Portfolio Prompts; Family Matters; 1950's Making America Great with I Love Lucy

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Lab:

5-10 minutes: Book Groups: Get into your book group and see where you all are. Answer or discuss any issues with the book. How's it going? Check in.
  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (the story of a criminal who pleads insanity, then has to question his own sanity in an asylum)
  • The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (a fictionalized memoir about Plath's descent into clinical depression and madness)
  • Name All the Animals by Alison Smith (a memoir about Rochester native Alison Smith dealing with the traumatic death of her brother and her own sexual identity) 
  • Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (science fiction; a mentally disabled man undergoes experiments to "cure" him of his disability). 
  • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (non-fiction scientific journalism about a black woman whose cells were used to cure diseases. Examines medical ethics & race)
Aim to finish the book by Dec. 4. For your discussion session Monday: 
  • Each participant should come up with 3 discussion questions to bring back to the group. You may bring more than 3 questions to the group for discussion. Questions will be turned in for participation credit at the end of that class session.
Lab:

For the rest of the period, please use your time to do the following:

PROMPTS from reading the article "The Color of Family Ties" (you should read that article...):
  • Write about your family. Are you from a traditional family? How or how not so? You may also focus on writing about a family secret, a specific family member, or an important family event that helped shape who you are.
  • Does culture or economic class have more to do with who we are and how we live, behave, believe in, etc. than other factors? Discuss.
  • Write about a non-traditional family in a poem or short story or play
  • Write a horror story or a parody of a horror story inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's writing (see previous posts for help on establishing tone in horror stories). Or try writing in his style (a poem or short story) using a rich vocabulary to sound like you are a writer from the 19th century.
  • Complete any of those earlier prompts from the psychology unit. We will be moving on. 
  • If you need a deadline: complete any of these prompts for next class (Monday).
Period 2: 

What decade in American history is the most ideal? What decade other than your own might you secretly wish you were born during? Why might you idealize that decade? What was so good about it in your opinion? ("I would rather have been born in...") - write your thoughts for 2-3 minutes.

Miniver Cheevy by Edwin Arlington Robinson.

Then let's read the article on "What Era Does Trump Refer to When he Says 'Let's Make America Great Again'?"

Certain decades have always been popular, but none more beloved than TV land's utopia: the 1950's. Let's take a look.

1951. I Love Lucy, "Job Switching" - as we watch this popular episode, note the commentary on gender roles, race, and economic status. How might the 1950's appeal to some people? Why is the show still popular in our culture?


Then, let's start to read the article by Stephanie Coontz "What We Really Miss About the 1950s."

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading and creation of discussion questions for your chosen group novel. Write stuff for your portfolio.

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