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Class: Philosophy
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Date Due:
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Academic Challenge: Creating an original Modest proposal
Guiding Principles:
A ConVal student’s education . . .
- balances traditional knowledge and skills with innovative, real-world
applications;
- fosters critical thinking and problem solving, both individual and
collaborative;
- inspires the development of strong, internal standards of quality.
Student Expectation:
- Students, in their daily interactions, will accept diversity by respecting
themselves and others.
- Students will actively engage themselves in the learning process.
- Students will personally challenge themselves.
- Students will write and speak in a clear, organized manner.
- Students will access, process and apply information effectively.
- Students will solve problems by utilizing and analyzing information
from a variety of sources.
- Students will demonstrate critical and creative thinking.
- Students will use technology in management of information.
- Students will work effectively with others.
NHEIAP Standard:
- Students will read fluently, with understanding and appreciation.
- Students will write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.
- Students will speak purposefully and articulately.
- Students will listen and view attentively and critically.
- Students will understand, appreciate, interpret, and critically analyze
classical and contemporary American and British literature as well as
literary works translated into English.
- Students will use reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing
to gather and organize information, to communicate effectively; and
to succeed in educational, occupational, civic, social, and everyday
settings.
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The Question:
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How can a detailed parody that takes a logical line of reasoning
to the extreme put light on a real problem?
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The Challenge:
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In "A Modest Proposal" Jonathan Swift shocked us with his thoroughly
detailed solution to Ireland's problems of starvation and over-population.
In "A Modest Education Proposal," Johanna Staley and Jessica Thomashow
promoted a very logical, but fatally flawed, solution to our state's
education funding problem.
Each essay tended to frame for the reader the real problem–that
the English didn't really care about the problems of the Irish and
that the people of the state want good schools but are willing to
cut corners to lower costs.
These writers used a very effective writing and thinking device;
by extending a line of logic to the absurd, but then staying with
it, writers can make a very strong statement about the validity
of the line of logic itself.
As a fun way to exercise your logical and satiric thinking, write
a modest propsoal opf your own which follows the models we have
read. The issue you chose is incredibly important here. If you are
too restricted in your choice, you will find little to satirize.
Let yourselves go on this one; enjoy yourselves and be legendary!
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Minimum
Product Standards:
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The Proposal is done on time.
The Proposal is shared in class.
The Proposal is on an appropriate issue.
The Proposal is word-processed.
The Proposal is contains a plethora of details, extended logic,
quotes, or historical references.
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