Socrates believed we learn through dialogue and I wholeheartedly agree. Sooooooo even if you don’t “know” the answer, together we can find “the truth” of this novel. Here are some questions for our Socratic Dialogue of Animal Farm 1-3.

Discuss any events that develop Animal Farm as: as a political satire OR as an allegory/fable (for the Russian Revolution; for human nature; for the events after WWII; for failed revolutions).

Discuss how you see these topics being developed into a message:

• power and corruption
• leaders and followers
• authority rules/order
• leadership
• propaganda and the power of language
• corruption dangers of being uneducated
• revolutions
• truth
• lies/deceit the elite and the masses

Analysis requires you to discuss the HOW and WHY of what the writer is attempting to convey. Here are some pointed questions if you need extra guidance in analyzing the novel:

What does the incident of the milk and apples foreshadow? Why is this significant?

The revolution is precipitated by Mr. Jones’ ineptitude. He gets drunk and fails to feed the animals. As an allegory what does this represent? Why are these two details significant in analyzing this novel as an allegory for leadership or power?

The work of “teaching…and organizing” naturally fell upon the pigs. Why? What does Orwell’s word choice (“naturally”) suggest?

Discuss Napoleon and Snowball’s different leadership styles. Do either of them live up to your expectations of leaders?

Oh Squealer! Re-read what he announces about the milk and apples (at the end of Ch 3). Examine his speech closely. Do you believe his argument? How does he twist the truth? He uses propaganda in his speech (OBVIOUSLY)…see if you can see how he is trying to manipulate the animals.Why is this significant?

 

Connections are vital to metacognition and active and critical reading. Share any connections (text to text, world to text, or self to text) you made while reading Animal Farm (Ch 1-3).

For those of us who want a cerebral challenge…

Orwell was very concerned with the revision of history and its effect on humanity’s memory. Revision of history was quite prevalent in the 1930’s with the rise of the totalitarian states; however, it happens now. In fact, I witnessed the revision of history, just this week. As you read, look for examples of the pigs revising history. Have you seen any events where the pigs “alter the past?” (Yes, revision of history is an Orwellian concept for you smarties.)

 

 

 

If you read over Critical Thinking 101, you will see I am trying to get you to practice the skills of a critical thinker. So…discuss and collaborate on the Critical Thinking Extra Credit questions I posed to you that will appear on your Media Bias Quiz. Please make sure you have a clear topic sentence in your response, so all the other bloggers know which topic you are addressing. When you take the quiz, please acknowledge the other critical thinkers who contributed to your ideas.

I have not decided if this blog should be points; this is another topic that you can tackle…tell me why I should take points for this blog. Should I assess it (grade it on merit) OR give you points for participation?

PLEASE DO NOT POST BEFORE FRIDAY, 12.12.2019!

This debate will be different because you will have to 1)  cite specific evidence to back your claims AND 2) you can pick two of your topics AND 3) I will blog a bit and play the “devil’s advocate.”

Topics

Is social media a benefit for TEENS or YOUNGER KIDS?

Is standardized testing good for education?

Should we monitor online hate speech?

Should we lower the voting age?

Student Choices:

Should children be allowed to have gender reconstruction surgery? (35 votes)

Should everybody be eligible for an organ transplant? (40 votes)

Do dress codes avoid addressing rape culture by pressuring females to “cover up?” (37 votes)

Posting Guidelines:

1 .For this blog, you must post three times by Thursday, December 12, 2019.

2. Post your initial claim and support your claim with evidence (one of the 6 types of evidence).

3. You must address at least argument/address the evidence/address a counterclaim in your topic’s resource.

4. Comment on at least two other students’ posts. Use evidence for support or rebuttal.

5. You may use outside resources for your evidence. Make sure these sources are credible and cite those source(s).

 

 

Debates and Critical Thinking

To work on becoming an informed citizen, craft argumentative essays and become solid critical thinkers, we are going to add blogging and five minute debates to our classroom. This will help us in a multitude of ways. We will debate some controversial issues and challenge our thinking in these short debates. It will help us be active listeners and help us engage in honest reflection, and of course, be independent readers, writers, learners and thinkers.

Here are your first five minute debate suggestions:

• Should people become vegetarians?
• Is drinking milk healthy for humans?
• Is obesity a disease?
• Should college education be free to the public?
• Is social networking good for society?
• Should exceptional high school athletes be paid like professionals?

Pick one and state your claim and give at least two reasons that supports your claim. If you use outside information, such as procon.org, make sure you cite your source. After you post your claim and reasoning, then you must interact with at least two other students. Make sure all your posts are thoughtful and respectful.

 

Read over the possible discussion topics and essay topics for your final discussion. You will be responsible for a short answer section and an essay section. Pick one of these to respond to in a “quick draft” and see what your peers think. You may want to respond to more than one.  Please respond by Feb. 28, 2012 by 8:30 p.m. Please don’t forget to also WRITE out a practice draft like you did (or should have done) for your Oedipus Rex/Antigone Essay Test–don’t do that here, but old school paper and pen style. Your Spite Fences essay will not be graded on the AP scale. FOR YOUR BLOGS: PLEASE PROOF THESE and refer to the grading scale I passed out initially if you need to review how I will assess you. Please put the time and effort into your blogging responses; this will help you understand the novel, pick up the clues I’m throwing down, process the concepts I want you to grasp, have a solid dialogue, become a better writer,  earn a better grade on your blog, practice inferential thinking skills,  earn a better grade on your essay….and well, some of you are always the assiduous student, so carry on!

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Please respond to one of the topics Feb. 21, 2013 by 8:30 p.m. You may want to respond to more than one topic. You will have an essay question on your Spite Fences Final Test,so the more you discuss and toss these ideas around the better. Remember, this blog is like an online Socratic Seminar, this is your–okay our place–to have an academic, collaborative dialogue, use it like smart students should.

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One small caveat—-this blog will require you to be quite mindful of others’ feelings and respectful of others, remember to never refer to another student in a blog (even with his/her permission).  This issue can be hurtful to others so be respectful; however, Elie Wiesel would agree by looking the other way and failing to discuss these issues, horrific events can unfold.

When we began Ellen Foster and House on Mango Street, we did a Four Corners activity to start thinking about some of the essential ideas in those novels. The next two novels you read have some essential ideas that are rather controversial as well. We might not be able to conduct a Four Corners activity literally, but we can have a four pronged discussion in cyberspace (for those kinesthetic learners, it won’t be as fun, though). Read CLOSELY, honors kiddies…I am going to give you two possible choices to discuss. Of those two choices, there are four options. Same thing with four corners, you can only pick one to agree with and discuss (for our purposes here). Later we may open it up to the possibility of multiple options.

1st set of Four Corners:

Race is not an issue in Harrison*.

Race is kind of an issue in Harrison

Race is a serious issue in Harrison.

What! Who are you kidding, we have serious racism, to the point of hate crimes in our community.

2nd set of Four Corners

Religious prejudice is a serious issue in Harrison.

Cultural prejudice is a serious issue in Harrison.

Racism is a serious issue in Harrison.

Classism** is a serious issue in Harrison.

So the first thing you want to do is decide which corner activity you want to respond to. Then decide which corner you are in. Say why you are in that corner. You must respond (at least twice) by Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013 by 8:30 p.m. You should check back and respond (thoughtfully and insightfully) at least once to some member of this blog by Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. After you post your initial corner, then you can qualify your corner or corners’ stance. Actually you can respond as many times as you want. Happy Blogging!

ps….I know I haven’t posted your grades from last time, but many of you did quite well on your first blog!

*by Harrison I mean the greater community served by the Southwest School District/our high school–still not sure, ask me

**Classism–is like racism, but by class, middle class vs. poor–still not sure, ask me

Please respond to this post by Monday Dec. 7, 2009 by 11:00 p.m. It would be great if you checked this post multiple times and responded more to others after your initial post. You may respond to any of the prompts or you can add any insightful comment or observation that made as well.

Here are some of your choices: 1) Moyers says to Lucas that the conflict between Darth Vader and Luke is reminiscent of Lucas and his dad–does this seem true (based on what Lucas said about his dad and the idea that kid should redeem their parents)? What would Karl Jung say about this moment (the moment when Luke confronts Darth Vader and Darth Vader begins to turn away from the dark side)? 2) Lucas says that some stories need to told again and again? To what stories is he referring? Hint: he says that the “hero has to find his place and figure out where he belongs”? Is it true that some stories need to be told again and again? Why?3) Do our heroes need to be complex since our modern lives are much more complex? Explain and give examples that illustrate your argument for simple heroes or complex heroes. 4) A particularly poignant moment is when Lucas pauses and ponders the evil that humanity is capable of. What do you think about Lucas’  comment that evil and greed fills all of us and we have to find a balance with this? Is this an archetype? If so, which one. 5) Star Wars is the re-telling of old stories. Should we re-tell stories so they are more “modern” and easily understoood? What are the benefits or disadvantages of this? And can or should archetypes evolve? How is Star Wars a product of our culture and our values (vs. the cultural values of someone from the last century)? 6) Why would religious figures be able to easily trace or connect aspects of Star Wars to different religious tales? 7) I love Lucas’ commentary on being a hero everyday and that we make small choices everyday to choose the right path or the wrong path. Comment on this or any other archetypal choice/theme/character that we make or deal with everyday. No, I’m not the shadow guarding Room 101 who you have to daily battle every 5th or 7th bell. Oh! Don’t forget! Grammar, spelling, coherency always counts…so proof before you post!

A few of you have finished your first novel, for this post I’d like for you to give a review of the first novel you read in lit. circles. If you have finished it, please no spoilers. Not sure how to review  it…say what you liked, comment on the plot, characters, genre (type of book), and/or what kind of person would like this book. You may also mention books that are similar to (or in some cases totally different from) your lit. circle novel. You may mention if you liked/or didn’t and your opinion was different from your lit. circle members.  If you want you can rate it, using the Shuja 6  star rating system…. (6 stars: awesome, you couldn’t put it down and was amazing in every way; 5 stars: excellent, some minor flaws, plot, character development, but excellent read; 4 stars: better than a “school book,” but not something you couldn’t put down; 3 stars: I read it, but didn’t love it, flaws in plot, characters, just OKAY!, a little boring/mediocre, rather predictable; 2 stars: it was gross to read, rather boring, lame characters, lame plot, forced myself to finish; 1 star: YUCK! never read this book, I wasted (insert time..six hours?) of my life reading this vapid and inane novel). Of course, feel free to elaborate on your rating.

Remember, no spoilers! You may post multiple times if you want to respond to a review you concur with or have a dissenting opinion and feel it must be heard.  Please post even if you haven’t finished the novel. Please respond by Friday, November 20, 2009 by 10:30 p.m. This may bear repeating…use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation always. Be concise and practice good writing techniques!