Following the thought train

So yesterday Blogger was having technical issues and would not show me a login screen.  This is the post I would have put up for you yesterday if I had been able to. Through the magic of tiny URL we were still able to read and discuss the text.

Keep in mind some of the questions that came up in our conversation.

1. Does Civil Disobedience always work? 
2. Why does it work? 
3. When does it work? 
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Civil Disobedience? 
5. How does what Gandhi says in his first paragraph compare to what Obama says about Afghanistan? 

Good Morning, (Monday)
   If you've been with us you should know by now what Emerson said in Self Reliance, and what Thoreau said in Civil Disobedience. Today we will see their thinking magnified by Mohandas K. Gandhi.

 You know that America was once one of many British colonies. India was also a British colony. In the 1930's Gandhi used his ideas about civil disobedience, his word was satyagraha, to help free India from British rule.

Today we will read a short excerpt from his speech on Civil Disobedience if you would like to read the full text you can find it here.

Thoreau Part Two

Good morning,

On Friday you read parts of Civil Disobedience by Thoreau.  You worked with your group to answer questions and you submitted your answers to me with the form.  Your answers went into my spread sheet.
Today I would like you to take a look at all the answers that went into the spread sheet. Read carefully.  Spread Sheet of Thoreau Answers

English Journal
1. Choose one answer you think is good. (Not one you wrote.) Copy and paste it into your EJ and EXPLAIN why you think it is a good answer. Try using different colors to make it clear which is the quoted answer and which is your explanation.
2. Then pick an answer you think was not sufficient or missed the point. EXPLAIN why it is wrong. Write what it should say.

Homework: 
Look at these articles about Civil Disobedience. In your EJ explain the connection between these issues and what Thoreau said.

UC Fee Hikes
Cindy Sheehan
Nuns Arrested
Blue Shield

What was Thoreau thinking?

Good morning,

Remember we may have visitors today and we may not.

1. To start please vote in the poll at the right, (the one about how much you liked the ideas in Self Reliance)
2. Then write an entry in your English journal to explain why you voted the way you did.

Emerson had a friend named Henry David Thoreau.  Thoreau was also a writer.  His ideas changed our country and our world. (I know that's a big claim, but we will see how.)

Today you will read an excerpt from his essay "Civil Disobedience" with 2-3 other people. Together you will need to figure out the answers to some tough questions about what it says.  You'll submit your responses to me in writing using THIS FORM. You'll need one person to submit the form with all your names. You can use docs or e-mail to share your answers with the person in your group responsible for the form.

These are the questions you will find on the form:

1. What does Thoreau think about majority rule?
2. What does Thoreau think about the military?
3. How does he say we should deal with unjust laws?
   
4. Why does Thoreau refuse to pay his taxes?
5. What does he think of jail?