Meeting of the Minds

          For this project you will research the beliefs of various philosophers throughout the ages.  On the due date you will portray that character in a role play.  Your classmates will portray other characters whose views on life may differ from your own.  Together you will hold a discussion of the topic: 

What constitutes a just society?

The panel will consist of one of the following groups, as determined by class vote:

1.  Religious Leaders:  Jesus Christ; Mohammed; Martin Luther; Siddhartha Gautama; Moses; St. Augustine

2.  Revolutionaries and Reformers: Thomas Paine; Maximilien Robespierre; Vladimir Lenin; Mohandas Gandhi; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Nelson Mandela; Mao Zedong; Fidel Castro; Osama bin Laden

3.  Political Visionaries:  Thomas Jefferson; John Locke; Susan B. Anthony; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Adolph Hitler; Plato; Augustus Caesar

4.  Capitalists and their Critics:  Adam Smith; Thomas Malthus; John D. Rockefeller; Robert Owen; Eugene V. Debs; Karl Marx

5.  Critical Thinkers:  Socrates; Frederick Douglas; Mark Twain; Chief Joseph; John Dewey; Rachel Carson

Others may be added to the list but get approval from me first.

On the day of the debate, you will first give the class a short biographical sketch of yourself:  when and where you lived, key parts of your life, the main ideas you held and the things for which you are best known.  After everyone has introduced themselves, the debate will begin.  Follow this rubric to guide you:

1.  The student spoke to the class in the first person, as the character he/she is to portray.

25      20      15      10      5        0

2.  The character introduced him/herself to the class with a short (app. 3 minute) biographical sketch which focused on the major achievements of that person’s life.

25      20      15      10      5        0

3.  The student stayed in-character for the length of the discussion.

25      20      15      10      5        0

4.  The student focused on the main question:  What constitutes a just society?

50      40      30      20      10      0

5.  The student asked pertinent questions of others and responded appropriately to the questions asked of him/her.

25      20      15      10      5        0

6.  Student participation showed an understanding of the philosophy of the character being portrayed.

50      40      30      20      10      0

Bonus points will be awarded for costumes, props, etc., appropriate to the character being portrayed.

__________________