Unit 2: The Crown at a Crossroads – The British Monarchy, an unshakable institution.

Axe: The past in the present

The document under study is a video from BBC news, published in 2023. It is about the polls that were conducted on the British population 2 weeks before the coronation of King Charles III. We have learned that the majority of the British population wants the monarchy to continue. However, throughout the years the public opinion has changed a lot and now less than a third of the young people are supporting the monarchy. Most of the adults interviewed tend to like the monarchy, nevertheless, there has been a decrease in the monarchy’s popularity going from 75% to 58% in ten years. In the meantime, an anti-monarchy movement has emerged. In fact, in ten years there has been an increase of 9%. The people against the monarchy think the royal family costs too much to the country. On top of that, with the majority of young people they want an elected head of state, meaning a republic for the country. To finish with, people from ethnic minority background think that the crown/the royal family has a problem with race and diversity.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Unit 2: The Crown at a Crossroads – The British monarchy, an unshakeable institution?

God Save my Son!

The document under study is an extract of a news report from BBC news published in 2023. It is about the popularity of the monarchy in the UK on the eve of King Charles III’s coronation. There has been a declining support since Elisabeth’s death. Indeed, for the young British their support has gotten divided by 2 from 2013 to 2023 (from 64% to 32%). On top of that, in 2013, 17% of adults were against the monarchy and wanted an elected Head of State, meaning a republic. Contrary to 2023, 26% of adults are now anti-monarchists. As a result, an anti-monarchy movement is emerging. Usually, most of the old people are pro-monarchy. For the people in favor of the monarchy, they like it because they have been used to the royal family and the way it works. Besides, they see it as a tradition. The royal family has an international impact as being a soft power for the country. They are also a form of stability for the country. The UK might also want to stay part of the few countries who still have a monarchy as it is the most powerful one.

Nevertheless, 58% of the population are supporting the monarchy compared to 75% in 2013. There has been a decline since the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. To finish with, young people from ethnic minority backgrounds dislike the monarchy because they think that the monarchy has problems with race and diversity.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 The Pilgrims’ Point of View

The document under study is an article taken from an encyclopedia published in 1994. It is about the Pilgrims’ point of view on Thanksgiving. We have learned that the settlers used to gather and celebrate their harvest in November to thank God for the abundant crops He granted them to enjoy. Nevertheless, the relationship between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims was tense. Indeed, the colonists were afraid of the Native Americans whom they saw as savages. What is striking is that in a few years, the attitude of the colonists towards the Native Americans completely changed. The latter were no longer seen as helpers, the Pilgrims dehumanized them.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Thanksgiving on the Pilgrims’ side.

The document under study is an extract from an encyclopedia published in 1994. It is about one side of the original story of Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims’ point of view. We have learned that the settlers organized their Thanksgiving celebration because they were grateful/thankful for their abundant harvest composed of various vegetable and a few sea dishes. Furthermore, they felt thankful and free to be able to worship their God without being persecuted. Nevertheless, the text sheds light on the existing tensions between the Native Americans and the colonists at the time. For example, the colonists considered the Native Americans as savages. Indeed, they had a dehumanized vision of the Native Americans.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Unit 2 The Crown at a crossroads

The British Monarchy, an unshakable institution?

God Save My Son

The document under study is a video from BBC news, published in 2023. It is about the polls that were conducted on the British population before the coronation of King Charles III. We have learned that the majority of the British population wants the monarchy to continue. However, throughout the years the public opinion has changed a lot and now less than a third of the young people are supporting the monarchy.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Finish the lesson for next time.

Fill in the document you receive in class on the Royal Family.

Native Americans’ Ancient Traditions before the Pilgrims

The document under study is an article entitled “Native American Harvest Feasts before  Thanksgiving”, published in 2018. It deals with traditions Native Americans used to do before the arrival of the Pilgrims.

In fact, Native Americans had celebrated Harvest Feast Day before the arrival of the colonists. After surviving the winter, they wanted to thank what they called “The Great Spirit” for their survival and their bountiful/abundant crops. They still celebrate this festival nowadays. They organize Pow Wows where they gather together to celebrate. They perform traditional dances and songs, and share a meal together. It usually takes place after the first full moon of September.

What is striking is that, actually, the Pilgrims were inspired by the Native Americans’ traditions to create their Thanksgiving. On top of that, it is interesting to note that the very first Native Americans came from East Asia. They brought their traditions from there in America.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

As a result, in 1863, during the Civil War, president Abraham Lincoln was the one who made Thanksgiving official and that it should be celebrated every last Thursday of November. Then, in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated every 4^th Thursday of November.

Finally, in 1989 President George W.H. Bush created a presidential tradition: the Turkey Pardon. Indeed, every year one or two turkeys would be sent to a farm rather than cooked for a Thanksgiving meal. Several presidents had followed the tradition since then: Clinton, Obama, Bush Junior…   

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 The First Story of Thanksgiving

The document under study is a video published on History YouTube Channel in 2012. It is about the story of the first Thanksgiving and the evolution of the festival. We have learned that in 1621, the first Thanksgiving took place between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. It was a three-day festival. The Pilgrims organized this festival to celebrate their first successful harvest and invited the Native Americans who had helped them in the process. They ate venison, raw cranberries… They hunted and did other entertainments. Nevertheless, they did not have pumpkin pie, neither turkey nor potatoes, elements that belong to the modern Thanksgiving menu nowadays. The festival was not repeated after this event.

Only in 1789, President George Washington announced the first national Thanksgiving celebration on November 26^th. Afterwards, in the 19^th century, an author named Sarah Josepha Hale campaigned for 30 years to make Thanksgiving an official national holiday. To do so, she created recipes to help people organize and prepare their own Thanksgiving dinner and rally her cause.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 The Story of Thanksgiving

The document under study is a video published in 2012 on History YouTube Channel. It is about the true story about the famous festival Thanksgiving.

We have learned that in 1621 it was the first Thanksgiving celebration between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims. Indeed, the Pilgrims wanted to celebrate their first successful harvest and thank the Native Americans who helped them in the process. The festival lasted three days. They hunted and organized other entertainments. They ate venison, raw cranberries. They did not have pumpkin pie, neither turkey nor even potatoes, elements that belong to the current Thanksgiving menu.

Nevertheless, they did not repeat the celebration until 1789 when President George Washington decided to make it a national celebration. Then, in the 19^th century, a writer, Sarah Josepha Hale campaigned to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. To do so, she created specific menus and recipes to make it possible and encourage people to follow her.

(We will continue the study og the rest of the video tomorrow. be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Deadly Selfies

A recording from NPR, an American radio.

People die taking pictures of themselves with dangerous animals or falling off cliffs because they did not pay attention to the edge.

These selfies can be lucrative because for the people who post these pictures on their social media profiles they can attract many followers and sponsorships.

Moreover, the benefits for the social networking sites are that their users spend more time on them. These selfies are used as advertising to attract more and more users.

200 selfie-related deaths have been reported so far all over the world. In the last month, 5 were reported in the USA.

The reactions are a bit severe: people say that those victims were stupid and narcissistic. Hence/so people are judgmental with a lack of empathy.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for the Final Task on Thursday November 13th

Be ready for the oral comprehension evaluation on Tuesday, November 18th on the theme of the chapter.

Deadly Selfies

A recording from NPR, an American radio.

People die taking pictures of themselves by trying to take the most impressive picture of themselves but they do not realize how close they are to the edge and they fall off to their deaths.

These selfies can be lucrative because on social media platforms, these selfies  can attract followers and sponsors. Moreover, they can generate likes and lots of views, and add more users to these social network platforms. Eventually, these selfies can be used as advertising for the different social media platforms to attract more users.

There were more than 200 selfie-reported deaths. 5 of them in the US.

Some reactions are vicious and lack of empathy because some people are convinced that it was the victims’ fault, and they should not have been so careless. They are judged as being stupid and narcissistic.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for the Final Task on Thursday November 13th

Be ready for the oral comprehension evaluation on Tuesday, November 18th on the theme of the chapter.

 (At the follwing of what we did last time)

Therefore, to grieve and commemorate their genocide nowadays Native Americans do not celebrate Thanksgiving but prefer to go out and organize a march of protest to stand up against the romanticized version of the European colonization (17^th-19^th centuries) on the day of Thanksgiving every year.

In fact, everybody thinks that the first celebration of Thanksgiving was in 1621. Nevertheless, according to these Native Americans, it was in 1637 when Governor Winthrop, a British colonist, sent  troops of colonists to kill the Native Americans in Connecticut to steal their lands. Afterwards, Governor Winthrop organized a feast to celebrate the safe return of the colonists who accomplished their mission. As a consequence, for the Native Americans this episode was seen as a “Thankstaking”.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

To conclude, the three documents display different aspects of masculinity, however, what they have in common is that the men mentioned are confident about themselves and respect their body. These document show that there is no longer one main masculinity standard

Moreover, by having those role models, it will help people feeling inspired amidst all those people having a lot of clichés on traditional masculinity, some of them will be completely changed by those figures. In fact, the media has a big influence on how we perceive beauty. In movies, art or on social media we often see people who look perfect, however, more and more media display people with different body-types, skin color and styles. This can help people feel better about themselves and understand that beauty is not just one thing.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

To conclude on the three documents, they all show men who don’t fit with the traditional masculine ideals but instead express individuality, confidence and self-acceptance. For example, these men are more feminine (the BTS), shameless (Kelvin Davis, Timothée Chalamet).

Social media display different types of men that can challenge the stereotypes, inspire others to feel comfortable with their own appearance. Moreover, it can encourage the acceptance of diversity. Therefore, people can see masculinity and beauty in a different way in order to make a more open-minded society. However, in some movies or on social media there are still many stereotypical images of men such as in James Bond, Fast and Furious and Thor.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Unit 2: No Thanks, No Giving

Does the current celebration of Thanksgiving reflect the historical reality?

Axes: Territory and Memory – Diversity and Inclusion

No Thanks Given

The document under study is a video about what really happened about the encounter between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims in the 17^th century. It was published in the Huffing Post in 2017. We can hear an old Native American man, he is the organizer of the National Day of Mourning. It is the opposite of Thanksgiving. In fact, Native Americans believe that their lands were stolen by the European colonists, and at the same time their people were slaughtered.

(We will continue the study of the video on Thursday. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Unit 2: No Thanks, No Giving

Does the current celebration of Thanksgiving reflect the historical reality?

No Thanks Given

The document under study is an extract from a documentary about how Native Americans denounce the unfair colonization of their lands. It was published in 2017 in the Huffing Post. We can hear the testimony of a Native American man, who is the co-founder of the National Day of Mourning. In fact, it is a celebration about what really happened in the 17^th century, when Native Americans were actually the real victims: their lands were stolen and they were slaughtered by the Europeans colonists.

(We will continue the study of the document next time. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.