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Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 by JStallings and filed under
Just a reminder for those who missed the announcement today:

All make-up work (missed article analyses, essay re-writes, etc.) is due by Friday. I will not be accepting anything after the 2nd. If you would like to know what your grade is right now, come see me tomorrow. I will be happy to show you any outstanding assignments you may have. Read More......
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Posted on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 by JStallings and filed under
I know you guys are busy with finals coming and all, but I think you might enjoy this fiction series by Slate.com.

Make some cocoa. Have a seat. Do some reading. Relax. Read More......
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Posted on Thursday, October 25, 2007 by JStallings and filed under
You guys have been doing a great job reading and managing your time with this project. I was met with skepticism when I asked around about going forward with a student-run project, but you all have exceeded even my expectations. Keep up the good work.

For those who missed today, contact your group members about planning for the final project. I went around to each group today and brainstormed ideas and possibilities, so you may have some catching up to do.

If you are going to miss tomorrow (because of the Spanish field trip or because it is Friday), please stay in contact with your group over the weekend, or plan to begin work on the final project before Monday. Also, you must bring two completed discussion worksheets on Monday. This is one to make up for Friday, and one for the discussion on Monday. I will not accept late work on this project.

As I said, you guys are doing amazing work. Keep it up. I can't wait to see the final projects!

Also, there is a Town Hall Meeting tonight (check our school's website for time and location). I will be attending, if you or your parents would like to meet up with me in person. As always, you or your parents can schedule a meeting with me any time via email. Read More......
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Posted on Monday, October 22, 2007 by JStallings and filed under ,
In case you lose your copy of one of the worksheets, here are the Word documents. If you want to download them and fill them in on the computer, you are welcome to do so.

Discussion Leader Scrivener The Connection


Let me know if you have any questions.
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Posted on Thursday, October 18, 2007 by JStallings and filed under
Here we go, the final leg of this semester. Our next project will be worth a total of 300 points, with 180 of them going to your Discussion grade (quizzes, etc), and 120 going to the Paper section of your grade (essays, etc). This means that the rest of the year should look something like this in your calendars:
So, for Monday, each member of your group should fill out the worksheet for his or her position in the discussion. We'll talk about the final presentations on Monday. Read More......
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Posted on Saturday, October 13, 2007 by JStallings and filed under
Your assignment for this weekend is to write your own modest proposal in the style of Swift's . . . erm, "Modest Proposal." I want sarcasm; I want irony; I want scathing, acerbic wit. I do not want BS. Think about your topic. It can be whatever you like; I know you all hate it when I say that, but this should be a personal reflection.

Requirements:
500 word minimum, 750 word maximum.
Typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, header, and a really good title.
No obscenities or profanity (we will be sharing them in class).
Have fun. Really. Do it.

As always, post your questions for the good of the community.

Also, if you would like to know your current grade in the class, please let me know. We have around 16 days in class (by my shaky count) before the end of this semester. Email me, don't jump me en masse in class. (Careful, poet.)

Also also, I have regained contact with my friend from the local elementary school. I will pick up your pen pal letters this Wednesday, which means we will begin writing the Monday after next (the 22nd). This will be extra credit, but not much. This is more in the vein of "let's do our part to help the littluns of our community."

Edit (Also also also): Somehow I forgot about the test tomorrow. Your proposals will be due Tuesday in place of the article analysis. Some of your grades are suffering because you aren't turning in your analyses, so if you fall into this category you may turn in one (or more) on Tuesday to replace missed assignments. This assignment is worth 50 points. If you did not turn in the 9 questions over "Letter . . ." (also worth 50 points), do so.
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Posted on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 by JStallings and filed under ,
Here are the links to the articles for each group:
  • Hamm, Doakes, Brown, Wilburn: Doc 1
  • Prieto, Beatty, Brewer, Little: Doc 2
  • Sparks, Owen, Burrows, Von Moses: Doc 3
  • Dickens, Bryant, Kay: Doc 4
If your name is not listed, please choose an article.

Answer these questions over "LfBJ" by tomorrow:

1. What are King’s reasons for being in Birmingham?

2. How does King answer to the charge of being an outsider?

3. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” What does this mean for individuals who have ignored the issues of Birmingham? What does this mean today for each of us living in the United States?

4. What are the four basic steps of nonviolent direct action? For each of the steps state the example in Birmingham. Can you think of another example of nonviolent protest which followed these steps?

5. Look over paragraphs 7-9. Why did King and others decide to delay their actions?

6. In paragraph 10, what does King mean by “constructive, nonviolent tension” and how does he define its goal?

7. Paragraph 13 is one of King’s most well-known statements. Choose an historical example which illustrates the point that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

8. Choose three injustices from paragraph 14 to compare to the Bill of Rights and/or the UDHR.

9. In paragraphs 15-17, King describes two types of law. How does he define each? Can you give other examples of unjust laws today?



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Posted on Monday, October 08, 2007 by JStallings and filed under ,
We will be continuing our discussion of Civil Disobedience and nonviolent protest tomorrow, using the current situation in Burma (Union of Myanmar). Check the article listing on this site for a few I've looked over, or check out the Burma Newsladder for more stories.

Choose an article from one of these sources to discuss tomorrow. If your article is persuasive in intent, analyze the rhetoric:
  • What is the intended argument?
  • How is it presented?
  • Give examples.
  • Write a reaction of its effectiveness.
If your article is informative, focus on the events.
  • Why are there protests?
  • What are the protesters trying to change/accomplish?
  • How are the protests undertaken?
  • Give examples.
  • Are the measures being taken by the protesters effective?
  • How could/should they be protesting?
Also, answer the two questions from the board. Correct me if I'm wrong:
  • When/where was "Letter from Birmingham Jail" first published? What was the impact?
  • Who objected to the question of whether the leaders of Project C should ask people to give up their lives for the cause?
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Posted on Friday, October 05, 2007 by JStallings and filed under

We will begin the Civil Rights Unit on Monday. This weekend, research your assigned role (and read over the handouts) for the role play exercise. Consider the following:

  • Why did the group (and your person specifically) choose to act the way they did?
  • Was the project successful?
    • If not, how could it have been?
    • If so, why?
  • Print any important material on your person to share with the class.

Begin reading Thoreau's "On Civil Disobedience." Print it out, and begin annotating as we have been doing with King's letter. Keep in mind the following:

  • Why did Thoreau write this piece?
  • What is "civil disobedience"?
  • Who is his intended audience?
  • What are his main points?

    And, as always,

  • Highlight his uses of ethos, pathos, and logos
  • Mark any T-DIDLS passages that you recognize

Here is an excellent resource on King. It is an interactive timeline of his life. It includes speeches (audio and text; listen to the audio sections to help you understand what made him such an inspiring speaker) and a few of his writings. Another, from the same group, is an encyclopedia of his life and the events surrounding the movement.

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Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 by JStallings and filed under , ,
If you were unable to annotate your copy of "Letter from Birmingham Jail," please do so tonight. On a similar topic, here is an opinion piece on the "Jena Six" by Steve Coll, published in The New Yorker.

Missed an article recently? Here's your chance to make it up:
For extra credit (10 pts), contrast the style (T-DIDLS) of the above article and this one by Richard G. Jones from The New York Times. Keep in mind the objective of each (to persuade and to inform) and their context.

You have one week. You may use these articles for discussion or extra credit, not both. Read More......