Agenda: Week 6 – Monday, 3/4 & Wednesday, 3/6

Before class on Monday…

Read:

• “A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin.
• “38” by Layli Long Soldier.

Write:

• Continue working on U1 Education Narrative.
• We won’t spend any more class time writing, so this needs to be completed outside of class!

During class on Monday, we will…

• Read the Declaration of Independence (text) while we listen to the Declaration of Independence (audio).
  • [NPR’s] Editor’s note on July 8, 2022: This story quotes the U.S. Declaration of Independence — a document that contains offensive language about Native Americans, including a racial slur.
  • Next, we’ll think about The Declaration of Independence in modern terms. In small groups, discuss if at least one of the arguments in this founding document are relevant to you and relate to issues that affect you, your family, and/or your community in the 21st century. If you feel the document is completely irrelevant to your life, explain your reasoning in specific terms. (Remember to discuss this respectfully! You don’t have to agree with each other, but use polite language!)
• Then, we’ll return to our two reading assignments for today and consider these questions:
• What does Baldwin mean when he states: “[A]ny Negro who is born in this country and undergoes the American educational system runs the risk of becoming schizophrenic”? What is he telling us?
  • Note that Baldwin uses the term “Negro” here, whereas today we use the terms “African American” or “Black.”
  • He uses male pronouns to discuss both men and women. Today, we use inclusive pronouns, either “he/she” or “them.”
  • He uses the phrase “becoming schizophrenic,” which can be seen as unfeeling language, especially to those who have suffered from this mental illness (or have loved ones suffer from this). Today, we would say “becoming confused” or “bewildered.”
• Here’s the longer quote:
  • Now, if what I have tried to sketch has any validity, it becomes thoroughly clear, at least to me, that any Negro who is born in this country and undergoes the American educational system runs the risk of becoming schizophrenic. On the one hand he is born in the shadow of the stars and stripes and he is assured it represents a nation which has never lost a war. He pledges allegiance to that flag which guarantees “liberty and justice for all.” He is part of a country in which anyone can become president, and so forth. But on the other hand he is also assured by his country and his countrymen that he has never contributed anything to civilization – that his past is nothing more than a record of humiliations gladly endured.
• Now, think about the history that Layli Long Soldier covers in her poem “38.” Considering her history and the above quote from Baldwin’s piece, discuss the following questions:
  • Are there any incidents in US history that you think are not as visible as they should be, and that you think are important for people to learn about?
    • For example, there is an event in Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was completely destroyed and hundreds of people killed in 1921.
    • I grew up only a few hours north of Tulsa, and I never heard a word about this until years after I graduated from college.
  • Are there contemporary incidents that you think should be included in historical accounts of our era so people in the future can learn from them?
• Take notes, because your answers will help with your U2 Major Writing Assignment!

Homework for next Monday:

• Although Americans today recognize that the Founders had racist/misogynist bias about who “all men” were when they wrote the phrase: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” we also recognize that what the Founders did (writing and signing the Declaration) could’ve led to their deaths because what they did amounted to treason against the King. They were willing to risk this because they believed in what they were saying.
• With the idea of fighting for your beliefs and values in mind, consider issues that affect you. What are some social justice issues (local or global) that you feel strongly about and might inspire you to act?
  • Make a list of at least three issues (think about laws, policies, movements, etc.). You might also think about our discussion on Baldwin and the things you feel the necessity or obligation to learn about; or, think about Long Soldier and incidents or chapters in US history that you think are not visible and should be.
  • Please avoid typical topics that are extremely sensitive. Abortion, for example, is an issue that people often become entrenched (basically, refuse to see the other side’s point of view).
    • Search for issues or problems–local, national, global–that matters to you and that you have questions about, not entrenched beliefs. Brainstorm a list.

After class on Monday…

• Continue working on U1 Education Narrative.
• Bring a complete and printed draft of 1,000 words to class on Wednesday.

During class on Wednesday, we will…

Peer Review:

• Bring a complete draft (at least 1,000 words) of your Education Narrative to class–preferably printed, but at least a digital copy you can quickly email to your partner!
• Please be prompt! If you come late to class, you might not get a partner to peer review your draft. Remember, you will earn 50 points for bringing a draft and having it peer reviewed.
  • There will be a worksheet to help you provide constructive criticism for your partner–this will also be the low-stakes writing assignment for the day!
• When you’re finished, both you and your partner come to my desk to show me the essay AND the peer review worksheet to earn the points. If you leave without showing me the work or show an incomplete worksheet you won’t earn the points.

How do you upload your U1 Education Narrative to OpenLab?

• Your U1 Education Narrative is due no later than 11:59 PM on Sunday, 3/10!
• You must upload the essay onto OpenLab, which means you MUST have joined OpenLab AND this class! Still having problems with this? TALK TO ME!
• We’ll talk about this in class, but if you miss class or need a refresher, read/view the instructions on the document that you can find here.
• For the U1 Education Narrative Writing Template, click here.
• Also, make your submission PRIVATE (only you and I can see it–no one else) by clicking this button on OpenLab:

Looking ahead…

• Submit your U1 Writing Assignment no later than Sunday, 3/10 at 11:59PM!
• Watch “Writing an Annotated Bibliography” (City Tech Library).
• Review “Annotated Bibliography Breakdown” (Purdue OWL)..
• Review “Quotation Handout” by Carrie Hall.