The course incorporates diverse literary, historical, and cultural texts along with essay composition, collaborative projects, and class conversations to explore what it means to be human. Students will analyze the evolution of perceptions and interpretations of "humanity" across different eras.
This essay was written on the topic of student control over education. Education was one of the earliest topics that we covered. Brainstorming a prompt was included in this assignment, so each student's essay was in response to a prompt of their own composition. I wrote this essay having noticed that many issues with existing school systems could be solved by the students themselves, but there were limited opportunities for students to actively engage in impactful decision making. The essay argues that students, especially those old enough to make adult decisions, should have more influence over what they learn.
This script for a short skit was inspired by Henry David Thoreau's Walden. While many know of the book, few have actually read it. Walden was our assigned summer reading this past summer, and we wrote and performed this short skit. In the skit, Thoreau is magically transported to New York City in 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shenanigans ensue, and Thoreau learns that perhaps technology is not so bad as he thought.