Embedded Files
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There is only one way left to escape the alienation
of present-day society: to retreat ahead of it.
Roland Barthes
What happens when humans become estranged from our planet, our communities, even ourselves? How do we make sense out of randomness, chance, and isolation? Why do the societies, institutions, and systems that we rely upon to infuse our lives with meaning so often produce the opposite effect? If recognition is an act of seeing truly, then alienation might be understood as a kind of blindness. Where recognition allows us to know again and know deeply, alienation stymies us from making connections and disables our sense of purpose. As jarring as it is common, the experience of alienation in a world that feels hostile is a global-scale problem that must be recognized before it can be solved.
Unit 1: Weathering the Storm
Grades 7 and 8 | 5 Weeks | GW-ALI-U1
Unit 1: Weathering the Storm
Grades 7 and 8 | 5 Weeks | GW-ALI-U1
In the past twenty years, weather-related disasters have occurred with greater and greater frequency around the world. In this unit, students will learn more about the science behind such disasters. They also will investigate the particular history of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, focusing on the storm’s aftermath and exploring how racial and socioeconomic factors contributed to tragic events that unfolded.
Books
WORLD
Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick
STEAM
Weather by John Farndon, Sean Callery, and Miranda Smith
Unit 2: Sea Change
Grades 7 and 8 | 7 Weeks | GW-ALI-U2
Unit 2: Sea Change
Grades 7 and 8 | 7 Weeks | GW-ALI-U2
Change can come in cataclysmic forms, such as the division of an entire country or the disasters associated with environmental collapse. Change also can be gradual, like the daily stress and uncertainty of living in a troubled place, or the incremental increases in global temperatures and sea levels. This unit challenges students to understand the forces involved in changes on both levels and to create possible solutions.
Books
WORLD
How to Change Everything by Naomi Klein
STEAM
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
Unit 3: Fly Away
Grades 7 and 8 | 3 Weeks | GW-ALI-U3
Unit 3: Fly Away
Grades 7 and 8 | 3 Weeks | GW-ALI-U3
Exploration can occur on a level as epic as migration to Mars or as private as the inner discovery that occurs during adolescence. In this unit, students consider both levels of exploration; on the STEAM side, they investigate the particulars of living on Mars, and on the World side, they look at how epiphanies can catalyze personal development.
Books
WORLD
Flying Lessons and Other Stories, ed. Ellen Oh
STEAM
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Unit 4: Memory's Lanes
Grades 7 and 8 | 7 Weeks | GW-ALI-U4
Unit 4: Memory's Lanes
Grades 7 and 8 | 7 Weeks | GW-ALI-U4
In the past twenty years, weather-related disasters have occurred with greater and greater frequency around the world. In this unit, students will learn more about the science behind such disasters. They also will investigate the particular history of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, focusing on the storm’s aftermath and exploring how racial and socioeconomic factors contributed to tragic events that unfolded.
Books
WORLD
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
STEAM
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
Unit 5: Slow Burns
Grades 7 and 8 | 5 Weeks | GW-ALI-U5
Unit 5: Slow Burns
Grades 7 and 8 | 5 Weeks | GW-ALI-U5
This unit explores both the symbolism and the science of fire. It also examines what happens when individuals decide to pursue their dreams even if they know they’ll get burned on their journeys.
Books
WORLD
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
STEAM
Chasing Space (Young Readers Edition) by Leland Melvin
Unit 6: Sense of Self
Grades 7 and 8 | 5 Weeks | GW-ALI-U6
Unit 6: Sense of Self
Grades 7 and 8 | 5 Weeks | GW-ALI-U6
Throughout this unit, students consider how they are shaped by their environment and connected to all living things through evolutionary relationships (both biological and social). This exploration cultivates a sense of solidarity in the face of alienation, helping students develop a deeper appreciation of their origins, their unique identities, and their interconnection with all living things despite their uniqueness.
Books
WORLD
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
STEAM
On the Origin of the Species (Young Readers Edition) by Charles Darwin
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