In this project, students examined the ways in which animals are used in literature to teach morals and ethics. Students read various works that include animals as central characters, including The Metamorphosis, Animal Farm, Timbuktu, Maus, and The Life of Pi. They learned about various moral theories and showed their understanding of these theories by writing stories of their own. Their stories were compiled in an anthology and their parables and dystopian stories turned into beautiful art projects, animal busts and sculptures (images below).
The following elements of the project are listed in reverse chronological order.
The following elements of the project are listed in reverse chronological order.
Utopia/Dystopia Stories & Animal Sculptures
The final story of the semester brought together the work students accomplished in both my class & Laszlo’s class on ethics (moral and survival theories & mankind’s manipulation of the environment, use of animals in literature) in imagining a future world in which environmental and societal change create a new paradigm for the earth’s creatures.
utopiandystopianstory.pdf | |
File Size: | 124 kb |
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dystopiautopiarubric.pdf | |
File Size: | 46 kb |
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dystopiautopiaoutline.pdf | |
File Size: | 57 kb |
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studentmodel1thebeastsutopiadystopiashortstory.pdf | |
File Size: | 92 kb |
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studentsample2the_reflection_of_captain_charles_moore_1.pdf | |
File Size: | 67 kb |
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Paired Couplet Poems
Today's ethical dilemmas put to the ultimate test.
Who better to judge - I think my students will do so the best.
Famous authors / artists, like Dr. Suess, David Sedaris, and David Rakoff, have taken animals as central characters and written thought provoking stories, all in paired couplets. These stories tell of tales related to topics such as the environment, the meaning of life, and the complexity of human emotion. For their third story, students turned their attention to the art of telling stories with such a twist. These stories were based on their own research about a contemporary ethical dilemma, such as stem cell research and the big bank bailouts.
Who better to judge - I think my students will do so the best.
Famous authors / artists, like Dr. Suess, David Sedaris, and David Rakoff, have taken animals as central characters and written thought provoking stories, all in paired couplets. These stories tell of tales related to topics such as the environment, the meaning of life, and the complexity of human emotion. For their third story, students turned their attention to the art of telling stories with such a twist. These stories were based on their own research about a contemporary ethical dilemma, such as stem cell research and the big bank bailouts.
animalcourttranscript.docx | |
File Size: | 169 kb |
File Type: | docx |
ethicsideageneration.docx | |
File Size: | 52 kb |
File Type: | docx |
paired_couplet_story.docx | |
File Size: | 99 kb |
File Type: | docx |
storyoutline.docx | |
File Size: | 109 kb |
File Type: | docx |
studentexample1_pairedcouplet.doc_1.pdf | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
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studentexample2-pairedcouplet.pdf | |
File Size: | 42 kb |
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Animal Busts
From students' parables of war, students created animals busts, using one animal from their story as inspiration. These busts are made out of chicken wire, brown packaging tape, paper mache, and finally, the polished version of their parable of war. These busts are an artistic representation of their story that required students think outside of the box about how to display their story in a meaningful way for exhibition.
Parables of War
Students researched theories about the ethics of war. They have been introduced to pacifism, realism, and Just War Theory, and have taken various components of Just War Theory and applied them to a historical war. Students then read parables, written for young adult to adult audiences, in preparation of writing their own. Next, students outlined and drafted their own parable, which had two requirements. First, it must reflect at least one theory on the ethics of war. Second, it must have animals as central characters. We worked in class on drafting, critiquing and polishing final drafts. See some examples below.
war_parable.docx | |
File Size: | 131 kb |
File Type: | docx |
parablestudentexample1.pdf | |
File Size: | 110 kb |
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parable-studentexample2.pdf | |
File Size: | 121 kb |
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parablestudentsample3.pdf | |
File Size: | 158 kb |
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Fables
Students' first writing assignment is to write a fable of their own, using one of the moral theories we have examined in class thus far. Students conducted research on particular animals and their own "animal personalities". These animals are among those they can choose to incorporate in their own fables. Below, you will find the assignment and student work samples.
fablesassignmentver1.docx | |
File Size: | 134 kb |
File Type: | docx |
rubricforfables.docx | |
File Size: | 68 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Socratic Seminars & Discussion Topics
Do animals have morality?
Do animals have personality?
Why do we use animals to tell stories?
Is war ever justified?
Is the war in Afghanistan a "just" war?
Should animals, such as dogs, be used in war?
Do animals have personality?
Why do we use animals to tell stories?
Is war ever justified?
Is the war in Afghanistan a "just" war?
Should animals, such as dogs, be used in war?