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)