Test Details

Vocab Quiz #2

2014-2015

Principles of English 1, fall 2014

Date

Aug. 29, 2014

Additional Info
Word Bank:

adroit                holocaust
amicable            impervious
averse                impetus
belligerent          jeopardy
benevolent          meticulous
cursory                nostalgia
duplicity             quintessence
extol                  retrogress
feasible               scrutinize
grimace               tepid




If we finish the quiz with enough time, we will watch and discuss an episode of The Idea Channel. For those who are unfamiliar, The Idea Channel is a weekly web program that takes things from modern culture and sort of dissects them, looking at them from various angles, and attempting to see many of the things we take for granted from a deeper, more complex level. After each episode, the host, Mike, asks the audience to post responses in the comments section below the video. The next week, after the new episode, he goes back to the previous week's comments and talks about some of the ideas the viewers had. He talks really fast, but he's awesome. And hilarious. Trust me. This episode deals with the recent "ice bucket challenge" phenomenon. 

Whenever we watch these episodes, our goal is to soak in the information as we would words on a page--remember that videos are texts too!--and then discuss and debate the issue(s) as a class. Be prepared with a thoughtful question, observation, or opinion. You must provide evidence for your claims. Let each person speak before you add to the discussion. Be quiet and respectful when someone else is speaking. (These discussions tend to get very animated sometimes.) Have an open mind and be prepared to try to see things from someone else's perspective!

Questions to consider:
  • ALS is a pretty rare disease. Does the comparative rarity of its presence justify all the attention it is getting when put next to other, more prevalent, diseases?
  • Many in the world criticize the amount of water that Americans are wasting in doing this challenge. How would you respond to someone in, say, Namibia, who has to walk several miles per day just to get enough water to drink?
  • We are undergoing a huge shift in our culture in which social media is being used to fundraise, campaign, and advocate. How do you feel about this?
  • Many people do the challenge but then do not donate any money. What are your feelings about this?
  • There is a popular campaign going around that basically says that a "thumbs up" does not help anyone. (see here, here, and here) Things like "liking" and doing the ice bucket challenge have been referred to as "slacktivism," indicating that people are supporting something in a very passive way, without doing anything to change anything. Do you feel this is a generational thing? Do you think this is a human thing? Do you think social media has helped or hampered this?