Friday, September 19th

Starter:
Watch the first minute of the trailer on the  film version of Vonnegut's 1961 short story, "Harrison Bergeron". Choose one of the following prompts to respond to:

• Write the prequel to this trailer:  Why did the government decide to make everyone equal and how did they manage to do it?
• What was going on in our society at the time of Vonnegut's writing that might inspire him to satirize the idea of equality? (Think about the Cold War and 1950's mainstream American culture if you know anything about either of these events)
  

Agenda:
Pass back pop quizzes 
ANSWER KEY is here if you want to check your answers

1. Discuss starter

• Watch Leave it to Beaver clip (only first minute)
• What do folks know about communism? 5 minutes of research!
• http://people.howstuffworks.com/communism.htm
  

2. What are potential problems with Material Equality? 
Formal equality v. Material Equality definitions (Watch the first 1:30 of the video)


3. Watch Kurt Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron"


SATIRIZE: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues

4. Seminar Prep: 
Morality and Politics of Justice Journal #1: Equality Seminar Prep  

Choose 4 of these questions and write complete paragraphs responding to each question.  

•  ESSENTIAL QUESTION: To what extend does emphasizing equality lead to a just society?
  
• What is your reaction to this short film?  How does understanding a bit about the historical context and the moral philosophies inform your understanding of this film?
  
• What is equality? 
•  Is the possession of a right to pursue happiness empty if we lack the ability or opportunity to exercise it? Do the sharp divisions between haves and have-nots—whether of wealth, opportunity, or natural talents—mean that equality is not achievable, without government intervention?
  
• Why do Americans love equality? Should we? Can the desire for it ever be satisfied?
  
• What do we owe those of our fellow citizens who are worse off through no fault of their own? 
  
• Would you object if society sought equality not by handicapping the gifted but by lifting up the not-gifted, say through genetic engineering or biotechnological enhancement? Evaluates the pros and cons of “lifting up.” 
  
• What is the difference between equality of outcome and equality of opportunity? Provide examples of both.  Which one should we strive to achieve and why?
  

5. Whole Class seminar on discussion questions at the end of the story

If Time:
Go over Morality and Politics of Justice project guidelines