Unit 2: The Human Condition and the Search for Meaning
Essential Questions:
- What does it mean to be human?
- In the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to prevail while others fail?
- What is the meaning of life, and how does an individual's perception of that meaning affect beliefs regarding death?
- Are we governed/guided by fate, free will, a greater power, or do we fall somewhere on the spectrum between?
- How do we make decisions for ourselves about our identities in cultures where we are bombarded with other people trying to define us?
Week of 16 November 2009
- introduction to unit: exploring essential questions, discussing topics of interest
- pre-reading & writing: What Do You Believe? (instructions),
- What Rules Guide Your Life? This I Believe interview task (instructions)
- introduction to The Tao of Pooh (100 Acre Wood Personality Quiz)
- reading and discussion of The Tao of Pooh (pages 1-21)
- development of reading assignment for The Tao of Pooh
Week of 30 November 2009
- Seeing Is Believing group task (instructions)
- reading and discussion of The Tao of Pooh (reader response assignment instructions)
- 12/02/09 reading and synopsis of four This I Believe essays DUE (website, instructions)
- 12/04/09 Seeing Is Believing poster DUE (instructions)
- world myths and folktales background (textbook pages 2-9)
- myth notes (PowerPoint)
- origin myth imitation assignment (rubric, sample)
Week of 7 December 2009
- reading and discussion of Antigone (double-entry journal)
- 12/08/09 The Tao of Pooh reader response assignment DUE (instructions)
- 12/10/09 origin myth imitation assignment DUE (rubric, sample)
Week of 14 December 2009
- 12/14/09 This I Believe essay DUE (NPR website, instructions)
- W 12/16/09 FINAL EXAMS (3rd, 5th, 7th periods)
- Th 12/17/09 FINAL EXAMS (2nd, 4th, 6th periods)
- F 12/18/09 FINAL EXAMS (1st and 8th periods)