Purpose:
Offer an analysis of a (sub)culture and its value differences from “American mainstream” culture. What are some of its core values and where do these values conflict or raise ethical questions?
Due Dates
| Dec. 6 | Outline/Planning Brainstorm | Individual Self-Eval 1 |
| Dec. 13 | MLA Research Exercise | Individual Self-Eval 2 |
| Dec. 19 | Presentation Plan | Individual Self-Eval 3 |
| Jan. 8 | Presentations Begin | Individual Self-Eval 4 |
| Form: | Multi-media Presentation digitally presented |
| Authorship: | Individual or Group |
| Research: |
Researched and MLA-cited from
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| Length: | 5-6 minutes for first presenter, +2-3 minutes per additional presenter |
| Rubrics: |
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| Previous Knowledge/Experience: | ELA9 TED Talk |
Supplemental Documents:
We’ll go through some of these in class. The rest are yours to explore on your own as you read Achebe and create the Culture Constructions project. You should reference no less than one from each of these boxes as well as the novel itself.
International Docs
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights
- International Covenant on Economic, Cultural, and Social Rights
- Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
- International Convention on the Rights of Migrants
- UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child
- Human Rights Toolkit
Supplemental Docs
For Achebe:
- NYT: Obituary for Chinua Achebe
- William Butler Yeats: “The Second Coming” – poem where Achebe found the title of his novel
- Genesis, Ch. 22: “The Sacrifice of Isaac” – Bible story which parallels Ikemefuna’s fate
- Conrad – Excerpts from Heart of Darkness – Descriptions of the Africans Achebe found in his schooling
For Literature:
- Kipling – “If” – Poem; Advice of a father to his son
- Hemingway – “Invictus” – Poem; How a man deals with misfortune
- Kipling – “White Man’s Burden” – Poem; Why white men must assist the developing world; pretty racist!
- Johnson – “Black Man’s Burden” – Poem; a reverend write a response to Kipling
- Dunbar – “Faith Cure Man” – Short story; A woman will do anything to cure her sick daughter
For History and Philosophy:
- US Constitutional Rights
- The Scramble for Africa – Historical background on Europe’s colonization of Africa
- Aristotle – On Tragedy – The Greek philosopher defines the genre of tragedy
- The Code of Hammurabi – Ancient Mesopotamia excerpts of justice and law
- Huxley – “Words and Behaviour” – Complex essay on the language of war and conflict and its effect on psychology
| Proposed Format | Research Possible? | Individual Connections Possible? |
| Introduction to the Sub-culture | x | |
| Main Attributes / Qualities / Beliefs | x | |
| Samples and Examples of Values in Practice | x | x |
| Tensions and Conflicts | x | |
| Samples and Examples of Conflicts | x | x |
| The Ethics and Values Questions Raised | x | x |
