Lesson Report:
Here is the lesson report based on the provided transcript.
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### **Lesson Report**
**Title: The Good Life: Plato’s Truth vs. Tennyson’s Experience**
This lesson focused on developing a system for textual analysis by comparing two distinct philosophical perspectives on what constitutes a “good life.” Students first worked in groups to analyze Tennyson’s “Ulysses” and then participated in a guided discussion comparing its themes of external experience with Plato’s philosophy of internal inquiry and the pursuit of truth. The session culminated in a writing exercise asking students to position their own beliefs within this philosophical framework.
**Attendance**
* **1 student** reported a future absence for next Monday (August 18th) and the following Tuesday. The absence has been pre-approved by “Camilla.”
**Topics Covered**
**1. Introduction & Session Goal**
The class was held outdoors. The instructor began by stating the day’s primary objective: to provide students with a systematic method for approaching and interpreting complex texts. The session would achieve this by returning to the works of Plato and Alfred, Lord Tennyson, with the goal of synthesizing their ideas.
**2. Group Activity: Annotating Tennyson’s “Ulysses”**
* **Instructions:** The instructor directed students to turn to page 27 and work in their established groups. Their task was to apply the annotation system they had previously developed to Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses.”
* **Objective:** From their annotations, each group was asked to derive at least three core “principles” from the text, answering the guiding question: “What does Tennyson want you to believe? What does he want you to think after reading this?”
* **In-Activity Support:** As students worked, the instructor circulated to provide clarification on the poem’s challenging and archaic language. Examples of words defined include:
* “Ere”: An old English word for “before.”
* “Dole”: An ancient Greek word.
* “Telemachus”: The son of the poem’s narrator, Ulysses.
* Students collaborated to interpret difficult lines such as, “I cannot rest from trouble; I will drink life to the lees.”
**3. Class Discussion: Comparing Philosophies of a Good Life**
The instructor brought the class together to compare the two authors. The discussion was framed around the central question: “What makes a good life?”
* **Tennyson’s Philosophy of Experience:**
* The discussion began with students providing a plot summary of “Ulysses,” identifying the narrator as an aging king who, despite his age, desires to continue living actively.
* The instructor pushed for deeper thematic interpretation, leading students to identify key principles of a “good life” according to Tennyson:
* To live life to the fullest.
* To travel, explore, and constantly seek new things and experiences.
* To “conquer” and do what one wants to do, believing it is never too late.
* The instructor summarized Tennyson’s viewpoint as one that values an **external life** dedicated to action, exploration, and the accumulation of diverse **experiences**.
* **Plato’s Philosophy of Truth:**
* The discussion then pivoted to Plato (as the author writing about Socrates). Students were encouraged to use the principles they had previously derived from his work.
* Students proposed that for Plato/Socrates, a good life involves:
* Constantly questioning things and never being afraid to do so.
* Doing what one believes is right, even if it leads to social condemnation or severe punishment (like death).
* Understanding that truth remains true regardless of popular opinion.
* The instructor guided the class to identify the single most important value for Socrates: the pursuit of **truth**. Socrates questions everything, endures punishment, and is willing to die because he believes truth is the ultimate good.
**4. Lecture Synthesis: The Internal vs. External Life**
The instructor synthesized the discussion by presenting a core contrast between the two texts:
* **Plato/Socrates** champions the **internal life**. A good life is lived in the mind, through rigorous inquiry, examination, and a philosophical dedication to finding absolute truth. The instructor referenced the Socratic maxim, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
* **Tennyson/Ulysses** champions the **external life**. A good life is defined by what you do, see, and feel in the world. The value lies not in abstract ideas but in tangible, lived experiences.
**5. Final Writing Exercise: Personal Reflection**
* **Prompt:** For the final five minutes, students were instructed to write a freewrite in their notebooks addressing the question: Which philosophy do you agree with more? Is a good life one of internal exploration (Plato) or external experience (Tennyson)?
* **Instructions:** Students were asked to explain their reasoning and, if possible, use quotes or passages from the texts to support their opinion. The instructor noted that these writings will be used to begin the next class session.
**Actionable Items**
**Urgent: Student Logistics**
* Follow up with the student who will be absent next Monday and Tuesday. The student has approval from “Camilla” and will email the instructor with specific details.
* Coordinate with the student to facilitate their remote participation in the essay review session scheduled for Monday.
**Upcoming: Course Planning & Assignments**
* The freewrites on Plato vs. Tennyson should be collected or reviewed to serve as the basis for the introductory activity in the next lesson.
* An in-class essay is scheduled for Friday. The prompt will require students to connect at least two of the texts covered in the course.
**Homework Assignment**
* **Reading:** Read and annotate “The Myth of Sisyphus” by Albert Camus on page 29.
* **Instructions:** Students were advised that this is a very challenging text and that the goal is not full comprehension but a genuine effort to engage with it. They should mark what they understand and what they don’t, and try to identify Camus’s central arguments.
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Reading and Annotating “The Myth of Sisyphus”
This assignment requires you to prepare for our next session by reading and analyzing a new, challenging text. During our lesson, we practiced extracting core principles from Plato and Tennyson to understand their views on what constitutes a “good life.” This homework asks you to apply those same critical reading and annotation skills to “The Myth of Sisyphus” by Albert Camus, which we will be using as a main text in our next class.
Instructions:
1. Locate the text “The Myth of Sisyphus” on page 29 of your course reader.
2. Read the entire text. As mentioned in class, this is a “notoriously challenging text,” and you are not expected to understand every single part of it on the first read. The goal is to make a genuine effort to engage with the material.
3. As you read, actively annotate the text using the methods we have been practicing.
4. While annotating, be sure to mark which passages you understand and, just as importantly, which passages you find confusing or do not understand.
5. Think about the central arguments Camus is presenting. Just as we asked what Plato and Tennyson want you to believe, ask yourself: What are Camus’s core ideas? What arguments is he trying to make?
6. Bring your annotated text to our next session, as we will be using it as a foundation for our class activities and discussions.