EDUC6100 Midterm by Jordan Murtagh

Malala Yousafzai Article

finelytuned467 — 2025-10-13 16:37:51 UTC

A large theme of Antigone is that of the individual versus the state. Particularly women going against a patriarchal state. In this article we see a snapshot of activist Malala Yousafzai who, like Antigone, took a stand for something she believed in at great risk to her personal wellbeing. This article is thorough enough for students to understand what Malala accomplished but short enough that we can read it during class and have a discussion about how it connects to Antigone. Students can also reflect on what they might have done if they were in Malala's shoes.

Assata Shakur: Based on this poster, would you turn her in?

finelytuned467 — 2025-10-13 17:17:22 UTC

Assata Shakur (Joanne Deborah Chesimard) was designated as a most wanted terrorist by the FBI for allegedly shooting a state trooper 'point-blank execution style', however Assata was already under FBI surveillance well before the traffic-stop for her participation in the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. She was labelled as a 'militant extremist' for her speeches and activism against racism and violence towards people of color in America. The event that sparked her most-wanted status was a traffic stop for an allegedly broken tail light. During the traffic stop an altercation broke out, Assata was shot in the stomach and she allegedly shot and killed the state trooper who shot her. However, there was never any gun residue found on her hands and she claims she had both hands up the entire time. Do you think she was guilty?

Asking “Was Assata Shakur guilty?” pushes students to interrogate:

Who gets to define guilt, the law or justice?

Can courts and states be morally wrong?

When is it ethical to resist state power?

This mirrors Antigone’s line: “I was born to love, not to hate.” She breaks the law but is she guilty? This visual would likely prompt students to label Assata as a criminal. After all, she is labelled a terrorist and is said to have shot a state trooper 'execution style', which has emotional undertones. However with more context about the laws of the time and Assata's activism, students may learn to question visuals that they see. This could be really helpful because on social media we often see catchy headlines and images and make a split-second judgement and spread that information. A lot of my students are POC as well so they may see themselves in Assata. After analyzing her Wanted poster, we will read the following NPR article about her life and recent passing: https://www.npr.org/2025/09/26/g-s1-90790/assata-shakur-joanne-chesimard-dies. This article highlights the government's current attitude on Shakur and even recent attempts (prior to her passing) by President Trump demanding her return. We will discuss how an arrest made on questionable grounds during the civil rights era has still, to this day, ensured the contempt of the US government despite the potentially ill-intentioned grounds of her persecution.

Trevor Noah- 'MTV Cribs' tour of his apartheid-era home where he grew up.

finelytuned467 — 2025-10-13 17:39:22 UTC

Trevor Noah, now famous host of "The Daily Show" grew up in South Africa with his grandmother during The Apartheid. Apartheid was a legal form of racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa that lasted until the mid 1990's. Apartheid controlled where black people could live, work, go to school, and even who they could marry. Trevor Noah was "Born a Crime" because he was half white and half black. At the time, interracial relationships were illegal so his very existence was illegal. This was a law. His existence broke the law. Do you think it's a fair law? Is it always a 'crime' to break the law? Was what Antigone did a crime? Was going against Apartheid laws and having a child a crime? This video is funny and engaging but also covers a serious topic- The Apartheid. Our post-video discussion and writing assignment will have students think about what is really a 'crime' and who gets to determine what's right. Trevor Noah's very existence broke a law as did Antigone's actions. Are laws always just? Students will cite evidence from the text and from the video to answer these questions.

TED: Cartoon Antigone

finelytuned467 — 2025-10-13 17:50:02 UTC

This is an animated version of Antigone. It will allow students to see the play in a visual format which will help their understanding. We will watch this before any of the other paired texts to ensure that students have a thorough base-understanding of the text. While this isn't a different text, it is another format of the text which will allow students to compare and contrast. I will have them complete a compare and contrast Venn diagram between the text and the video, then write a short reflection on how combining these two different forms of media helped shape their understanding of the story.

Compare and Contrast: US Government Official House Review of Edward Snowden vs. Snowden Interview

finelytuned467 — 2025-10-13 18:04:28 UTC

Here is the official US Government's investigation findings of Edward Snowden, a former government employee who leaked documents to the press proving that the US Government was secretly spying on US Citizens. This review by the government uses very intentional language that frames Snowden in a particular light. Students will analyze the language used to characterize Snowden's actions in this document then students will watch a short news clip of Snowden being interviewed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_qdnyEqCPk. In this interview, Snowden predicts that the US government will charge him with violating the Espionage Act, paint him as someone who has endangered Americans, and revealed secret information to other countries. He was right on all counts as the house report shows. Snowden disobeyed the law because he felt a moral obligation to do so. How does this relate to Antigone? Do you think what Snowden did was right? What would you do in his shoes?

Reddit Debate: Should judges try to pass lenient sentences to those who disobey unfair laws?

finelytuned467 — 2025-10-13 18:16:14 UTC

Read the reddit debate. Then you will compose your own 'reply'. Should judges try to pass lenient sentences to those who disobey unfair laws? Like all of the other paired texts we have read, we see people being punished to the fullest extent of the law for simply advocating for peace. Antigone just wanted to bury her brother and died because of it. Shakur was on the run her entire life. Snowden is exiled. Noah is okay now, but was in extreme danger his entire childhood. We will write a response then form two teams based on your response. We will then read our responses in a debate style format.

This assignment will get students thinking about all of the texts we've read thus far and also think about their own ethics and morals. The debate will allow them to engage with their classmates.