Day 54: Propoganda

Agenda-
Homeroom
Class: Pre-AP Sophomore English
Free Period
Class: AP Senior English
Lunch
Free Period

I decided that because of the outburst last week I needed to have a conversation with both sophomore classes about the propaganda and anti-Semitism during the time period. I think that maybe if I show them some examples and explain to them why we are reading Night that they will understand me a little better. I did a google search for propaganda and got a ton. So after the students were done giving their presentations I hooked my laptop up to the projector and showed them the many different examples that google pulled up. Then I explained to them that it is important we read Night because we are not exempt from treating people like this. We did the similar things to Native Americans and to Japanese Americans during WWII. I explained that we still see these things all the time. We hear on the news all the time that such and such a kid in such and such a place killed themselves because they were being bullied, or cyber bullied, or picked on for being different. I told them that we are reading Night and learning about the Holocaust because the only way to prevent these things is to learn about them. Ignorance causes fear and fear of what we don’t understand creates hatred. So the only way to keep these things from happening is to educate ourselves. They seemed to understand what I was trying to say. I am hoping that now they will be more interested in the subject.

The seniors and I talked about Aurora Leigh. The same students didn’t have their work again. They seem to be making this a habit. I reminded them that the essential questions I am requiring them to do are due in the poetry portfolio and I will be reading them. They said that they knew that and they planned to do them. There really isn’t anything I can do to force them to do the work except maybe start checking them every day like I do for the sophomores. But it seems to me that the seniors should be able to regulate themselves better than that. After all in college there will be work that professors ask them to do that the professor never checks but it will be on the test. It always comes back to bite you in the end. I explained to them that doing the work when it was due would help them not have as much to do at the end. That does not seem to matter to them. Despite four students not having done the assignment we still had a good discussion. It seems like those students are just really good bs. That will be helpful on the AP exam at least.