Week #2: Foundational Documents

A Co-Designed Humanities Experience

Week #2

From “we should…” to “we will, we are, and we did...”

This week, we will begin to draft and articulate a vision for our class. Along the way, we will analyze founding documents from this country and others and craft personal statements of our own principles.

This week, there are five (5) pieces to this.

Part One: Individually, you will analyze at least one foundational document.

Please go to the Google Classroom for the full details.

Due when & how: Be prepared to share info in class on Wednesday. You might need to teach a small group, you might need to answer questions aloud, or something similar. Please also answer your questions & drop it in our Google Classroom.

Part Two: Individually, you will create a Personal Declaration of Something

Please go to the Google Classroom for the full details.

Due when & how: By Friday, you will have posted this on your DP, shared it with at least one adult beyond your humanities teacher, and posted it (or a link to it) in our Google Classroom.

Part Three: As a group, we will spend class money by noon on Thursday, following a class-created (or student-created) process for fair, inclusive and equitable decision making.

Part Four: As a class, we will create a class-wide draft document (or documents) that:

• 1. is based on important founding documents like the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Federalist Papers, etc. (perhaps consider the Magna Carta, the 95 Theses, other countries’ important documents, etc.)

  2. articulates a statement of principles (see the Preamble or something like it)

  3. creates a decision-making process

  4. addresses $$$ (somehow!)

  5. provides a conflict-resolution process

  6. addresses grades & grading processes (somehow!)

  7. other ideas?

This document (or these documents, if you pursue a more "British" approach), should be shared, presented, or otherwise public material by 12:40 on Thursday.

Part Five: Choose one, some or all of the following:

• 1. Create proposals for room design,

  2. Further organize the sticky notes on the whiteboards

  3. Create a semi-permanent area for questions, fierce wonderings, etc.

  4. Create proposals for project maps, timelines, etc.