AHS * HUMANITIES 11
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Daily Blog

How does time in nature affect our well-being?

2/27/2017

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STARTER
What might human beings find in the wild (or in nature) that they do not find in civilization?  (Relate your answer to your lit circle book and/or to your own personal outdoor experiences.)

CLASS BIZ
  1. This week's homework and deadlines
  2. Honors-- we need to meet for 10 minutes during work time to go over next steps in honors!
  3. Chem Lab this Friday
  4. Some humor: Neature Walk

TODAY'S DRIVING QUESTION: 
How does time in nature affect our well-being?


AGENDA
3rd Period:
  1. Read "Take 2 Hours of Forest Bathing and Call Me in the Morning" (Printable version; hard copies in my room) and note the affects "forest bathing" has on humans' physical and mental well-being.
  2. Journal: React to the content of the article and relate it to the bigger questions of our project, your lit circle book and/or your own personal experience and/or philosophies.  -OR- Tell or draw a story about an experience that you had in nature that had healing powers.

4th Period:
  1. Lit Circle Seminar Prep
  2. Honors Meeting
  • Get a copy of Into the Wild
  • Discuss the seminar date for this
  • Lit Analysis Essay assignment and deadline
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Lit Circle Meeting #5 + Seminar Prep Work Time

2/24/2017

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Agenda
1. Go over the 
Seminar Prep Guidelines!  (Seminar is next Tuesday, 2/28 and you will have half of class on Monday to prep as well)
2. Lit Circle Meeting #5
3. Seminar Prep work time + SLC academic improvement plan work timee


Optional/Just for fun: 
Take this Belief Quiz  
If you don't know the definition of the "label" the quiz gave you, look it up.
What were the results?  Did the quiz tell you what you already knew?  Did it surprise you at all?
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Day 2: Science and Religion in the meaning of life

2/23/2017

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Class Biz
  • SLC's are next Wednesday.  You only need to attend with your parent(s) if you have a C- or lower in any class and if you haven't contacted a LINK mentor yet.
  • You'll need to fill out an academic plan for each class you are not passing (or have a C- in). You may work on that during class work time tomorrow and Monday.
  • You will also need to sign up for an SLC by Monday.
  • A note about yesterday's discussion on science and religion: What the purpose of this mini-study is and expectations for civility of discourse and accuracy of statements.

Historical Context of the Religion and Science Dichotomy:  

BBC Documentary:  The End of God?  A Horizon Guide to Science and Religion
Take notes on the film.  Note major events in the historical ideological struggle between religion and science.  Jot down questions.  Think about where are now in this struggle as a species and where you are as an individual.

Journal:  Synthesize the content of the  film.  What did you find striking, interesting, disturbing, questionable?  What do you think about the bigger question the film is asking?

Final Literature Circle Book Seminar Prep Guidelines (see the embedded document below)

Work Time
  • Prepare for tomorrow's lit circle #5 (you will have 1 class period tomorrow to do prepare before the meeting as well)
  • Begin working on seminar prep ​
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Wrapping up the Success Podcast and Transitioning to Science/Religion

2/22/2017

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Starter
Step 1:  Listen to Episode #2: 
Angela Duckworth: Is Having Grit The Key To Success?

Step 2: Respond to these three questions
1. What were Duckworth's main points about success?
2. How does this relate to Tennessee Williams' "Catastrophe of Success"?
3.  Which of the podcasts most connected with you? (see below)
4. If you had to distill your own definition of success into a "question- title" for this podcast series (like these examples) what would it be? WHY?  Explain your title.

For your reference- brief summaries of main points of each podcast:
  • Tony Robbins - don't let your story define you, follow your passion as drive is the key to success
  • Angela Duckworth- grit is the key to success, growth mindset helps one have grit
  • Ron Gutman- Smiling makes one appear more successful and there is a correlation between one's smile and one's success in life
  • Mike Rowe- Don't follow your passion if it makes you unhappy; ideal is to blend what makes you happy with what makes money; people with dirty jobs are perhaps the most successful
  • Alain de Bottom-  (We didn't listen to this one! But it's good and worth listening to on  your own!) Our current definition of successful sets people up as winners or losers so we should redefine success in a way that is kinder and more compassionate.  You can't be successful in all realms of our lives.  You have to make  a choice between being successful in work or life.  We must make a choice as to in which realm of our life we want to be successful. It is a personal choice-- must decide for yourself.  There shouldn't be a one-size fits all definition of success.  ​
​
Transitioning to Science v. Religion mini-study!
Driving Question:  How do science and religion provide meaning to human existence? To YOUR existence?

1. In Groups- Discuss your collective thoughts on Religion and Science :
  • Are religion and science compatible?  Can they work together to illuminate meaning in our lives?  Or do they contradict each other? How/Why does religion help people answer the questions of our existence?  How does science?
  • Make a T-chart:
Label the left column: "Commonalities between Religion and Science"
Label the column on the right: "Areas where you see tension between them"

2 Share out!

3 Stephen Jay Gould's "NOMA" Non-overlapping Magisteria
Feel free to read Gould's original article (linked above) for more depth of information!

Non-overlapping magisteria (NOMA) is the view advocated by Stephen Jay Gould that science and religion each represent different areas of inquiry, fact vs. values, so there is a difference between the "nets" over which they have "a legitimate magisterium, or domain of teaching authority," and the two domains do not overlap. He suggests, with examples, that "NOMA enjoys strong and fully explicit support, even from the primary cultural stereotypes of hard-line traditionalism" and that it is "a sound position of general consensus, established by long struggle among people of goodwill in both magisteria."  Still, there continues to be disagreement over where the boundaries between the two magisteria should be.

Quote from Gould:  "Our failure to discern a universal good does not record any lack of insight or ingenuity, but merely demonstrates that nature contains no moral messages framed in human terms. Morality is a subject for philosophers, theologians, students of the humanities, indeed for all thinking people. The answers will not be read passively from nature; they do not, and cannot, arise from the data of science. The factual state of the world does not teach us how we, with our powers for good and evil, should alter or preserve it in the most ethical manner"
​
4. READ The Meaning of Life in a Formula and jot down some notes on your article to help you contribute to our discussion on the following questions:
  • How does the author answer our the question: Are religion and science compatible?
  • To what extent do you AGREE OR DISAGREE with the author?

LIT CIRCLE READING AND MEETING #5 PREP TIME
T4TB:  Ashley will meet with the T4TB students to provide more context for various thematic topics in the novel including Einstein's Space-Time Theory!​ ("time flies" in the novel....does this concept relate to Ruth and Nao's personal experiences and perception of time? How does it relate to "time being"? )

Into the Wild Group
*Note: Nick Jans is the author in Chapter 8 (p.71-72) who criticized Chris and Krakauer’s coverage of him.
  1. REVIEW TRANSCENDENTALISM! (Remember Thoreau?) Transcendentalism powerpoint
  2.  Have someone read aloud while you all follow along:  Keiran Eagen’s intertextual email exchange with Nick Jans  
  3. JOURNAL:  Set a timer. For 10 minutes and each of you, in your starter google doc, respond to the following prompts:Do you agree with Keiran or with Nick Jans?  Was Chris McCandless less competent than a boy scout?  Or was he on a transcendental path that is worthy of our study
  4. Discuss your thoughts as a group!  
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Success Podcast continued + Lit Circle Meeting #4

2/21/2017

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This Week's Homework:  Read and complete your assigned role for Friday's final meeting!

Agenda
Watch a video clip from Mike Rowe's t.v. show "Dirty Jobs": "Are People with Dirty Jobs the most Successful?" (Mike Rowe is an American media personality, actor and amateur comedian best known as the host of the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs. He can also be heard as narrator on a variety of series and has appeared in recurring commercials for Ford Motor Company.)

Listen to "Success" Podcast Episodes 2 and 4

Written reflection in starter docs on the latest "Success" episodes:
  • What line(s) stood out to you?
  • How does these two speakers define success?
  • To what extent do you agree with these two speakers? Which one resonates with you more?

Partner Discussion
  • Fame, Fortune or Truth? What do you want to acquire more throughout your life?  Why?
​
Read  "The Catastrophe of Success" 
  • When done, jot down some notes to the discussion questions at the end of the article. 
  • SEMINAR!
  • Save this reading for later reference for  your personal philosophy project!

Lit Circle Meeting #4
  • Before you end the meeting, be sure to check-in on roles and reading assignment for the last meeting on FRIDAY.

INTO THE WILD GROUPS-- Focus on Ch. 15 (pages 147-8, 150, 155-6) and the similarities and differences between Chris and Jon Krakauer.
  • Create a Venn Diagram and map out the sims/diffs 
  • Then analyze the quote by David B. on page 145 and how it applies to Chris and Jon.
  • What is the proper balance a parent should strike between having high expectations for his/her child and supporting him/her unconditionally? How do your parents do on this font?
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What motivates us? How do you define success?

2/16/2017

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Starter: If, as Steve Smith's point about atoms not existing and therefore this is all a hologram is true, how does that hit you? How does that square with existentialism and your response to the Absurd?

Mini-study on Success 
  1. Turn and chat: How do you define success?
​

   2. Listen to the Ted Radio Hour on "Success" Episodes #1 and #3:
  • As you listen, write down a line that stands out to you as significant (either you strongly disagree with it or strongly agree with it) from both speakers 
  • After listening: Summarize both speakers’ definition and discuss to what extent could either speakers’ definitions of success positively affect your own life. How?

Reflect on how lit circles are going:
  • Please take THIS SURVEY (it is also embedded below)
  • Review survey results, informal discussion on the results 

LIT CIRCLE MEETING #3
  • Ashley to have whole T4TB discussion
  • Meet as groups
  • Be sure to check in with your group to review roles/reading assignments for next Tuesday's meeting!
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Harvard Study on Meaningful Life + Lit Circle Meeting #3

2/15/2017

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 Starter
What is the most important relationship in your life and in what ways does this relationship influence you and your well-being?

Agenda
1. Watch this TED Talk entitled 
"What Makes a Good Life: Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness"
  • During the talk, write down one idea/phrase/word/concept that stands out to you
  • After talk, write down one question you would like to ask this researcher, or that this talk sparked for you.

2. Small group discussion:
  • With your group, take turns sharing your idea/phrase/word/concept, and talk about them.  Notice similarities and differences.
  • What was the thesis of this talk?  What, ultimately did the research reveal about what makes a good life?
  • Share your questions: discuss them as  a group

3. Part 1 of the Mini-study on Motivation and Success
  1. Discussion question: How is exploring concepts on what motivates humans and how you define success relevant to our personal philosophy project?  How might if fit in with what we've studied?
  2. Watch and discuss this RSA Animate called "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us"  
  • What is the thesis of this video/podcast/presentation?
  • How might this affect the choices you make about your future (LINK placement? Career paths? Colleges?)

​4. Lit Circle Meeting #3 PREP time

  • Review roles for tomorrow!
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Eudaimonia Review and Lit Circle Meeting #3 PREP time

2/14/2017

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ANNOUNCEMENT:  LIT CIRCLE MEETING #3 is on THURSDAY NOW!  Mtg #4 still on TUESDAY of next week.  be sure to read over the long weekend!!!


AGENDA
1. Lit Circle Meeting #2


2. LECTURE: Reviewing Aristotle's philosophy of Eudaimonia

3. JOURNAL: After the lecture and reading, how are Aristotle’s ideas on Happiness and a Meaningful Life resonating with you?  What do you reject?  What questions does it raise for you?  

4. Read and prepare for lit circle meeting #3
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Aristotle's Philosophy of Eudaimonia + Lit Circle Meeting #2

2/13/2017

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STARTER:  Watch this video of Jim Whittaker's (first American to summit Everest) view of a life well-lived and then answer this question: 
  1. ​What is your personal definition of “a life well-lived”?  At the end of your life, what do you hope to be able to look back and say?

Class Biz
  1. This week's homework 

AGENDA
Reading:  Background Knowledge Aristotle's Eudaimonia

Reading Response: 
Solo or with a partner, answer the following questions on a piece of paper or a Google doc. Share the doc with Ashley and be sure both partners' names are on it.
  1.  Define "Eudaimonia."  Google it beyond this reading.  Does this Google search add to your definition?  How might Aristotle's definition of happiness differ from the way Stanford researcher Jennifer Aaker defined it in the very first reading we did in this project? ( "The meaningful life is a road worth traveling") 
  2. According to Aristotle, what makes humans different than the other forms of nature?  What does this difference have to do with the purpose of our existence and our pursuit of happiness?
  3.  For Aristotle, how do we live a happy and meaningful life?  What might this involve?  Give specifics.
  4. Explain the Golden Mean.  Use the table on the last page of your reading to help you understand it.  Look up any words on the table that you don't already know; annotate the meaning and add it to your vocabulary!
  5. What might an existentialist say to Aristotle's theory of a meaningful life?

Lit Circle Meeting #2
  • Prep/reading time (if time?)
  • Meeting!


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Some Advice from Hunter S. Thomson and Lit Circle Meeting #1

2/9/2017

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Starter: What does it mean to you to have a "sense of purpose"?  Do you feel like you have found your sense of purpose? Do you know what it might be?

Agenda
1. Read this letter of advice for finding your purpose by author, ganzo journalist and political activist, Hunter S. Thomson  (ASHLEY! DON'T FORGET TO GIVE  YOUR LOVELY STUDENTS A BIT MORE CONTEXT ON THE AUTHOR)
  • ​Annotate for questions, insights, confusions, profound words of wisdoms, pushbacks, critiques, etc...
  • Identify the most important line needed to understand his advice
  • Be prepared to discuss what Thomson's advice is and to what extent you agree with it.

2. Class discussion on Thomson's letter

3. 
Time to read lit circle books + Stranger​ seminar make-up

4.  Meeting #1

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    Ashley Carruth

    Humanities 11 Teacher at Animas High School

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