February 12 - 16

Happy Valentine's Day!

Whether or not you have romance in your life right now  - I didn't at your age, unless you count secret, painful, unrequited crushes - I hope you feel loved and supported. We will celebrate Valentine's Day with a little candy and something from an American poet, in addition to continuing the argument unit, and reading and discussions about gender.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Valentine's Day poem.  Discuss assigned reading as pairs, then with the whole group. "I Want a Wife" reading. Notes: fallacies in arguments (next 3). Small group challenge with the fallacies.

Due: Read and annotate "Professions for Women" (challenging!) and "There is No Unmarked Woman," from the Gender Packet.  Read the questions and come to class prepared to discuss them.

Homework: Please read and annotate "A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond How Do I Look?" page 24-29 in the Gender Packet. Think about your own experiences as well as the experiences of friends and family.

Journals will be due in the bin at the end of the period on Thursday/Friday.

Study for the quiz on Thursday/Friday.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up. Look at some of the complex reasons that might help explain the gender pay gap. Explore some possible solutions put forth in the U.S. and other countries. Read article about negotiating pay, group activity with wording for negotiating a salary offer.

Due: n/a

Homework: (Same as Monday.) Please read and annotate "A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond How Do I Look?" page 24-29 in the Gender Packet. Think about your own experiences as well as the experiences of friends and family.

Journals will be due at the end of the period on Friday.

Study for the quiz.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz covering vocab 16, grammar, fallacies, reading. Female body images in popular culture over time, depictions in current popular media - video and links, whole class discussion.

Due: Read and annotate "A Challenge for Girls Today: Moving Beyond How Do I Look?" page 24-29 in the Gender Packet. Think about your own experiences as well as the experiences of friends and family.

Please leave journals in the bin at the end of the period.

Homework: For next class, please write an outline (not the whole essay) to answer the following prompt. When brainstorming evidence and examples for your position, go for quality and variety if possible.  I handed out a piece of paper with this prompt in class, but writing it on a separate piece of paper is fine:

In 1891, Irish author Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) observed, “Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.”

 

Wilde claims that disobedience is a valuable human trait and that it promotes social progress. Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Wilde’s claims are valid. Use appropriate examples from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument. 

 

Enjoy the three-day weekend!