Blog Archives - AHS * HUMANITIES 11

AHS * HUMANITIES 11

Friday, February 27th

2/27/2015

Starter
Have you felt this week like these llamas represent your thoughts and the flummoxed chasers represent your mind, scrambling around trying to collect said thoughts?

Take the Happiness and Meaning project AND junior-year check in survey (see below)

Announcement

Turn in work! (see the whiteboard's checklist)
Rather than wait until the art pieces are graded, I decided to enter the HM project journal, seminar and essay grades into powerschool. I will change the essay grades pending refinements and enter the art piece as a 75 point project grade once those are in. This way you have a better sense of your current grade.

Here is how I determined how to weight each assignment
250 project points total
Journal: 10% of 250 = 25 points
Seminar: 20% of 250= 50 points
Essay: 40% of 250= 100 points
Art Piece: 30% of 250=75 points

Agenda
1. Whole class reflection/debrief time:

Discuss feedback from the survey
Share out philosophy statements/art piece ideas
Share fears/excitements for LINK
Appreciations!

2. 2nd and 5th period: Guest Speaker, Dan Olson, Executive Director of San Juan Citizens Alliance

Thursday, February 26th

2/26/2015

Learning Goals:

Get a bit of background information about tomorrow's guest speaker
Finish your work so you can turn it in on time tomorrow!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Reminder: Print your essay refinements and staple to your draft and rubric with my comments by the beginning of class tomorrow!

Tomorrow's Guest Speaker Info: Dan Olson, Executive Director of San Juan Citizens Alliance

About San Juan Citizens Alliance
In 1986 a group of concerned citizens joined forces, launching the Alliance to protect their families and neighbors from the impacts of unchecked oil and gas development. Over the years, the organization grew to address a broad array of regional environmental issues, including climate change, coal mines and power plants, rivers, oil and gas development, forest health and lands protections.

The Alliance is currently home to hundreds of members who care passionately about preserving the unique qualities of this region. They are supported by five full time staff who add decades of technical and strategic expertise to the cause. Below are a few examples of our accomplishments.

Secured La Plata County’s first oil and gas regulations mitigating surface impacts from rapidly proliferating coalbed methane gas production.
Defended Canyon of the Ancients National Monument against seismic exploration, securing important mitigation commitments to protect archeological sites and rare reptiles.
Mobilized more than 70,000 comments against a new proposal for hundreds of coalbed methane wells in the HD Mountains, and secured unanimous resolutions from every local government opposing the drilling

STARTER
Read this op-ed written by tomorrow's guest speaker and answer these questions:
1. What piece of rhetoric/double speak does Dan respond to in this op-ed?
2. Summarize his perspective in this op-ed?
3. What are your impressions of Mr. Olson? What do you think his biases are?
4. Write down at least one question you have for Dan Olson that you could ask tomorrow.

Agenda
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF WORK TIME!! (We won't have any tomorrow).
Use it wisely!
- Essay refinements
- Test Corrections
- Art Piece

Wednesday, February 25th

2/25/2015

AGENDA
1. Review SLC GUIDELINES and ask Ashley CLARIFYING questions
2. SLC Prep-- Email your advisor your SLC prep AND if you are doing an Action Plan (route 1) email the teachers in whose classes you are getting a C- or lower by the end of 1st hour
3. Work Time:

Lit Analysis Essay refinements
Test corrections
Art Piece

Tuesday, February 24th

2/23/2015

Announcements

THIS WEEK'S CLASS SCHEDULE
Art piece proposal was due at the beginning of class via email. 10% off each day late.
Essay refinements are due FRIDAY. Staple your draft with my feedback and original rubric to your FINAL draft.
Student Example Literary Analysis Essay from this year
Env't Ethics Test Corrections Instructions Due Friday, beginning of class: Come chat with me if you don't like your grade. Explain WHY you got the question wrong and then write the correct answer. You will get 1/2 of the points back that you missed the first time.
SLC GUIDELINES

LINK DP requirements

LINK PROJECT PROPOSAL INFO for EXHIBITION: (page 5 is the DP info). https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rQ-0RxPd4ndGU1TEx6ckhOazQ&authuser=1

Past Student DP LINK Examples:

http://ggianninydp.weebly.com/link-internship.html
http://inodp.weebly.com/link.html
http://tshdp.weebly.com/link-internship.html
http://saldp.weebly.com/link-internship.html
http://alloyddp.weebly.com/link-internship.html

STARTER
Spend 10 minutes jotting down notes to as many of the seminar questions (listed below) as you can

AGENDA
1. Interview with the director of DamNation: Ben Knight "putting his money where his mouth is" and fulfilling Abbey's challenge that "Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul"

2. DamNation Seminar

Share out your notes from the film
How does your understanding of our energy and water needs combined with your understanding of the impact of hydroelectricity and water storage mechanisms AND perhaps even your own personal connection to rivers shape your perception of Dams?
Should people’s fear of unemployment dictate or simply factor into our environmental policies?
Should people’s nostalgia for the past dictate or simply factor into our environmental policies?
What factors do we need to consider when making decisions about what energy production mechanisms or more broadly human development plans we should and should not pursue? How do you balance or analyze these potentially competing factors in order to make the most fair decision? How do you determine what the most “fair” decision is?
Is monkey wrenching effective? Is eco terrorism effective? What do you think are the best ways to bring about change?
Is ecoterrorism an environmental ethic? If so, is it justified? Is it effective?
How do we as a society decide which environmental issues are worth fighting for and which ones interfere with real energy and resource needs?
During the Lake Powell scene, a Glen Canyon Dam supporter said something along the lines of, "we destroyed a couple beavers, some flowers, and some beauty, but we created a whole lot more beauty and made it accessible, and habitable". Do you agree with this gentleman?
Edward Abbey once said, "sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul". What is the best way for environmental activists to take action AND were the methods shown in the film effective? Some more than others?

3. Art Piece work time

Friday, February 20th

2/20/2015

Reminder:
Firm deadline for art piece proposals (Part 1 and 2) is MONDAY, via email, beginning of class!

Today's Goals

Analyze the impacts of dam on "place"
Consider your stance on ecoterrorism and monkeywrenching

Starter:

Ashley's quick powerpoint introducing key terms for our film viewing
Take notes under the "STARTER" section of the film note handout.

Agenda

Watch DamNation and take notes using this form
We'll seminar on this film on Monday

Thursday, February 19th

2/18/2015

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Student Example Literary Analysis Essay from this year

Test Corrections Instructions: Explain WHY you got the question wrong and then write the correct answer. You will get 1/2 of the points back that you missed the first time.

FIRM deadline on art piece proposals (Parts 1 and 2) is MONDAY at the BEGINNING of class. 10% off per day late after that. FIRM Deadline on art piece completion is MARCH 30th (the day we get back from spring break unless you've been granted an extension for extensive art piece ideas)

STARTER
Example Personal Philosophy Art Piece:

Watsky's spoken word poem: "Tiny Glowing Screens, Part 2": This poem tells a depressing story about how the stars make us feel inadequate, about how — amongst seven billion people — each one of us is insignificant. However, upon closer look, Watsky seems to be trying to make meaning or find his purpose in the face of that feeling of inadequacy/insignificance. Think about how he defines meaning/purpose in this poem.

AGENDA
1. Go over announcements

Pass back essays to students who turned them in last Friday

2. Work time on art pieces OR essay refinements

3. Last 45 minutes: Small group art piece critique and share-out

Share your philosophy and art piece idea. If applicable, present a rough sketch.
Discuss as a group what you like/appreciate about the philosophy and idea
Discuss QUESTIONS you have about the philosophy or idea
Discuss SUGGESTIONS for how to refine the art piece idea

No ideas? Need help brainstorming?: As a group, help anyone who has no ideas or is struggling to come up with a philosophy statement or art piece idea:

Ask guiding questions (see page 3 of the guidelines handout) to spur thought
Share how you approached this assignment and how you are making sense of the task and/or essential questions
Provide ideas for the art piece if they have a philosophy.

Wednesday, February 18th

2/18/2015

Today's goal:

Turn in your proposal to Ashley (via email)
Make progress on your art piece!

Announcements

Lunch meeting for Book Club today!
Student Example Literary Analysis Essay from this year
Test Corrections Instructions: Explain WHY you got the question wrong and then write the correct answer. You will get 1/2 of the points back that you missed the first time.

Agenda
1. Starter: What do you think of this possible innovation? Autonomous Cars
TED Talk (4 min)

2. Art piece work time

Tuesday, February 17th

2/17/2015

Today's Goals

Energy and Place: Learn about the nation’s largest and oldest river conservation organization, Trout Unlimited, through the presentation of Ty Churchwell.
Happiness and Meaning: Express your personal philosophy in a creative, artistic form!

Announcements:

Book Club Honors Meeting TOMORROW at Lunch!
Turn in your lit circle books
If you did not finish the test on Friday you MUST do so by the end of the day!
David and Brandon-- schedule a time to make-up the test
Interesting film on race and racism in our country-- TONIGHT 6:45 pm at the Durango Library or Thursday at FLC, Student Union- Check it out!
Tia, Alex, Sean and Shane: missing evidence of peer critique
Turn in your essays today if you had an extension.

Agenda
1st and 5th periods: Happiness and Meaning Personal Philosophy Statement and Art Piece work time

Ashley's Example
Another example: Watsky's spoken word poem: "Tiny Glowing Screens, Part 2": This poem tells a depressing story about how the stars make us feel inadequate, about how — amongst seven billion people — each one of us is insignificant. However, upon closer look, Watsky seems to be trying to make meaning or find his purpose in the face of that feeling of inadequacy/insignificance. Think about how he defines meaning/purpose in this poem.

2nd and 6th periods: Guest Speaker, Ty Churchwell, from Trout Unlimited to talk about Conservationism in action!

Friday, February 13th

2/13/2015

Learning Goals
- Apply your understanding of Aldo Leopold's "Land Ethic" and environmental ethics to Rachel Carson's speech

Starter
Turn in your literary analysis essay with evidence of peer critique

Agenda
1. Time to finish the powerpoint and/or review

Intrinsic or Instrumental Value video
Finish last few definitions we didn't get through yesterday
Time to ask Ashley questions

2. Test

3. Introduction to Personal Philosophy Statement and Art Piece

Ashley's Example
Another example: Watsky's spoken word poem: "Tiny Glowing Screens, Part 2": This poem tells a depressing story about how the stars make us feel inadequate, about how — amongst seven billion people — each one of us is insignificant. However, upon closer look, Watsky seems to be trying to make meaning or find his purpose in the face of that feeling of inadequacy/insignificance. Think about how he defines meaning/purpose in this poem.

Thursday, February 12th

2/12/2015

Learning Goals
1. Understand and be able to define various types of environmental ethics
2. Finalize your lit analysis essay

Starter:
REVIEW OF "LAND ETHIC"

What are THREE BIG ideas that stand out from Leopold's "Land Ethic" essay?
Find one quote that captures ONE of those ideas
What questions do you have about his essay (lines/passages you don't understand or BIG idea questions you don't quite get)

Agenda
1. Environmental Ethics Powerpoint

2. Time to work on lit analysis essay

If you are ready, feel free to check in with Ashley about the art piece guidelines!