Week of events 2/25-2/28

Tuesday:

Finish group response poster and symbol
Discuss the rest of chapter 7
Begin chapter 8
Pass out key passages for commentary paper

HW: Finish reading chapter 8, look over journal 3

Wednesday:
Introduce elements of journal 3/work time

Mark up key passages for commentary

Introduce commentary paper
 Read chapter 9

HW: Finish journal 3, finish chapter nine

Thursday:
Finish AF
Turn in journal 3
Work more on commentary paper

Friday:

Rough draft due at the end of the period for AF commentary paper

Homework for 2/21-2/24

Over the weekend, you will need to finish reading chapter 6 on your own and look over the list of themes and big ideas below. Select one from the list and do the following:

1) define what the idea means in your own terms

2) apply the idea to chapter six in particular describing how you see it occurring, shaping, developing or transitioning

3) apply the idea to the outside world. Where do you see it being applied? To who? Fairly or unfairly?

Please post your response on your blog by Monday's class!

Big Ideas:

Power: Leadership and Corruption

Power: Control Over the Intellectually Inferior

Lies and Deceit

Rules and Order

Foolishness and Folly

Dreams, Hopes, and Plans

Guilt and Blame

Cunning and Cleverness

Perseverance

Violence

Defeat

Victory

Pride

Religion

Competition

Friendship

Sample: Power: Control over the intellectually inferior

Having power often times means having control and dominance over others. This particular idea means having power over the intellectually inferior or those who cannot think for themselves.

There is a particular example that jumps off the first page of chapter six when Napoleon declares that there will be work on Sunday afternoons on the farm in addition to the other days of the week. He prefaces it by saying it's on a volunteer basis, "but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half" (59). By using the word "voluntary", he's allowing the animals to think they have choice and control in their decisions. They do have choice, but along with their choice, they also have consequences. He's playing off their dutiful mindset to work for each other, but abusing his power by selfishly depriving the animals of leisure in place of work he finds valuable for only himself. 

 I see this happening in communities across the United States. We manipulate advertisements and media to make people think the products they are buying or the shows they are watching will either help them or make them believe that they too can change their life through a magical pill or surgery.  It's only when people actually do research on advertisements, particularly food labels do they really understand what they are eating. But our fast food companies would make you think otherwise. They would make you believe that the products they are selling are good for you because they manipulate the commercials to only show the healthy options, or lure people under false advertising. One man's testimonial states that he ate McDonald's for one month straight for every meal. He didn't gain a single pound. Okay, that's fine on paper. But upon closer study, the damage to his heart, cholesterol, sodium levels, caloric intake, you name it went through the roof. So yes, sir you didn't gain any weight eating crappy food for a month. Good for you. But don't distort the information for the masses and pretend as though McDonald's is fine dining, and it just depends on what you order. McDonald's is good every now and then and serves a purpose in our society, but to pitch it as anything other than a run of the mill fast food chain is both asinine and simply untrue.

Creating a blog!

Creating a blog!

You will need to create your own blog to complete assignments for this class. In order to do that, you need to follow these steps. You're blog does not have to be created until the end of the week, so you have the next few class periods to create one.

1. Go to blogspot.com
2. Login using your TTSD account. Your username is your synergy login@ttsdstudents.org (example 12mcoulson@ttsdstudents.org). Your password is your student ID number.
3. Click "continue"
4. Click "new blog"
5. Assign a title and domain name for your blog. Save your information.
6. Find my blog and follow it.
7. Email me your blog address...mcoulson@ttsd.k12.or.us

You need to have a blog by Friday!