Nerd alert. The truth is - I am resisting the urge to text every single one of you right now. #sorryi'mnotsorry I just get ridiculously excited when I find texts/literature that I find interesting and that is relevant to what we are doing in the classroom.
Anyway - I just found a reading that will be so cool to use with our RI.8.7 target where we are compare/contrasting how info is presented. We are tying the culture EQ to specifically to Appalachian culture - listening to a podcast, watching exceprts of the Diane Sawyer interview with Appalachian people, and reading some texts.
Malcolm Gladwell TOTALLY goes into our culture conversation using an informational approach with his chapter on Harlan, KY from his book Outliers. We will definitely have to manipulate the presentation of the chapter because the first part references a study in which researchers wanted to experiment with insults and the male (18-20 years old) brain. The insult was 'a$$hole' - the book casually drops the word several times. I think we can leave that part of the chapter out. (My hesitation is not so much that they will breakdown at hearing the cuss word - it is more about the possibility that one of them will decide to run the experiment themself.) Ha!
I also have a fave essay from Loyal Jones where he references some of the traits that are common to Appalachians. It ties into Gladwell's argument regarding the intense connection between Appalachians and their territory and tendancy to be 'aggressive'. Jones acknowledges the connection, whereas Gladwell tries to explain it (herdsman protecting their livlihood). It is so dense that it may be tough to read, but I think we could pull a paragraph or two from Jones. (And this is why I wish THC's Hatfields and McCoys wasn't so darn gory to watch!! Ugh!) *Sidenote- Morehead Theater Guild was performing a locally written play called Bloody Rowan all this week - it was about an infamous Rowan feud between the Tollivers and Martins.
This will be something we can organize for the week we are ready to get that standard. Next week we are focusing on RL.8.7 and W.8.3, but this was something that I ran across this morning and had to share! :)
If you google "Harlan KY Outliers excerpt" you will get links to what others have said about that chapter in the book. I will have a hardcopy by Tuesday - I'll "drop it" (s/o to Cobb's slang) if I feel fancy this weekend.
~Happy Friday!
I thought of the OUTLIERS excerpt too! Glad we are on the same page. Where do I find the Dianne Sawyer piece? Is the podcast from NPR acceptable?
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