. “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” --Nora EphronDAY 14: Fri., 1 MarchIDENTITY, PREJUDICE, INEQUALITYReadings Due:* Introduction to Identity, Privilege, and Inequalities, p. 297Americanization is Tough on Macho, p. 343Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, p. 391About Men, p. 332Other Assignments Due:On the weebly site under the “art interpretations” tab, go to the “dance elements” link. Read through the dance elements dancers and choreographers use to convey their “argument.” Take notes and/or print out the article showing annotations. Look at the artists listed in the introduction to this unit in the text. Go to my weebly under identity tab. Locate the title for Adrian Piper. Analyze the two pictures. What “argument” is the artist making about identity in each painting? What elements help convey the artist’s argument? You may just make notes (don’t need to do a formal review), but you need to have done this assignment so that you can speak about the piece specifically and precisely in class using proper vocabulary and being able to support your opinion with specifics from the works. DAY 15: Tues., 5 March ACT TESTINGWhat Does it Mean to be Marginalized? Readings Due: “Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood,” 337 “The Melting Pot,” 429“House on Mango Street,” 482“Becoming a Man,” 413Other Assignments Due:Creative writing pieces due. DAY 16: Thurs., 7 March. (P/T ConferencesRacism and Prejudice in American History and CultureReadings Due:“Black Boy,” 420Langston Hughes poems, 418“Shocking Story of Approved Killing,” p. 430Other Assignments Due:Think stretcher: “Black Boy”Objective: Identify the obstacles the narrator identifies and compare those to your own obstacles. Consider the implications or consequences of the obstacles he faces to the ones you face. DAY 17: Tues., 12 March Inequality Readings Due:“Growing Up Asian in America,” 461“The Male Privilege Checklist,” 353Other Assignments Due: Please do a written response to a Media article regarding identity/privilege/inequality. You choose from the same sources available for your first media article. State one or two problems or issues the article brings us regarding identity, inequality, and privilege. I want to see careful thinking that shows your approach to the issues from a variety of perspectives. Pull from your own or others’ experience to explore the problems or issues. At least one typed page, correctly MLA formatted, polished writing, best vocabulary, critical thinking skills. DAY 18: Thurs., 14 March Minorities and OpportunityReadings Due:“Long Preference of Racial Preferences—For Whites”—weebly site.“The Rise of a New American Underclass,” weebly siteOther Assignments Due:Cultural Assign #1: Museum CritiqueDAY 19: Mon., 18 MarchAssimilation, MainstreamingReadings Due:“Chinaman’s Chance,” 486“Looking for Prince Charming,” 356 “My Two Lives,” 496Other Assignments Due:Think stretcher: Chinaman’s ChanceObjective: Choose two statements the author makes and evaluate and/or analyze the argument, interpretation, belief, or theory. Look at the evidence he uses to support, how he establishes credibility for himself and for the particular statement, what arguments contribute or are ignored, what assumptions are understood, etc. “To Do” List: Five items a young person from a privileged class can do to dismantle the privilege. DO NOT list general items like “treat everyone equally.” Think of meaningful, practical actions you, as a member of a privileged status, could do to create a more level playing field for everyone. Family History Account: Talk to parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. and unearth some of the “subsidies” or “privileged status” access you, your parents, or your ancestors may have enjoyed that informs your current status. DAY 20: Wed., 20 March – Last day to withdraw: 5 AprilTraditional Gender RolesReadings Due:“Story of an Hour,” p. 314“I Stand Here Ironing,” p. 321“Girl,” p. 335Other Assignments Due:1- You will write a literary analysis of one of the stories. (You choose which story. Paper will be due 2 April). Your thesis will be to state how the heroine’s community (or certain members of it) define the her role as a female and how she responds. Paper will conclude by suggesting what the author’s theme or purpose is based on the protagonist’s response. Look for examples and quotes that will support your analysis as you read. Take notes as you read. We will discuss the stories in class, and I will give you additional information on the paper during our discussion.2-Quiz on readings. As you read, take notes about how each of the women experiences her circumstances because of her gender. Ask yourself how she would characterize herself and how the other people in the story would characterize her. Define unfamiliar vocabulary. Quiz is open note.3- Six-word memoir for yourself that captures your identity.DAY 21: Fri., 22 March*LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW: 25 MARCH*Inequality, Gender, Race, Minorities GloballyReadings Due:“Symbolizing Roles: Behind the Veil,” p. 358“Voices from Behind the Veil,” p. 370“Account of Punjab Rape,” 379Other Assignments Due:“I Pray My Daughters Have A Life Like Mine,” weebly site—identity tabEarth Hour is Sat., 23 March from 8:30 – 9:30. In preparation for our unit on Responses to Nature, please consider taking part in the worldwide effort to involve all of humanity in working to protect the environment. For this hour, turn off all lights and electronics. Use the time to quiet your life, turn your thoughts to the earth, and consider what our moral/ethical obligations are to the earth, the source of everything that allows human beings to exist.Spring Break: 25-29 MarchDAY 22: 2 April -- End of 3rd Quarter Wrap Up of Identity ThemeReadings Due:Other Assignments Due:1-Short story analysis of either “Story of an Hour,” “I Stand Here Ironing,” or “Girl.”2- Revised, specific “To Do” you can set for yourself over the next 50 years focusing on how you can use your privileged status to help dismantle privilege locally, nationally, and internationally. 2-Return to your assessments/mastery goals. Make adjustments in order to continue your development of your thinking, studying, assessment, and writing skills. Complete a new, revised list. Identify which goals you have been successful meeting. Say HOW you know you’ve been successful. Be specific. You will turn it in. DAY 23: Thurs., 4 April –Last day to withdraw, 5 AprilRESPONSES TO NATUREReadings Due:Intro. to Responses to Nature, 513Other Assignments Due:1-Revised goals and objectives2-Unit response for Identity, Privilege, and Inequality—Review the articles we read and discussed in class. Write a one- to two-page response to two readings from this unit we did not discuss in class. Using quotes and/or examples from the text, identify ideas that have challenged how your thinking or knowledge or focus or commitment have changed, broadened, been affected as a result of the these readings.. Make specific application to the articles and to your experience. Do not just talk in generalities. 3—Weebly Site: Download and review elements of music. Familiarize yourself with the terms. We will apply specific elements to music. Focus on the following: beat and meter, dynamics, harmony, key (difference between major and minor), melody, rhythm, tempo, texture, timbre. DAY 24: Mon., 8 AprilInspiration, SanctuaryReadings Due:“Selected Works: T’ao Ch’ien, p. 516-517“Question and Answer in the Mountains,” Li Po, p. 518“Selected Haiku,” p. 519-520“Daffodils,” Wordsworth, p. 523“Nature and the American Identity.” Weebly site, nature tab. Download, read, and bring up the paintings, study them, applying the elements we’ve discussed. Other Assignments Due:Identify a spot in nature that you see as inspirational or as a kind of sanctuary. Spend at least 30 minutes in the spot. Focus on your senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. Jot notes of what you experience through your senses. Write the specific physical phenomenon you see, hear, feel, smell (taste?). Then think about and write down the insights, clarifications, thoughts, understanding, and feelings the natural phenomenon lead you to. You can take “field notes.” You don’t need to word process this assignment. Write about 200+ words.DAY 25: Wed., 10 AprilSimplicity: Conscious Living:Readings Due:*Walden, Thoreau, p. 524-541This is a long, difficult reading. Give yourself enough time to do it justice. Other Assignments Due:Think stretcher for Walden. Objective: Choose three ideas the author examines. Consider the consequences if his time period or our time would have/would incorporate the ideas. Choose one idea and take exception to it (disagree). List your concerns and reasons why. Revised goals, including (1) one of the nature topics about which you will do further studying, (2) an additional study skill/critical thinking skill you have not yet tried. (3) Describe the measurable assessment you will use to determine your success. We will return to these on 30 April. You will need to describe how you have accomplished the goals. DAY 26: Fri., 12 AprilConscious EatingReadings Due:“The Conundrum of Consumption,” 576There will be an open note quiz on this reading.Other Assignments Due:List of foods you eat for two consecutive meals. Include name of restaurants and brand names of foods if you know them (include any snacks you eat between the two meals). Consider the sources (environmental, animal, human) required for your food. Suggest possible ethical responsibilities toward the sources you have as a consumer as you make your food choices. After deliberate consideration, indicate which foods might present an ethical conundrum for you Field notes on a mundane task you undertake consciously, deliberately. Is there a choice to be made about undertaking the task in the first place? Note the sensorial, emotional, intellectual, spiritual etc. satisfactions you can glean with a conscious, deliberate approach. DAY 27: Tues., 16 AprilRecreationReadings Due:“Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks,” 550“Wildlife in American Culture,” 543Other Assignments Due:Media Article response on natureBased on the readings, your response, and our class discussion, write a mission statement (a paragraph) for yourself regarding an “ethical approach” to consumption and recreation.DAY 28: Thurs., 18 AprilCity and Country: Is Coexistence Possible? BoundriesReadings Due:“Lancaster Sound: Monoden Monoceros,” 560“The Etiquette of Freedom,” 565Other Assignments Due:Based on the readings, your response, and our class discussion, write a mission statement (a paragraph) for yourself regarding an “ethical approach” to consumption and recreation.Think stretcher for “The Etiquette of Freedom.” Objective: Identify several “border” issues among humans, animals, and environment that Snyder alludes to or discusses directly. How would or does Snyder deal with or answer those “border” tensions? Explain how or why you disagree and/or agree with his conclusions. DAY 29: Mon., 22 AprilFinite Resources, Infinite PopulationReadings Due:“The Bottleneck,” 596Other Assignments Due:Think Stretcher for “The Bottleneck.” Objective: Determine the author’s purpose. Identify 5 rhetorical strategies the author employs to underscore the purpose. Which of the strategies are most effective? Why? What other strategies could have been used to effectively communicate purpose?DAY 30: Wed., 24 AprilOur Ecological FootprintReadings Due:“A Fable for Tomorrow,” 548Other Assignments Due:1-See the “Ecological Footprint” button on the weebly site—Nature tab or Templates tab--and take the ecological footprint quiz. Bring the results to class. 2-Research the “simple living” movement on the internet. Be able to articulate what the movement is about and at least five things you, personally, would like to implement in your own life as a way of living a more conscious, ethical life. Be prepared to turn in notes.3-Complete a “pre-discussion reflection” response on the simple living movement. Write down what ideas or conclusions you’ve arrived at having done the research on a simpler lifestyle and the challenges of implementing it. What benefits, disadvantages would be associated with it? Where would you start? What would you add next? Next? Next?DAY 31: Fri., 26 April**FIELD TRIP TO SLCC SOCIAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE WITH MATT HARDING** 1:00 – 2:00 P.M. SLCC REDWOOD CAMPUSDeliberate ChoicesReadings Due:“A Semi-Desert with a Desert Heart,” 580Other Assignments Due:Go to the weebly site’s tab “Deliberate Environmental Choices.” Based on your readings and ruminations, and your research of the simple life movement, critique the suggestions students from previous classes have compiled. Consider which are reasonable, idealistic, silly, or impractical. Say why. What else could be added? Why? Think of this as a communal effort to change our environment for the better. Which of these suggestions are you willing to adopt or promote? How? Be specific about what needs to be added, changed, eliminated, expanded upon, more user-friendly, missing information, etc. Bring your critique to class.DAY 32: Tues., 30 AprilWrap Up of Nature ThemeReadings Due:“The Way to Rainy Mountain,” 556**Bring Text to Class**Go through your garbage (and using any of the recyclables I provided) and create two items (one practical, one artistic) that convey the value that we need not constantly, mindlessly consume and throw away. Purpose: “Use creativity to implement change.” Other Assignments Due:2- Think stretcher for “Way to Rainy Mountain”: Identify stated and unstated differences in the relationship Native Americans have to nature as opposed to mainstream Caucasian Americans whose heritage is mainly European. Suggest how American political, economic, and recreation policies would differ if the larger population approached nature in the way Momaday articulates in this article. 3- Revised goals showing how you completed further study on nature topic, how you incorporated a new study skill. _______________________________________________________________“Live honorably, be honest and prayerful, and don’t give up.”Super centenarian, Ms. Decker, quoted in the SL Tribune:DAY 33: Thurs., 2 MayIntro: SPIRITUALITY, SACREDNESS, MORALITYReadings Due:Intro. to Spirituality, Sacredness, Morality, p. 789Other Assignments Due:Pre-Discussion Reflection. Consider your beliefs and feelings towards religion—your own and others’—and spirituality, morality, sacredness in general. What do they offer? What human needs do they meet? What cultural or political or ethical issues do they answer, complicate, frustrate? How do they help one realize a fuller life? A lesser life? A more complicated life? Write at least a page. Be specific. Final response to Nature unit. Chose two of the readings assigned from the nature unit that we didn’t discuss in class. Describe your response to the readings. Issues? Insights? Arguments? Resolutions? Understandings? Commitments? Changed Thinking? Use examples from the text. 250-500 words. Explore your thoughts completely. DAY 34: Fri., Mon., 6 MayAs Americans, the Importance of Religious LiteracyReadings Due:Weebly Site, Spirituality, Morality, Sacredness tab: “A Very Short History of Religion in U.S. History.” Read article, defining all words that have asterisks and that you don’t know. Have a conversation with the text. We will talk about how religious ideas and citizens who are motivated by religious conviction impact ALL citizens. Suggest what ALL citizens, regardless of religious affiliation, ought to know given our history and our current challenges. Be prepared to say WHY they ought to know what you suggest.Other Assignments Due:On my weebly site, go to the art genres tab and link to the site about architectural elements. Read about the eight elements the site lists and then review the sensory elements as well. Now google “sacred architecture” and choose “images.” Examine buildings from three different religious traditions (Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Taoist). Note what architectural elements the buildings incorporate. Based on the architectural choices, what can you surmise about the beliefs, values, and aesthetic priorities of the people who worship in these spaces? Write a decent paragraph for each religious tradition. Note the url sites so that you can access the buildings for our class discussionDAY 35: Wed., 8 MayWhat Creation Myths Tell Us About OurselvesReadings Due:* Reread Momaday’s Rainy Mountain excerpt. Focus on the Kiowa creation myth (p.557, 2nd column) and the legend the Kiowa created to explain the strange geologic formation, Devil’s Tower (p. 558, 1st column). Write down your ideas about what their creation myth and the legend of Devil’s Tower tell the Kiowa about themselves. Enuma Elish (795)Book of Overthrowing Apophis (823)Rig Veda (804)Theogony and Cosmogony (806)PLUS the Critical Thinking Questions on Creation Myths. Questions are at end of unit. Read through the Questions before you begin the myths and focus your active reading on those ideas, especially what the creation myths suggest about the culture from which they come. Notice, also, what you DON’T know that makes it difficult for you to understand or relate to the myths. Other Assignments Due:Open note quiz on readings.Ask your parent(s) to tell you the story of your birth.DAY 36: Fri., 10 MayCreation Myths, continued.Readings Due:Outside Media Article on spirituality, sacredness, moralityOther Assignments (in class)Group Creation Myth: fun, imaginative, contents include things you know and can draw from in your own experience, where you come from, what is valued, why life is the way it is—and other essentials that are essential for inhabitants of Sandy, UT. DAY 37: Tues., 14 MayWhat Does Religion Offer? Answers from Hinduism.Readings Due: Choose ONE and do think stretcherBhagavad Gita, p. 839Upanishads, p. 845Other Assignments Due:* 2nd cultural response due.* Religious Literacy – quiz corrected. Should expanded curiosity about at least one of the areas of the quia. Describe what additional research you did and what insights, understanding, questions, concerns you have as a result of your additional research and thinking. * ONE Think Stretcher—you choose which reading. Objective: How do the scriptures answer the perennial questions human beings ask about existence: (What is the meaning of life? How do I find happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction? How do I live a meaningful life? What are my duties/responsibilities to myself, to God, to my fellow humans? Why is there evil in the world, why does it seem to be a part of the human psyche? ) DAY 38: Thurs., 16 MayCan Suffering (Frustration) Be Avoided? The Buddha’s Middle WayReadings Due:“The Buddha’s Path to Enlightenment.” 855Other Assignments Due:How to View a Film,” p. 42DAY 39: Mon., 20 MayEast/West: Individualism and Communalism; Human Experience: Cyclic or Urgent Journey?How Individual defines self and his/her relationship to God and nature—how that dynamic influences artistic expression, culture, ultimate spiritual bliss, sacred space, religious expressionOther Assignments Due:Babette’s Feast: After school film presentation. Foreign Film Cultural Review due Wed., 29 May. If you can’t attend this screening or the screening on Wed., you will need to screen a film on your own. See the SLCC Humanities site for a list of movies. Choose one from those suggestions.DAY 40: Wed., 22 MayWhat Life Essentials Does Judaism Offer?Readings Due:“Thirteen Foundations of Jewish Belief,” p. 902It will be helpful for you to look up the following vocabulary Sanhedrin, Mishnah, Yahweh, Torah, Tanakh When you read the 8th foundation, don’t spend too much time looking up vocab. Top of the first column on p. 906 refers to specific physical places, instruments, objects that Jews use to properly worship. Other Assignments Due:Babette’s Feast: After school film presentation. Foreign Film Cultural Review due Wed., 29 May. If you can’t attend this screening, you will need to screen a film on your own. See the SLCC Humanities site for a list of movies. Choose one from those suggestions.Read the journey poetry posted on the weebly site in the Spirituality tab--Judaism. Pay attention to the world-view, spiritual view of the speaker as he/she embarks on a journey, wishes for one, or recalls one. Note HOW the author conveys the purpose. Write your own journey poem, one that conveys, through details, language, imagery, plot, tone, etc. the temporal/spiritual journey you see yourself on, hope for, anticipate, or envision. The poem should convey your world-view/spiritual view. I’d love to see you incorporating or envisioning a larger world view/spiritual view than you might have before we began this unit and this course. The journey poem (with an appropriate title, not just “Journey Poem”) will be due Friday, 31 May. DAY 41: Fri., 24 May Moses, Jesus, Muhammed: The Abrahamic TraditionReadings Due:Sermon on the Plain; Sermon on the Mount, pp. 928-931. Evaluate the examples, content, behavior, and ideas Jesus communicates in these sermons (intended for two different audiences) and describe what the text tells you about the audience: beliefs, economic situation, political realities, cultural heritage, etc. Then compare Christ’s Sermons to Buddha’s Eight-Fold Path. What human questions or uncertainties to do both men (Jesus and Buddha) address and/or answer? What are the similarities and/or differences? Take notes. There will be an open-note quiz on this material in class. You may use notes and your text, Other Assignments Due:Cultural Response #3: Foreign FilmDAY 42: Wed., 29 MayMuhammad, Radical Messenger; Five PillarsReadings Due:The Holy Qur’an: p. 943. Read the following Surahs: 1-3, 4, 7, 23, 47Other Assignments Due:Think Stretcher: Objective: Surah 4 or 7 identify what you think is the major belief or practice that a Muslim would aspire to based on what the text includes. Note similarities and differences between the focus and tone of the Surahs to the 13 Foundational Beliefs of Judaism and Jesus’s Sermon on the Plain. DAY 43: Fri., 31 MayWrap Up of spirituality, Sacredness, MoralityOther Assignments Due:1-Your updated, thoughtful, carefully articulated statement on spirituality, sacredness, and morality. Respond to two of the readings assigned but not discussed in class. Cite specifics from the readings and consider where you started, what ideas you’ve grappled with, what clarifications, questions you’ve pondered, changed perspectives, and added insights. Perhaps you could finish by identifying from the whole unit what areas or ideas you’d be interested in learning more about, what you would like to incorporate into your own life—and why.2- Bring to class your readings on the 13 Foundational Beliefs of Judaism, The Sermon on the Plain or the Sermon on the Mount, and Surahs 1-3. There will be an in-class test. You may use texts and notes. 3- Completed Journey Poem. Be prepared to articulate the “arguments” or purposes you had as you wrote the poem and how you endeavored to communicate those through poetic devices and content. **You may turn in journey poem on 4 June if you prefer. Note: the grade I submit to the college must be the same as the 4th quarter grade I post at the high school; therefore, your 4th quarter grade will be the average of your 3rd/4th quarter grades. For example, if you earned a B with a 84% average 3rd quarter and have earned an A with a 94% average for 4th quarter, I will post the average (89%) B+ for 4th quarter ................
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