<em><strong>A Proposal to the Governments of the Earth</strong></em>

By the year 2100, it is universally agreed that the earth will no longer be habitable by its peoples.  Fortunately, we have the technology to take everyone away from the planet and search for new planets to colonize.  We believe that saving lives is not enough ~ we want to save our history and culture for future generations.  Inevitably, humanities and culture will continue to evolve on the ships, but we believe it is important for our children not to forget where they came from.  We think the most efficient way to remember our past and shape our future is by choosing and taking works of art that can teach diverse skills or subjects on varying levels according to age, aptitude or capability.

We will build a fleet of ships that will be capable of growing food, housing our peoples and storing both supplies and artifacts.  We have holographic technology which will allow for training scenarios (of any kind), entertainment, exercise and any number of other activities which normally require large expanses of land or seas.  We also have transporter technology that we can use to transfer massive amounts of cargo to the ships and eventually to the planet we settle.

Holographic technology is the most critical component of this project.  It offers almost unlimited possibilities for teachers to create lesson with.  The most important part of this feature is the changeability of it.  After a while, even the best creations lose their luster.  Even today, teachers modify and tweak their lesson plans as they gain experience and adapt to their student’s needs.

To illustrate our proposal, we offer the following four examples of artworks from the past; “Familiar Letters” by Veronica Franco, the Taj Mahal, “Abraham Lincoln and His Generals At Antietam” and “Peter and the Wolf” by Sergei Prokofiev.  Each of these works have unique lessons to teach, historical perspectives and aesthetic value.

A possible problem with saving only the best and the brightest from our past is that our children may develop some strange inferiority complex; the ratio of “great” works to the population is going to be significantly higher than it is here on earth.  This means that a small group of people will be exposed to only the best.  Our children could easily start to think that the entire planet was like this and be unable to appreciate the fact that there was so much chaff discarded when we migrated to the stars.  One could say that that level of exposure to purely “great” things will result in future generations producing “greater” things, but we are concerned with the possibility that our children will be inhibited by quality they are surrounded by.

“Familiar Letters” was not as groundbreaking as “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” by Mary Wollstonecraft or “Curse against the Ornamentation of Women” by Laura Cereta, but that does not negate the value of the work.  It was a collection of letters written by Veronica Franco who was considered, “the most famous courtesan of Venice” (Franco, Jones and Rosenthal).

Courtesans like Franco occupied a precarious place in society; they depended upon the largesse of rich patrons, mingled freely with high society and yet they were looked upon with contempt.  Through her writings, Franco was able to raise herself up to same the level of humanity as the society that she socialized with and served.

“Familiar Letters” was written alongside other works that precipitated modern feminism.  She managed to make society see her as an equal and therefore worthy of the same consideration as an individual as they were.  It wasn’t as exciting and far reaching as the works of Lucretia Marinella or Laura Cereta, but its impact spread like ripples in a pond and helped set the stage for later change and reform.  Franco’s letters show how a ‘common’ woman lived and survived; not a famous person.  They also demonstrate how people and things have value even when they aren’t considered magnificent.

Using the Venetian society of Veronica Franco as a backdrop, teachers will be able to plan and teach both hands on and intangible (logic) skills to their students including, but not limited to,  debate, letter writing, communication skills, penmanship, etiquette, reading, comprehension.  In addition, students can use Venetian society as a setting for role playing games ~ providing entertainment and education all in one!  One could even learn sewing and costuming with this program.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most recognized structures on earth.  It was built in 17th century C.E.  Shah Jahan of India purportedly built it out of an undying devotion and love for his wife who died in childbirth.  It is an exquisite example of architecture, art and storytelling.

We will be removing the various structures of Taj Mahal complex and from the planet and placing them in storage.  The structures themselves will tax our storage capacity, so we will be creating detailed topographical maps of the surrounding gardens and bringing seeds so we can recreate the landmark in its entirety when we reach our new home.  We will use the aforementioned transporter technology to relocate the structure from the earth to the ship.

Holographic technology will come into play here most notably because our children will be able to fully experience the wonders of the Taj Mahal.  Not only will they be able to walk in the rooms, touch the sculptures and feel the sunlight on their faces, they will be able to learn how to create their own sculptures, mosaics and gardens.  The educational possibilities presented by including the Taj Mahal on the ships are diverse.

* Religion - Different religious traditions were combined and used in the design of the buildings.    The specific histories of the religions of the era and location can be explored.  From there, students can study and compare other religions and spiritual practices.
* Aesthetics - The symmetry of the buildings and gardens open a path to mathematics and color theory.
* Artistic Skills - Most notably sculpture and carving, but also mosaics, jewel settings and painting.
* Architecture - History, technique, design and execution
* Restoration Skills - The Taj Mahal is currently suffering from the effects of pollution, neglect and decay.  Students will be able to practice repairing and cleaning on the holographic model so that when we are able to relocate the structure, actual restoration can begin.
* Agriculture - Maintaining the holographic gardens will keep the skills needed for gardening and growing food alive.
* Psychology and Philosophy - The Taj Mahal is famous, not only because of its exquisite beauty, but because of the legend surrounding it.  Did a great king really love his wife so much that he built this monument solely to her memory?  Or was the story more complex?  (Yes.)  Students will be able to study the complexity of the human psyche as they learn the history of this monument.

Propaganda, politics and economics all played a large part in the United States Civil War.  The “Photograph of President Abraham Lincoln and His Generals After Antietam,” taken by Mathew Brady in 1862 will provide a tangible starting point to learn about propaganda, history, war, politics, economics and chemistry.

The “Photograph of President Abraham Lincoln and His Generals After Antietam” marked one of the first times in history that a photograph was used to shape public opinion about a leader.  In the photograph, Abraham Lincoln stands facing his generals.  His height, enhanced by his iconic top hat, shows him towering over his generals which emphasized his position as the head of state and served as “a reminder of the dominance of civilian authority” (Holzer and Hubbard 51).  By composing the photograph in this manner, Brady also focused attention on “Lincoln’s presence among his troops... [which comforted] during the darker days of the Union war effort - not only to the troops he visited, but to those on the home front who saw the pictorial reports”  (Holzer and Hubbard 50).

Students will be able to observe the horrors of war without having to actually live it.  Our hope is that our future generations will truly be able to benefit from Edmund Burke’s observation that, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”  Students will be able to observe the battles, listen to Lincoln and his generals talk to each other and study the history of the Civil War.  In addition, students will be introduced to chemistry and problem solving skills.

* Chemistry - Students will learn how to develop photographs using the wet collodion process that Brady used.  That opens the door to further discussion of chemistry, processing and innovations.
* Problem Solving - Students will study the practical problems that Civil War photographers faced when they created, developed and their photographs.
* Physical Activity - If they wish, students can camp with the equipment available at the time, march with the troops or learn survival skills.

“Peter and the Wolf,” written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936, is a short symphonic piece that alternates between narrated text and music.  It is the story of a young Russian boy who lives with his protective grandfather.  In spite of his grandfather’s efforts to keep Peter inside and safe from harm, Peter ventures outside of their home into the field.  There, he encounters a wolf and captures it before hunters can shoot it.  In the end, Peter convinces the hunters and his grandfather to donate the wolf to the zoo.

“Peter and the Wolf” delights young and old listeners alike.  The melodies are distinctive and memorable.  The story draws a child’s attention thereby sparking a fascination for music.  Its appeal lies in the universal, fairy tale like quality of Peter’s story.

The primary purpose of including “Peter and the Wolf” is for elementary level music appreciation.  Since its composition, it has been a cornerstone in music education for children around the world.  It became a standard teaching tool for children about orchestral instruments and introduced them to music.  Prokofiev himself said that, “for me - the story was important only as a means to induce the children to listen to the music” (Smith).

In addition to simply listening to the music and learning about orchestras, students will have the opportunity to play instruments using holographic instruments.  They will be able to listen to single instruments or the whole orchestra.  They can watch all the different productions we have and create their own.  They will be able to learn about arranging music in different forms.

All that being said, the circumstances surrounding Prokofiev when he wrote the music was grim.  Prokofiev lived in the Soviet Union in 1936; the height of Stalinist purges where as many as twenty million people died under Stalin’s purges and harsh policies.

The Soviet government required its artists to conform to  “Socialist Realism” which exalted “the ideological benefits of communism” and also to reject modern and innovative elements (Fiero).  In music, this meant that composers were obliged to create music that was accessible to the people; in essence, catchy tunes, and reminiscent of the traditional and familiar.  That obligation predictably suppressed creativity and innovation.  Prokofiev managed to include modern elements in “Peter and the Wolf” while complying with the dictates of the Soviet government; a great feat.

Advanced students will learn about the history of communism and the Soviet Union.  They will be exposed to the fact that terror and totalitarianism can control artistic expression; the idea that one can to remain true to oneself while surviving under extreme circumstances.  By extension, advanced students will examine the ideas and situations when it is more necessary to remain true to oneself and *not* survive than it is to survive.

Finally, the holographic technology that we have will make it possible for our children to gather together, socialize and experience the world they had to leave behind.  Imagine talking with Abraham Lincoln and Shah Jahan as you walk in the gardens of the Taj Mahal, debating morals with Stalin in a Venetian salon or playing in an orchestra conducted by Sergei Prokofiev...  the possibilities are endless.
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Works Cited</p>
<p style="text-align: left">Fiero, Gloria K.. Trans. Array The Humanistic Tradition. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

This is the humanities text for this course. It provides a good general overview of general history.

Franco, Veronica, author. Jones, Ann Rosalind and Rosenthal Margaret F. translators. “Poems and Selected Letters (The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe).” The University of Chicago Press. 1998. Print.

This is a book that contained translations of most of the “Familiar Letters.”  It gave me biographical information about Franco and provided translations of the letters themselves.

Holzer, Harold. “That Attractive Rainbow: The Image of Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief” Lincoln and His Contemporaries. Ed. Charles Hubbard. Macon: Mercer University Press, 1999. 39-67. Google Books. Web 3 November, 2012.

This is an essay in an anthology that discussed how the Brady’s photographs changed Lincoln’s public image from weak and ineffective into a capable leader.

Smith, Tim. "Peter &amp; the Wolf - Essay: Prokofiev." Great Performances - PBS. Educational Broadcasting Corporation, n.d. Web. 27 Nov 2012.
&lt;http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/peter-the-wolf/essay-prokofievs-peter-the-wolf/27/&gt;.

An essay about Peter and the Wolf written to introduce a stop action production that premiered in 2010.</p>