Due 5/1: Mandala and Existentialism is a Humanism

April 27, 2017 By

I will be collecting Between the World and Me and The Alchemist on Monday to grade annotations! If you have a school copy, remove your post its and place them inside the front cover of the novel/book.

* Due Tomorrow for 10B: Siddhartha–Write one question for discussion. Remember, this is a squircle question which means it should force us to consider our lives when answering the question. The question should be thematically shaped by one of the lessons communicated in the chapter Govinda. I will collect the questions at the beginning of class to review them. If they are thoughtfully crafted, SQUIRCLE. If not then we begin talking about the comparative essay (which we will do eventually).

1. (Due 5/1)

Mandala Project

FYI: There are many great mandalas in the header photo for this page!
You are also expected to turn in an artist statement wherein you explain what each aspect of your mandala represents. The artist statement should be one page and single spaced.

Be sure to visit this link to get a sense of the process of making a mandala. This is the beginning step of the Mandala Project! 

The Mandala will be worth 150 points and count as a project/essay grade. Keep in mind:

  • Your base structure of your mandala should be a series of geometric shapes. The primary, and largest, shape must be a geometric shape.  Within there must be an arrangement of smaller geometric shapes.
  • All geometric shapes must be PRECISE. The craftsmanship in general should be precise.
  • The Mandala should use colors meaningfully. Meaning, you should be able to explain why you chose the colors you chose.
  • All visuals beyond the base structure should be purposeful and powerful. Meaning, there should be a rationale for everything present in your Mandala and that rationale should be of great significance to you. Further, the images should be aesthetically pleasing in presentation.
  • The Mandala should reflect great creative effort!
  • The Mandala should reflect great overall effort!
  • The Mandala should reflect you!

Ultimately you should create a mandala that you will be proud to share with the entire class!

As for dimensions, there is flexibility here: if square 12-16 inches on each side; if circular, appx. 12-16 inches in diameter. Once again, there is flexibility here.  Review the following link to get another sense of the creation process. Note that the structure of the mandala should consist of precise geometric shapes.

2. (Due May 2) Existentialism is a Humanism–This reading sets us up for the last three texts of the year. Let it be known that this essay is conceptually/philosophically difficult. Do not wait until the night before to read it. Break it into bits and pieces. Jean Paul Sartre is often the first name to come to mind when one considers Existentialism. His brand of atheistic existentialism so dominates the existential landscape that one forgets that the “first existentialist” Kierkegaard was indeed a theist. Nevertheless, Sartre’s essay most clearly defines the existential mindset. It becomes a fundamental piece of the year’s final unit.   Additionally, his essay establishes some of the tenets of existentialism that are universally applicable. In a nutshell Sartre defends his philosophy against the four primary critiques of existentialism.

Due 4/27: Siddhartha Squircle Question

April 26, 2017 By

1. Siddhartha–Write one question for discussion. Remember, this is a squircle question which means it should force us to consider our lives when answering the question. The question should be thematically shaped by one of the lessons communicated in the chapter Govinda. I will collect the questions at the beginning of class to review them. If they are thoughtfully crafted, SQUIRCLE. If not then we begin talking about the comparative essay (which we will do eventually).

2. (Due May 2) Existentialism is a Humanism–This reading sets us up for the last three texts of the year. Let it be known that this essay is conceptually/philosophically difficult. Do not wait until the night before to read it. Break it into bits and pieces. Jean Paul Sartre is often the first name to come to mind when one considers Existentialism. His brand of atheistic existentialism so dominates the existential landscape that one forgets that the “first existentialist” Kierkegaard was indeed a theist. Nevertheless, Sartre’s essay most clearly defines the existential mindset. It becomes a fundamental piece of the year’s final unit.   Additionally, his essay establishes some of the tenets of existentialism that are universally applicable. In a nutshell Sartre defends his philosophy against the four primary critiques of existentialism.

Due 4/26: Siddhartha

April 25, 2017 By

1. Siddhartha–Complete the novel.

Due 4/25: Siddhartha and Discussion Question

April 24, 2017 By

1. Siddhartha–Read and annotate The Son.

2. Discussion Question–Create a new discussion question based on the last three chapters read.

HW due 4/19: Siddhartha and Mandala Info

April 10, 2017 By

Hope everyone is in the midst of a great spring break! Rest up and get ready for the rest of the school year; it will be a blur!

1. Siddhartha–Read and annotate the chapters Amongst the People and Samsara.

2. Mandala Project due April 27

FYI: There are many great mandalas in the header photo for this page!
You are also expected to turn in an artist statement wherein you explain what each aspect of your mandala represents. The artist statement should be one page and single spaced.

Be sure to visit this link to get a sense of the process of making a mandala. This is the beginning step of the Mandala Project! 

Mandala notes:

Carl Jung and the mandala:

“I had to abandon the idea of the superordinate position of the ego. … I saw that everything, all paths I had been following, all steps I had taken, were leading back to a single point — namely, to the mid-point. It became increasingly plain to me that the mandala is the centre. It is the exponent of all paths. It is the path to the centre, to individuation… I knew that in finding the mandala as an expression of the self I had attained what was for me the ultimate.” – C. G. Jung. Memories, Dreams, Reflections.

If we agree that the center of the mandala represents this center of the universe, thus the center of the self (the true self), then what would reside at the center of you…your true self. As seen in many of the examples, much, if not all, of the mandala is abstract expression. Certainly the center of the mandala should be abstract as it is a representation of your Self; yet, as you move beyond the center, closer to the edge, your visual may become more concrete as you are closer to your persona/ego, that which is tangible/material. So how will you represent your true self… We understand that the mandala is an expression of Self at the moment of its (the mandala’s) creation as the Self is always a work in progress.

How to Draw a Mandala

The Mandala will be worth 150 points and count as a project/essay grade. Keep in mind:

  • Your base structure of your mandala should be a series of geometric shapes. The primary, and largest, shape must be a geometric shape.  Within there must be an arrangement of smaller geometric shapes.
  • All geometric shapes must be PRECISE. The craftsmanship in general should be precise.
  • The Mandala should use colors meaningfully. Meaning, you should be able to explain why you chose the colors you chose.
  • All visuals beyond the base structure should be purposeful and powerful. Meaning, there should be a rationale for everything present in your Mandala and that rationale should be of great significance to you. Further, the images should be aesthetically pleasing in presentation.
  • The Mandala should reflect great creative effort!
  • The Mandala should reflect great overall effort!
  • The Mandala should reflect you!

Ultimately you should create a mandala that you will be proud to share with the entire class!

As for dimensions, there is flexibility here: if square 12-16 inches on each side; if circular, appx. 12-16 inches in diameter. Once again, there is flexibility here.  Review the following link to get another sense of the creation process. Note that the structure of the mandala should consist of precise geometric shapes.

Next Page »