Self and Society 11 Grade Honors College

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Big question What can we do to make ourselves into better people? Big goal To become more charitable people, and in doing so to understand how to improve our character, in general. Measures of Success Significant increase in money donated to charitable causes Significant increase in time spent dedicated in the service of others Measurable change in attitudes towards ones obligations towards others Evidence of acting on ones perceived obligations towards others Pieces of writing that document students thoughts

Course Outline (Most concrete) We want to get better at giving money to charity. o Who should we give to? o How much should we give? How can we get better at giving money to charity? o Research o Practice (More abstract) What else do want to get better at doing for others? o Who should we devote time to? o How much should we devote? How can we get better at doing those things? o Research o Practice (Most abstract) What are our obligations towards others? o Who are we obligated to? o What are we obligated to do? How can we get better at meeting our obligations towards others? o Research o Practice

September: Do we already do enough for others? Reading: To Kill a Mockingbird Practical Ethics, excerpt from Chapter 8 - Rich and Poor Writing: Do you do enough for others already? Assessments: Survey on money/hours spent on charitable causes Activity: Raising money from teachers, students and parents Assignment: Find a charity that you think is worth giving to, and find another one that isnt as worthy as the first. Write as much as you want defending your choice, and well post it on the class blog. October: Who should we give money to? Reading: GiveWell Charity Process Review (http://www.givewell.org/international/process/2011) Practical Ethics, excerpt from Chapter 9 Insiders and Outsiders Writing: What does an unworthy charity look like? Assessments: Group presentations Activity: Deliberating on who to give the money we raised to first in small groups, then with the larger group, then vote. Assignment: Give a little bit extra charity this month. Post on the class blog whether that was difficult or easy.

November: How much should we give? Reading: The Charitable-Giving Divide (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22FOB-wwln-t.html) Which Americans are Most Generous, and to Whom? (http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/which-americans-are-mostgenerous-and-to-whom/)

Writing: Someone is outside a store and asks if you have any spare change. You do. Do you give the beggar some change? Justify your actions. Assessments: Activity: Students are assigned an income and given a menu of services along with costs (i.e. school stuff, cars, mortgage payments, etc.) How much charity should you give? Coming up with an actionable plan to make it easier to give more to charity more regularly. Assignment: Do you stick to the plan? Write a bit about whether you did or didnt, and what that was like, for the class blog.

December: Who are we obligated to help? Reading: Excerpt from US Conference of Mayors, Hunger and Homelessness Survey (http://usmayors.org/pressreleases/documents/hungerhomelessnessreport_121208.pdf) Writing: Was there anything about this trip that surprised you? Assessments: What do you expect a soup kitchen to look like? Activity: Trip to volunteer at Food Bank of NYC or Soup Kitchen of St Francis Xavier Assignment: January: How much of our time should we give to others? Reading: My family now comprises all living beings, (Gandhi, http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/apr/28/different-gandhi/ ) Writing: Assessments: Activity: Assignment:

February: What are our obligations to others? Reading: Practical Ethics, About Ethics Review of What We Owe to Each Other (http://www.lrb.co.uk/v21/n03/thomasnagel/one-to-one) Iris Murdoch??? Writing: Assessments: Activity: What would a utilitarian say about X? What would a contractualist say about X? Take the 24 point VIA character assessment. Assignment: Did you agree with the strengths of character that your survey pinpointed? March: How do we become better people? Reading: Psychological Research on methods for becoming better people, biography excerpt Writing: Assessments: Activity: Drafting a gratitude letter Assignment: Interview an older person. What is something that they wished they had done differently? April: Have we become better people? Reading: Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut, J.D. Salinger Writing: Is Elouise a worse person than she used to be? What could she do to become better? Or is there nothing? Assessments: Repeat of initial assessments Activity:

Assignment: May: What will we work on next? Reading: Biography excerpt from someone? Writing: Assessments: Activity: Trip to Museum of Moving Image to watch 12 Angry Men Assignment: Trips Museum of the Moving Image Food pantry/soup kitchen ???