This trimester, students have been focused on the major guiding question, “Why do people organize?” In order to think about how and why we organize into societies, we need to think about the very nature of humanity. We began the year by reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding. After reading the text, along with other political philosophers, students then crafted original projects and artist statements which helped answer the question, “What is human nature?”
As it was election season, students also spent a good deal of time discussing the election and all the drama that surrounded (and continues to surround!) the event. Students created original voting posters to inspire those around our local community to vote, not only for the sake of the national election but also for the state and local elections which make such a difference in our everyday lives.
One of the aspects of the election which made the most headlines was the Electoral College. Students learned about the history of the Electoral College, the arguments for and against the system, and then wrote persuasive essays which argue for or against our continued use of the system. Students needed to collect quotes from a variety of sources, incorporate those quotes into their writing, and write a works cited page.
Finally, one of the main organizations we study in this course is the United States Federal government. To begin this study, we needed to look at its origins. Students read portions of The Indigenous People’s History of the United Stated (for Young People) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz in order to get the Native perspective on the founding of the U.S. In addition, students read a variety of primary and secondary sources about early colonial history and the Revolutionary War. While white, wealthy, Protestant men were the most prominent decision makers in the colonies, we looked at the contributions and ideas of enslaved and free black people, Native groups, women, and poor white indentured servants. Students participated in a role play simulation where each group represented a perspective on the future of the colonies: Should the colonies remain neutral? Fight the British? Remain British citizens? While we discussed that women, enslaved and free black people, and Native groups did not have a seat at the table in the 1760s and 1770s, it is important that those groups had a voice at our proverbial table today in order to better understand the complexities of Colonial America.
Please enjoy all of their hard work!