Monday, September 28th

Today's Resources in Electronic Form

• Primary Source #1: John O'Sullivan on Manifest Destiny (don't worry yet about the questions at the end, we'll do that in class on Thursday)
• Primary Source #2: North Star Editorial, "The War with Mexico"
• Historical Thinking Skills Chart

Starter:

• Take the survey linked above
• Turn in your permission form for Junior Retreat
• Self-assess on the rubric for the Voices from the Animas project if you're done with the project

Class Biz

• Tuesday's guest speakers and our Voices from the Animas exhibition
• Interviews for Tuesday afternoon (who needs one? Who is interested?)
• Homework for the week

Today's Driving Questions

• How was rhetoric used to persuade people about the Mexican-American War?
• To what extent does Thoreau serve as a good model for how we as individuals should strive to live in creating a just society?

Agenda
1.  Review the primary source readings on the Mexican American War and complete the historical thinking skills chart.  Also, jot down questions or confusions you have about the readings. (20 minutes)

2. Whole class discussion to deconstruct the readings

• Review: What is "Manifest Destiny"?
• What do you notice about each other's rhetoric (use of speech as a way to persuade their audience)? Who is the audience? What is the purpose of each article and what rhetoric does each use to make their point?
• Go over the "Discussion Questions" at the end of John O'Sullivan's article
• Read aloud excerpts from the  North Star Editorial:  How does the author highlight the class and race dimension of the war? How does the author feel about Manifest Destiny?
• In what ways do you see these two conflicting views/ideologies on war playing out in more modern times?

3. Review: What were the major ideas of Transcendentalism? Then Act out pages 17-29 of The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

• Deacon Ball
• Henry
• Ellen
• Mother
• John

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4. Agree/Disagree: Conformity is bad

5. Small group activity-- Find a quote that represents Thoreau's perspective on:

• Traditional forms of religion v. Transcendentalism  (self-reliance OR individualism OR spirituality/nature)
• Civil Disobedience
• Education
• The Government

6. Whole class discussion (BIG QUESTION HERE: To what extent do you agree with Thoreau's philosophies? Does he serve as a good model for the role we as individuals should play in creating a just society?)

• What do you think about his views on education and the role of the teacher?  To what extent should experience and our own mind be our primary teacher? To what extent should teachers and religious leaders be viewed as Authorities? (In essence, to what extent do you agree with Thoreau's views?)
• What about his religious views? 
• (p. 33-34) Should we value nature and animals as we do humans? Should they be a part of our sphere of moral concern?
• (p. 35) Here Thoreau distinguishes between "being" and "living". What is the difference and what do you tend towards in your own life?

 7. Work Time

• Time to read to page 40 of TNTSJ 
• For those who haven't dialed interview: Voices from Animas project (prepare interview questions, work on DP reflection)