Class Schedule Through Thanksgiving

What follows is a detailed overview of the Humanities 9 class over the next three weeks (taking us to Thanksgiving). This is subject to change, of course, but I expect we'll stick fairly close to this schedule.

Monday, November 9 - Classical Athens: The Big Picture
Homework Due - Blogpost and Vocab 5A-C

In class, we will go over general expectations for the course over the next few months, address any vocab-related questions that you have, and I will provide a quick overview of Classical Greece, focusing specifically on Athens, so that you can have a general feel for what took place before we move ahead. In Writing Lab, students will examine the many forms of government that have existed over human history, culminating in a blogpost assignment.

Tuesday, November 10 - The Rise of Athenian Democracy
Homework Due - Read Pericles's Funeral Oration (Handout)

Our focus this week is on government and more specifically on the development and different forms of democracy. Pericles, as documented by Thucydides, provides us with one of the best summations of Athens's government.

Wednesday, November 11 - The Democracies of Athens and the US
Homework Due - Read Democracy in Brief, 7-16 (Not nearly as bad as it seems) (Handout)

While Athens is the world's first democracy, there are some stark differences between how it functioned and the US democracy does. We will zoom out today from Athens to the American system and others in existence today.

Thursday, November 12 - Athens vs. Sparta and Other Famous "Others"
Homework Due - Read Plutarch on Sparta (Handout)

Athens and Sparta have always been paired as contrasts, a dichotomy setting up the tension between, among other things, "freedom"/"equality" and "good"/"evil." We will chart similarities and differences between the two polises and then consider other famous historical parallels (with the help of Walt Disney). In Writing Lab, students will consider their examination of different political systems with a poster assignment.

Friday, November 13 - Vocab Test
Homework Due - Study for the vocab test

After we finish the vocab test, we'll use today to wrap up any lingering questions from the week.

Monday, November 16 - Essay Writing
Homework Due - Greece Map Assignment

Today, we pause our examination of Ancient Greece to discuss best practices in essay organization and writing. Students will be given time in Writing Lab to continue the development of their Athens/Sparta essays.

Tuesday, November 17 - What is justice?
Homework Due - Read Solon: Selected Fragments (Handout)

The rule of law was a new concept in Ancient Greece. We will start with Draco and Solon, the early lawgivers, and continue to explore how justice in general was perceived and achieved.

Wednesday, November 18 - No School
Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thursday, November 19 - Freedom and justice in the US Constitution
Homework Due - Read "Democracy in Brief"

Today, we will continue our examination of the constitution, focusing specifically on how it guarantees specific types of freedom and justice. In writing lab, students will have time to continue working on their Athens/Sparta essay.

Friday, November 20 - Service Day

Monday, November 23 - Why did the Athenian democracy fail?
Homework Due - Read "The Fall of Athens" (Handout)

As the question suggests, we will focus on the decline of Athens's democracy today, trying to identify reasons for its fall. The assigned reading from the WSJ, though, focuses on a different event, allowing for some potentially interesting comparisons to be drawn. In Writing Lab, students will participate in an online activity, built around Jared Diamond's compelling work on why societies fail, Collapse.

Tuesday, November 24 - Are there flaws in the US democracy?
Homework Due - ATHENS/SPARTA ESSAY - FINAL DRAFT

Much has been written over the last decade in particular about the waning of American power and prominence. At times, American democracy has come into question, for a number of reasons. We will try to unpack those issues.

Wednesday, 11/25 - Friday, 11/27 - Thanksgiving Break