For those of you who are doing the Stories Can Change the World class, please go to the new blog storiescanchangeworld.blogspot.com/ to leave a comment so that I can make you an author on that blog.  We'll be using it to post our writing and give feedback.  Thanks!

Fall - Week 1: Happiness Word Study

Welcome to the 1st Semester of the Great Works Scholar Group!

We had a great time on our hike to Malan's Peak Waterfall Canyon! I was so impressed with how respectful and friendly everyone was and with your willingness to share your thoughts. I am excited to mentor this amazing crew this year.

We will be meeting at Fernwood Recreation Site for class this week. We will be at a parking lot to the right of the road - just before you reach the last parking lot at the end of the road. Feel free to bring a camping chair to sit on, but there are benches too.

Below are your assignments (inspirements). Remember to have these done before you come to class. You'll also want to read the tips on the sidebar to get a better experience from the reading.

Week 1 Inspirements:

1. Do a word study on “Happiness” or "Joy" or a similar word (there is a link to the 1828 dictionary on the sidebar).

2. Watch this TED talk on Happiness, if you find other TED talks on happiness that you like, share them with us!

3. Email your word study to karenbates6@gmail.com before class

4. On a 3x5 card, write down your favorite quote from your readings or viewings and bring it to class
(we didn't get a chance to discuss the article "Education and the Pursuit of Happiness" as much as it deserved, so your quote or question can come from that article if you would like)


5. Write a discussion question on the comments below (see #4)

6. In your reflection journal, begin keeping a list of the principles of happiness that you find and believe to be true. Begin testing them :-)  - It might be fun to keep a combined list of principles that we find somewhere on the blog if anyone would know how to head that up!

7. Watch this tutorial (23:14) for WHY to track your progress and a great idea on how. You can get the calendars here (young men) or here (young ladies)

8. You probably made some goals on the hike (if you didn't, make some now) start tracking them. You can choose just one goal - or more - depending on what you think you need. You can do a MAN/GRL PWR calendar or use your own way for keeping track of how you are doing. You may want to keep your tracking sheet in a place you will see often to remind you to work on your goals.

9. Girls only: Read this blog post :)

*If you are working on the "extra level" of this class: Stories Can Change the world, be sure to read through chapter 9 of Bleak House. I will put a link to Sis. Aaron's blog as soon as I have one.

 

 

End of the Semester Bash - "Till We Have Faces"

1. Read "Till We Have Faces"
2. Consider why and how we fall into self-deception and why and how we can stay true to ourselves - write your thoughts in your journal and bring them to class
3. Write down any symbolism you find (about the objects, dreams, gods) - remember, with symbolism, there isn't a "right" answer - so don't be afraid to make up what the symbolism means to you. Bring your findings to class.
4. Write a discussion question about the book in the comments below

May Week 1 - Self Deception

Rock of Gibraltar

Last week, we talked a lot about how easy it is to tell ourselves that our motives are right only to find that we were deceiving ourselves and our motives were more selfish then we thought. We discussed evidence of this in the fruits and actions of Cortez and Psyche and even the Catholic Church towards Galileo. Jordan mentioned that it is troubling to think about the different ways we may be deceiving ourselves. We talked a little about how to avoid it.

As a follow up to this discussion, our reading and writing assignment for the week will explore this question further to help us be more honest with ourselves (exciting right?!)

One way to look at ways we deceive ourselves is to examine why we we are not doing what we should or why are doing what we shouldn't. This gives us insight into the things we say to ourselves to justify our behavior. It is an interesting exercise!

So here is the assignment for the week:

1. If you did not comment on other's posts last week or write a post yourself, make sure you do that first.
2. Read and takes notes on: Becoming Men and Women of Integrity by Tad Callister
3. Read For the Strength of Youth and write down each piece of counsel that you are living well and that you are not (you can make two columns or highlight them in different colors or whatever works for you)
4. Go back and look at what you are not wholly living and write down your reasons for why you are not (you wont be asked to share these!)
5. Look back through your reasons and see if you gain any insight to ways you deceive yourself  (don't worry, we probably all have favorite ways we deceive ourselves) - consider questions such as: What triggers self-deception? Does Satan counterfeit personal revelation if we are self-deceived when we receive it? How can we know the difference? How can we avoid self-deception altogether? How do we know we are avoiding it? You may want to do additional research on your own if you would like greater insight into these questions or others you may have.
6. From the insight you gain, create a post/song/story/poem/video/etc that may help others from what you learned. It would be awesome if you could post a question, either in your post or under other people's posts to seek greater clarity (remember to do this early enough in the week so that people are not up late on Thursday night!)
7. Comment on each other's posts by Thursday night.
8. Find a Copy of Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis - we will start reading this next week.

I am excited about doing this assignment myself. I keep getting stalled in some of my goals and I think this will help me discover some of the lies that keep me from progressing! I hope you find it meaningful and well worth your time!

April Week 4 - Love AND The Land of Montezuma

 

 

We are combining the writing part of last week and the reading part of this week because May is really busy (I will be gone the weekend of the 15th and Shine Camp is the 22nd) so we won't have a lot of Fridays to meet! At least that should give you some time to finish Les Miserables right?

So for this week:
1. By Monday night: Choose one way to have more Christlike love in your life for those around you and begin to act on it.
2. Share your insights and connections about love from our reading and discussion in a creative way. Post how you shared on the discussion blog and comment on at least 5 others people's posts (that should be everyone ;-) ) Don't wait until the last minute to post something - your classmates won't enjoy having to stay up late Thursday night to read your last minute post!
3. Read The Land of Montezuma by W.H. Prescott (Vol 6, pages 227-243). It would be helpful to look up the following terms in your Cultural Literacy Book before you start: Montezuma (pg 211); Cortes, Hernando (pg 205); Conquistadores (pg 205); Aztecs (pg 203); and Incas (pg 208).
4. Write a discussion question from The Land of Montezuma below

For class, we will talk about your applications and writings about love - if anyone needs help from the class with their creation, we can do that as well. Then we will discuss the principles you learned from the The Land of Montezuma chapter.  Enjoy!

April Week 3: Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius

1. Watch:


2. Read:

• Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius (Volume 3 pages 194-216) really, really soon so you have some time to think about it before class. Keep in mind that Cupid is symbolic of love and Psyche is symbolic of the human soul.
• Four Kinds of Love (short article)

3. Explore: This site and learn about some themes and symbols in the story and the "hero's journey".

4. Write: As you read, write down what this story teaches about the nature of love (Cupid). Consider too - What destroys it? What builds it? We have been studying beauty - how is love related to beauty?

5. Question: Post a question below for us to consider.

April Week 1 - Hey

What a great discussion we had about Galileo and the search for truth yesterday! I love listening to your thoughts and clarifying my own as you share. You are such an inspiring group.

As I watched morning session of conference today, I was inspired about something you guys mentioned yesterday. You talked about the difficulty in living and trying to befriend people with different interests, who have not yet realized that this life is an exciting journey to truth,  and who tend to be wrapped up on the things the world tells them are important.  I mentioned that you live in a really difficult time to be in the world and not of the world while trying to connect with people who are being "of the world." But that is what you must do! That is what you must be practicing. I get the most excited to write a blog post after talking to someone with a very different perspective then mine. Looking at things from their perspective, clarifies my views and fires the desire in me to share what I see!

So I want you guys to be thinking of ways to reach these people all around you. Usually they are not trying to be rebellious. Mostly, they just need to be awakened from a worldly stupor. They don't always realize there is a greater way to live and see (if they did, they would be living it). You need to invite them to "come and see" through your example, words, excitement and love.

So for your "creating" this week, I want you to share the truth you are learning in a way that will inspire others. Don't write (or present something) just to me or just to this Great Books Group, but write to your peers who do not see how cool it is to gaze at the stars, or study Galileo, or to be an instrument for good - whatever you have been studying and you think will bless them.

Then you can write a blog post and share it with them through google plus, or make a video or a song to post - whatever you think will reach them.

Does that sound exciting? I hope so!

So, here are the assignments for this week:

1. Watch the following and ponder what it has to do with nature, instruments, or seeking truth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdwsHpoYFs


2. Finish This Chart we Started in Class:

Instruments to Help Us Rise Higher	How do we fine-tune them?
1. Scriptures     2. Prophets     3. Prayer     4. Nature/His creations     5. Temple     6. Others/Books     7. Holy Ghost     8. Reason/Thought     9. Rightful Use of Agency     10. Body     11. Media	1. Study, Ponder, Hebrew, Study background, increase understadning about everything   2. Study, ponder, work on testimony that they are prophets, living what they say   3. Meaningful, Thoughtful     4. Be in it, learn about it, science     5.     6.     7.     8.     9.     10.     11.

3. Create and share something to inspire others about the truths you learned these last two weeks such as:
-Write a post, paper, poem, etc
-Make a video
-Sing a song
-Make a presentation or lesson
-Do anything you think will benefit others

4. Comment! Let us know when you have posted it - put it on the discussion blog (or at least a link for it so we can read it) and comment on each other's thoughts.