Ron+Olson+inquiry

Well, I have (or came up with rather) a bunch of topics the other day in class. So, for reference, I'm going to list them all now.


 * Poetry in Death- Soldiers writing on the battlefields of war
 * Minority literature- Writing from under the belly of the white man (specifically African-American)
 * The Human Element- Culture through storytelling/language/writing (probably would inherently focus on other, non-Americanized cultures)
 * Trench warfare of The Great War (WW I, The War to End All Wars)
 * Civil War- Lives/families torn apart (specifically antebellum South and its collapse)
 * Suicide in Literature/Social Studies
 * Bombings on Hiroshima/Nagasaki- Right or Wrong? Necessary?
 * Hitler and what drove him
 * Connections to America- 19th Century Europe and its changing political climate
 * The Homosexual Human- America and its Biblical assault on those deemed "perverted" (this topic could cover a number of things besides Homosexuality)

As one can see, I have many ideas to choose from. Honestly, at thing point I need to think a little before I select a few to narrow down to. By next week I know I need to have one picked and start asking questions about it, so I need to use the next few days to put some serious thoughts together. I love asking the tough questions about life, and I feel that a few of these topics cover concepts that many find unsettling and/or uncomfortable. Life cannot be held serious though without challenging minds and confronting beliefs. As Socrates once said, a life without question is a life not worth living. This inquiry assignment provides a refreshing chance to prove Socrates correct.

9/7/2010

I believe I have narrowed my inquiry project down to: The Homosexual Human- A Brief History of rejection and slow acceptance in America, through the lenses of social studies and literature. Now, what are some questions that can be asked about this topic?

Questions: -Why is homosexuality an important topic? For American culture? For daily life and values? What does the concept mean in terms of what the United States Constitution says? For the American belief of "all men created equal", and "equality among all"?

Too controversial? What other questions can be asked within a safer context for middle school classrooms?


 * New Topic: Poetry on the battlefields of war**

One possibility would be an analysis of Walt Whitman's Civil War poetry and journals. Whitman published a collection of poetry on the Civil War called Drum Taps. Here are a couple of articles about it http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/hospital/whitman.htm http://www.whitmanarchive.org/criticism/current/encyclopedia/entry_83.html

The text of Drum Taps is at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8801

Also look at Whitman's Civil War era notebooks at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/whitman/index.html

You could approach Whitman's work as primary sources looking for insight in to some condition or ideas, etc explored in the poems and prose.

Also, World War I poetry. What can be explored though it? Similar themes compared to Whitman's American Civil War poetry? Major differences?

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1914warpoets.html

http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/ThePoets.html

//Whitman's work is more than enough for my inquiry project. World War I poetry would just be too much. So, the Civil War is all that will be looked at for my inquiry.//


 * __I. Historical Inquiry__**

//Ron Olson- Inquiry Paper Draft//

// Ron Olson- Inquiry Paper Final //

__**// II. Paul Harvey Version //**__

//Ron Olson- Paul Harvey Paper Draft//

Ron Olson- Paul Harvey Paper Final


 * __III. Paul Harvey Video__**

media type="custom" key="7883337"

http://cedvideo.ncsu.edu/view_video.php?viewkey=1b2ee13f77f679fa1483


 * __IV. Inquiry Rubric__**

Ron Olson- PH Rubric