Are YOU Talking to Me? Cause I'm Just Not That Dissenterested

An Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic, Standards-based Unit on the Causes and Voices of Dissent Through the Ages and the Making of Martyrs Dostoevsky said, "Externalization is slavery; internalization is freedom." And again, "Men reject their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and honour those whom they have slain." At this time in history, as America seeks to export freedom, liberty, and democracy to other societies by force, our commitment to freedom and our long tradition of dissent necessarily come under close scrutiny. How does a free society encourage dissent? Why does a free society refuse the dissenting voice a place to stand? Our students need to understand the forces present in a culture that create dissent and drive people to demand change-and how that demand is received. They will inherit leadership in America as it is and need knowledge of how change occurs in order to participate fully in their society. In this unit on The Causes and Voices of Dissent Through the Ages: the Making of Martyrs, we will explore the literary expressions of dissent and freedom as well as the historical and religious influences on political martyrs from Caesar to Malcolm X. We will explore the ways dissent and martyrdom intertwine throughout history.