Humor will not be tolerated!! -Portia

I teach high school. I'm going to have my seniors read/perform Cyrano de Bergerac, and I'm excited! I want to prep them for the novel (and get them) excited) by explaining the duellist/fencing culture of honor that permeates that novel and time period. Many students might not quite understand why people just go around killing each other for the sake of honor. I want them to feel excited about the cavalier-ness of it all.

That having been said, does anyone here happen to know about the duellist culture of honor? I don't really know that much, and at the present time I don't feel capable of explaining it to the students very well in a way that will get them jazzed for this novel. If you know of resources to help set up the background, such as articles or (preferably) videos on dueling culture, please share. I also think it would be really neat to have someone come to my class as a guest speaker if they happen to fence or something like that, so if you have any connections in the Salt Lake area, please hook me up.

(We will watch the Gerard Depardieu movie, of course--probably before even reading the play.)

maybe you could compare it to rap battles? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_rap

Most of what I've heard about it comes from novels like "The Three Musketeers" and movies like "Scaramouche."

This seems like a useful book:
Gentlemen's Blood: A History of Dueling From Swords at Dawn to Pistols at Dusk

Perhaps this one as well:
The Duel in European History: Honour and the Reign of Aristocracy

Ooh, I like Whistler's idea of comparing it to rap battles. One of my coworkers said that a huge percentage of her students apparently think they are going to become rap artists, so they will definitely identify with that concept.

Good point to compare it to other period-y-type novels, vorpal. Most of my students should know something about The Three Musketeers. And thanks for the book recommendations, Yarjka!

I had this idea of allowing students to challenge each other to "duels" any time they disagree with a classmate's answer--I have a couple of giant fly swatters from the dollar store--but so far most people I've mentioned this to think that allowing high schoolers to hit or poke at each other with anything is not a good idea. After some reflection, I am inclined to agree...

wryness wrote:I had this idea of allowing students to challenge each other to "duels" any time they disagree with a classmate's answer--I have a couple of giant fly swatters from the dollar store--but so far most people I've mentioned this to think that allowing high schoolers to hit or poke at each other with anything is not a good idea. After some reflection, I am inclined to agree...

What about throwing marshmallows? (And the loser has to clean up.) Or something equally harmless.

Dragon Lady wrote:What about throwing marshmallows?

Two thoughts in relation to this:
1) Marshmallow guns. (Although that may not be allowed in school. So... marshmallow blowguns?)
2) We had a GIANT YSA conference for all the YSA's in the Phoenix metro area last weekend. It was very excellent. Alex Boye was there, and he said "Yeah. Me and the other two black guys in the Tabernacle Choir refer to ourselves as the pieces of licorice in a field of marshmallows."

He also made Mitt Romney dance Gangnam Style with him. It was rather amusing.

wryness wrote:I had this idea of allowing students to challenge each other to "duels" any time they disagree with a classmate's answer--I have a couple of giant fly swatters from the dollar store--but so far most people I've mentioned this to think that allowing high schoolers to hit or poke at each other with anything is not a good idea. After some reflection, I am inclined to agree...

Umm...probably yes...I could see that turning out badly...

Maybe a battle of wits?
a rap battle?
a rock/paper/scissors battle?
a rock/paper/scissors/lizard/spock battle?
a squirt bottle duel?
a paper airplane contest? (everyone would make one at the beginning of the unit, and when they disagreed they would fly their airplanes to see whose went further)

Indefinite Integral wrote:

wryness wrote:I had this idea of allowing students to challenge each other to "duels" any time they disagree with a classmate's answer--I have a couple of giant fly swatters from the dollar store--but so far most people I've mentioned this to think that allowing high schoolers to hit or poke at each other with anything is not a good idea. After some reflection, I am inclined to agree...

Umm...probably yes...I could see that turning out badly...

Maybe a battle of wits?
a rap battle?
a rock/paper/scissors battle?
a rock/paper/scissors/lizard/spock battle?
a squirt bottle duel?
a paper airplane contest? (everyone would make one at the beginning of the unit, and when they disagreed they would fly their airplanes to see whose went further)

or if you have a mini-basketball hoop, a basket shooting contest?

I think it's a fun idea, but I say limit it to a period or two. I know my kids would use it as an excuse to sidetrack the lesson.

(And do rock paper scissors or something non-touchy.)

UffishThought wrote:I think it's a fun idea, but I say limit it to a period or two. I know my kids would use it as an excuse to sidetrack the lesson.

This is true, maybe you could require them to defend their position in addition to dueling and those who do not have legitimate defenses will be banned from future duels (legitimacy determined by you, of course)

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:Alex Boye made Mitt Romney dance Gangnam Style with him. It was rather amusing.

Pics or it didn't happen.

Also, it's Cyrano. POETRY SLAM.

Portia wrote:

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:Alex Boye made Mitt Romney dance Gangnam Style with him. It was rather amusing.

Pics or it didn't happen.

There's a video on facebook. But it's not mine, so I don't really have a way to share it.

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:

Portia wrote:

Giovanni Schwartz wrote:Alex Boye made Mitt Romney dance Gangnam Style with him. It was rather amusing.

Pics or it didn't happen.

There's a video on facebook. But it's not mine, so I don't really have a way to share it.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/20 ... g-gif.html

Plus a bonus gif!

*slow clap*