Wednesday, 9/7

Today's Objective
Understand the basic tenets of Transcendentalism and try to identify them in TNTSJ

Starter 6: Read both of these quotes, and respond to ONE.
Your response should:

• Be 1 paragraph in length (5-7 sentences)
• Contain a 1 sentence summary of the main idea of the quote
• Contain your explanation of why you agree or disagree with the ideas in the quote

Quote #1 “If patriotism were defined, not as blind obedience to government, nor as submissive worship to flags and anthems, but rather as love of one's country, one's fellow citizens (all over the world), as loyalty to the principles of justice and democracy, then patriotism would require us to disobey our government, when it violated those principles.” -Howard Zinn, Historian and Civil Rights Activist, in Declarations of Independence: Cross-Examining American Ideology (1991): "Obligation to the State"

Quote #2: “In my view, teachers in state-controlled public schools are hired to teach there…Certainly a teacher is not paid to go into school and teach subjects the State does not hire him to teach…..The original idea of schools, which I do not believe is yet abandoned as worthless or out of date, was that children had not yet reached the point of experience and wisdom which enabled them to teacher all of their elders. It may be that the Nation has outworn the old-fashioned slogan that ‘children are to be seen not heard’ but one may…be permitted to harbor the thought that taxpayers send children to school on the premise that at their age they need to learn, not teach”- Supreme Court Justice Black dissenting with the majority opinion of the Tinker v. DesMoines 1969 Supreme Court Caseabout student protests during the Vietnam War.

Agenda
1.  Partner discussion on the starter
2. Overview and discussion of the 2014 Jefferson County Schools' Student Protests over School Board Decision: Video about the protests and Video Interview with school board member (5 minutes)

• What do you think about this debate? To what extent do you agree with Julie Williams:

The spark which ignited the tinderbox was a proposal written by one of the conservative majority on the school board, Julie Williams. In it, she calls for a review of the Advanced Placement history curriculum using the following set of criteria: “Materials should promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights. Materials should not encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law.”

• How do you define patriotism?
• How much freedom should teachers have to create their own curriculum? How much say should school boards or school district administrators or state policy makers or federal policy makers have?
• What do you think about Thoreau's views on education and the role of the teacher?  To what extent should experience and our own mind be our primary teacher? Would his method of teaching work for you? To what extent should teachers and religious leaders be viewed as Authorities? (In essence, to what extent do you agree with Thoreau's views?)  (pages 17-24).
• How do Thoreau's views on education compare to Krishnamurti's?

TRANSITION TO TRANSCENDENTALISM!!!
3. Read aloud pages 18 and 19 and then attempt to define "transcendentalism" based on this scene.  Take your best shot!

4.  Ashley's ppt on Transcendentalism  (you might want to take notes as these ideas may be called upon for a seminar prep/seminar)

5. Volunteers for acting out pp 23-29, 32-40

• Characters: Deacon Ball, Henry, John, Ellen,  Mother, Bailey

6. Time to read (be through page 55 by the BOC tomorrow):

• Pay attention to elements of transcendentalism.
• Make note of key lines that relate! Jot down any thought-provoking questions that come to mind as you read for our discussion later.

7. 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 Thoreau's 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?
• Where do you see Thoreau's views on transcendentalism showing up?
• (p. 35) Here Thoreau distinguishes between "being" and "living". What is the difference and what do you tend towards in your own life?
• Other questions/insights/musings?  Let's hear them!