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Rain"
Rain is peaceful and .;entle ,
soft and sweet-tasting, sad.
Or fierce and proud,
drivin~
and biting all those in its way.
Spring rains are soon churned to mud,
but still the flowers bloom.
Summer rains sizzle on the hot pavement,
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and cool the earth •
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Fall rains spatter on crackling leaves
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Winter rains glaze to ice
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D. \'lerblo, 1970
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Growing Up
Loneliness, pain
Alone is not lonely,
Happiness, joy
Alone is just myself.
No apron strings
Alone is not a lack
No ties that bind.
Of you, or he, or she.
Interdependence
Alone is me, just me.
~hen
independence.
Alone is
~ulfillment.
Changes fast and slow.
Lonely is emptiness.
Running far awa:y
Lonely is a lack of me,
Standing, facing
Emptiness, hollow, and gone.
Running, hiding
Hate of myself, hate of me
And stop.
Not of you, or
Then go
Slowly moving
Forward, backward
Seeming awkward.
Being, breathing
Living, seeing
Hate and lies.
Love and truth
Love and lies
Hate and truth.
he~
or she.
D• .Jerblo, 1970
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Your .:-,tudents may wish to make a collection of their
favorite writings or of their own efforts in composition
or creative writing.
The next few pages give instructions
on how to make simple, attractively bound booklets at low
cost.
:even if you, or your students, are "all thumbs,"
these directions are easy to follow, and, with a little
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For one method of covering the booklets, the authors
suggest using construction paper, but heavy gauge gift
wrapping paper, especially foil paper, is easier to work
with and is more durable.
To simplify even further, the
self-adhering vinyl and cloth materials, which are available in most dime stores and hardware stores, eliminate
the mess of the glue.
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H~ndout from LIB 462 Materials for Young Adults under
I-Irs. Catherine Armitage, BSU.
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S E MAN TIC S
Many high schools are instituting units on semantics in
their English programs.
The best outline which I have found
for such a course is Solveig Torvik's article "Teaching Semantics in High School," reprinted in full beginning on the next
page.
Below are listed several books giving more information
which a teacher should find helpful in preparing a unit on
semantics.
Stuart Chase and Mario Pei have done very read-
able stUdies on semantics and communication.
Hayakawa's
books and Upton's book have excellent applications and study
questions at the end of each chapter.
Language in America
is composed of essays on different aspects of language, its
use and misuse, in sections of American society; "The Language
of Education" by Terence P. Moran is especially pertinent.
Chase, Stuart. Power of Words. New York:
and '.'lorld, Inc., 1954.
Hayakawa, S. I. Lan~ua~e in Action.
Brace and Co., 94.
------c-o-u-r~t
Harcourt, Brace
New York:
• Langu§ge in Thought and Action.
Brace JOvanovich, Inc., 1972.
Langu§ge in America.
PegaSUs, 1969.
Ed. Neil Postman et ale
Pei, Mario. \'lords in Sheep's Clothing.
Books, Inc., 19b9.
Harcourt,
New York:
Har-
New York:
New York:
Hawthorn
Upton, Albert. Design for Thinkin~. Stanford, California:
Stanford Universit~ress, 19 1.
Teaching Serncntics in High School
Solvcig Torvik
D2partmcnt of Eng lish
Grol';1c HiGh School
Salt Luke City, Utah
~
I ceIl
h:1S
been m:1c1e recenth' of the
1 '- ide:l dDt the :\l1lcricall hi,~h s..:hool
ILlS f:likd to reprcsent "the rr,d \Ior!,l"
\\ithill its cloistercd \1:l11s, Olle nphll:llioll l'l'lrillg on this st:He of :ltf:1irs COIl1es
from S, (T /:'\:lk:l\\':l in "f.e:lrnillg to
Think :11ld \ \' ri tc: SClllantics in Fresh11L111 Fnglish"
jluhli rwd ill the 1')IIIII.7!
of tl.'t' CO/irt'Ft'net' Oil Co!!,'!;,' C()I!1/Jositioll dilll CmIl7Jl1lili(d{ioll (Feh, 1C)(j2):
I belie\'e there is a good re:1<;on they
[college studems 1 \\'ere not taught scm:lntics, , . e:;dier, It is tint \\l'. ,lS I' '" flh
or te:lchers nr hoth, rc1\' pro[OIl11rll\, on
\\ ilrd-nLlgic, the confllsillll (If inferences
:lIlll
judg'lllcms \\ith n]', 'll ';, "nil the
"ll\horil~, of lofty :1I1d \Il". ',piain:'d ahstnni,)l1s in our attempts t I) cOlli r, ,I (": r
chil,'ren, emil the anxious \l'lrs nt' hi,·;]
slll<lol arc O\'er for our ci,ildren, liii, ,
of 11<; \\ould r:1ther llut rllt illt(, thLir
h~nd i such critical in'! i Il!lllntS :1'> \':()uLl
cll:chle them to ('\P"
'h l1')!,"cn\e IllUCh
of \\ h:1t we S:1V to 1hL i:1, I rcnee, there
cannul he mucl; in the \'.,\',' of sCI11:1nties
, , , until, , , ILll'ents 1111(1 lc,:chcrs begin til
he \Iilling to trcat the children as children
d 'snil rcr! thc structure of OUI' hngu:1gc.
I, ,\\' i, it t:h'l1 tint \I'e br[fCi, i(Tl1ol'c the
\' .. "ill~~ dl'llLllHls on th~' Si i1'! 'm who
Ii '11(" til 'Ilr\ il'c the '\crlu! ~<j:1g11'a"
rl. pre' ['llt L',l !J\' I he llnss 11IL',! ,';fJci()I()gil" i lIjlilC:lI:d",
politic:d fl, 'd(;lll, :1I1d
piJiil)sl'pili,al l'h(lice~ Is it {'lhil',d of us
(I lldrs to 1]\ oid [fil'ing t(,(,I1:': n; critical
il ',tlililhllh J1c('(\~d f~ll' sucl; :1 slIni\'al
Slil1p1V Lec;]lI ,C \Ie fear tlh'," \\ill tur1l
rli"ir \\C]POIL; on lh and l'''jl",e (Jur
f()II\~
1:llrther, how do \\'e con\'illee the
stUIL-llt \\ ho senses our folh- :1[1,1 shn]fTs
()J the 111111t \\orld I]S 2 fLl{jd el11inc11t(\'
t1'l\\'ortll\' of his cOl1cern t ;1:1t wc to'f)
i:inCT
with a fOll.ed tull'ilC,
b
.... )
jlc'lpctr:lling the adult p~rt.\'-linc nun,
,,11',,', i'1\'()l;i'1~ :l\ltllOrit\, i 1 )11 lee (,f
1(l!'i(': 111 ,hrlrt~ h,)\\' do \\'e (st~lhli,h the
h(~;llj, (,i' tI lil th:lt convince: a : iil,lent
that the rcd world is bcinrr rcpT'c:')cflled
ill t h(' ch'.:1 ()()lll~
~,
OIIC 1111' \\TI', I find, is to p-i\'e hirrh
seho('] ~,l'lli()r:; a unit in scm:nl<t'cs whi~h
i~ :1. ,'L:ilc'd to fn,l'ce thl:ll,l tD r C\',Ju::t(:
tilell' (1\,1l :ls ,UmplJOIlS :1nrl 1)( LCl3 ~]'; \\'C11
a; Idl otileL) with which th, V (';);\1(: ill
(:)!l\:ct, \ \'e attempt to C\ linin', :n a
slJlplrili'd defInition, "how \ : { l ] Lis u(fect
human thou gilt and behavior."
lilT l1C1t ;'\)('
C
Ilulongcr.
\Ve Ccluc2tors 2rc finclv tuned to the
niceties of scientific dic;c(~\'ery; we ha\'e
introduced the new Il1Zlthj \~'C hZlVC re-
1341
1HZ
ENGLISH /OUH.XAL
One heartening aspect of this admittedlv Herculean task is that the semantics
unit is equally fitting for the needs of
both the terminal ;md the college-bound
student. For the fir,t, it is a practical
necessit~, to survive the political, philosophical, and commcrcul \'erbal profusion; for the second it is invaluable in
dealing with the endless "truths" which
he is expected to assimilate as a member
of the educated portion of society. For
both it is an incomparably effective tool
for dealing with life intelligently on his
own Ie\'el, and that the latter is more
quick to sec its significance than the
former is only further justification for
giving trall1ll1g in semantics more :1Ssiduouslv to the former, \\'ho needs all
the training he C:1n get to develop ,,'hatever critic:11 power he m:1y han simply
to insure his intelligent sUf\'i\·al.
T~E unit in SCIl1:1lltics ,d~ich I present
IS
bJsed on 11.1\ .1k.1\\.1
S
text. LlIl-
fJI,lgc ill T/.l()fll!.i>t' .111£1 ActiOIl (I hrcourt. 19-f I ). ;lI1d comists of sen:n bro'lLl
sections of elllplusis, In order, these are:
symhol-thing confusion; generalizations;
inferences, judgments. reports; classification; abstractions; directive. affecti\'e.
informati\'e uses of language; t\\"(l-valued
and multi-valued orien~ltic;n.
\Ve begin with a shocker in sy'mholthing confusion. I stress the shock element at this point, because it is vital to
the success of the unit that the student
he stripped of all his previous complacent notions concerning the function of
his language; it is of paramount importance that he be placed in a position
\vhich will implement an immediate
breakdown of his indifference to "mere
words" and force him, by instilling a
momentary mistrust of them, to examine
critically the symbols, written or otherwise, which sh.1pe his reality. He has to
be shown that words lise him, he does
not "use" words, whatever may be said
for building one's vocabulary.
An effective beginning for the unit
rna:' he achieved by \\rIting som~thing
on the hoard not usu:11 to the classroom
atmosphere because oj its highly affective cOTlnot:1tions; the word "hell"
sen'es well. The te3Cher should make no
comments concerning the ,,'ord during
the first tJ\'C minutes (If cbss business,
but after the students h,1\'e had time to
notice the \\'ord. the te;lcher can casually
step to the board ;md add the letter "0'-"
The next step is to h;l\'e the students
\\Tite on unsigned slips of paper their
reKtions to the t'i rst ,,'ord as contrasted
to the secolld, As the tC1cher reads aloud
some of the re~~)onses registering the surprise. humor. mild shock, or disdain
dt<scrihed. the p(lim is made for dep;uture into ,1 di,cmsion of hCl\\' and why
,1 tillY C/.;,1U· circll C,lll ch;mge and control ('lIle's cl1lotiol1,d rl'Sp()IlSC~.
;\n()ther del'ice \\hich is ;m effecti\'e
opener t() illllstLltl' the IlltL1lls of s\ll1ho!thin!! C(lnfll',lOn is ro \Iritl' ,1 \\ ord sllch
:IS '~hre'lst" Oil the l)(',lnl ,me! 'lsk illdi\idu;l!s in the ells" to nphin \\hat this
i, \!()st \\ til rc,lct \\'ith singubr eml',IlT'lsSIllcnr, '()I1ll' \\ill rciuse to ans\\'er,
,1 fc\I' \I'il l lhecrfulh' try to beat the
teacher at hiS ()\nl g;ll;le. o'thers will offer
s;lfe hiologi,-.Ii defi;litions. It is then time
to suggest that the \\'ord is nothing but a
series of chalk marks Oil the hoard. There
is often consideLlhle relici when the
studems he;lr this sll!!gl"ltiol1, hut their
relief is short-heel ~ll1en the students
see the teacher add "of chicken tuna"
to the term and arc asked to explain
why' they nO\\' bugh or feel comfortable
since nothing has been done to allC\'iate
their discomfiture except to add more of
those chalk marks which originally provoked their silly response. After a moment, they see the point and discussion
can begin.
A word of caution is necessary here,
I think. The teacher should choose a
word or incident to illustrate the concept which he feels is justifiable for the
success of the unit. However, the teacher
who chooses to tell a "dirty" story or to
TEACHING SEMANTICS IN HIGH SCHOOL
use an "ohscene" word has simply missed
the point, The student himself will be
the tirst to admit that he is made uncomfortable by and to lose his cool by
the word symbols in a "foul" tale; what
he necds to have demonstrated is that he
is cqually manipulatcd by the innocuous,
It must be madc apparcnt to him that
\\'ords can force him to a rC:lCtion-embarrassment, anger, laughtcr, tears,-and
that if mcrc hcn tracks or sqnbolic
sounds havc this much control o~'er him,
it \\"()uld scem impcrative to discO\'cr
ho\\ to control this power instcad of
bcing controllcd by it while in total
ignorancc of its cxistcnce,
~hc
this introduction
point is
F RO,\1
takcn that sYmbols, be the), words,
nlJrkings, cloth', metal or papcr, have
the pO\\Tr to affect liS as if the rcal
thing which the" stand for were being
prcs~nted to us, (rom further cxploratio~
h\ mcans of :ll1alnis of immediatc
~iJllrces such as the letters to thc editor,
e,!irori;ds, 1lc\\S repons, and the like
,Iwu!d COllle critic1! ,1\\,lrelle5S of tli~
h\l111.111 tel1dency to eljuate the s~ Illh,J\
alld its refLTent, the cb"ic n,lmplc "f
\\ Inch i, the pcrsoll who faints upon
he,lrill\! thc ...;:urJ "snake," This stud\'
~h()ul,f enable the student to di~tinguish
het\\cen the svmbol-the "A" on the
report card-:1n"d the thing-thc knO\dedS'c which the ink mark supposedly
represents, :\nd, hopefull)" he will come
to \:llue the latter over the former, much
as \\e would hope he learns to value his
C(luntn ;ll>o\,e the flag which symbolizes
It,
Once the concept of "You think
vou think, but words ,tructure your
thinking for nm" has been establi~hed,
we IlI()~e into'the area of gcneralizations,
Studenr~ are taught that generalizations
are accepuhk, providing one can find
100 per cent proof to support them, The
futility of providing such support is immediately apparent, and one of the first
evidences of their mastery of this con-
1343
Ct pt is the way in which they begin to
pllr;lse their statements in class di~cII'>­
,ions and writing' assignments, The inIII rent flaws in statements stich as "All
good politicians arc a little bit dishonest"
are quickl~' challenged, and the te:JChing
of generaliutions is not for the teacher
\\-ho dislikes being corrected by his students; IIc ....·cr, a/r~'ays, c",'aybody :lre
\\ords \\hich soon disappear from their
accllstomed phces in the CLISS yocabuLln:.
:\'5 the student begins to look \\lith
ne\\- e~'es at the generalized "truths"
\\'hich lu\'C heen handed dO\'v11 to him
and \\hich he has heretofore calmly accepted, he begins an often painful p'eriod
of scrutiny of the moral, social, and
politicd "facts" \vhich support his belids, :\'()rl1lall~', this questioning period
d"es n()t COI11e for .\ merican teen;lgcrs
much hefore the traumatic fresh~lat1
:'l':U' ,1\\.1:' from home, It is perhaps an
;lLh,lnt;l~c and of sOll1e comfort to the
p,l['ellt':;Jt 1c;I~t, that they have their
otf 'pring under their roof to :ldvise him
,1\ he,t
t hl'\ (',111 during his flcdgltIlf!
:1ttempt, to ,iL-;d \\'ith the world Oil adult
tem!'i, Cen,l1[1.,' it is an advantage in that
the student is not yet in a position to be
fully responsible for himself as an adult;
he is in a training period prior to full
adulthood, and reasonably enough this
tuining should come before the responsibility is assumed.
introduce the process by which we
T ousually
arrive at our noti()ns of
"truth," \ve put on the h')arci thl following, minus the labels:
(Report): Marv Smith didn't get in until two o'cloc k last night
(Infrrence): 1 het she \\ JS out tearing
around,
(Judgment): She's a worthless hussv, I
never did like her looks,
The obvious fallacies of arriving at
"truth" by such a method are app,~rent
to all rather quickly, e\'en the slower
1H4
ENG LI S II , () L' H. N A L
students who cxhil,'r much sympathy
for the mnhicd \lln Smith and are
usually the' tlr~t to 'f'ling to her defense
b~' suggesting th,ifl' :ll! things are possible, after ,III. \I.n\ could have been out
bahysitting or Ill:illllg old ladies cr,)s~
the street. The tCrJm 1l1dg1Jlclif (a sUtement of neg,ltin: ()r positiye yalue), iJlferellce (a ~tatelllellt ,dlOut the unknO\l'n
based on the k nO\\ II !, and I'C {Ju rt (\ nifiallle f.lct) arc gil' II at this point, ,md
the studellts arc ,hked to label the three
statements cIJrrecrk, Further exercises
such as this olle sl':ne to reinforce the
differences' bet\\'Cen the kinds
statements often I()oseh- termed as facllul.
"'e :lpproach d{e sul)ject of classification Il\ rcrdlinQ the \ [ I l r \ of ,\~t()\lll
and B-\Ilk in a S~CIl];llHll' !)ar:dde found
in the te\t, In the stnrl, tllO towns of
i:J rQl' k identicil mC,I'» ,Iu re the S,llllC
pf(~ldcm: llnenlplo:'lllellt .Juc to deprc,~
,ion, :\, the !"lllt (If tlieir thinkinr;
al)(IUL ci:J"if, 1",-" ,lnt! h Ilh!hllQ 01 th~'
problem, OIlC' t"~\ n gi\l" S20(1 -;1 mOllth
to the lleed,' \llth the result that the
lleech- ;]Ccq;t It \1 ith pri.1c .1Ild a c()~
herem communit\, result" the other
tO\ln gilTS 52(1() to the need" with thl'
reSll It ~th:lt the nee,h' resent' it and bc~
cOllie sncial problems, One tm\"ll calb it,
S2()() iIlSIII',71I(C, thc other calls it relj.,/.
Once the problem of classification has
heen established as the reason hehind the
dil'CrQel1t re:lnions to an identical situ,l~
tion, 'the students arc ready to come to
grips \\'ith l'\'ery(b~' comp'lcxities in ;l'~
signing names to things and thoughh,
They come to sec that not Cll1k doe) no
wor~i eyer mean the same t111'IlQ 1\1 ic'e,
hut that :\far\' today is not' C\JC th'
"fary as she \~'as yesterdav-emotiClll.li~
Iv, ';lentalh-, or n1<')lecularl~'-and thJt It
is folly at times to insist oil tre.ating her
as if ~he were. \ "hen they under~tand
that Negro 1 is not Negr~ 2 an~' more
than mother 1 is mother 2, the\' have
surmounted a barrier in the way 'of reason and logic which man~' 'of their
parents are not even ready to begin to
0'
Ill()L:l1i/C. And arl11ed with this know 1CdL< the\' understandahl\' ch:lfc at the
ad~Jit ()rd~r of things: tw'enty-one years
e(llLds mCllihership into the class "adult";
one drop of "bhck" blood equals membership in the chss "-:'\egro"; one lote
in the legi~hture equates aspirin \1 ith
"drug" insread of "h:lrlllless" medic ille,
E X\'\II-:'\:\
TIC)'\; of abstractions foll()\n c loseh' on the classification section, ,\ lam methods arc useful to intro~
duce thi,' conccpt, hut I tlnd the t~\t
illustLItiCln of the ahstraction bddcr
and B""il' the COI\' to be the most succe,sflll III c!',dl. The hdder begins at step
one, the 111,,,t specific :lIld concrete, with
,111 illlh!: 'i 1<)11 of Bl'''Il' ,1S a collccti()ll
of ,HIIII!" Ill'lln', a "Clclltific description
'. ,lili,d"
'1 f:]('t. Ir <II, Is :It the top of
I"
I.I,I,I.! 1\ irh I:, "I,' represcntl'll as
\"'Iith, I':' I,ll,], til. I'"l,r abstr:ll't :1l1d
~c'llLI,J! t,'
Ipplll,d ,I, ill this C:1Sl', 111iCTIlll,11.1t1 .', i" :IIl' ,I. ),riptions oi her
,I' l 0\1,
'l)rocl;,' :,1<1 "asset," all of
\\ hilit .Ilil , ,Il' the i'l "~rl'ssi()11 of \'aryIllS rnnl' \\ IlI('h (':111 III ,Ipplied to Bessie,
.kpeIHIII1~: on the de'lred gencralit\ or
specific, "f the description, or on one's
conn'!,! "f reality.
Thl '111dellts can then he led to see
that 'i),'cific referent<; for slIch words as
jlLl;!"I, fIJ;Y, c;"if, /,,1lrj()ljslll,~()()d, and
JJlr)l',,1 ,Ire l'ssemi:Ji in aClll:Ji\Y COllllllllnicarinQ \\ hat one means to' sa\' ill this
illstal~C(', "For example" becOlllCs a key
phrase in writing and discussion, :1I1'd
they hecome impatient with tcacher\,
administrators, parents, and politici:lns
who \Janlk ahol\t reverenti:d-sounding
abstractions without the acc()lllpan~ing
concrete i IIl1stra tion.
An example COllles from an incident
g[(ming out of a visit hy a noted newspaper columnist-educator-politician to
one of the church-owned universities
in ou r area, The columnist obsen'ed the
school and its students and bter in a
column pLlised them as seemingl~' the
last stand of student moralitv and virtue
TEACHIS(I SE,\lANTICS liV 1I1(111 SClIOOL
left on the American college scene. The
students in m\' classes, many of whom
\\cre ple~lsed ~n Sunday h:, the glowing
report in the paper on their favorite
uniHrsit\" \\ere appalled on l\londay
when the\' \\'Cre handed the same article
to anal:'Z'e for semantic implications of
the flattering argument presented. I
urged them to forget their lo:'alties moment:1fik to the school and the church
\\'hich silpported it and to concentrate
instead on noting the author's assumptions. Thn' \\ere asked to challenge his
assumptillri'i. not the school on its independent merits. The:' spent an hour
listing the seemingh- endless thinking
tLlPS~ into \\hich tIle author. had per':.
mitted himself to fall. and their independent and O\Tf\"helming conclusion
focllSsed on the great bck of logic in the
article, .\S one \tudeTlt told T;1C after\\~Inls. "I am so humiliated \\'hen 1 think
ho\\' ple~l,cd 1 "as "hen I first re:ld the
~Hticle' I ('\'en cut it nut and phoned m\'
friends to tell them th;\t this man h,ll]
gi\cn the most con\'inciT1[! ~lrgument
~\ 11\ the\ should g() to sch,)(~1 the~e \\'ith
me: rIll' still g()in~[! to school there-but
not for the re~~sons~ he: s.lid."
The students \\cre torced to di\l)rce
themselHs from their preconceived prejudices-~Is it happened. violenth- pro or
con-and to e,amine ohjectiYCI\' the
merits of the argument itself on the
basis of logic. The\' Clme to see that the
school its~lf e,isted independently of
what annme might want to sa" ahout it.
It ,,'as a' testaIlle~t to their po,,"er of critical thinking that those who favored the
school for the "en° reasons that the writer did were able 'to perceive the fallacy
of the reasoning he used and to attack it
as heing unsound.
we explore how social control
NEXT,
is achieved through language. The
revelation that language is designed in
part to control their behavior is more
distressing than illuminating to many students. From the temporary loss of faith
Il-i;
in the verb;!l social structure, however,
ell) hl' built an ;J\\':!reness of how to lise
language responsihl:'. which, of COlll'se,
is thc ccntra I concept bchind thc cntire
unit, The student needs to undcrstand
tll:lt I:!nguage is used in an attcmpt to
direct O[ influence future actioJls of
othcr hum:)n heings, and thereforc it
nel"ess:nil\' only sets up PJhlls of hehavior, not descriptions of pre'icnt hch:l\'ior. Therefore, the student ClIl learn
to li\'c \\'ith and KCCpt "PoliccTlIcn arc
defenders of the \\cak" :md "Alll1lothers
lme their children" as directives (expected heh~IYior) and not as reports of
facts, \ \'hen hc crosses this hurdle, the
tCl'ru~cr is ~I long \\'av on thc road to
urHleI\t~ITHling ~lT1a coping with the secmingh cllntr~ldict()r:o aspects of adult
\'~dues and actions.
Fin~llk. \\c arc ready for the concept o{ TIIulti-\~llued thinking as opp( '~l'd to the t,,'o-\'alucd, black or whitc
t\ pc,
\ <,iIllple ,,'a:' to open the discll~,ion i, to ~Isk "Do you l()ve or h:1te
sch'll)I:" or m()ther, brothcr, etc. It isn't
I()n!! hef()re thl' honcst student \\'ill admit
t 1ut "SllllletiIIIl's" is the kcy to ans\\'cring
,uch :1 nonscnsc qucstion. In writing,
ruding, :md :lnal:osis (again, sourccs such
as the letters to the editor and radio
st:ltions \\'ith call-in opinions aired arc
~old lIIines for illustration of the t\\O~';J lued oricntation), the students he[!in to
understand the dangers of the "bther
you're with us or agin' us" menta lit:"
and the~, begin to grasp the importance
of keeping a reasonably flexihle appr'l.lch
to complex problems which do not ;Tdmit to simple solutions. Thc more compelling the political, moral, and social
heliefs in qucstion, the more agonizing
the finding of the answer hecomes, And
it is at the moment of this recognition
of thc complexities attendant to finding
the answer that the comprehension of
'what it is to he an adult dawns meaningfully upon the student, It is, for most
studcnts of my aClluainrance, an aweinspiring and frustrating moment.
1346
ENGLISH JOURNAL
\V,hen the unit is over, the smdent has
been exposed to the ingredients of mature, perceptive thinking (and attendant
behavior). As a consequence, he is more
fully prepared for responsible adult life
simp I}' because he understands the imperative necessity for awareness in using
language, a source of grievous blocks to
Lltionalitv and maturity in teenager and
adult alike. He has seen poignant 'illustrations of precisel}' why we are learning
to cope with the dangerous tool for misunderstanding and destruction which
each of us has inherited: our langua~e.
The case of the Indians \\'ho chose to
circumvent "reality" by calling a "blue
cow" a "blue horse" so they could kill
it; the case of the South African girl
born of white parents who was "reclassified" as ?\egroid on the basis of her
features; the c;se of the writer who
berated H·eb.~tcrs Tl.,ird Illtenhltioll.li
DictioJlary for "cheapening" the LlIlguage; the draft card and flag-burnings
all illustrate IlLlll'S monumental and infinite capacity to misunderstand the
functions of his hnguage and s}'mbol
structure.
The students find this kind of analvsis
exhilarating and bring their best to' it,
knowing that the~' themselves have the
tools with which to begin to discover
and recognize that ever-elusive abstraction, "truth." Thus, they also discover
that the classroom can be a most realistic, challenging, and satisfying training
ground for what he now abstracts "up
the ladder" as "life." Thev have
learned, hopefully, how judgments stop
thought; they h;1\'e Ie:Hned to disagree
with \\Tak logic in a position with which
the:' arc ('ssemia Ih- in sympathy; they
have learned tlLlt t he word is not the
thing; they haH learned, when confronted \\ith a \erhal impasse, not to
shout, "You're crazv'" but to ask, "\Vhy
do \"ou think s()~";' thlT h;1\"(' learned t~)
preface an:' stateIllent' of "truth" with
"In m:' opinion"; they have learned that
there is IlO such thing as a right name
for anyrhing; rhn' have learned that a
word 'onh- ~ llIc.lll:r inside oneself; they
ha\'e Ieanlcd that words never say ail
about am'thing. They rcalize, as it ~'ere,
thc penil;1I1en-t ncn:ssit:· of the ETC
orienr;1tion in dcaling- with modern-day
wor,] 1ll.lgic.
,\11 thi~ has great!" heightened their
perccption of rh~c practica 1~lS well as the
philosophic, Thn' 111:1:' point out in liteLltllrC srulh' th:1t Ilcllf\' Fleming is
the \'ictim c>f" s\l11!Jol-rhing confusio-n in
The H.,,/ /i,lcit.:, (,t C(jllr.Ig~ or that Judge
I);mforth is tr;1}'ped in the hopelessness
of thc t\\'o-Yalued orientation in The
Cmcihic, but the\" \vill also be aware
that ".\1 v mother' is two-valued on the
subject (;f sex" or that the principal suffers from symhol-thing confusion concerning the dress code. It is a dangerous
knowledge we give them because they
can-and do-and should use it to expose
as "nonsense much of what we say to
them." But it is a knowledge which is
far less dangerous than the ignorance in
which we would perhaps prefer to leave
them-and ourselves-of the insiduous nature of the verbal world.
Solveig Torvik, "Teaching Semantics in High
School,tI English Journal, 58 (1969), 1341-1346.
71
The ideal
We must teach our
children not only what
to see but how to see.
,(,.ff.,., 1~
artist: herbert bayer (1934)
The real
Too often we try to educate by
preaching orthodoxies. But
orthodox solutions are no longer
enough.
Our world is changing faster than ever
before while many of our educational
premises remain static, mired in the past.
open we must teach our Children not
only what to learn but how to learn,
how to see, how to analyze.
But the past no longer has enough of
the answers. In the years ahead,
problems will arise for which there are
no precedents. To keep the future
Only then will they be able to recognize and cope with problems which
our generation cannot even foresee.
AtianticRich'ieldCompany ¢
artist: jasper johns
,ole do not all see the same object or understand the
same idea in an identical way.
.
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Sandout from high school psychology course 1969-1970.
rr-IE
DIFF:2RE:NT VISIo;;:.; (;~' ~EALITY
ARE LIKE :30 rvIAlIJY GUI'1 BALLS IN A
GDrIBALL f1ACHINE--LIT11LE SPHERES
THAT TOUCH, BUT DO NOT COlvlMINGLE •
•
Cards and Knowledge
The knowledge that we teach the students is like a
deck of cards which they are to use in the game of life.
But we give the cards to them in neat little piles-- a
pile of aces (English), a pile of kings (history), a pile
of queens (sociology), a pile of jacks (science)--and
what they need is to be taught how to shuffle these into
a meaningful, usuable whole.
Experiment in Perspective
Dramatization
Experimenter:
VThat do you see when you look at the objects
on the table.
Subject: Objects A,B,C, and D.
E: Anything else?
S:
No.
E:
S:
E:
S:
E:
I see more than that, can't you?
Is it the size, shape, and color of the objects that
you want me to comment on?
No. Why don't you see what I see? It's there as
plain as day! Something must be wrong with you.
You're stupid!
No! I'm not!
No, Of course not. Move object D. See what I see?
Yes.
What would you call object D?
Something in the way. It prevented me from seeing
objects E, F, and G.
It was a blockage of some sort?
Yes.
A physical one?
S:
Yes.
E:
S:
E:
S:
E:
Can blockages be mental?
Sure, like a mental block.
Right. ",'That other mental blocks do people have?
Well, some people can't do math.
It's that feeling of II I can't." It's also fear and
prejudice. A moment ago when I said there was something wrong with you, was there?
No. But that made me angry.
Insults usually do. What was the reason I could see
more than you?
It had to do with where you were sitting.
Right. It's the angle, the perspective. I can see
more from here. If I had been s~tting directly across
from you, what would I have seen?
E:
S:
E:
S:
E:S:
S:
E:
S:
E:
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71
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s:
E:
s:
E:
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E:
s:
E:
s:
....
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E:
S:
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0
D, E, F, and G•
How much would we have in common?
Just D.
If D represents a problem, what are A, B, 0, E, F, and
G?
The possible solutions?
Yes, or they could also be other facets of the problem.
I see •
What have you learned?
People see the objects differently depending on where
they are seated. People see, or understand, problems
differently because of their different perspectives.
Very good. But can you apply this in your daily life?
'dell • • • when I'm arguing with someone, I should
realize that maybe neither one of us is wrong. It's
just that we have different perceptions, and that if
we put them together, then we can see more of the
problem.
Or solutions to it.
Right •
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OUR SOCIETY EMPHASIZES
LABELING
NOT PERCEPTION
THINK TANK
,Many teachers claim that they are teaching their students to "think for themselves," but far too often what they
are actually doing is teaching the students what to think.
The Think Tank is an effort to let the students learn how
to think for themselves by sharing with them some interesting ideas.
These ideas will usually blast
th~m'outof
their complacency, which is exactly what powerful thoughts
should do.
The following list of "Thought Stimulators" were given
to my high school Senior English class in the spring of
1970 by our teacher, Nr. McCasey.
They served as a spring-
board for many exciting discussion and themes.
It was an
illuminating change from "What I Did on Ny Summer Vacation."
'rhese stimulators usually led to heated arguments, but
once in a while to some sympathetic, even tearful, understandings of each other and our own selves.
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Thought Stimulators
There are always men and traditions with the potential
of over-influence.
At times each of us is awakened to
discover a belief which we have accepted for some time is
.
~
no longer acceptable.
I
•
The following list of statements
and phrases are ideas which many facets of society support
~
-•••
as philosophy, but which a friend of mine says he cannot
I
•
accept.
•
that all of the following statements are totally wrong •
-•
·
&
These totally wrong comments cannot be proved correct
•
c•
Because number one is totally wrong, he proposes
~
~
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)
ci
without redefining his terms or shifting his emphasis.
Try to understand his meaning.
~
»
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
~
~
7.
~
8.
0
9.
~
0
u
~
10.
~
~
0
~
-
~
11.
12.
~
~
c
~
~
~
•
~
v
.
Z
~
~
)
13.
14.
People can prove me wrong by placing their definitions
on my words
I don't understand you; therefore, you are wrong.
What you say makes sense, but you are too serious
about it.
I think I'm right, but it means too much to me, so I'll
be quiet in order not to be proved wrong.
~en have to be creatures of habit and therefore must
have an establishment.
I can be worked into circles and still be human.
Realities require more energy than do facades.
Realities are more dangerous than are facades.
Right may not be definable, so I will protect myself
by not deciding.
Something will always be true (or false) simply
because it always has been.
There are some things which I simply must accept.
I am wrong when I try to teach what the students do
not understand.
I cannot be the most marvelous person I know.
There are reasons not to get involved.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
I can never understand myself.
All of the people who have died are dead.
V/ords have to mean the same thing every time the same
person uses them.
One should only teach what is accepted.
People must be certain that they will be understood
before they have the right to talk.
One must not talk until he understands.
Results must be guaranteed before attempts are
justified.
f1ethods are more important than goals.
People who do not understand should govern people who do.
I can lose anything important that I have.
I can be tied down.
I don't care.
I should say things I don't believe.
Insulting someone is brave.
Proof is necessary before truth can exist.
Rewards help.
I don't really know, so I'll talk.
The death of a loved one can make my world gray.
Being extreme is wrong.
I don't know.
Satisfaction should be enjoyable.
Safety is better than danger.
Some things are impossible.
Hesitancy is admirable.
It is dangerous to be right.
It is dangerous to feel that I am right.
Everybody else understands more than I do.
I must tolerate.
Irrationality is irrational
Action is dangerous.
Security exists.
Opposites attract.
The truth hurts.
The world is gray.
I cannot change.
Hajority rules.
The majority should rule.
Physical things are valuable.
Inaction occurs.
Rules release.
Possibilities exist.
Excuses exist.
Caring endangers.
Thinking should be avoided.
Defending is narrow minded.
Outer space has no purpose.
Existence can be without purpose.
One can be right and spread himself too thin.
Mistakes must be hidden.
Unhappiness must exist.
Don't rock the boat.
-_-)~
-
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
Tolerance should be.
Ownership is necessary.
Childhood must continue past the age of 13 (10? 3?).
Immaturity must exist.
Smiles should be misused.
Temporary is for eternity.
Colors are more than colors.
Running away solves.
Inaction accomplishes.
Interest is nosiness.
Ignoring solves.
Favors are.
I need.
Recognition is enough.
Well enough is.
Instant reaction is wrong.
The need for variety excuses indecisiveness.
f'lere words creatf&,.
Happiness is.
Mildness.
People must allow.
People understand more at 50 than they do at 15.
If something is totally wrong, the opposite is totally
true.
Romance is reality.
Work should be avoided.
Compromise is not pessimism.
Society is too stupid to be right.
Beauty is rare.
If a statement is correct, it cannot have an exception.
Plans prepare.
Nobody can be right all of the time.
I must distrust.
Nothing is important.
The unknown should be feared.
Chaos disrupts.
Contradiction proves invalidity.
Self-debasement deserves praise~
Up is up.
The human soul is temporary.
Humanity has limitations.
People cannot control time.
Fear is.
It is immoral to break society's laws.
Society cannot be wrong.'
Truth has its limitations.
Nobody is superior.
My body is me.
Censorship helps.
I am alone when I am by myself.
Sacrifice proves value.
Sacrifice achieves.
Anything is right until it is proved wrong.
Living for oneself is selfish.
,; LI
)
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
I;ve should allow obstacles to stay in our way.
Every question asked me must be answered.
Truth can be used negatively.
I can agree (disagree) without understanding.
I can't get involved.
Values cannot be positive.
Knowledge is dangerous.
Logic can be used.
Public school teachers should not have personal relationships with their students.
Solution is compromise.
Self-superiority should be denied.
The validity of a struggle depends upon its result.
Noise is strength.
The following quotes are material for a
1-1~
page theme.
They are from the writings of Ayn Rand, a philosoher and
writer who considers herself the last of the Romanticists
or the first of their return.
1.
2.
:
,
,
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
I do not believe that an individual should cooperate
with criminals.
I oppose any doctrine which proposes the sacrifice of
the individual to the collective.
I resent the modern method of never defining ideas.
It is the innovators who carry mankind forward.
To say "I love you" one must know first how to say
the III."
Nothing could make me more indignant than that: the
notion of sacrificing the ideal to the nonideal, or
virtue to vice.
Romanticism holds that a writer must present things • • •
"as they might be and ought to be."
Anyone who fights for the future, lives in it today.
If you write a whole line of zeroes it's still--nothing.
'he real
ultures which see no further
'Jan themselves bear the seeds
f their own destruction.
The ideal
We must recognize that other cultures can
help us as much as we could help them.
"o
'.Aetropolltan Museum of Art
"min
Mask~A
Gargagllano
To the degree that people believe their
solutions are the only ones, they begin to
limit themselves and their futures.
Now, more than ever before, we have the
opportunity to understand others and to
profit from their knowledge. Because for
the first time in history worldwide
communications make it impossible for
any culture to isolate itself to the degree
it can believe it has all the answers.
We have some answers. Other cultures
have answers to problems we face now.
We must ask them to help us-as we
help them.
AtianlicRichfieldCompany
<>
COM M U N I CAT ION
Stuart Chase classifies the "enormous field" of communication into five main areas:
1.
Signs from nature, to be correctly interpreted.
2.
Meaningful messages among animals, and to ma...'1
from the higher animals.
3.
Meaningful messages among people.
4.
Internal messages, covering a wide range from
unconscious reflexes to reflective thinking.
5.
Messages from machines to man, as taped by man. 1
He defines the first as "poetic" and physical sensations from
natural phenomenaf He cites examples of communication among
bees, crows and cats to support his second classification. 3
Numbers three and four require no explanation since these
are what we generally think of when we speak of communication.
Under the last classification he lists thermostats and alarm
clocks, and one might also add computers. 4
In presenting a unit on communication to the class, the
teacher might use five groups of students set up to define and
discuss each area. A field trip to the telephone company is
always interesting.
1Stuart Chase, Power of Words (New York:
, and World, Inc., 1954), p.~6.
2Chase, p. 20.
3Chase, pp. 20-21.
4Chase, p. 22.
Harcourt, Brace
COMMUNICATION
LiNI\/Er)C' AL
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SPEECH
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In the beginnilW. man lTeated till' '\111bol- and pict llrl" on cave \\ all, \\ crt·
sufficient lor a time to expre" hi,
ideas abollt the relatively ,imple
proce"l" of procuring food and ,helter.
It \\'a, \\hen he began to !eel a need to
exprl'" ab,tradioIl' that ,ymbols
EARTH
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pr{)\ed int1exible and inadequate.
Then language, began to proliferate.
It nO\\ appears that in some increasingly important areas we need to work
our \\ay back to till' ,impk uni\ersality of an understandable, albeit
limited, symbology, or semiotics .
Symbols have multiplied to an alarming degree along much the same lines
of divergence a, languages.
As the world grow, ,mailer. tht'
need for easy communication becomes
increasingly acute. Communicationpeople to people. nation to nationis a vital ingredient to understanding.
It \\olild be presllmptuolls to imply
that standardi7ed graphic ,ymhols
would result in perfect intercommunication; but perhaps this is the first
faltering step toward convincing us
that man nHI,t be able to comlllunicate
"ith other ml'1l \\ h'-!'l-\l-r the} \i\('.
There are '(JIll!'.j .(100 language,
ECOLOGY
RECYCLING
and dialects in use throughout the
world. In most instances. intercomIllunication among them ranges from
difficult to impossible. One solution
would be to establish an official second
language that in time could be adopted
by all major countries. ESIlL'ranto.
Interlingua, Ido. Volapuk iL'olI1billing elements of existing language,)
and Ro and Suma (created artificially)
arc but six such attempts. However .
among other drawbacks, they all rely
on the HOlllan alphabet. which is utilized b} ollly a millority of nations.
If a sy,tt'lll of ,~mbols could be COIllpiled that \\oldd Ill' equally recognizable in Lago, and l.apland, perhaps
the dream of a ulli\L-r'al basic means
of "onUllunicatioll could be realized.
I belie\e this is possibk.
In no way do I proplhe that this
sy,tem be yet anot her langllage.
Rather. it is a sllpplt'lIl,'nt to all lanNOISE
AIR
guages. Symbols have already evolved
to the point of uni\-ersal acceptance
in music, mathematics and many
branches of science.
My own interest ill graphic sym bois
datl's back two decades, but it is only
during the past few years that we
hav'c been actively soliciting data.
As a result of information pouring
in daily from every corner of the world,
our Data Rank now contains over
20.000 symbols. It is on this colledioll
that our SOlirce/lOok is based.
SOllle example, af\' ,ymbols lor the
l'iellll'nh in folklore (far left) and tho,e
u'ied ill astrology i page 221. What \\ l'
have dOlle here \\ ill ,e[\ l' to ,how the
reader \\ hat is and \\ ill Ill' :1 guide to
fllture ,'\ alll:tliolls 01 \\ hat shlluld Iw. ill
tIll' \\",Id 01 standardi/ed, lllli\er,al\~
umler,talldahk graphic s} mbols. A
color sediollexplaim traditional and
contemporary meanings of specific
colors in specific contexts.
THE FAMILY
MAN DtES
IDOWandCHILDREN MOTHER DtES
We have limited oursl'ives. with
few exceptions, to those graphic symbols that serve to gi\'e instructions,
directioIls and warnings. Today, for
example. we are cOllcerned with the
air we breathe_ the water we drink. A
POPULATtON
WATER
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INTELLECIUAL DIGEST/AUGU::iT 1972
L- -
YIN-YANG
SWASTIKA
~
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PEACE
~
,ymhol for ecology has evolved;
additional symbols have
heen proposed to spotlight specific
areas. These show elements we must
control if v\"e are to preserve the world
in which Wp live.
Years ago, as an industrial
designer. I tried to persuade some
of our clients to substitute symbo!s for written captions on their
products. ~Iy first success was in the
field of farm machinery, where we
developed an entire vocabulary of
symbols for vehicle and equipment
operation. Our primary concern was
safpty. A 'iimple, quickly comprehended form or color, or combination
of both, is translated to the brain far
faster than the written word. In an
emergency, the milliseconds saved in
reaction time could save a man's arm,
even his life.
There are other dividends as well.
Symbols fit on control buttons where
written instructions would be 100 smali
to be legible. Then too, manufacturers
ship products all over the world, and
translating instrument identific'atiolls
and instructions into other languagc";
is both expensive and time consuming.
Symbols can cut across langlJ:lge barriers.
Experts do not agree on prc"isl'
distinctions bL'l\\"een difle'n'nl tyW's of
graphic symbok To IIlC, it >;CL'IIlS logical
to collsidL'r thcm as being cith,'r rcpn''iL'ntational. ab'itrac! or arbitral-~.
geprc'icntational sYIllIJOI'i prcsent
fairly accurate, if ,illlplificd, pil"lurl's
of objects (the skuli-and-lTossllollc,
poison symhol) or dirc'l"tiOlls i a bi("~ "IL'
to indicate a path for c~dis'"
Ab'itract symbols reduce es'clltial elen1l'lIh of a message to graphic krm'.
These may ollce have beclI rl'pn",eJltational but have become simplific'd over
many years to the point \\·here they nJ)\\
exist only as symbolic indication, -- tor
l'Xalllple, the sigm of the wdial' \\L'IT
once realistic representations "f gods or
animals. Arbitrary symbob arc thoS('
that are invented; the treble cll'f in IIlmic
is a good cxample. We arc' lIlIl·,'rtain of tIll'
origins of sOllle symbob- the peacc s~ 111boL and the ancient whirligig. ilr s\\astika.
which once celebrated the sun s power
and more recently took on ignominious
meaning under the :'\al.i regime.
Certain ,ymbols have hecome basic to
semiotic communication. They are consistent among disciplines and their
meaning remains constant. TI1<',e illclude
the arrow for direction, the tri;lIlgle for
warning. Often these basic .'ynr bol.s are
NEW MOON
SUN
combined \\ ith other symbols til
develop more complex lIIeaJlill!.';s.
For instance. effective forllls Ita\ t, been
adopted by the l'lIited :'\atililLs fllr
traffic !.';ui<iance. (:olor, till' l'xtlalllation
point of !!raphic ,~mhol-" i, used
tllr c'lIlpltasi, I e.g., blue for permi"ion,
rc,d for prohibition or warning): tlte
meaning of the basic form i, modified
by what is placed \\ithiJI it 'C'l'lllillhillations hehm I. Exalllpit" of s~ IIr\Hol" IlTllmonly med III ast rollomy alld ;t!!1"11 I ilt lire
I plus olle hom religioll) are aisli sh, 1\\ 11
Oil this page. Hopefully, \\itlt this
S(Juree/wok as a start, standard 'YIlliJols
will someday be un<ier,tood hv all.
I
WH[AT
I
CORN (MAIZE)
OATS
WORMICIDE
INSECTICIDE
HERBICIDE
STERILIZER
PERMISSION
~'~
+ ~ -
PROHIBITION
b;'"'+
WARNING
22
BICYCLES ALLOWED
BICYCLE
+
AIRPLANE
®
NO AUTOS ALLOWED
AUTOMOBILE
-WARNING LOW
FLYING AI RPLANES
COMMUNICATIC"
r-1E~JPv
DHEYFUSS SY',1BOLS SOURCEf3001<
POSITIVE
ASSOCIATIONS:
the sun, light illumination, magnanimity,
intuition, intellect,
supreme wisdom, highest
values, divinity,
ripening grain.
NEGATIVE
ASSOCIATIONS:
treachery or cowardice;
saffron -debauchery,
malevolence, impure
love.
CULTURE
COMPARISONS:
China (Ching Dynasty)
-only the emperor could
wear yellow.
Egypt-happiness and
prosperity.
France (tenth century)doors and abodes of
criminals, felonsandtraitors.
POSITIVE
ASSOCIATIONS:
vegetation. nature. fertility of the fiekls,
sympathy. adaptability.
prosperity, hope,life,
immortality. youth. freshne8$, auspiciousness,
recognition of soul.
NEGATIVE
ASSOCIATIONS:
death. connecting Unk
between black mineral
life and red animal life;
lividness. envy, jealousy.
disgrace, opposition.
moral degradation.
madness; sinister.
CULTURE
COMPARISONS:
American Indianfeminine.
Egypt-fertility,
vegetation, rain, strength.
Japan-youth, energy,
future.
wisdom.
BildSYlnbolle zu
Ihpe.lnl=op...ation
O~liil[iji]~
-4
IIiFORMATIOI
Auakunnsooro
Geldwechsel
GepAckaufbewahrung GepAck im SchlleBfach
GepAckabfertlgung
\ . i"! if
GeplcktrAgerRufanlage
und GepAcktrAgeraufenthaltsr8um
Nichtraucher
..
Heizungsschalter
Poetamt
Zollablertigungsstellen
RetseoePAckausgabe unci ZotlbOros
Sltzptatz
bzw. AbhoIung
In den BahnhOfen
fOr SchwerbeschAdigte
Raucher
lOftungsschallar
Wuctvaum
Kejn Trinkwasser
NichtB hinau5werfen
4~
~21 ~x ""'"
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22DV-
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Abteil Mutter und Kind
A
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L-...J~!}
0
Bedlenung des
rU:=uaa88
~
HAll!
Richtungsschild
(lurch
~~mdS';!'=waoen
® t'
Rasierlteckdose
«tv.
~~t:~~!~anla
~
L!ll'0!s)~j!I~
NIchI Offnen
bevor der Zug hili
Lk:hlSchalter
Zugfemaprecher
zur Unterbrlngung
gebrauch1er
Hendtucher
In <len W•• chrAurnen
e.hAlter fOr AbrAIi.
.
I
'"or
Communication by Symbols
·
··
.:1
1
•
Have the students make a poster, collage, or bulletin
board which identi~ies other symbols in our everyday life.
They should write paragraphs or themes discussing the
development, meaning, or usefulness of a particular visual
symbol.
Their ideas should be used in a class discussion
on the uses and misuses
question is:
o~
symbols in our society.
A key
"How do advertisers use symbols?"
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SIGNS OF
OUR TIMES
These symbols have left their mark on
our times. They are all associaled with
powerful causes. Causes lhal involve men's
minds as well as men's ach.
...,.
THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD
ARE ISLANDS
SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER
OVER SEAS OF MISUNDERSTANDING
Clement Atlee
MAN'S ACHIEVEMENTS
REST UPON THE USE
OF SYMBOLS
Alfred
Korzybski
THET::;\I5
No=n::
:::T::BOLIZED
JJ~THE
THE WORD ...
_________
THING
Bibliography
Amis, Kingsley.
2~
"f1ason' sLife."
Dec. 1972, n. pag.; rpt. Intellectual Digest, n.d., p. 33.
LCartoon~7
Anon.
Lonion Sunday 'rimes Magazine,
Berry, Adrian.
Today's Education, 50, No.2 (1971), 59.
"A Footprint in Olduvai."
London Sund?y Tele-
graph, 20 Aug. 1972, n. pag.; rpt. Intellectual Digest,
n.d., p. 58.
Buresh.
!Cartoon~7
Chase, Stuart.
Power of Words.
World, Inc.,
Dreyfuss, Henry.
Tod?y's Education, 50, No.3 (1971), 75.
New York:
Harcourt, Brace and
195~.
Symbol Sourcebook.
McGraw-Hill Book Co.,
1971; exerpted and rpt. Intellectual Digest, n.d., pp.
"From Cover to Cover.'" Publishing in Your Classroom.
Chicago:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Educational Corp., Feb. 1970, pp.
5-11.
Graves, Robert.
"The Secret War between 3cience and Poetry. II
New Scientist, 1971, n. pag.; rpt. Intellectual Digest,
n.d., p •., 54.
Hayakawa, S. I.
Language in Action.
New York:
Harcourt,
Brace and Vlorld, Inc., 1954.
Language in Thought and Action.
New York:
Har-
court Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1972.
Hider, Reg.
!Cartoon~7
Today's Education, 60, No.2 (1971), 8.
Kredenser, Gail. Write It Right!
and Noble Books, 1958.
illus. Doug Anderson.
Barnes
'J
1l
...o
IL.
Language in America.
Ed. Neil Postman et al.
New York:
Pegasus, 1969.
Lorenz, Lee.
[Cartoon.:!,?
rcartoon~7
----_.
The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 1969, p. 51.
The New Yorker, 2 May 1'~'70, pp.
38-39.
Park,
'if.
liThe Demise of Reading.
B.
n.d~
Digest,
Intellectual
II
pp. 77-79.
"The Incredible Shrin..1{ing Attention Span.
-------",.
1/
Intellectual Digest, n.d., pp. 49-51.
Pei, Hario.
Words in Sheep's Clothing.
New York:
Haw-
thorn Books, Inc., 1969.
Rand, Ayn.
The Romantic Manifesto.
New York:
The New
American Library, Inc., 1969.
Rum.
fCartoon.7
Tod 5y's Education, 60, No.3 (1971), 73.
Steinberg, Saul. IIA Portfolio.
1969, pp. 54-57.
..
-...•
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CI
..
Torvik, Sol vei G•
o
..•
II
The New Yorker, 8 Nov •
liTe aching Semant ics i:1 HL::h School."
~
•r:
ill
English Journal, 58 (1969), 1341-1346 •
r- Wohl, Jack.
!
~'iri ting
"' Versus':
How to Win Fame and Fortune By
for the Funny Papers:
A
True Confession."
The Collegiate Journalist, Winter, 1970, cover and
pp. 4-5.
Upton, Albert.
Semantics.
Design for Thinking:
Stanford, California:
vesity Press, 1961.
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First ___
Book _in
Stanford Uni-
chromatiC amassmE'nt
The ideal
A society in balance. A healthy. well housed,
fully employed peacetime population -with
clear air, clean water and equal opportunity
for everyone.
---.,....--
The real
We move in different directions, disregarding
our neighbor's goal. We dilute our efforts.
We fail to reach the equilibrium our strength
could give us.
Achieving national goals requires a balanced effort. We
must continue to seek new ways to reduce air and water
pollution ... raise the standard of living of men and women
whose potential contribution to society is not being
realized ... and maintain a sound economy, which will be
necessary to achieve environmental and social goals.
•
artist: escher
Above all, we must broaden our perspective to weigh all
our goals in making decisions. For these goals are
interrelated. We cannot afford to pursue anyone of them
at the cost of another.
AtlanticRichfieldCompany
0
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