Self Reliance: September 24, 2019

Focus: What does it mean to be self-reliant, and why did the Transcendentalists value self-reliance

1. Warming up with a satirical criticism of millennials and their lack of self-reliance; creating a "Self-Reliance" double-spread in the "Passage Study" part of your journal

• Before watching: What does it mean to be self-reliant? Create your own definition.

• While watching: To what extent is the video's criticism accurate? Do you think millennials lack self-reliance? What enables this?

• After watching: Based on your definition, would you describe yourself as self-reliant? Why or why not?

2. Taking time to read "Self-Reliance" and physically steal the lines that speak to you

If you finish early, click HERE for a recent article about helicopter parenting.
Reading...

• Read Emerson's "Self-Reliance" (there's a vocab sheet if you're getting stuck).

• Let your eyes skim over the lines that don't interest you as much.

• Let your eyes settle on the lines that resonate with you. Cut them out with scissors.

Journaling...

• Find 3-5 lines from the essay you appreciate/love/agree with. Use them to make a shape in your notebook that fits your thinking about those lines (see example).

• For each line you've chose, reflect and react. You can simply write, you can also draw, and/or you can bring in photos to glue in that supplement your thoughts.

• Use your reaction to figure out why you're connecting to the lines you've chosen. Why does this matter to you? Why should this matter to everyone?

• "To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature...The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child." -- from Emerson's "Nature"
•  I chose this image of my three-year-old and five-year-old, bundled up in sweaters, jackets, and hats, because they beg me each morning and afternoon to go outside. They enjoy the quiet darkness of a winter morning. They can't wait to kick their legs on the swings in the summer. In the fall, they chase leaves, In the spring, they taste rain and leave sloppy footprints in the leftover snow. When did I stop going outside to play? 

3. Solidifying book clubs

HW:
1. Submit your essays to Turnitin by 4:00 today.

2. Bring your independent reading books to class on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

3. for WEDNESDAY: Bring your book club book and signed green letter to class (you get an extra day to do this).

4. For FRIDAY: Independent books must be 100% finished before you walk into class. If you haven't been committing to the weekly hour of reading for the past five weeks, you will need to use this week to make up for it. 

5. For MONDAY, SEP 30: ALL MAKE-UP / REVISED WORK FROM THE FIRST 6 WEEKS IS DUE. This includes signed letters, surveys, personal essay submissions, and all four independent reading thought logs.