1950s

3/7: HOMEWORK: Please read and respond to Betty Friedan and Hermia Snider (readings are here).

In class, we came to some stunning insights about "Her Kind" by Anne Sexton and worked on the BEAT performances.

3/6: HOMEWORK: Another resource reflection is due by Thursday. No coupons. See "Cont Am Culture Resources" for more information.

Here's the grading criteria for the BEAT perfomances. Today, groups settled on the poem choices and worked to make meaning out of the poems. Look up every word and reference you do not know. Work through images that particularly stand out. Examine word choice, sound choice, form, title, etc. Use these to help you make your way through the poem, to understand it as best you can and as completely as you can.

Then, start doing some talking about performance ideas. How can you see/hear the poem taking shape? What recurring image or line or sound might help us to make meaning of the poem as we watch? How can you use language, use musicality, use your understanding of the Beats, of the 1950s, of their art as a way to help you perform (and how can you demonstrate that knowledge IN your performance)?

3/5: HOMEWORK: Another resource reflection is due by Thursday. No coupons. See "Cont Am Culture Resources" for more information.

In your groups today, share the information you gathered from the video, podcast and readings. Together revisit "A Supermarket in California" and do more work thinking through the poem, bringing to bear all that you learned - about the Beats, about poetry and music, about the poem itself, etc. This is good practice for you to do together before you work through a poem for assessment. You should be discussing the poem and your new insights into the poem, as well as ideas for performance that you took away from the resources and could apply to the poem.

Then, take a look at The Beats. Read the introduction and scroll down to the poets and the poems. Spend some time exploring. You are looking for a poem that you can work with - making meaning of the poem, applying what you know/understand about Beats and poetry and the times and moving into performance. If you find one (or two) that you are interested in, let me know (I'll need title and author), and I will print them out.

3/1: HOMEWORK: Write your reflection for Monday and finish the work you need to for your group (either A or B below). Make sure that you have good notes to share.

We are starting BEAT poetry today. This is another kind of art that gained some notoriety in the 1950s and has had lasting effects (we'll be thinking about the same guiding question with this art as we did with Abstract Expressionism, Color Field and Action painting). To start, we'll work together for a little bit on Allen Ginsberg's poem "A Supermarket in California"

Choose groups - these are groups you'll be working in for the duration of the Beats AND you'll be performing together as part of the assessment.* Groups can be no larger than 4 people.

Then, in your groups, each person needs to choose either A or B , so that BOTH are covered in your groups. A. Watch this video and The Beats looking back and now and read "The Rebels of the Fifties". OR B. listen to this podcast about "A Supermarket in California") and read "Jazz Poetry"For each, take notes (you should have at least a half a page of notes for each source) about the Beats, who they were, what they did and why they matter. This information is important for your understanding of Beat poetry and to inform your group's choices and performance.

2/28: HOMEWORK: Write your reflection for Monday.

In class, to start: on the front of the notecard: write down the 3-5 most important takeaways from the blog or video from last night's homework AND write down why they matter (how has this information informed your thinking and/or how do you think it might help your classmates)? Then, share with each other their notes from the homework, and revisit the art pieces through the lens of the new information. Choose 2-3 pieces to reexamine through the lens of the new information and through the use of elements and principles (please choose at least one piece that challenged you yesterday). What do you see that is new and WHY does that matter?

2/27: HOMEWORK In your groups, divide between this work between you: at least one person in each group read this blog, at least one person in each group watch this video and at least one person watch this video about Abstract Expressionism. These should add to your thinking about the questions you wrestled with in groups today. Take notes. These should add to your thinking about the questions you wrestled with in groups today. Bring the notes with you to class tomorrow.

Please get together in your groups today and share the art that you looked at yesterday. Start by just sharing pieces that particularly interested you. If you did not look at the elements and principles of art yesterday, do that today. Choose ONE piece you feel confident about (as a group) AND one that confuses the heck out of you to share with us as a large group.

2/25: Please go to the Art page under 1950s (see drop down menu above).

2/15: We started work with these poems and we shared the findings from the resources due today.

2/14: For Friday, listen/read and respond to one of the resources on the Cont. Am Culture Resources page (in the menu above).

In class, we talked about Mamie Till Mosley's memoir and watched, examined and discussed this video about the murder, the photographs, the trial and its resonance today.

2/12: For Wednesday, read and respond to the excerpt about Emmett Till's death and open casket from Mamie Till-Mobley's memoir. For Friday, listen/read and respond to one of the resources on the Cont. Am Culture Resources page (in the menu above).

Eckford and Bryan have had lives beyond this photograph, but this photograph coninues to connect them. Read the excerpt from Margolick's book about the ways in which their lives have intersected since then. Respond/reflect: what strikes you as most important and why? Where do you find yourself sympathizing with one or the woman, the situation, etc. and why? Where did you find yourself arguing or pushing back against the story? Why?

2/11: HOMEWORK: Listen/read and respond to one of the resources on the Cont. Am Culture Resources page (in the menu above).

We met in groups to discuss the podcasts.

Then, take a look at the photograph of Elizabeth Eckford walking to school at Central High in 1957 (Will Counts, photographer). Describe what you see, including "plot" characterization, setting, etc. Where does your sympathy lie? Why?

2/7: Also, please listen, take notes and respond to 2 podcasts by Monday. Here are the links to the podcasts: 99% Invisible (it's episode 201 if you need to search for it. Press the play button that appears on the illustration), The Nod ( "The Haristons Part 2." This is part 2 of a two parter. They recap part 1 at the beginning, so I hope you can follow it. Part 1 is really worth listening to...) The episode explores differences in opinion about continuing impact of slavery. Criminal ("Lavender Scare" the outing of gays during the McCarthy era) Stuff You Missed in History Class (Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare part 2), Fresh Air (an interview with Melba Patillo Beals - one of the Little Rock Nine).

On your drafts: put a box around your 2-3 best arguments. Number them and then tell me why you think they were successful. Then, underline your 2-3 best revision changes (number these R1, R2, etc) and tell me why you made those changes and how they improved your writing. Finally, tell me what you would still work on if you had more time and why (how would it improve your address?). Also in class, we worked on paraphrasing the final guiding quote and watched a clip from Ken Burns' documentary about Jackie Robinson.

2/6: HOMEWORK: Final drafts are due tomorrow. Please print your final draft and works cited and bring them with you to class tomorrow. Also, please listen, take notes and respond to 2 podcasts by Monday (for Friday, if it happens that there is no school tomorrow). Here are the links to the podcasts: 99% Invisible (it's episode 201 if you need to search for it. Press the play button that appears on the illustration), The Nod ( "The Haristons Part 2." This is part 2 of a two parter. They recap part 1 at the beginning, so I hope you can follow it. Part 1 is really worth listening to...) The episode explores differences in opinion about continuing impact of slavery. Criminal ("Lavender Scare" the outing of gays during the McCarthy era) Stuff You Missed in History Class (Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare part 2), Fresh Air (an interview with Melba Patillo Beals - one of the Little Rock Nine).

In class: We read and responded tothe excerpt from Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and to Stephanie Coontz's "The Not So Good Old Days." We also watched T.V. clips from the 1950s: Father Knows Best, I Love Lucy, Dragnet.

2/5: In class choose one or the other to work on (both are required by the due dates listed): Your final drafts are due on Thursday. Think about all of the ideas we talked about concerning revision. For your introductions and conclusions, think about the purpose of each. An introduction should set the tone you want to set for the piece. How do you want to start the piece? What's the tone you want to set? Is it confrontational? Welcoming? Conspiratorial? Authoritative? Take control and let readers know what they are in for.

For the conclusion, remember that this is your LAST chance to influence the readers. Make it count. Make strong appeals for the state you imagine as you look forward. Make suggestions about how to make real change so that the state of the union can ben stronger than it is now.

OR

Please listen, take notes and respond to 2 podcasts by Monday. Here are the links to the podcasts: 99% Invisible (it's episode 201 if you need to search for it. Press the play button that appears on the illustration), The Nod ( "The Haristons Part 2." This is part 2 of a two parter. They recap part 1 at the beginning, so I hope you can follow it. Part 1 is really worth listening to...) The episode explores differences in opinion about continuing impact of slavery. Criminal ("Lavender Scare" the outing of gays during the McCarthy era) Stuff You Missed in History Class (Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare part 2), Fresh Air (an interview with Melba Patillo Beals - one of the Little Rock Nine).

2/4: HOMEWORK: Continue to work on the State of the Union address. Due Thursday. Here's the grading criteria for the addresses. See "Early Days" page for more information.

In class, We worked with the Inaugural poems to evaluate the different views of America (2013 and 1961), whose stories are told, etc. and what that tells us about America. We also looked at Rockwell's Game Called Because of Rain in an effort to start to think about the world of the 1950s (in your journals, spend 5 minutes with the art, describe what you see).