The 500 - #147 - Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #147
Album Title: Surrealistic Pillow

Artist: Jefferson Airplane

Genre: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Acid Rock

Recorded: RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, USA

Released: February, 1967

My age at release: 1
How familiar was I with it before this week: Several Songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #471, dropping 324 places
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: White Rabbit

In 2004, the hottest show on television was Lost, a mystery-adventure drama about plane crash survivors stranded on a mysterious island. As they struggled to survive, each episode revealed their past through strategically placed flashback sequences, deepening the intrigue surrounding both the characters and the island’s secrets. By the winter break that year I, along with 35 million North American viewers, was hooked. In a time before streaming services, it was appointment viewing -- Wednesdays at 8 p.m.. When reruns began airing during the winter, I started recording episodes with the goal of building a multi-curricular unit around Season One for middle school children.

The following spring, I work-shopped my newly created Lost Unit with my Grade 8 class, and, as expected, they were riveted. Their enthusiasm carried into every reading, writing, math, science and discussion activity, creating a level of engagement unlike anything I’d seen in my first decade of teaching. I used their feedback to refine the unit, and later drew on that experience to complete my Master’s Degree in Education, which I began in the fall of 2006.

As the Lost Unit expanded in both scope and structure, I became increasingly fascinated by how deeply students connected with the series and its characters. They were captivated by the mysteries and hyper-focused on subtle details hidden throughout each episode, often referencing clues, debunking red herrings and reveling in plot twists with remarkable insight. This engagement translated into noticeable improvements in their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

My Master’s research focused on student engagement, particularly among 12 - 14 year-olds. At the time, I believed I had stumbled upon something revolutionary and was feeling pretty confident that I would reveal groundbreaking revelations to the education community. However, I was quickly disabused of that notion when I discovered the work of Kieran Egan, a professor of education at Simon Fraser University. Egan had already articulated many of the ideas I was exploring, especially through his theory of Imaginative Education. His collection of essays, Children’s Minds, Talking Rabbits & Clockwork Oranges, became a cornerstone of my studies. I devoured Egan’s body of work, recognizing in his writing the theoretical foundation for what I had observed in my classroom.

In summary, Lost fits many of the touchstones of imaginative learning highlighted in his essays. The show was rich in the things pre-teen and teen learners are cognitively designed to connect with, including:

• Compelling Storytelling
• Mystery and Wonder
• Emotionally Engaging Characters
• Symbolism and Metaphor
• Cross Curricular Connections
• Philosophical and Ironic Thinking

Unravelling the mysteries in each episode of Lost could even begin with the episode titles, which I used to prompt discussion and prediction. One of my favourites was Episode 4, White Rabbit, which is also the title of the tenth track on this week’s record, Surrealistic Pillow, by Jefferson Airplane -- a psychedelic-folk rock band from San Francisco whom I discussed in my April, 2021 post. White Rabbit is one of Jefferson Airplane’s biggest hits and is ranked at #455 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2021) as well as their song Somebody To Love from the same album. The latter sits at #274.

Airplane and the episode of Lost borrowed the term White Rabbit from the well known novel Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, published in 1865 by author Charles Dodgson (under the pen name Lewis Carroll), The “children’s book” follows the title character, Alice, who chases a white rabbit into an imaginative world filled with whimsical characters, unpredictable adventure and playful language. However, it is also filled with philosophical ideas, puzzles (logical and illogical) and satirical commentary on Victorian society.

The episode of Lost, with the same name, centers on a key protagonist, Jack, who is haunted by visions of his deceased father. He chases visions through the jungle, much like Alice chasing the rabbit. The title and theme reflect Jack’s internal struggle with leadership, grief, and identity, and also mark the beginning of his heroic journey in the series.

In White Rabbit, a physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, Jack discusses
leadership and the pursuit of "ghosts" with fellow castaway, John Locke.

A psychedelic classic, this week’s playlist selection, White Rabbit, uses imagery from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to explore themes of curiosity, altered perception and rebellion against conformity. As you might imagine, the exploration of the episode title from Lost can lead down a a veritable "rabbit hole" of discussion topics. This provides a teacher with plenty of options to connect students with classic literature, poetry, and literary devices -- including symbolism and metaphor. It is also a perfect place to discuss the pitfalls and risks of recreational drug use from the Ontario Health Curriculum.

Jack, middle, is pressed to make a leadership decision about the
dwindling water supply in the fourth episode of Lost; White Rabbit

Eventually, I built the Lost Unit into an eight-week syllabus and presented it to educators in my board and Ontario. It has been used by dozens of teachers and has been delivered to thousands of Grade 7 & 8 students. In fact, it has spread so far that I sometimes meet educators who, while we are discussing lesson plans, excitedly tell me about it -- not realizing that I am the author.

I’ve taken a break from the unit over the past two years. I was getting a little tired of delivering some of the lessons and my best teaching happens when I am deeply engaged in the material. However, I am debating a reworking of the lessons and activities for the upcoming school year. If there is an educator reading this post and is interested in the unit, feel free to reach out – tv14101@tvdsb.ca . It is fun to present the unit at the same time as another class so that students can share their writing in the same way I share this blog -- to an authentic audience.