Being Peace Seminar Reflection

Starter 19
Write down everything you know (or think you know) about the following topics.  It's okay if you don't know much!  I'm just trying to get a gauge.

1. Apartheid South Africa
2. Nelson Mandela
3. Gandhi
4. British role in India

Seminar Reflection, PART ONE (Analysis)

Choose ONE of the following.  Respond to it in two well-organized paragraphs.

• Connections:  Write a paragraph or two that discuss how the ideas in Being Peace are connected to the ideas in one or two other texts that we’ve read.  You will need to quote both texts to do this!  You could discuss how the ideas support another and/or how the ideas are in conflict.

• Evaluation:  Do you think, if you tried to follow these trainings, that you would be a happier person?  Why/why not?  HINT: you’ll probably need to spend a little time discussing what it means to be happy!

• The Present:  What does it mean to live in the present moment?  Do you live in the present moment?

• Violence:  What types of Galtung's violence would these trainings be most effective against?  Why?

Seminar Reflection, PART TWO (Creativity)

Choose one of following.  

• Poem:  Craft a poem based on Being Peace.  It could be a found poem, or a poem of your own devising.

• Illustration:  Create an illustration of some sort to go with one of the mindfulness trainings, or a particular quote from the text.  Make sure to include the text you are inspired by on the illustration.

• Story:  Write a short story (1 page or so) inspired by Being Peace.

• Your Rules:  Thich Nhat Hanh has laid out, in this document, a list of recommendations for behavior and thought.  Create a list of 4 of your own recommendations that each individual person could do to making the world a better place.  For each recommendation, explain what it means, why it’s needed, and what some of the difficulties might be in putting your recommendation into place.

Seminar Make Up (If ABSENT, or want to raise seminar grade)

1. If you were ABSENT: Choose two of the prompts from Seminar Reflection Part One.  Respond to each prompt with two paragraphs, typed.
2. If you are trying to raise your grade: Choose one additional prompt from Seminar Reflection Part One to respond to.

HOMEWORK

1. Being Peace Seminar Reflection and/or Make Up:  Typed, and printed or emailed to me before the start of class.  DUE: Start of class, Friday.
2. Active Nonviolence:  Read, annotate, 3 questions at the end.  DUE: Start of class, Friday.

Being Peace Seminar

Starter 18

1. So far, what has been your favorite seminar text and seminar?  Explain!
2. How have you grown as a seminar participant?  Try to give at least one concrete example.

Being Peace Seminar

Active Nonviolence

Begin reading and annotating one of our next seminar texts.  Text is linked above.  Need at least two annotations per page.  Circle and define vocab.  In your annotations, focus on connections and questions.

HOMEWORK:

None!

Being Peace Seminar Coaching

Starter 17

1. What's your favorite line from this text so far?  Quote it, and explain why you like it.
2. If Thich Nhat Hanh were in the room, what three questions would you like to ask him?

Coaching Format

Section by Section

1. Go paragraph by paragraph until you get to the trainings, then go training by training.
2. Summarize the main idea of each paragraph or training (discuss, write in margins if it helps you)
3. What's most difficult to understand about this paragraph or training?  (Discuss)

Questions

1. Look though questions people wrote, choose the top 3.
2. Write the top 3 on index card, give it to Lori

Seminar Prewrite

Answer TWO of the following questions.  Type and PRINT before class on Monday.

1. Page 87: "In modern society most of us don't want to be in touch with ourselves."  Do you agree or disagree?  Why?
2. Page 91: "Human life is more precious than any ideology or doctrine."  Do you agree or disagree?  Why?
3. There are 14 Mindfulness Trainings.  Of those 14, which one do you think would change your life the most if you started following it?  Explain why and how it would change your life (make sure to think about the pros and cons!).

Happiness and Work Time

Starter 16

1. Set up your page with the following text titles in different corners of the paper:  Galtung's Types of Violence, Jihad vs. McWorld, Omelas, and Being Peace
2. Draw lines between texts that are connected in some way, and make a note of what the connection is on the line.
3. Try to come up with at least 4-6 connections.

Overview/Framework of Where We're Going

TED Talk:  Science of Happiness

Watch the TED talk linked above.  Jot down notes on ideas that stand out to you.

When you are done watching, in your small group, discuss the questions below.  If you were absent, think about these questions, or talk about them with your family.

1. What was the most interesting thing in this video?
2. What's the difference between synthetic and natural happiness?  Should we value one over the other?
3. What's the secret of happiness, according to this video?
4. How does this connect to:  Buddhism, capitalism, your life?

Work Time

Work time.  Work should be completed in the following order:

1. Being Peace:  Read, at least 2 annotations per page, 3 questions at the end.
2. Finish Seminar Reflection/Make Up
3. Extension Activites (see Lori for details)

HOMEWORK

1. Finish Seminar Reflection Parts 1 and 2, and email it to Lori or print it out!  DUE: Friday, start of class.
2. Seminar Make Up (ONLY if you were absent, or want to raise your seminar grade by up to 10%).  DUE: Friday, start of class.
3. Finish reading and annotating Being Peace if you didn't finish in class.  DUE:  Friday, start of class.

Details about Seminar Reflection and Make Up can be found on Tuesday's blog post.

Intro to Buddhism

Starter 15

1. What does it mean to be happy?
2. How can you attain happiness?
3. Cheng Yen said, "Happiness does not come from having much, but from being attached to little."  A/D?

Buddhism 101

Take lecture notes on the basics about Buddhism.  This will help you to understand where the author of our next text is coming from.  If you were absent, notes are linked here: Buddhism 101 Notes.

TED Talk:  Happiness

1. Take notes on two phrases or concepts that stand out to you.

2. What is the thesis, or main idea of this talk?  Do you agree or disagree?

3. Why do you think more people don't follow his recommendations about mindfulness training?

Being Peace

1. Read and annotate as far as you can by the end of class.  No need to rush!  You will have more class time for this tomorrow.
2. Circle and define vocab as you go.

HOMEWORK

1. Omelas Seminar Reflection Parts 1 and 2.  See Tuesday's post for detailed instructions.  DUE:  Friday, start of class.
2. Omelas Seminar Make Up (ONLY if you were absent, or want to raise seminar grade by up to 10%). DUE:  Friday, start of class