Monday, March 12, 2012
Clash of Cultures
Death of a Culture
Destiny / Fate
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
After the humiliation of the leaders of his village and the implementation of a new government, Okonkwo could no longer suffer the meddling of the white men in his world. In an act of blind rage and fury, Okonkwo murdered the messenger of the British imperialists. Desiring perhaps on a subconscious level to awaken the lethargic passiveness of his people, what resulted afterwards was only a stunned silence from his fellow people. He realized the hopelessness in keeping his way of life from falling apart and went home to hang himself.
Did Okonkwo die a hero or a coward? Was his suicide a brave and fierce act of defiance like Patrick Henry? Or was it the sad resignation of someone who simply gave up?
We want to try to answer this question by first considering the issue of identity crisis he faced. In groups, read the following poem:
"Search for My Tongue"
Answer the following questions in your group:
1. What is the inner conflict faced by the poet?
2. What is the identity crisis?
3. What figurative language does she use to describe this conflict/crisis?
4. What is her solution for the problem? How does she find peace?
5. How does this apply to Okonkwo?
6. Did Okonkwo die a hero or coward? Why?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
In what ways can a culture die? How can a way of life for an entire group of people be completely lost - their songs, poems, economy, religions, beliefs, and governments destroyed? After reading so much about the customs and practices of Okonkwo and his village, we have seen the demise of everything he held dearly in a just a few chapters.
Today we want to focus on the way that a culture can be taken over. In Things Fall Apart, we have read how the British missionaries with Mr. Brown has gained power in Okonkwo's village. How have Mr. Brown and his missionaries changed Okonkwo's village so quickly? What are some of the ways that other cultures in Africa were destroyed?
Read the last two sections on this article:
"Colonial Domination: Indirect Rule" and "Colonial Domination: Assimilation"
After reading, take notes in groups on the ways that an entire culture can be dominated.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Here are the three sources we will be reading as we explore this complex issue:
"Europe's Colonization of Africa"
Take notes on the handout as you read.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
* How can the actions of parents determine the outcome of their children's lives?
* What are the effects of people placing their personal identity in areas such as masculinity, vocations,
* What are the results of people placing their personal identity in...etc?
CLASH OF CULTURE
* How does a person's view on cultural integrity affect their views/decisions/life/outlook on other
ethnic groups and cultures?
* What determines a person's outlook on whether nations should reach out and change other cultures
or completely leave them alone? (Think about moral relativism/absolutism, cultural integrity, etc.)
QUESTION OF RIGHT AND WRONG
* How does a person's view on moral relativism/ absolutism determine their actions, decisions, life,
* What are the results of a person whose life revolves around the idea of moral relativism/absolutism?
* How does a person's view on free will and determinism/predestination affect their decisions, life,
etc? (Connect with moral relativism/absolutism)
* What do the values of our culture reflect about their views on moral relativism/absolutism?
Monday, February 20, 2012
North American (US) Folktale: The Baker's Dozen
European (England) Folktale: The Old Woman and Her Pig
African (Nigerian) Folktale: Baboon and the Tortoise
Asian (Chinese) Folktale: The Four Dragons
South American (Mayan) Folktale: The Rabbit and the Coyote
Australian Folktale: The Bunbundoolooeys
These folktales represent a common bond found among all of humanity - every culture, ethnicity, and peoples. Read each story aloud in your group. On the handout, note which culture the folktale came from, summarize the plot, and analyze the purpose/moral of the story. At the very end, note the similarities and differences among these folktales from across the globe. What do you think they say about the culture?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Level one: 0-20 points
Three authentic sources are not used. Some sources are not reliable. Research on tribe is brief.
Level two: 21-30 points
Three authentic sources are researched. Not every source is used. Research on tribe covers some areas.
Level three: 22-40 points
Three or more authentic sources are researched. Each source is thoroughly used. Research on tribe is thorough, covering as many areas as possible.
Written Research Report (40 points)
Level one: 0-20 points
Written report does not include any parenthetical citation. Only one or two sources actually cited in paper.
Level two: 21-30 points
Sources are only briefly used in paper. Sources are improperly cited in places.
Level three: 22-40 points
All sources are clearly cited in written report (parenthetical citation) and thoroughly used.
Visual Aid (20 points)
Level one: 0-5
Visual aid is bare-bones in presentation and effort.
Level two: 6-10 points
Visual aid presents some of the relevant information in the written report.
Level three: 11-20 points
Visual aid provides a lasting impression of written report. Expertly presents all of the relevant information in the written report.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
To the rest of the world in the 19th century, Africa was known as the romantic and mysterious name of the Dark Continent. Even today, the image of Africa from space gives the impression of a land with no lights. Though this title may have reflected the hidden, unexplored regions of the continent in centuries past, ignorance of the peoples and tribes in Africa largely led to crude stereotypes of its indigenous people - an issue that Achebe sought to remedy.
Today and tomorrow, your task is to research the customs, culture, superstitions, governments, food, and economy of a tribe/village located in Africa. This is an individual, test grade assignment that is due Friday. Here are your requirements:
1. Minimum of three authentic sources.
2. Two page written report. Parenthetical citation of at least three different sources in report.
(Use a mixture of summary/direct quotes)
3. A Keynote presentation or poster of your information.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Achebe's Interview: http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/interviews/ba2000-08-02.htm
Kipling's Article :http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/kipling/rkimperialism.html
Kipling Poem: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5478/
How does Achebe's view of African culture clash with the idea of Jingoism (British Imperialism)?
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Research two broad views on the question of RIGHT and WRONG:
Moral RELATIVISM vs Moral ABSOLUTISM
Define each on your handout and determine what you believe are the strengths and weaknesses of each. Afterwards, ask yourself again: Which do you believe (and why)?
Friday, February 10, 2012
By: Justin, Tyler, Chrystal, Arthur
In Ancient Greece the people take their culture, society, economy, and history very seriously. One of the most important things in Ancient Greece's culture is religion. People of Ancient Greece are very proud of their culture. Holidays and festivals are taken very seriously. In Ancient Greece society Men have to be involved in theater if they were not involved in the military or politics. The plays acted out by the male Grecians had to involve gods or politics but came in many genres. In Ancient Greece economy many people depended on agriculture. The Greeks also were highly involved in trading in which they gave profit to the farmers. In Ancient Greece History many important things have happened. One of the most important things that happened in Ancient Greece's history is the Trojan War. The Trojan War started because the Greeks decided to use a strategy of war to seduce the opponent. The strategy with the wooden horse was a very smart plan. The Greeks hid in a hollow wooden horse where they jumped out in a surprise attack against the opponent, killing them all.
with nudity. Nudity was used in sports, to celebrate birthdays, and many forms
of art. The religion in greek culture was taken extremely serious in their
culture and was used in basically all forms of their lives. Theatre was
extremely important to the men along with military and politics. In the ancient
greek theatre, Greek mythology was used often. The women in the society were not
taken seriously and was as if their opinions did not matter. There were many
history of war and heroism in this culture also, due to the fact military was
taken so seriously.
Homer, the major figure in ancient Greek literature, has been considered the greatest poet of classical antiquity (ancient times). He wrote both the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems (long narrative poems) surviving in a surprisingly large number of manuscripts. It is not possible to supply a biography for Homer in the accepted sense of a life history. Since he lived before cultures began recording history, there is no authentic record of who he was, when and where he was born, how long he lived, or even if he was actually responsible for the two epic poems for which he is known. Many of the virtues presented in Homer's works -- reason, intelligence, worldliness, secularism, courage, honor, integrity and restraint -- became pervasive throughout much of Ancient Greek culture. The result was the birth or grand development of the fields of philosophy, science, history, drama, medicine, art and more – advances that form the basis of Western, advanced civilization.
In ancient times, the Greeks were very devoted to their beliefs. They were religious people who worshipped numerous gods. The majority of these gods represented various elements of nature. Legends and Myths of the gods and their accomplishments tend to explain the phenomenon and occurrences of winds, rains, storms, life and deaths. Some gods include, Zeus, god of the skies, Poseidon, god of the sea and Hades, god of death. Most gods were believed to live on Mount Olympus, the highest peak in Greece. Greek gods had many human attributes and they did not set out strict rules for mortals to follow. They argued, make mistakes, and fell in love, but they did all of these things on a grand scale. Such tales are usually told into stories and myths passed down from generation to generation.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Greek Tragedians
In the early years of drama, Greece was the dominant power of theather. In all of Greek history, three playwrights are the most influential. Aeschylus, the father of tragedy, Euripides, the passionate playwrite, and lastly Sophocles, the master of many arts.
Aeschylus was born in Eleusis, Attica in the year 525 B.C to a wealthy upper class man, Euphorion. It's is believed that he began writing as a child. While watching over his father's flocks, he fell asleep and was supposedly visited by Dionysus, the god of wine, in his dreams. Dionysus told the young Aeschylus to write plays to glorify the gods. As instructed, Aeschylus began writing plays immediately and entered his first competition at the age of 25 in the Athenian festivals, the Great Dionysia. In 484 B.C, he won his first competition and continued to win almost every year until his death. In total, he won 13 years in the Great Dionysia, making 52 of his plays award-winning. As tradition has it, Aeschylus's death was brought upon by an eagle. The eagle, mistaking his bald head for a rock, dropped a tortoise on it, bringing an unlikely end to the Greek idol.
Euripides was born around 484 B.C in Athens, Greece. His mother’s name was Cleito while his father’s was Nesarchus. Euripides was considered passionate with his ideas. Euripides wrote 92 plays throughout his life that historians can still read. Nineteen of those works are still read worldwide. His plays show his opinions towards religious beliefs and ancient myths found in Greek tradition. Euripides died in 406 B.C in Macedonia.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Level one / 0-13 pts - No sources cited in information presented
Sources are not authentic/reliable
Sources are not used
Level two / 14-30 pts - Five authentic sources
Sources are not cited in information
Sources are barely used
Level three / 31-40 pts - Five or more authentic sources
Sources are cited in information
Sources are clearly used thoroughly
II. Supplementary Visual with Information = 40 pts
Level one / 0-13 pts - Information is presented in a bare-bones manner
No visual used / or visual used is rushed together
Completely unorganized, lacking any seriousness
Level two / 14-30 pts - A visual is used to present information
Visual is very straightforward with little creativity/effort
Presentation is unorganized, too playful
Level three / 31-40 pts - Visual used is creative and helpful to the information presented
Information is presented in organized, understandable manner
Presentation is orderly, serious, and organized
III. Post on Blog = 20 pts
Level one / 1-7 pts - Information in post is too brief
Information is plagiarized directly from sources
No sources cited
Level two / 8-14 pts - Information is thorough but not well organized
Too much unnecessary information present in post
Few sources cited
Level three / 15-20 pts - Information is thorough and understandable in an organized manner
A summary of the important points in the information, pictures/links used
All sources cited.
Monday, February 6, 2012
1) Homer and Greek Mythology: biography, contributions, the Greek gods, influence on Greek society
2) Ancient Greek Life: their history, culture, society, economy
3) Aristotle and Plato: their two contrasting views on literature/poetry, literary criticism
4) Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides: the three major Greek playwrights, their biography, works,
contributions to Greek tragedy
Here are the basic requirements for this test:
A) A minimum of five AUTHENTIC sources cited. The amount of research done will have a
large part in the grading.
B) A type of supplementary VISUAL to present to the class with your findings. This can be
media, construction work, acting, etc.
C) A post on our blog that summarizes the major points of your research. It will serve as an
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Level One / 0 pts: - Does not introduce main similarity/difference to be explained in upcoming
- Does not end with thesis
Level Two / 1-5 pts: - Introduces main similarity/difference but does it in a vague, broad manner
- Has a thesis that is just a summary and not an analysis
Level Three / 6-10 pts - Introduces main similarity/difference in a clear manner
- Has a thesis that is an analysis
Compare/Contrast Paragraphs (40 pts)
Level One / 0 pts: - Does not point out a main comparison or main difference in each paragraph
Level Two / 1-20 pts: - The main comparison and main difference pointed out are not significant but at
Level Three / 21-40 pts: - The main comparison and main difference are essential, significant points to
the analysis of the essay
Analysis Paragraph (30 pts)
Level One / 0 pts: - There is no analysis provided
Level Two / 1-20 pts: - The analysis provided is too obvious or too much of a summary.
Level Three / 21-30 pts: - The analysis provides a deep insight into the prompt. Based off of the
Conclusion Paragraph (10 pts)
Level One / 0 pts: - There is no conclusion provided
Level Two / 1-5 pts: - Conclusion just summarizes the writing above. Does not provide a lasting
statement or explain significance of essay.
Level Three / 6-10 pts - Conclusion provides a lasting statement and explains the significance of paper.
Formal Tone (10 pts)
Level One / 0 pts: - Too many grammatical mistakes/ unreadable. Too conversational.
Level Two / 1-5 pts: - A large amount of grammatical mistakes but still readable. Some uses of informal
phrases and words.
Level Three / 5-10 pts: - Little to no mistakes. Tone is professional.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
1. Dehumanization of Jews / Symbols
2. The Three Prophets / Symbols
3. Messages of Hope / Symbols
4. Loss of Faith / Theme
5. Perseverance and Survival Under Trial / Theme
6. Loss of Innocence / Theme
Each of these topics/components can be taken in any number of different ways. Of course, the majority of the work is the second part of your homework: coming up with your opinion/analysis of the literary component. Be creative, specific, and thorough! Try not to summarize!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
"On Wiesel’s Night"
I cannot teach this book. Instead,
I drop copies on their desks,
like bombs on sleeping towns,
and let them read. So do I, again.
The stench rises from the page
and chokes my throat.
The ghosts of burning babies
haunt my eyes.
And that bouncing baton,
that pointer of Death,
stabs me in the heart
as it sends his mother
to the blackening sky.
Nothing is destroyed
the laws of science say,
The millions transformed into
precious smoke ride the wind
to fill our lungs and hearts
with their cries.
No, I cannot teach this book.
I simply want the words
to burn their comfortable souls
and leave them scarred for life.
by Thomas E. Thorton
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The greatest speakers throughout history have used a combination of vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar, and - for today's lesson - figurative language to move their listeners to action. We've already seen powerful examples of figurative language in our book, and we'll look at some real-examples today.
1. Your first task is to refresh in your mind the major types of figurative language. Do that by going to the link below:
2. Second, in your books, read Eli Wiesel's Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Note the figurative language he uses in his speech. Leave comments that give an example of figurative language he used and explains them. (I have left an example)
3. Look for the following types of figurative language.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
de·hu·man·ize - to deprive of human qualities or attributes; divest of individuality
What is that makes us human? Makes us different than an animal? In other words, what qualities separates us and makes us more unique than any other creature on earth?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
I think that Elie Wiesel's book is super good and interesting so far. I like how real everything is. It's like you are there and everything. The way the Germans are so mean is crazy. I just can't believe anyone can be mean like that.
Elie Wiesel's book contains fascinating insight into the life of a persecuted Jew. The realism in his account is haunting and - at times - truly troubling to read. Simply imagining the torture experienced by such a young teenager can be overwhelming. The cruelty of some of the Germans in the book makes one question the existence of any good in the universe.
Read the information on the link below and leave a comment (with your name) that compares and contrast the difference between FORMAL and INFORMAL writing. (Hint: TRY TO USE A FORMAL TONE)
INFORMAL VS FORMAL
Consider these questions in your comment:
1. What makes a piece of writing formal or informal?
2. What are some obvious "no-no's" of informal writing that we can avoid?
3. How can we turn informal writing into formal writing?