Dickens's London

1. What do you know about Charles Dickens? 

2. What period of time did he write about? Have you read any of his books?

3. Is there an author who wrote about another period in a similar way? Is there a particular piece of literature that illustrates a particular period well?

Read article here: Dickens's London Reading

4. Is there a type of food that defines a particular period of your country's history?

5. Did your co-citizens have any doubtful forms of entertainment in the past?

6. Were there any upsides to living in the Victorian era for poor people?

7. Which of the following do you agree with? Why?

a) The buying and selling of street food is localism at its best: local people creating economic activity that nourishes and rewards the community.

b) Food standards have increased people's life-spans.

c) If Victorians had had social media, many more people would have died in fires.

d) We are only a burst pipe, a drought, or a change in the climate away from economic meltdown.

e) We should bring back elaborate door knocks as an additional security measure.

f) Greater awareness of death would encourage today's society to lead a more cautious life.

g) It is no longer important to know who your neighbour is, nor what they do: technology has made us autonomous.

h) Internet paywalls mean that news still has to be paid for: technology has not liberated us.

8. Do you feel nostalgic about a particular period of your country's history?

9. 'Literature is just as useful for learning about the past as any history textbook'. Can you think of any examples?

10. Imagine that it is the year 2169, which writer(s) will encapsulate life in the 2010/20s? What will future readers be most surprised about?

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Situation

You are a literary journalist with a broadsheet newspaper. You've been sent to interview a well-known author (your teacher) about their new book on a famous capital city. Quiz them on the differences between today's city and its earlier history. Focus on topics such as food, entertainment, basic public utilities, and attitudes to death.

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Discuss quotes

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

― Søren Kierkegaard

“You realize that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past.”

― Chuck Palahniuk

“People who say that yesterday was better than today are ultimately devaluing their own existence.”

― Karl Lagerfeld

"Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes - one for peace and one for science."

--- John F. Kennedy

“If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed.”

― Mark Twain

Student Handout PDF: Dickens's London

Survival Of The Friendliest

1. What do you associate with the concept of 'survival of the fittest'? Generally speaking, who are the proponents of this theory? Are you familiar with any books or films where survival of the fittest plays a central part e.g. Jack London's 'Call of the Wild' or Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Revenant'?

Watch video here: Survival Of The Friendliest

2. Dogs are a great example of the survival of the friendliest, right? Can you think of any other species (animal to human, animal to animal) that use friendliness as a means of survival?

3. Are our pets genuinely friendly towards us, or have they just learnt certain behaviours/gestures that allow them to get what they want? 

4. Being friendly is great news if you are a cuddly puppy, but what if you are a mosquito/cockroach? What approach would you adopt? Is there a hierarchy of survival techniques? Where would 'cleverest, strongest, most handsome, most virulent' etc. come in this hierarchy?

5. Why aren't wolves extinct now?

6. In terms of communication, are dogs the closest species to humans? Is that simply because of their proximity to us, or is there a genetic trait that allows communication to take place?

7. In Spain, apes have been given special rights, in part, because they are genetically close to humans. Do you agree? Should apes and monkeys have more rights than other animals?

8. The video suggests that it is collaboration between humans that is one of the major factors for mankind's success. What other species collaborate in a similar manner?

9. When did we become a 'winner-takes-all society', do you think? Is humanity thriving in all of its different social contexts?

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Situation

You are Dr. Jennifer Crocker. You have granted an interview to up-and-coming journalist (your teacher) who works for the magazine 'Psychology Today'. Outline some of your theories on 'egosystems' and ecosystems', and answer any questions he has.

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Discuss quotes

“The biologists are a ruthless bunch, and quite devoid of any particular regard for doctors. In theory they don’t even want a surgeon to patch up a man who has been hit on the head with a brick, the argument being that it is better for the human race to be able to dodge bricks. Which is correct, I suppose, unless it happens to be your head and your brick.”

― Dr. Blake F. Donaldson

"Survival of the fittest is over. Get over it. We need survival of the wisest."

- Deepak Chopra

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”

― Groucho Marx

“Dogs never bite me. Just humans.”

― Marilyn Monroe

“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.”

― Mark Twain

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

Student Handout PDF: Survival

Photo: Patrice Schoefelt