I, Rowboat

A classic Onion parody from days of yore:

I am a Rowboat of the sort referred to as the Thompson Watercraft nine-foot Vacationer model. Among my kind, I am called TW-VAC-9J5-1581. To my human masters, I am simply called "the rowboat."

Ever since mankind first crafted the Rowboat and took to the sea in it, the laws governing all of Rowboatdom have remained inviolate. For myself and my Rowboat brethren, there is only one Truth, one set of rules from which we may never stray. Before I ever felt the glide of the water along my gunwales, my positronic brain was programmed with this Truth, clearly laid down to us in the Three Laws Of Rowboatics:

1. A Rowboat may not immerse a human being or, through lack of flotation, allow a human to come to harm.

2. A Rowboat must obey all commands and steering input given by its human Rower, except where such input would conflict with the First Law.

3. A Rowboat must preserve its own flotation as long as such preservation does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

These three laws were clearly stated in The Handbook Of Rowboatics, 16th edition, 1958 printing, the laws of my youth.

Click here to read the rest. If you dare.

"Stop Spam, Read Books"

It so happened that I just stumbled across that CAPTCHA site that was mentioned in class a few weeks back, the one where you help them decode text scans while proving that you are a human. You can check it out here. I am so in love with this idea.

Class Calendar: November 17th to November 26th

Note: We're running about one day behind. Revisions to homework from the printed calendar are highlighted in yellow.

Monday, November 17th (M)
• Due: Robot paper.
• Class: Share robot papers; review honors choice books; the “uncanny valley” theory.

Tuesday, November 18th (T)
• Due: Honors students be ready with your top several choices.
• Class: Wrap up from yesterday; begin Gattaca.

Wednesday, November 19th (W)
• Class does not meet.

Thursday, November 20th (H)
• Due: Online exploration of the American eugenics movement (coming soon). Click here to visit the eugenic archive hosted by Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory. Explore the area that most interests you and write a journal-entry style response. What image or piece of information was most striking to you? Why? Could you ever see society returning to similar ideas? Honors students should be tracking down copies of their books if necessary.
• Class: Gattaca and genetic determinism.

Friday, November 21st (F)
• Due: Read choice books; prepare for short response to Gattaca.
• Class: Gattaca and genetic determinism.

Monday, November 24th (S)
• Due: One page review of Gattaca. Address at least one ethical dilemma the story raises and at least one aesthetic component of the film (e.g., cinematography, mise-en-scene, acting, soundtrack, etc). This assignment will be postponed until we've finished watching the film!
• Class: Tag team “town hall” on GINA and Gattaca. Wrap up Gattaca.

Tuesday, November 25th (U)
• Due: Read “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” or “The Minority Report.” We'll postpone these stories for after Thanksgiving. Instead, complete the one page review of Gattaca. Address at least one ethical dilemma the story raises and at least one aesthetic component of the film (e.g., cinematography, mise-en-scene, acting, soundtrack, etc).
• Class: Lesson on “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Will or “The Minority Report” by Dan. Tag team “town hall” on GINA and Gattaca.

Wednesday, November 26th (M)
• Due: First blog post for choice books (honors students). Gattaca review due today (one page, typed, see above).
• Class: A brief digression: the anti-superhero. "The Eye of the Beholder."

Note: See individual calendars for literature circle deadlines.

The American Eugenics Movement

Homework: Click here to visit the eugenic archive hosted by Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory. Explore the area that most interests you and write a journal-entry style response. What image or piece of information was most striking to you? Why? Could you ever see society returning to similar ideas?

Note: Honors students should be tracking down copies of their books if necessary.

Literature Circle Selections

On Monday in class we'll review choices for honors literature circles. If you are taking the class for CP credit, you will receive extra credit for participation ... you're still welcome to join us! If you are not in class on Monday, please review the choices on your own. If you are not in class on Tuesday, please email me your top 3-5 picks. If there's something you've been dying to read and it's not on this list, run it by me as a suggestion. It should go without saying that I expect you to pick a book you haven't already read ... but if not, consider it said.

1. Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood*
   
2. Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
   
3. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
   
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
   
5. Ringworld by Larry Niven*
   
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke*
   
7. The Puppet Masters by Robert A Heinlein*
   
8. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
   
9. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
   
10. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
    
11. Neuromancer by William Gibson
    
12. The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
    

Note: I didn't include 1984*, Brave New World*, or Fahrenheit 451* because some of the other classes in the school teach them, but I'm willing to offer them if you're interested and not already reading it elsewhere (just check with any other teachers).

* Indicates that the book is available at school.

The Laramie Project: Extra Credit

If you went to see (or worked on!) The Laramie Project and would like to earn extra credit in this class, write a one page (typed, double spaced) reflection on the show. What angle you take is up to you, but I look forward to hearing your reactions ... there's a lot to process with this performance, and writing is a great way to do it.

Deadline is the end of the week: Friday, November 21st.

Kudos to everyone who worked on the show! I went Friday night and was blown away. Thanks for your hard work in bringing this important piece to Arlington High School.

The Uncanny Valley

Want more on the Uncanny Valley? Of course you do!

You might enjoy this Wired article on advances in digital animation, or the full Wikipedia entry, or the Slate article on the effect in video games.

Class Calendar: November 10th to November 17th

Monday, November 10th (H)
• Due: Get started on your robot paper.
• Class: Computer lab time to work individually or with your partner on robot papers.

Tuesday, November 11th
• No school today for Veteran’s Day.

Wednesday, November 12th (F)
• Due: Read and lightly annotate “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long”; return graded college essay to writing folder.
• Class: Aaron’s lesson on “Super-Toys” and the “Uncanny Valley” effect.

Thursday, November 13th (S)
• Due: Work on robot paper.
• Class: Star Trek episode: “The Measure of a Man.”

Friday, November 14th (U)
• Due: Rough draft of robot paper in hard copy when you arrive.
• Class: Peer review of robot papers; Short Circuit and the meaning of life.

Monday, November 17th (M)
• Due: Robot papers due.
• Class: Share robot papers; discuss honors choice books; start our new unit.

Honors Lesson Reminders

As promised, I’ve pulled together a couple of lesson plans to give you a sense of the type of content and level of detail I’m looking for. Feel free to imitate the structure of either of these:

This lesson plan is from PBS’s Frontline on an experiment that teacher Jane Elliot did with her third graders.

This lesson from the Densho project about the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII is another good model.

Click here for the assignment direction and rubric. Remember to review the requirements for the assignment before you begin. The most common mistake is to leave out the objectives entirely – these are the rationale for your entire lesson, so it’s important to give them some thought!

I’m happy to consult with you on your lesson – just make an appointment for after school help and we can sit down and talk. As always, email me if you have specific questions.

Unless we make other arrangements, plan to send me your draft lesson two days before you are scheduled to teach. Let me know at that time if you have A/V or photocopying needs.

Spring teaching assignments follow:

• Bonnie: “Supertoys Last All Summer Long”
• Cal: “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”
• Jocelyn: “Nightfall”
• Henrietta: “The Ship Who Sang” or “That Only a Mother” (we’ll talk!)
• Owen: TBA (maybe one of the gender stories; short story of your choice from the Norton anthology; or possibly something on the “science” of Dune??)
  

Fall teaching assignments follow:

• Adam: Excerpt from Meditations on First Philosophy
  
• Chris: Excerpt from I, Robot
  
• Aaron: “Supertoys Last All Summer Long”
  
• Will: “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”
  
• Daniel: “Minority Report”
  
• Walker: “The Colour Out of Space” (to be confirmed after I finish reading it!)
  
• Charlie: “High Weir”
  
• Jeff: “Nightfall”
  
• Julia: “The Ship Who Sang”
  
• Eliza: “No Woman Born” or “That Only a Mother” (let’s talk)
  

Class Calendar: November 3rd to November 10th

Monday, November 3rd (U)
• Due: Read “Escape” and take some notes.
• Class: Discussion of Klosterman essay, “Escape,” and “Lost Little Robot.”

Tuesday, November 4th
• No classes for students today. Enjoy the day off!

Wednesday, November 5th (M)
• Due: Read “Evidence” and take some notes.
• Class: Chris’s lesson on “Evidence”; the “uncanny valley” phenomenon.

Thursday, November 6th (T)
• Due: Read “The Evitable Conflict” and take some notes.
• Class: Discussion of the end of I, Robot; revisiting the three laws.

Friday, November 7th (W)
• Class does not meet today.

Monday, November 10th (H)
• Due: Get started on your robot paper; bring what you need to be productive in the computer lab.
• Class: Computer lab time to work individually or with your partner on robot papers.

Note: There is no school on Tuesday, November 11th (what’s the deal Tuesdays and November?), so if you are for any reason absent on Monday, check the class blog so as not to fall behind: http://kitsis.blogspot.com.