Tuesday, January 19th

Today's Goals

• Understand the protocol for lit circles
• Get organized with your Lit Circle group

​Starter #7: 15 minute Free write!!
I would encourage you to journal (or write creatively-- a poem, short story start, etc..) about the thoughts that may be swirling around in your mind after studying existentialism the past two weeks!  We will periodically do some journaling on the Happiness and Meaning content in order to help you generate inspiration for your final project and to help you formulate your own personal philosophy.  

Class Biz

• Chem Lab this Friday * No Humanities class :( 
• Ind. Study Honors-- Feel free to schedule a conference with me as needed. It is time to get your butt's in high gear though! Exhibition is February 2nd.
• Clarification on Alienation-- as it applies to existentialism it means alienation from yourself. You don't define your own identity/values and thus have the feeling of being "lost in the crowd".  The way out is through authenticity. Thus, The Stranger is how Mersault is estranged from himself and suggests we all are until we embrace the absurd.

Agenda
Review "Paradox of Choice" TED Talk
1. We need freedom to feel happy
2. Too many choices are bad because:

• Cause regret and anticipated regret
• There are opportunity costs
• We get escalated expectations
• We end up blaming ourselves for making the wrong choice

3. The key to happiness is therefore LOW EXPECTATIONS and fewer choices

Turn and Chat about "Paradox of Choice"

• What is an example in your life where you feel paralyzed by too many choices or where you have struggled to make a choice or where you've been disappointed by/regretted making the wrong choice?
• What can you do to avoid the negative emotions associated with increased choices in our affluent, industrial, Western society?

​​Introduction to Lit Circles!

• Get into groups!
• Quick tutorial on how to find lit circle (and ALL project) resources
• Go over the Lit Circle Guidelines/Meeting Notes 

Get organized with your lit circle

1. Make a copy of the Lit Circle Guidelines/Meeting Notes 
2. Come up with a group name
3. Title the document like this: Lit Circle Work_GROUP NAME
4. Share it with all group members and ME!!
5. Divide up the reading and fill in the page numbers/chapter numbers on page 1 under "READING SCHEDULE"
6. Decide which role each of you will play on the assigned days

• Fill in your role for each day on the blank lines under "READING SCHEDULE".
• Fill in the master schedule on page 2 under "LITERATURE CIRCLE SCHEDULE"

Research your book and then discuss these prompts:
Resources on your book can be found HERE (please add any good resources you find to this document throughout our lit circle time)

• Read the introduction/preface/reviews in the front of the book as relevant
• Learn about the author. When were they born? Where? What was their life like? What experiences may have influenced this book?
• When was the book published and/or when does the book take place? What important historical/social/political events were occurring then that may influence the plot/themes, etc..?
• What important themes stick out in this book?

Time to read and prepare for meeting #1 (which is tomorrow!)