Friday, October 2nd

Our Class Definition of Transcendentalism
An early 19th century philosophical movement that spearheaded by Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson that stipulates individuals have the ability to think beyond their body, and prioritizes self-reliance, nonconformity, spiritual connection through nature, and not believing in God as the traditional religious figure, but finds a God in nature, and believing that everything is connected (we are all a part of a universal soul).

Starter #19: Watch Obama's Address of the Umpqua Community College mass shooting in Roseberg, OR and respond:

• What methods did he use to affect his audience and make his point?
• Do you agree with Obama that we need to tighten gun control in this country? Why or why not?

Agenda
1. Discuss our starter
​Ethos, Pathos, Logos

• Vox.com: Article about Obama's speech and cross-cultural comparison of homicide rates 
• Fox News: Article describing the shooting

2. Go over the homework: 

• Finish TNTSJ by Monday
• By Tuesday: Read (and I'd encourage some form of annotations) these excerpts from the essay, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau. 

3. To the Twin Buttes Amphitheater Batman! Bring things to annotate with.

• Act out pp. 80-88
• Quiet reading time (either TNTSJ or "Civil Disobedience)

Discussion Questions (Use evidence to back up your ideas yo!)

• What does huckleberrying symbolize? (re-read pages 72-74)
• How do you achieve individual liberty AND equality?
• How does Thoreau define "freedom"  Do you agree?
• What are other ways we can define freedom?
• Does Thoreau's philosophy free us of helping the less fortunate? 
• What does Walden represent?
• What is the best way to bring about justice and change? Revolution? Slow, incremental steps? Other ways?