No Impact Man: Final Writing Assignment

Okay, we read No Impact Man, we experienced our own No Impact Week, we have enjoyed thoughtful discussions, you have written amazing comments on the blog, and we even met Colin Beavan himself. We've come a long way--and I am excited about where we are heading next. But before we move on, let's channel this momentum and thoughtfulness into writing. Let's take stock of where we are as thoughtful human beings right now.

Your final assignment with regards to our study of NIM is to repond to one of the following prompts in a 800-1000 word essay:

1. Beavan's memoir is dotted with specific, powerful moments in his life that helped shape his beliefs (the Isabella ones immediately come to my mind). Describe a moment in your life that permanently changed you and helped shape you into who you are today. Be specific and honest.
2. "Knowing how to live is not something we have to teach children. Knowing how to live is something we have to be careful not to take away from them" (87). Discuss what we can learn from children about living.
3. "If it's not about getting more and more stuff and more and more technology, then what is it [this rat race] for?" (160). Beavan explores the meaning of life in his memoir a lot. In your opinion and experience, what is the point of this life? Support your assertions with specific illustrations from your own experience.
4. Develop one of your blog posts into a longer essay.
5. Using research that you or a classmate have presented to the class and posted on the blog, argue for a change in America by both presenting the current facts--and specifically describing a better alternative.
6. Beavan takes a hard look at his life in an effort to decide how he wants to change and live his life from here on out. With this in mind, what do you want your future to look like? Be specific to YOU.
7. Discuss a change you wish to see in the world--and what should be done about it. Be constructive and specific.

These essays will be worth 100 points. I will grade them (25 points each) on the following four elements: development and specificity of ideas, concise and thoughtful wording, powerful and effective organization of ideas, and grammar.

Due date: Friday, November 5. Let's make this one a hard copy.

What does happiness look like to you?

Suggested length: 2 thoughtful paragraphs.

No Impact Man Editorials

Post your editorials here. Remember the following suggestions:
1. Conversational in tone but polished in style.
2. 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person--your choice.
3. Include at least quotation from Beavan's memoir.
4. Mention that Beavan is coming to GPS on Thursday (you can say "tomorrow" in your piece).
5. Generally, your piece should either educate the community on why they should come hear him speak, reflect on your own experience with the book, or discuss what Beavan has taught you.
6. Word Limit is absolutely 700 words.

Be honest--and thoughtful.

Let's get published.

Monday's HW: Read and respond

Read THIS and respond in a comment to the blog (10 points).

Our No Impact Week Experiences

This should be one of your most developed, thoughtful posts yet. Don't just summarize what you did for No Impact Week; rather, use this space to reflect upon your efforts and the effect (or lack thereof) these initiatives had on you this week. Be specific, be honest, and be thoughtful in your wording and content.

Value of post: 20 points (based on development of content and writing style/polish)

No Impact Man: Ch. 7-8 Response

Sorry I am opening this so late...

No Impact Man: Ch. 5-6 Response

Questions for Beavan

No Impact Man: Outside Research for Class

Team,

Each of you will be expected to bring in some form of outside information related to the content of the day's assigned reading. You will do this once during our study of No Impact Man.

This will be worth another 10 points. Here are my expectations:
1.) You will not just google a topic and read us what you find online. We can do that on our own.
2.) You will post your information on the blog (I will have a specific post for this) along with your sources. Be honest.
3.) You will challenge us to see an issue in No Impact Man in a new, fresh, perhaps local, definitely thought-provoking way.

You will earn anywhere from a 6-9 if you meet the above requirements. Want a 10? Get super creative and go above and beyond. Wow us.

No Impact Man Plan: Part Two

Okay, I feel like I need to be more specific and helpful when it comes to what I want to accomplish with this unit. Let me spell it out in bullet point format if you don't mind.

1. I want you to read the book (duh). Reading quizzes are fair game.

2. I want you to post a response (you decide what to write about) to 4 of the 5 reading assignments. The grading scale for this is posted under the Ch. 3-4 heading. These are due by the beginning of class on the day we discuss the respective reading.

3. For one of the reading assignments, I want each of you to bring in some form of supplementary material or outside information to enrich our class. This can relate to anything in the book (even ideas or initiatives from earlier chapters) but you must be thoughtful about it. What I mean by that is I do not want you to merely read off of a website you found or react to an idea personally. I want to see that you have looked into something that caught your eye in the reading. For example, I of course am very interested in the whole cloth v. disposable diaper debate. If I were "presenting," I might try to figure out exactly what the cost would be for each one, which might actually include figuring out how much water it takes to wash a load of them and then how many loads I might do a week, etc.

You of course could also take one of Beavan's initiatives and see how what role it plays here at GPS. Lots of directions you could go here--but you must make connections yourself. Don't just google some random information and try to pass it off as preparation. We can all google.

I also want you to post the content and sources for this information on the blog. There will be a special post for that, and the instructions will include my grading expectations.

4. I want us, as a class, to experience our own No Impact Week. I anticipate this being the week of Oct. 25-29 (Robin Hood week). Be thinking about 5 initiatives we could implement in our daily lives to give us a taste of Beavan's project. You will write about this during and afterwards.

5. Of course, we need to prepare for Beavan's visit. For now, let's start with a list of questions that we could ask Beavan when he visits our class. I will open a blog post for this, too (I know we are doing a lot of blogging, but I love having a common space where we can respond to and learn from each other). Everyone will need to post, at some point before Monday, Oct. 25, three questions you would like to ask Beavan. Be serious about this--you will be expected to ask him at least one of yours, and you don't want to ask a silly one...

6. After we all finish the second college essay, I am going to ask you to shift your writing energy to description. I will talk more about this later, but I want you to start thinking about something you want to CHANGE...

Okay, let me know if you have questions. Peace out.

No Impact: Ch. 3-4

Great job on the first postings. I enjoyed what you had to say.

A few notes as you compose your second blog post:

1.) Remember that you need to post for 4 of the 5 readings--not all 5.

2.) Proofread your post before publishing it. Yes, this is a "casual conversation" we are having here, but you are also publishing your writing for all to see; it should be grammatically correct and thoughtfully composed.

3.) Read and respond to your classmates' prior posts. As I said, this should be a conversation.

Go in any direction you want--just try to be sincere in your post. Mean what you say. Say what you mean.

How I will grade these:

* Each post will be worth 10 points (for a total of 40 points).

* 10 points: You challenge the rest of us to think about something in a new, thoughtful way. You push our understanding of the text. You introduce a new, original idea or push someone else's post to a higher level. Concise and grammatically correct.

* 9 points: Close to 10 but not completely original or polished.

* 8 points: Good post, but it might be repetitive, wordy, or underdeveloped. You don't offer much for us to consider.

* 7 points: Good intentions but needs more thought or revision.

* 6 points: Repetitive of someone else's post or riddled with errors. Hastily completed.

* 5 points: You did it--but not well.

Your grade will be deducted 1 point if the post isn't time stamped by class on the day we discuss that particular reading.

No Impact Man: The PLAN

Reading Schedule:
Wednesday, Oct. 6: Discussion of Ch. 1-2. Leaders:
Friday, Oct 8: Discussion of Ch. 3-4. Leaders:
Wednesday, Oct. 13: Discussion of Ch. 5-6. Leaders:
Wednesday, Oct. 20: Discussion of Ch. 7-8. Leaders:
Friday, Oct. 22: Discussion of Ch. 9 and epilogue. Leaders:
Thursday, Oct. 28: CLASS MEETING WITH COLIN BEAVAN

Blog Comments:
For 4 of the 5 reading assignments, I would like for you to respond to the reading in a blog comment. Please post under the appropriate chapter headline. In this comment, I mainly want you to react to the reading: record what you thought and felt as you were reading. Go in any direction you want--and by all means, please respond to and build on each other's comments--but just make sure that you are dealing with the specifics of the text. Let us know what you are really thinking!!

Discussion Leaders:
You will, along with several of your classmates, be responsible for leading class for twenty minutes on one of the sections. For this requirement, I mainly want you to do outside research about the topics Beavan initiates in your particular section and bring that additional information to class so we can see "the bigger picture" of what Beavan usually just touches on. Help put your section in a national, environmental, ethical, familial, or global context. Push us to think about the content in a deeper, more educated way.

Have fun with this!