Early Days

Citation for the TED Talk and Hidden Brain podcast:

Stokes, Colin. "How Movies Teach Manhood." TED. NOV. 2012. Lecture.

Vedantam, Shankar. "The Deep Story." Hidden Brain. NPR. 31 Jan. 2017. Web. 25 Jan. 2017.

2/6: HOMEWORK: Please read the Bryson piece and mark it up, thinking about his view of 1950s America. Also, get started on your reflection (drafts due Thursday - see "Deep Story reflection" handout attached below). In class, we talked about the two contemporary war pieces and looked at some of Rockwell's war art (attached below).

2/3: We talked about the Korematsu video and the case.

2/2: D Block: see "D Block war work Feb 2" attached below. You can find the Korematsu video here

2/1: D & F BLOCK HOMEWORK (for Friday): For Friday, please watch the video about Fred Korematsu (you can also search for it on youtube “Fred Korematsu: A Civil Rights Hero or use this URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1UDNAgeppI). Fred Korematsu and his story matter to us for several reasons: its link to war, to the Supreme Court, to the idea of models and their importance and to what is going on right now in our country. As you watch: on the front of the notecard: tale notes – write down important facts about the school and how they use Fred’s legacy as part of their core goals, about his case and his life, about the resolution of the case and what’s still unresolved. After you watch, on the back of the notecard: react/respond to the video (thinking about our purpose AND about the Guelzo quote you responded to in your journal last week). Fill the back of the card.

F Block in class work attached below ("Cont Am Culture War + Korematsu" attached below).

1/31: D Block: We talked about models today (if you were out, please answer 2 of these questions on a piece of paper and hand them in to me) - who are your models and why/how do they affect you? What role do models play in shaping how we see ourselves? Who are models in our country and world today and why? Finally, we looked at the Rockwell painting Game Called Because of Rain (see attached below). In your journal, describe what you see. Start with "plot" - what is happening here and how do you know it, move onto who the characters are, their relationships, etc. to setting - THEN move onto elements of art - what do you notice about color, about line and shape, about contrast , texture, form, etc, and principles of art like perspective, balance, movement, rhythm. etc.. Finally, reread what you wrote and make a list of American ideals you see reflected in the painting.

F Block: In class, we watched Colin Stokes' TED Talk. On the front of the sticky note, write down what interests you/you find surprising. On the back of the sticky, reflect, make connections to our discussion, to the readings, etc. Place sticky note on the race/gender index card and hand in.

1/30 F Block HOMEWORK: Tonight read the two pieces about women’s lives. Mark them up, looking for ideas that give you a window into the lives of women, ideas that resonate, that challenge, etc. On the back of the notecard, take one idea from your notes (from either of the readings) that you found challenging and/or surprising (and one that would benefit all of us to think about). Write the idea down and then reflect/react, apply , etc. Fill the back of the notecard.

D BLOCK: HOMEWORK: Please think about models, as we talked about them in class today. REFLECT on the idea in your journals (at least a page): Who have been/are your models and where did you find them? What impact do models have on you? What are your thoughts about the models you see/ have seen screen, especially those you saw as a child (think about what Colin Stokes said in his TED Talk)? How does this reinforce/contradict/add insight gained from the two articles you read for today?

1/27: F BLOCK: HOMEWORK: Either listen to the episode “Strangers in Their Own Land” from the podcast Hidden Brain OR read the articles “How Obama Ruined Race Relations” (attached below) and “ America's Unseen Social Crisis: Men without Work" . We are doing this to get a sense of what divides our view of who we are as Americans right now. For either assignment, take notes about what you hear/read about people’s view of America as reported in the piece(s), about the problems faced, divisions created, etc. Remember that not everyone is reading/listening to the same thing so be listening for and/or looking for the important facts and ideas Your notes should fill a notebook page.

D BLOCK: On the front of the notecard: take one idea from your notes (from either the readings OR the podcast) that you found challenging and/or surprising (and one that would benefit all of us to think about). Write the idea down and then reflect/react, apply, etc. Fill the front of the notecard.

This weekend, read the two pieces about women’s lives ("How we Teach Our Kids..." and "Girls and Gendered Beliefs" attached below). Mark them up, looking for ideas that give you a window into the lives of women, ideas that resonate, that challenge, etc. On the back of the notecard, take one idea from your notes (from either of the readings) that you found challenging and/or surprising (and one that would benefit all of us to think about). Write the idea down and then reflect/react, apply , etc. Fill the back of the notecard.

1/26: F BLOCK: We started by responding in the journals to the quote: "Patriotism without criticism has no head; criticism without patriotism has no heart." In the journals, first define the quote, then react to it (do you believe it? Why or why not? Do the ideas matter to you?). Finally, assume that it is true for American culture, apply the quote to some of the topics we discussed yesterday to show me that patriotism is at work there. Discussion ensued...

1/25: D Block (homework): For Friday: Either listen to the episode “Strangers in Their Own Land” from the podcast Hidden Brain OR read the articles “How Obama Ruined Race Relations” (attached below) and “ America's Unseen Social Crisis: Men without Work" . We are doing this to get a sense of what divides our view of who we are as Americans right now. For either assignment, take notes about what you hear/read about people’s view of America as reported in the piece(s), about the problems faced, divisions created, etc. Remember that not everyone is reading/listening to the same thing so be listening for and/or looking for the important facts and ideas Your notes should fill a notebook page.

F BLOCK: Homework: Working with the Inaugural poems. Poems are meant to be read and heard. Listening really matters. If we did not read the poems out loud in class, please do so,, or better yet, listen to the poets read them (Frost reads from a slightly different version of the poem; don’t let that throw you) Blanco's is here. Mark up each poem – circle words you do not know (or do not understand as they are being used in context) and look them up. Underline images that particularly stick out to you and make notes about WHY. Use those images to help you make meaning of the poem. Try to summarize the poem (a one –two line “bumper sticker” that indicates what the poem is about). Paraphrase (this is a closer reading) lines/ complete thoughts, ideas, etc. for the poem, marking lines you do not understand. Square word choice that seems striking (look for patterns, words that stick out because of sound or vividness, strong verbs, etc.). Examine the title and how it shapes an understanding of the poem. Make notes for each about what views of America the poem is expressing.