Putting it all Together...

For the past few weeks I have been pondering the question, “So what?” At this point I think I finally have an answer. My unit focuses on power and how power functions in society. My lesson is coming together slowly because I am having trouble limiting my scope. I have a vision, but getting that vision down on paper and supporting it with theory and rationale is no easy task. My end goal for the unit is to “prepare students to become citizens in a democratic republic” (Beach, 58). What I mean by that is, I want my students to be critical thinkers and critical consumers of knowledge. I do not want them to grow up to be “sheep” (yes I am using Animal Farm in my unit) who blindly accept what they are told. Instead, I want to teach them how to be conscientious citizens. I want them to challenge preconceived notions as well as social and political hierarchies. I want to foster critical thinking and encourage inquiry. Now my next step (that I am currently working on) is to develop activities and select texts that will help me achieve this end goal.

Another setback in planning is that I am still debating between texts. The texts I am 100% about using are:

Play: The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Poem: Killing the Animals by Wesley Mc Nair (pg 121)

Short Story: Benito Cereno by Herman Melville

Film: Lord of the Flies directed by Harry Hook

Fiction: Animal Farm by George Orwell

I am still debating what YA book to use in conjunction with these texts. I want to utilize a novel that analyzes power from a modern perspective and perhaps with a female protagonist. That is why I chose Persepolis. I am open to different options if anyone has any suggestions.

The texts I am debating about are:

Poem: The Farewell by Edward Field (pg 76)

Short Story: Our neck of the woods by Joe Meno

Non-fiction: Federalist 10 by James Madison

YA novel: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Speech: “I have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.

Speech or Non-Fiction Excerpt: Mein Kampf, by Adolf Hitler

While reading Animal Farm I wanted to incorporate a lesson on propaganda and have the students do a rhetorical analysis of various pieces of propaganda (and maybe even create their own). Then I was thinking of putting Hitler and Martin Luther King in conversation with each other and have the student analyze their rhetoric. I feel that the juxtaposition of these two iconic figures would make for great discussions. They were both very charismatic leaders. This ties into Lord of the Flies because, Jack, the tyrant manages to gather the majority of the boys support through his bold, strong and charismatic exterior.

Or for my non-fiction piece I could use James Madison’s Federalist 10, Winthrop’s Journal (natural liberty and private property), or maybe brining in Hannah Arendt the political theorist into conversation with one of the texts.

I am also considering these texts:  

-Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (short story)

-Oroonoko by Aphra Behn (short story)

-Current events articles (especially about the rebellions in Egypt and Syria, etc)

I also wanted to incorporate literature circles where students read graphic novels (and comic collections).  I wanted to give the students a chance to read a text and determine how power functions in the world of their text. For example, The Walking Dead takes place during the zombie apocalypse. There is no form of government, it is every man, woman and child for themselves. I don’t HAVE to use these in my unit but they are definitely something I am considering.

EXTRA: Graphic Novel Literature Circles

1.) V for Vendetta, written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd

2.) Maus by Art Spiegelman

3.) DMZ (1^st volume of comics) by Brian Wood

4.) The Walking Dead (1^st volume of comics) by Robert Kirkman

Goals:

For this week Sam and I decided that our goal was to layout a timeline of events (in my case it's concepts and guiding questions) for our unit. We also established essential questions.

My essential question for my unit: What is power and how does it function in society? What is the role of the individual in a society?

So in my unit I plan on having these benchmark questions or ideas that structure the unit.

1.)    Define “power”

2.)    Identify individual factors that differentiate those with power from those without power.

3.)    Perform character analyses and analyze interpersonal power relations (how power functions between people

4.)    How does power function in government?

·         Learn about different types of government

·         Learn how corruption and greed effect power relationships

5.)    Political leaders (or charismatic leaders to include MLK)

·         power of propaganda,

·         perform rhetorical analyses

·         analyze the power of language

·         view speeches from Hitler and MLK

·         compare rhetoric between two leaders

6.)    Historical power struggles

·         Genocide: Holocaust, Cambodian, Guatemalan, Rwanda, etc

·         Imperialism: colonization & slavery (oppression)

·         Systemic violence

7.)     Determine what is an individual’s role in society?

·         What power does the individual hold?

This is what I have so far. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions!
Thanks