Connecting the Past to the Present: August 25

Focus: What do Americans fear, and what do we do to feel safe?

1. Warming up with "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"; drawing the images that stay with you the most.

Enjoying a gallery walk of your art while searching for patterns

As a class, discussing the sermon's patterns: 

• How would you characterize the relationship between God, humans, and the afterlife according to this Puritan sermon?

• What do Puritans fear, and what do they do to feel safe?

2. Examining the project overview, linked here

3. Watching a news clip on the Le Roy High School outbreak; reading one of four articles on modern cultural hysteria

• What does your article have in common with the Salem witch trials?

• How would you, personally, define the term "cultural hysteria"?

Y2K
UFOs and War of the Worlds
Ebola and "Fear-bola"
Life after 9/11
Celebrity Death Hysteria

4. Comparing ideas in jigsaw discussions:

• Summarize the key points from your articles.

• What do your articles have in common with the Salem witch trials?

• What do your articles have in common with each other?

• How would, as a group, define the term "cultural hysteria"? Please have one of you post your definition on today's class blog. Extra challenge: Can you work one of the 10 Puritan words from vocab.com into your definition?

HW:
1. Start brainstorming a list of possible topics for your project; tomorrow, we will be signing up for them in class. If you're ready, you can sign up tonight by clicking on your class sign-up doc (linked below). It is first come, first served; I prefer that each member of the class explores a different topic.

4th hour sign-up

6th hour sign-up

2. One more night to complete the survey if you have not yet done so.