Kicking off the New Year! January 9, 2018

Focus: Are you powerful? Are you empathetic?

1. Warming up with three good things (or more)

2. Enjoying a lightening round of "Yes, No, Maybe" with follow-up Grid Group discussions

• Topic #1: Which practices (from these slides) empower you and how?
• Topic #2: Which practices disempower you and how?
• Topic #3: How would you define "power"?

3. Witnessing Benjamin Franklin's attempt to find power in perfection: Rationalism and Franklin's 13 virtues

4. Setting up your own virtue charts, which you'll be keeping until January 31

• Set up a 2nd Semester folder inside your American Lit folder.

• Start a document called "Virtue Chart" and place it in your 2nd semester folder.

• Click here to check out mine (feel free to use it as a template if you wish).

• A few suggestions on your virtue charts:

• When choosing verbs, go with "I will..." (studies show this leads to greater success in attaining goals).
• Explain carefully what each goal personally means to you.
• Aim for goals that empower you.
• Be specific in your expectations; make them as measurable as you can.

5. Perusing the second semester syllabus and website

6. Considering empathy vs. sympathy

• Watch this short, animated video to start forming a definition of empathy. 

• Take this Berkley quiz to find out how empathetic you are and read the results.

• Use the results explanation from the quiz to add at least ONE GOAL to your "Virtue Chart"that involves practicing empathy.

HW:

1. Please have your parents/guardians sign the class syllabus. Due Thursday, Jan 11.

2. Consider purchasing your own copies of Fences (August Wilson) and The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald).