An Exploration of Personal Identity & Self-Honesty

This course of study is inspired by and based on the work of Dr. B.

Essential Unit Questions & Guiding SUBquestions

  1. What is a FABLE?
    1. What makes a piece of literature a FABLE?
    2. How does Jonathan Livingston Seagull exemplify a Fable?
  2. What is the moral lesson about human behavior in Jonathan Livingston Seagull?
    1. What is a moral lesson?
    2. What are Universal Themes?
    3. What general truths about human nature does Jonathan Livingston Seagull reveal?
    4. What is the exemplum, or lesson about what one should or should not do, that Jonathan Livingston Seagull is addressing?
  3. How can I fully develop my mind, body, and spirit?
  4. How can I show others that I am true to myself?

FIRST – PREPARE

Use a 3-Part Venn Diagram to illustrate the similarities and differences among FABLES, PARABLES, & FAIRY TALES. How would you classify what you just read?

For each PART of the book (1, 2, & 3):

While reading, students are asked to

  1. (Directed Listening Guide) Copy (directly quote) the passage  in the story that helps you answer each of the  questions as you listen and read the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. AND write your reflections in the column to the right. You may need to create this on paper.
  2. Throughout the reading, find one or more quotations you consider quite interesting and comment worthy.
  3. FOR EACH quotation, ON A separate PIECE OF PAPER for each:Visit others’ websites to submit comments about each others’ quotation.
    1. Write your own quotation & page number.
    2. Write an explanation of what you think it means
    3. Using any mode of expression (drawing/sketch, paint, sculpture, dance, song) express your personal unique view of the quotation. In some cases, you will have to take a picture of what you create/make,
    4. and post it with your written work for others to comment on.

SECOND – READ & Work with THE TEXT

Guided READING QUESTIONS – Jonathan Livingston Seagull  – Part 1

  1. QUESTIONS: Provide QUOTATIONS that help you support your answer & lead to your reflection.
  2. MY REFLECTIONS: As you read, write your reflections in the column to the right.
  3. VOCABULARY: Use Merriam-Webster online Dictionary to look up any unfamiliar words. Create a hyperlink to the dictionary page if you are posting this to your website. The definition of the unfamiliar word must match the meaning that fits the context of the story.
  4. MY QUESTIONS: At the end of part one, write five questions that you will ask your classmates to see if they have comprehended the story thus far.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Part 1 Questions

My Reflections

1. What did Jonathan love more than anything else?“More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly” (4).

The main character is a bird who would rather fly than eat. He is different from the other seagulls.  He seems to be a loner.

2. What did his father tell him to study?  
3. What was the “breakthrough”  
4. Why was Jonathan cast out of the flock?  
5. According to Jonathan, why is a gull’s life so short?  
6. Where did Jonathan go to at the end of part one?  
Vocabulary Definitions:
My Questions:1.2.3.4.5.  

Guided READING QUESTIONS – Jonathan Livingston Seagull  – Part 2

  1. QUESTIONS: Provide QUOTATIONS that help you support your answer & lead to your reflection.
  2. MY REFLECTIONS: As you read, write your reflections in the column to the right.
  3. VOCABULARY: Use Merriam-Webster online Dictionary to look up any unfamiliar words. Create a hyperlink to the dictionary page if you are posting this to your website. The definition of the unfamiliar word must match the meaning that fits the context of the story.
  4. MY QUESTIONS: At the end of part two, write five questions that you will ask your classmates to see if they have comprehended the story thus far.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Part 2 Questions

My

Reflections

1. Where is Jonathan now?“So this is heaven, he thought, and he had to smile at himself. It was hardly respectful to analyze heaven in the very moment that one flies up to enter it” (41).

Did he die???

2. For the gulls in this new place, what is the most important thing in living?3. How does Chiang define heaven
4. According to Sullivan, why is Jonathan such a good student?  
5. Chiang has taught Jonathan to travel through ______ and ______.  
6. Jonathan’s next lesson is to learn the meaning of _______ and _______.  
7. What were Chiang’s last words to Jonathan?  
8. What did Jonathan decide to do at the end of part two? Why?  
Vocabulary Definitions:
My Questions:1.2.3.4.5.  

Guided READING QUESTIONS – Jonathan Livingston Seagull  – Part 3

  1. QUESTIONS: Provide QUOTATIONS that help you support your answer & lead to your reflection.
  2. MY REFLECTIONS: As you read, write your reflections in the column to the right.
  3. VOCABULARY: Use Merriam-Webster online Dictionary to look up any unfamiliar words. Create a hyperlink to the dictionary page if you are posting this to your website. The definition of the unfamiliar word must match the meaning that fits the context of the story.
  4. MY QUESTIONS: At the end of part three, write five questions that you will ask your classmates to see if they have comprehended the story thus far.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Part 3 Questions

My

Reflections

1. Where did Jonathan’s new students come from?  
2. What did Jonathan decide it was time to do after only a month of teaching his students?  
3. What did the Elder order the flock to do?  
4. What was Kirk Maynard Gull’s problem?  
5. According to Jonathan, what is the only true law?  
6. What did Jonathan say is the price of being misunderstood?  
7. What do YOU think Jonathan meant when he said, “You have to practice and see the real gull, the good in every one of them, and to help them see it in themselves.”?
(page 123)
 
Vocabulary Definitions:
My Questions:1.2.3.4.5.

THIRD – Pull it all together  – My Philosophy of Life

ANALYTICAL TASK: After we finish reading the book, take time to write down your thoughts provoked.

PHILOSOPHY comes from the Greek word meaning “love of wisdom.” It is the study of beliefs and values; a system for guiding life. As we gain wisdom about life and insight into its meaning, we begin to develop our own philosophy of life.

In Richard Bach’s story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the author presents his philosophy of life. He uses a literary device called symbolism to get his main points across. A symbol is something that represents or stands for an abstract idea.

ANSWER ALL of these QUESTIONS: (Think before you answer!)

  1. Use a thinking map to show the difference between the philosophy of the flock and the philosophy of Jonathan. You can use these INTERACTIVE ONLINE Graphic Organizers. OR you can do THIS ON PAPER – COPY YOUR MAP, then FILL IT. No matter how you do it, you must have it in class to present to the group.
  2. Richard Bach tells us his philosophy of life through the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.  Do you think he agrees with Jonathan or with the flock?  Explain your answer using details from the book. POST your answer to this in a POST on your website.
  3. What do the seagulls symbolize?   EXPLAIN with details from the book and from your own life.
  4. ANSWER ALL – What is FREEDOM  of the body?, of the mind?,  of the spirit?
  5. What is used to symbolize FREEDOM in the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull?
  6. How can we make ourselves truly free?

AFTER you’ve written/typed your answers to these questions, you MUST POST to your website MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE.

Use the answers from above, make reference to the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Give examples in what you write about how you show the world that you live according to your philosophy of life?

Answer the following questions in what you write:

  1. What do you get up each and every morning wanting to do?
  2. What directs your actions and decisions, especially the impulsive ones?
  3. What gives you a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day?
  4. What feeling is in the core of your soul that you know to be self-evident, not needing to be demonstrated or explained; obvious? Sounds constitutional, and maybe that is good.
  5. Why are your beliefs important to you?
  6. How does your philosophy measure up to higher standards or ideals?
  7. What is my philosophy of life in one sentence?
  8. What would the title of my philosophy be?

FOURTH – PRESENTATION – What I Believe About Life

FINALLY, REACH OUT & Share!!Tell your group what you have learned from the story of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

  1. Talk to the OLDEST person in your family at your home or a relative who lives somewhere else. Use a phone, Skype, Google Hangout, whatever you have to use. Ask the same questions from above. RECORD the interview & TAKE NOTES on paper as you have the talk. Talk about your answers (#1-8) from above. REMAIN OPEN to feedback about your views. RECORD/WRITE DOWN the interview.

Get answers to the following questions when you interview your wise elder.

  1. What do you get up each and every morning wanting to do?
  2. What directs your actions and decisions, especially the impulsive ones?
  3. What gives you a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day?
  4. What feeling is in the core of your soul that you know to be self-evident, not needing to be demonstrated or explained; obvious? Sounds constitutional, and maybe that is good.
  5. Why are your beliefs important to you?
  6. How does your philosophy measure up to higher standards or ideals?
  7. What is your philosophy of life in one sentence?
  8. What would the title of your philosophy be?
  9. What does life mean to you?

When you are done, compare your answers to their answers to figure out what is truly important to you – what is at the core of your philosophy of life. You MUST use these INTERACTIVE ONLINE Graphic Organizers – PICK the one that will work best for you, OR use a thinking map to compare/contrast your own views on life to that of your elder.

 

Prepare a 3 minute presentation  to be delivered before the class entitled – What I Believe about Life. You can use PowerPoint, make a video, write a speech and create a poster, write a speech with any ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, use Google Drive tools & resources. Google Resources should be EXPLOITED through Google Drive/Slides, Drawing. There should be a minimum of 6 slides, scenes, sections, etc. There should be 4 sections to your presentation.

  1. My philosophy of life.
  2. What I think life is all about.
  3. The wisdom of my elders.
  4. How I can make my life better.

Give this a lot of thought, then prepare your presentation using the Presentation Guidelines to help you prepare your delivery.

EXTRA CREDIT – EXTENSION: What other FABLES attempt to teach the same lesson about behavior? Find one, then tell us about it.

Additional Sources

  • Philosophy of Life Idea Starter
    • http://www.thindifference.com/2010/11/11/develop-a-personal-philosophy-6-questions-to-answer/
  • Google Search Result for MOVIE MAKER
    • http://www.google.com/#safe=active&q=movie+maker
  • Creating a Movie with Picasa
    • https://support.google.com/picasa/answer/19533?hl=en
  • WeVideo (a movie/video maker)
    • https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/wevideo-video-editor-and/okgjbfikepgflmlelgfgecmgjnmnmnnb/related?hl=en
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