Good morning/afternoon, Seniors!
With getting all of the classes set up online this week, I'm afraid I had to drop the ball on providing feedback on your Pursuing Success essays. So, I'll be taking this week to do that, and your revisions will be due on Monday, April 6th at noon. Note that I'm not grading these first drafts; I'm simply providing feedback that allows you to revise. Only your final draft will be graded. However, if you discover that I left only positive feedback on your draft and/or went ahead and put a grade in the grade book, you don't have to worry about revising: you're good to go.
So, because you'll be busy revising at some point, you only have a reading assignment this week--and just a short response to this blog. I think you'll really enjoy this week's reading.
This week, you will read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Note, when you click on the link, that you have to sign in with your school credentials to read the text, since it is copyrighted). The Little Prince is a deceptively simple book; it is a children's story written for grown-ups. Throughout, de Saint-Exupéry distills the wisdom gained throughout his life's experiences (Google him; he's an interesting fella') into the adventures of an aviator/narrator and the titular Little Prince.
Throughout, especially as the Little Prince meets new characters, searches for water, and discovers the importance of his rose, consider the lessons communicated by each of his experiences. When you've finished reading the book (it's quite short; I imagine it won't take you much longer than a couple of hours, total), respond below (leave your own comment by filling in the boxes under "Leave a Reply;" you should not enter anything for "Website") by explaining your favorite "lesson" from the novella. I've done one below, as an example.
But, before you get to that point, settle in to a comfy chair or couch, turn off the TV and/or phone, grab a cup of hot cocoa, coffee, or tea, and relax into the delightful story of The Little Prince .
With getting all of the classes set up online this week, I'm afraid I had to drop the ball on providing feedback on your Pursuing Success essays. So, I'll be taking this week to do that, and your revisions will be due on Monday, April 6th at noon. Note that I'm not grading these first drafts; I'm simply providing feedback that allows you to revise. Only your final draft will be graded. However, if you discover that I left only positive feedback on your draft and/or went ahead and put a grade in the grade book, you don't have to worry about revising: you're good to go.
So, because you'll be busy revising at some point, you only have a reading assignment this week--and just a short response to this blog. I think you'll really enjoy this week's reading.
This week, you will read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Note, when you click on the link, that you have to sign in with your school credentials to read the text, since it is copyrighted). The Little Prince is a deceptively simple book; it is a children's story written for grown-ups. Throughout, de Saint-Exupéry distills the wisdom gained throughout his life's experiences (Google him; he's an interesting fella') into the adventures of an aviator/narrator and the titular Little Prince.
Throughout, especially as the Little Prince meets new characters, searches for water, and discovers the importance of his rose, consider the lessons communicated by each of his experiences. When you've finished reading the book (it's quite short; I imagine it won't take you much longer than a couple of hours, total), respond below (leave your own comment by filling in the boxes under "Leave a Reply;" you should not enter anything for "Website") by explaining your favorite "lesson" from the novella. I've done one below, as an example.
But, before you get to that point, settle in to a comfy chair or couch, turn off the TV and/or phone, grab a cup of hot cocoa, coffee, or tea, and relax into the delightful story of The Little Prince .
Considering our class discussion and the text of the interview (between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers) at the end of the previous blog post, answer the following prompt on the "Comments" section of this post.
- Campbell points out that the Aboriginal Australians' initiation ritual sought to turn a boy into a "member of the tribe and a hunter" because "that was the way of life."
- So, what is "our way of life," ideally? If an adult in that latter culture is "a member of the tribe and a hunter," what is an American (or South Dakotan or Castlewoodian) adult?
- Therefore, what should in initiation ritual of graduation turn a child into, and what might that look like? (There are no wrong answers for this particular question; this is brainstorming and mental experimentation.)
- So, what is "our way of life," ideally? If an adult in that latter culture is "a member of the tribe and a hunter," what is an American (or South Dakotan or Castlewoodian) adult?
Last week's text, The Little Prince, was quite critical of adulthood. Being an adult was equated with short-sightedness, an inability to imagine, greed, small-mindedness, etc. But is that a universally accurate, definitive idea of what adulthood is? Is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry saying that when you become an adult, you aromatically become dull and narrow-minded? Hopefully not: you are all moving into that realm yourselves, and if those things were inevitable, it would be a dire prospect, indeed. So, what does literature teach us about what it means to be an adult?
We encountered one helpful part of a definition back when you were Sophomores. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden's English teacher, Mr. Antolini, gives Holden a slip of paper with these words on it (a paraphrase of a quotation from Otto Ludwig, a German dramatist): "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." That is, a child dreams of sacrificing himself in a grand moment, dying dramatically and heroically in a way that will gain him fame and leave his loved ones in tears and admiration; a mature man does not aim to give his life in one final, dramatic move but, rather, gives his life--over an entire lifetime--to serve a cause that he believes noble and good, and even though there may not be statues erected in his honor, he knows that the good he has enacted in the world will live on after he dies.
We have also encountered parts a definition in Arthur Miller's The Crucible and Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. While the details of both of those works are absolutely different, both protagonists, John Proctor and Huck Finn, achieve a marked maturity (and hero status) when then decide not to do what's only best for only themselves and in the short term but, rather, to do what is truly right even though that decision costs them their lives (in Huck's case, his soul) and their comfort.
As you consider what it means to be an "adult," watch the following short videos. One you will have seen before, but it it provides helpful context to the others, and it's not at all long, so give it a go. But, before we get to that video list, two important things:
I'd recommend watching each of the following in the order they're presented: top-row first, left to right. In total, these will not take you more than a half hour. Don't make them background noise: sit down, do not browse your phone while they're on, turn off the TV, etc. Keep the above three questions handy as you watch to keep in mind what you're looking for and to consider your own responses.
See you all on Wednesday!
We encountered one helpful part of a definition back when you were Sophomores. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden's English teacher, Mr. Antolini, gives Holden a slip of paper with these words on it (a paraphrase of a quotation from Otto Ludwig, a German dramatist): "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." That is, a child dreams of sacrificing himself in a grand moment, dying dramatically and heroically in a way that will gain him fame and leave his loved ones in tears and admiration; a mature man does not aim to give his life in one final, dramatic move but, rather, gives his life--over an entire lifetime--to serve a cause that he believes noble and good, and even though there may not be statues erected in his honor, he knows that the good he has enacted in the world will live on after he dies.
We have also encountered parts a definition in Arthur Miller's The Crucible and Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. While the details of both of those works are absolutely different, both protagonists, John Proctor and Huck Finn, achieve a marked maturity (and hero status) when then decide not to do what's only best for only themselves and in the short term but, rather, to do what is truly right even though that decision costs them their lives (in Huck's case, his soul) and their comfort.
As you consider what it means to be an "adult," watch the following short videos. One you will have seen before, but it it provides helpful context to the others, and it's not at all long, so give it a go. But, before we get to that video list, two important things:
- We will have a Zoom class (I'll send you a link and a reminder next week) on Wednesday, April 8th at 10:40am (your regular class time). We'll keep it around the length of a regular class period, and you will receive extra credit for attending it.
- To prepare for that meeting, answer the following question below here, on this class blog, after you've watched the videos, but before our online class meeting on Wednesday.
- What does it mean to be an adult?
- What privileges and sacrifices are included in the role of adult?
- How is the successful journey to adulthood like the journey of the hero?
I'd recommend watching each of the following in the order they're presented: top-row first, left to right. In total, these will not take you more than a half hour. Don't make them background noise: sit down, do not browse your phone while they're on, turn off the TV, etc. Keep the above three questions handy as you watch to keep in mind what you're looking for and to consider your own responses.
See you all on Wednesday!
Great Gatsby Scavenger Hunt
This treasure hunt was originally authored by Valerie Arbizu, with some alterations and updated links.
Follow the directions given for each section. Answer thoroughly in complete sentences on your own document. Do not "cut and paste;" rephrase the answers in your own words.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Skim the biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald. What influenced Fitzgerald's life and writing? Note: Do not simply copy out the first sentence. Skim the entire biography and be sure you are thinking about this question.
- World War I
- After the war ended, the economy skyrocketed, making it possible for people to spend more time and money on leisure activities. Review the website in this section. What are three major innovations that came out of the WWI experience?
- After the War: What are the dominant postwar American attitudes and the major movements of the 1920's? Pay close attention to the attitudes of the "Lost Generation" and the "Prosperity & Consumerism" movement.
- 19th Amendment
- What right did women gain from the passage of the 19th Amendment?
- The Roaring Twenties
- List three major events that occurred in 1922 (the year in which the novel is set). Note: You will want to skim this list and look for events that would have been important in America.
- 18th Amendment
- What exactly does the amendment abolish? What was the result?
- 18th Amendment
- Wikipedia: Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Prohibition
- What is a Speakeasy? Based on information you have already collected from previous questions, why do you think Speakeasies popped up across the country?
- Wikipedia: Speakeasy
- Speakeasy photos
- Organized Crime and Arnold Rothstein
- Arnold "The Big Bankroll" Rothstein: What are three elements of Rothstein's biography that interest you? Explain.
- The Mob's Greatest Unsolved Hits: Arnold Rothstein: What is the most interesting thing you learned in this article that was not in the previous article? Explain.
- Did your impression of Rothstein change from one web page to the next? Explain.
- Flappers
- Read the first five paragraphs of the article about "Flapper Jane." According to the author, what are the essential elements of being a true flapper?
- After reading the article, look at the selected photos of Louise Brooks. Does she fit the "Flapper" profile as proposed by the author of "Flapper Jane"? Why or why not?
- Read Dorothy Parker's poem "The Flapper." How does Ms. Parker feel about Flappers? Explain.
- Automobiles
- Why were cars considered "the most important catalyst for social change in the 1920's"?
- The Rise of Automobiles
- Photos of 1920's era automobiles.
- Gatsby Coachworks: Reproductions of 1920's era automobiles. The white and gold car is similar to what Jay Gatsby would have driven.
- Music
- Listen to the music on the Spotify music player to the right (click on the track with your mouse). You may need to download or log in to Spotify. If the embedded playlist doesn't work, try this direct link to the playlist.
- As you listen, record your thoughts and reactions to the songs.
- 1920's Slang
- Read some 1920's slang terms.
- Select your five favorite slang words and copy them down.
- Why did you choose these terms?
- Drawing Conclusions
- Based on the information you have collected from this website, what do you think the plot and setting of The Great Gatsby will include? What kinds of characters do you expect to encounter in the novel?