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Showing posts with label Current Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Current Events. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Week 13 Read & Respond (DUE by MONDAY, 4/20/15)

Read and respond to the following articles. Responses are due by Monday, April 20th.

Regardless of whether or not you're into the whole "prom thing," read and respond to the following articles about the financial aspects of prom.

Article 3
Read the article, play the game, and come up with an event or person you think should be featured for a Google Doodle (or Google Doodle Game)!
155th Anniversary of Pony Express: The art of a letter-perfect Google Doodle game

Monday, March 30, 2015

(OPTIONAL) Week 12 READ & RESPOND (DUE BY MONDAY 4/6/15)

Read and respond to the following links:

Should student athletes be "paid to play" in college?
NCAA Schools and Student Athlete Pay

How much of an issue is distracted driving among your peer group?


Monday, March 23, 2015

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Week 10 Read & Respond (Due by Tue 3/17)

Please read and respond to AT LEAST TWO of the following links. Use quotes from each article to support your position and REMEMBER, you need to write AT LEAST 5-8 sentence paragraphs for your responses. EACH RESPONSE should be AT LEAST 2 paragraphs in length. Bonus points for engaging with other student remarks. :)

Article 1:
I don't even know what kind of a question to pose for this story. Perhaps I should simply ask for your thoughts on the matter and your reaction to the issue of such disturbing speech in places of "higher learning."
Fraternity Vows Broader Look Into Use of Racist Chant

Article 2:
Analyze the school's response to the 9-second video clip.

Article 3:
Free speech vs. hate speech. Where do you stand?

Article 4:
Agree or disagree and explain your position.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Week 9 Read & Respond (NEW SEMESTER!)

Respond to at least 3 of the following topics/issues. Instructions for responding to the links can be found in the previous blog post. Questions? As always, just ask! Happy viewing/reading/opining!

View the following video from this week's "60 Minutes" and respond to one or more of the issues raised in the story.
Where "Selma" Meets Hollywood

Should there be more of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this stunning discovery before moving forward with the manuscript's publication? 
'Mockingbird' Sequel Prompts High Hopes--and Controversy

How big of a deal is this? Was his on-air apology enough, or should Williams resign? What if the inquiry finds no further issues of mis-remembering?
Brian Williams Faces "Fact-Checking" Inquiry at NBC
UPDATE! Brian Williams Suspended

Should Super Bowl ads mostly/only entertain, or is there room for more serious messages, such as the Nationwide commercial? What about the other "serious" spots?
Super Bowl Commercials Go For Heart, Not Just Funny Bone

Read & Respond Instructions

Here's a quick guide for how to respond to the Weekly Read & Respond assignments.

Links are generally posted on Sunday nights and students have a week in which to read the material and post  their responses.

Responses should be AT LEAST one extensive paragraph (5-8 sentences) per article/link AND use text-based evidence (quotes, paraphrasing, etc.) to support each position. You should also read what other students are saying and respond to their thoughts with constructive words of your own. You can agree, disagree, and/or simply point out something you found interesting from another student response.

To add your responses, follow the following steps:

  1. Click on the COMMENT space at the end of the blog post. (A blank "Post a Comment" box should open up.) 
  2. Type your response in the comment box (or cut and paste it from your email or a Word doc)
  3. Choose "Student/URL" from the "Comment as" section when you are ready to submit your writing. 
  4. Type your First and Last Name (no URL is needed) and hit "Continue." 
  5. Click on the PUBLISH button, prove you're not a robot, and hit Publish again. 

Your comments will be posted once I read them and approve them for the site. (Comments will be posted within 3 days of receipt.) You should see a message stating that your comment has been submitted and will be posted once it is approved. (If you do not see this message, most likely your response has not gone through. This is why I suggest that you type your responses in an email or a Word doc-- so that you have them as a back up and can at least email it to me before the deadline so as not to lose credit.)

Happy reading, thinking, and communicating!!!

Monday, December 8, 2014

Week 8 Read & Respond

DIRECTIONS: Respond to at least 2 of the following articles, making sure that you support your position with information from the text in the form of direct quotes and/or paraphrasing. All responses are due by Sunday, December 14th.

This week's prompts are courtesy of Flocabulary's "Week in Rap."

Article 1: How do you feel about the recent grand jury decisions?
A Week Later, Protests Remain Vocal on Ferguson...

Article 2: Do you think Lauten should have resigned? Explain.
GOP Aide Resigns Over Criticism of Obama Daughters

Article 3: Do you think segregated classrooms are a good idea? Explain.
Old Tactic Gets New Use: Public Schools Separate Girls and Boys

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Week 7 Read & Respond (OPTIONAL for EXTRA CREDIT)

Since it's a short week, but one full of important issues, I still wanted to offer a platform for discussion. The following articles/videos are OPTIONAL but will result in EXTRA CREDIT for students who wish to respond by this Sunday, November 30th. If you'd rather your comments stay anonymous for this week, send me an email of your response, specifying that you would like to remain anonymous on the blog and I will post it for you.

Race, class, socio-economics, politics, and the American justice system are among the most important and often difficult issues to discuss in our social circles, but that does not mean we should avoid the topics altogether, and it certainly doesn't mean we should censor ourselves in fear of the opinions of others. Through the practice of respectful dialogue and intense questioning and debate, we can arrive at amazing places of common understanding... places of acknowledged similarities... and also differences.

I'm not sure what to say about the news from Ferguson last night. I like things to be cut and dry, and there's too much left to chance in between those lines where it seems as if most of our conflicts take place. As a nation I think we deserve better for each other, and for ourselves.

If I could ask you to consider a few things as you head towards graduation it would be this: register to vote as soon as you can, and get your friends to do the same, and advocate for change. Support the intelligence of your peers, steady those friends who might be headed off the path to success, and encourage those who are still figuring things out. 

Don't live up to or play into stereotypes. They are there to make you fail. Prove them to be inexcusably wrong.

Video:
           (This is Caitlin Clark. Teenage poet.)

Article 1, from CNN:

Article 2, from the New York Times:

Article 3, from TIME magazine:

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Week 6 Read & Respond (TED Talk Edition!)

WELCOME TO THE FIRST R&R OF THE SECOND QUARTER!
Directions: View the 2 videos and respond to the prompt for each. Remember to support your position with evidence from the videos and as always, read and respond to what your classmates have to say!

VIDEO 1:
VIEW the TED clip below, comment on the project, and come up with at least one way a person can improve the community in which YOU live!
How Painting Can Transform Communities

VIDEO 2:
View the TED clip below and comment on Ebrahim's ability to reject a path of violence.
Zach Ebrahim: I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace.


Monday, October 27, 2014

Week 5 Read & Respond Articles

Read the following articles and respond in the comments section below. All comments are due by Friday morning, before the start of your class period. Remember, your comments are meant to prove that you have read and understood the material while also forming an opinion on the subject matter.

ARTICLE 1: from CNN
Nurse describes Ebola quarantine ordeal: 'I was in shock. Now I'm angry'

ARTICLE 2: from The Huffington Post
Grieving Mother Faces 36 Months In Jail For Jaywalking After Son Is Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver

Monday, September 29, 2014

Week 4 Read & Respond Articles

Choose at least TWO of the following articles to read and respond to in the comments section below. All comments are due by Friday morning, before the start of your class period.Remember, your comments are meant to prove that you have read and understood the material while also forming an opinion on the subject matter.

Article 1: With His Words and Deeds, Derek Jeter Never Entered Foul Territory
Focus point: Hero Worship or Earned Respect?

Article 2: The Fault in Our Stars School Ban...
Focus point: To ban, or not to ban...?

Article 3: ...Ban Celebratory Head Slaps
Focus Point: Over-reaction, or proven concern?

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Week Three Read & Respond Articles

Choose at least TWO of the following articles/video to read/view and respond to in the comments section below. All comments are due by Friday morning, before the start of your class period. Remember, your comments are meant to prove that you have read and understood the material while also forming an opinion on the subject matter.

ARTICLE 1: Women Don't Have to Boycott the NFL

ARTICLE 2: Adrian Peterson Starts National Dialogue on Discipline and Child Abuse

ARTICLE 3: The Limits of Hashtag Activism

TOPIC 4: Jullien Gordon: How To Graduate College With A Job You Love & Less Debt

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Week Two Read & Respond Articles

DIRECTIONS:
Click on the links below to access this week's Read & Respond articles. Read and respond to AT LEAST TWO of the articles, answering the focus question and commenting on something from your fellow classmates.

ARTICLE 1: A Punch Is Seen, and a Player Is Out
In February, Baltimore Ravens star player Ray Rice was charged with assaulting his wife. An assault is a violent physical attack. Rice received a two-game suspension, and the charges were dropped when his wife refused to testify. On Monday, video footage showing the assault was released by TMZ, and it went viral. The NFL says it never saw the video before Monday. The new footage prompted the NFL to suspend Rice indefinitely, and the Baltimore Ravens cut him from the team. 
FOCUS QUESTION: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that the N.F.L. should be held to a higher standard, but with no legal action against him, was it appropriate for the Ravens to cut Rice from the team? Would things be different if the interior elevator video was never released?

ARTICLE 2: The iPhone 6 Goes Big, as Apple Aims Small With a SmartWatch
Apple announced the new Apple Watch on Tuesday. It won’t be available until 2015, and it’s not the first smartwatch on the market. But Apple has revolutionized the way people use computers in the past with the iPod, iPhone and the iPad, and experts are wondering if they can do the same with the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch will feature a touch screen, and it will bring a lot of the features you see on smartphones to a wearable device. It will include fitness trackers, text notifications and maps. 
FOCUS QUESTION: What are the pros and cons of a “smartwatch?” 

ARTICLE 3: Obama, in Speech on ISIS, Promises Sustained Effort to Rout Militants
President Obama declared ISIS a terrorist threat that needs to be destroyed. He vowed to increase American involvement in the fight against them. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a return to war. ISIS is a militant group that has been violently seizing cities throughout Syria and Iraq over the past few months. They now control a region that is bigger than many countries. In a televised address, Obama compared ISIS to Al Qaeda, the organization Osama Bin Laden founded. Obama said his plan to combat ISIS in Syria and Iraq would involve airstrikes, sending supplies to rebel fighters and working with nearby nations. But he insisted, “We will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq.” 
FOCUS QUESTION: Is ISIS is a threat to the United States? How should the US deal with this militant group?

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Week One Read & Respond Articles

Click on the link below to access this week's Read & Respond articles. Post your comments on the blog and be sure to reference the articles and at least one other student's view.

Week 1 Read and Respond Articles

Sunday, December 8, 2013

ESPN: The 16th Man

View the following short film from ESPN which showcases the South African "Springbok" National Rugby Team and its impact on South Africa's transition from segregation to integration. Students must take notes on the main ideas and be prepared for a quiz on the material.

ESPN Film: The 16th Man

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Trayvon Martin

There is still SO much to be said and told surrounding this case, but the NY Times has some interesting links on their Education blog. As always, you should question and search for a variety of sources-- especially when dealing with "hot-button" issues.

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/on-trayvon-martin-a-guest-post-from-a-teenager-and-some-teaching-suggestions/

Email me your thoughts on the subject by FRIDAY.
Thanks!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Homs, Syria

Where is the public outrage over what's been going on in Syria? Where are the Twitter trending topics and Facebook posts decrying the violence taking place on a daily basis?

Here's a look into the daily life and struggle of the people in Homs, Syria.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOvN6CJcvv8

Monday, September 12, 2011

Read and Respond (Week One)


Welcome to the first week of READ and RESPOND!

Each week you will be required to read and respond to a series of links. The topics might be serious, ridiculous, controversial, or even outrageous.

Read the following links and respond to at least TWO of the articles in your marble notebook.

Your response should be a clear commentary on the topics read. Include a short summary (at least one paragraph) and then take a side on the issue in at least another paragraph. Include details/points/quotes from the text, and be clear about your thoughts. Your response should be articulate, supported by text-based information, and clearly defined-- you MUST take a side. Be a lawyer. Prove your case. Make a point. Fire up your fellow classmates...
Quiz on Monday (on all four articles)!!!



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