12th Grade Humanities - 2006 3rd Quarter Electives
Click here for a elective choices sheet
Group A
The 1960's – America’s Longest Decade
This elective will focus on the political and social movements and events of the 1960's, including an investigation of the origins and consequences of this tumultuous decade. What was the impact of the postwar years, the dropping of the bomb, the movement to suburbia and McCarthyism on the 60's generation? What was the impact of the presidencies of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon? This course will include a study of the new left, the civil rights movement and black power, and the Great Society of LBJ. Above all, the course will examine the Vietnam War and the way the war shaped the decade and its aftermath.
Introduction to Philosophy
Is morality relative or absolute? How do we decide who gets rights? Why do we eat chicken but not babies? How can we justify personal wealth with starvation in the world?
Are we born with rights or are they given? What difference does it make? What is the role of government? Is feminism finished? How would the 18th century utilitarian view abortion? How can we be sure of what we ‘know’? If a man is talking in a wood and there isn’t a woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?
In this elective we will examine some of the biggest philosophical questions surrounding morality and ethics, knowledge, rights, feminism and political systems. We will take a thematic approach to this course, contrasting many different writers’ views on the same topics. We will reflect upon the writings of a wide variety of thinkers, from Plato’s moral absolutism to John Stuart Mill’s liberalism, from John Rawls’ positive libertarianism to Shuli Firestone’s radical feminism, with many stops in between. Contrary to common perceptions of philosophy, some of the philosophers we shall look at are actually still alive!
Using this knowledge we shall also reflect upon some modern ethical and political conflicts and decide how various philosophers would view these issues.
Review Writing
“A preposterous yarn.”
“A highly original and unorthodox yarn.”
The first quote is taken from an 1851 review of Moby Dick. The second is from a review of Gigli, in 2003. Both reviews are subjective, and both are seemingly sincere. So, what are we to make of reviewers? Who are they? How seriously do they shape our opinions of books, films, concerts, restaurants, and product purchases we may otherwise enjoy or scorn? Are they supposed to influence us, or simply provide edification and entertainment (or does the answer vary based on subject)?
In this course, we will practice the art of responding to and writing reviews. Our trek begins with a comprehensive study of Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 novel, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (critics weigh in: from “one to cherish” to “too cute”). We will review contemporary short stories and film, and you will be required to review something on your own (concert, movie, book, art exhibit, etc.). Armed with the weekly Times Book Review, we will draw on “current events” as much as possible, and you will choose an outside reading book based on a review you have read.
“If you take but one elective in this scheduling block, make it this one.”
Group B
Poetry
It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there from “Asphodel, That Greeny Flower”. Don’t change that dial! Yes, poetry is for everyone, even you. It might not make life longer, but it makes the life we lead better, more comprehensible, more shapely. We will look at poems by themes: relationships, war, childhood, love, death; and we will look at song lyrics about these topics as well. In fact, singer-songwriters will be welcomed in this class. We may even look at poems you loved as a child, (Goodnight bears, goodnight chairs, goodnight voices everywhere.) At the same time, we will write poems regularly which you can share and get help with; reading aloud is optional. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about poetry or try writing poems yourself, this is the course for you.
Is There Bias in Our Bedrooms?
This elective will examine the impact of the mass media on our lives. Do we, the public, create the media or does the media create us and the culture in which we live? We will discuss vital local, state, national and international issues as viewed through the mass media including print, electronic and Internet sources. You will collect a portfolio on a single issue and analyze each type of media on that topic. In addition, we will study the changing role of the media in the second half of the 20th Century by examining how major events such as the Kennedy Assassination, the Vietnam War and Watergate were covered. We will try to determine how the mass media is evolving in the 21st Century.
Writing the Short Story
Somerset Maugham, talking to a girls’ school about the art of writing short stories, told them that the essential ingredients were religion, sex, mystery, high rank, non-literary language, and brevity. After the lecture, one of the girls handed him this completed story:
‘My God,’ said the duchess, ‘I’m pregnant. I wonder who done it.’
Clearly, short stories cannot be produced by easy formulas. What we will try to do is explore some of the elements of creating successful short stories, read models from both traditional writers and contemporary writers, and complete exercises that hopefully will stimulate our creation of fiction. Each week we will focus on a single element like dialogue, setting, or point of view, and write sketches that make use of these elements. All of the writing for this class will be creative, though in our discussions we will attempt to decide what makes a story successful. We will also look at what writers have said about creating fiction. This class will include elements of the writing workshop, so be prepared to share both your thoughts and your writing. The final project will be an original short story.
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