MAJOR PROJECT DESCRIPTOR seen HERE
WELCOME TO CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Contemporary Issues is a course designed for our students to look at a variety of current issues in American Society. These topics will be generated with input from the students in each course and range from ethical issues such as abortion and same sex marriage to ones of Domestic and Foreign Policy. Ultimately, students will look at the issue as it relates to the United States Constitution. The course is meant to be one heavy in research and Socratic Dialogue with students directing their own analysis and learning from each other.
Students will first identify their own philosophies, insights and assumptions. Then, they will identify a core of 6 course topics and an individual topic for an extensive research paper and presentation in lesson form. With each topic we will investigate the history, the current debate, and then we will take out our crystal balls and predict the future of the issue based on our critical investigation.
Daily summaries and Assignments can be found here:
WEDNESDAY 8/17: We opened the class with a discussion prompted by five photos. Before we discussed, we wrote our own thoughts on the WAR on TERROR, ABORTION, GUN VIOLENCE , THE COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION & POVERTY. A course introduction ensued. Our first task is to do some deep meta-cognition: Namely, we are thinking about what we think and why. First, Mr. Holm presented the students with a SOCIO/ECONOMIC MATRIX that is meant to open our minds to what we feel our role and government's role is in addressing these issues. 1] Are you a Jeffersonian, Hamiltonian, or Lincolnian when it comes to government and economic matters? Write a 1 page, double spaced response to the summary of Thom, Al or Abe found HERE. DUE TUESDAY 2] DUE FRIDAY: Students were assigned a visit to http://www.politicalcompass.org/
where students are asked to read the home page, then take the test linked in the menu at the top left of the page. When finished with the test, please print the results and bring them to class tomorrow. Write out three questions you have regarding the survey or copy ones that you find interesting for discussion. We will discuss our positions in class in a Socratic Seminar Friday.
THURSDAY8/18: Students opened the block with a share and compare of their world view through economic lenses. Each group created a question for us all to consider such as "what would happen if Government had no say in economics?" and "What is the backbone to America's Economy today?"
Then we considered a few of the more difficult questions on the POLITICAL COMPASS website above. Please complete that matrix and bring in a print out of your coordinates.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER can be seen HERE! Create a 5 slide Power Point that identifies your 5 greatest influences in your socio/economic thinking. Use the graphic organizer we developed in class Tuesday. Each slide should have 3 bullet points and at least one visual Email to Mr. Holm: [email protected] for Thursday.
Consider what THE NATION magazine considers the The National Entertainment State below. Why do you think they call it that?
FRIDAY 8/19: The class began with students charting themselves on a Socio-Economic Matrix and discussing the similar and different views they have about the structure of society. Then students had some time to construct a slide show that illustrates how the five institutions of culture have influenced the way they THINK, what they BELIEVE & therefore what they DO. The presentation of these shows will be Wednesday 8/24.
TUESDAY 8/23: Today at the start of class we addressed a set of questions meant to open discussion about the balance between the governed and the government: 1] What are the interests of the State? 2] What are individual interests? 3] Where is the balance? 4] How does this influence your vision of the Construction of the Constitution? The second phase of the class moved into the history of modern liberal republican democracy and its foundation. This might help us think about why we think the way we think. Mr. Holm shared a thought from Abe Lincoln about the world's greatest invention, then he assigned the class a reading entitled "Could the American Revolution Have Happened Without the Age of Enlightenment?" by Annette Nay HERE. Students are asked to "Dead Note" or annotate the article for dialogue in class Tuesday.
After reading the piece, students are asked to contemplate the 4 questions above in conjunction with Annette Nay's question in a shared document HERE.
Looking at our Political Compass below, do you see the irony of the matrix and the flag hanging over it?
TUESDAY 8/23: Today at the start of class we addressed a set of questions meant to open discussion about the balance between the governed and the government: 1] What are the interests of the State? 2] What are individual interests? 3] Where is the balance? 4] How does this influence your vision of the Construction of the Constitution? The second phase of the class moved into the history of modern liberal republican democracy and its foundation. This might help us think about why we think the way we think. Mr. Holm shared a thought from Abe Lincoln about the world's greatest invention, then he assigned the class a reading entitled "Could the American Revolution Have Happened Without the Age of Enlightenment?" by Annette Nay HERE. Students are asked to "Dead Note" or annotate the article for dialogue in class Tuesday.
After reading the piece, students are asked to contemplate the 4 questions above in conjunction with Annette Nay's question in a shared document HERE.
Looking at our Political Compass below, do you see the irony of the matrix and the flag hanging over it?
DUE EVERY THURSDAY:
+Students should have finished their 5 influences power point assigned earlier in the week.
+Contribute to the Shared document concerning the Social Contract.
+THURSDAY is also a CURRENTS DAY. For tomorrow, find an article, radio report or news video and...
1. Write a 3-5 sentence summary of the news event
2. Identify any media bias
3. Provide with your opinion of the issue/event.
4. Copy and paste a related cartoon from Cagle.com.
WEDNESDAY 8/24: STUDENT 5 INSTITUTIONS PRESENTATIONS IN SMALL GROUPS
Following, We began a History on the 'War on Terror,' including the use of the term from the break up of the Ottoman Empire to 9/11/2001. For the visual images look HERE. To see Mr. Holm's scratched notes look HERE, HERE, HERE, & HERE. These notes come from to text's Terror and Liberalism by Paul Berman & Against All Enemies by Counter Terrorism Head, Richard Clarke.
TUESDAY 1/12: Today was a lab day. Students were given choices for their paper topic, and chose them by lottery. Mr. Holm then gave them the paper descriptor and students created their working bibliography.
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY 1/13-1/14: Class started by identifying the importance of fables. These are short poignant writings meant to share a universal truth.
To initiate further discussion about how the "War on Terror" has impacted our lives, we analyzed the fable THE STAG, THE HORSE & THE HUNTER. Read it HERE.
What does it tell us about the powers given in the name of fighting this "WAR?"
For further critical analysis we watched FRONTLINE's SPYING ON THE HOME FRONT. HERE. As students followed the film they were prompted with the questions HERE.
To initiate further discussion about how the "War on Terror" has impacted our lives, we analyzed the fable THE STAG, THE HORSE & THE HUNTER. Read it HERE.
What does it tell us about the powers given in the name of fighting this "WAR?"
For further critical analysis we watched FRONTLINE's SPYING ON THE HOME FRONT. HERE. As students followed the film they were prompted with the questions HERE.
HOW DO WE PROCEED IN 'THE WAR ON TERROR?' (DESCRIPTOR HERE)
FRIDAY 1/15: What should our role in the world be? When making decisions about active military involvement in a crisis like that in Syria, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas & Modern Political Scientist & Theologin Reinhold Niebuhr asked us to base our decisions on what is called the "Just War Theory" seen below:
War must be last resort
Waged by legitimate authority
Only to redress a wrong suffered with right intentions
Must be a chance of success, hopeless deaths are immoral and unjustifiable
Must reestablish a Peace better than the Peace prior to the action
Violence must be proportional to wrong suffered
Civilians are not legitimate targets unless unavoidable to get threatening military target
Watch HERE and make your own judgement.
We jumped to the last essential questions of our analysis of Foreign and Domestic Policy as we consider our American involvement in "The War on Terror." These are important questions as we reflect on the 12th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 attacks that changed our world.
Can a country that engages in torture consider itself the moral beacon of the world? Is torture an effective means of gathering information? Are there other means? Why do people generally have negative views of torture, but accept drone strikes? In General, how do we respond to the TORTURE QUESTION? What is your reaction to the FRONTLINE investigation below?
Read the Symposium between Reed College and University of California Irvine entitled US PUBLIC OPINION ON TORTURE, 2001-2009 HERE.
Read TORTURE VERSUS WAR, about opinions on torture and Drone use, by Scott Shane in the WEEK IN REVIEW HERE.
Watch THE TORTURE QUESTION from FRONTLINE, HERE.
*******************THE DESCRIPTOR OF YOUR COURSE PAPER IS HERE.***************
**********************SEE OTHER STUDENTS' TOPIC CHOICES HERE.*********************
FRIDAY 1/15: What should our role in the world be? When making decisions about active military involvement in a crisis like that in Syria, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas & Modern Political Scientist & Theologin Reinhold Niebuhr asked us to base our decisions on what is called the "Just War Theory" seen below:
War must be last resort
Waged by legitimate authority
Only to redress a wrong suffered with right intentions
Must be a chance of success, hopeless deaths are immoral and unjustifiable
Must reestablish a Peace better than the Peace prior to the action
Violence must be proportional to wrong suffered
Civilians are not legitimate targets unless unavoidable to get threatening military target
Watch HERE and make your own judgement.
We jumped to the last essential questions of our analysis of Foreign and Domestic Policy as we consider our American involvement in "The War on Terror." These are important questions as we reflect on the 12th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 attacks that changed our world.
Can a country that engages in torture consider itself the moral beacon of the world? Is torture an effective means of gathering information? Are there other means? Why do people generally have negative views of torture, but accept drone strikes? In General, how do we respond to the TORTURE QUESTION? What is your reaction to the FRONTLINE investigation below?
Read the Symposium between Reed College and University of California Irvine entitled US PUBLIC OPINION ON TORTURE, 2001-2009 HERE.
Read TORTURE VERSUS WAR, about opinions on torture and Drone use, by Scott Shane in the WEEK IN REVIEW HERE.
Watch THE TORTURE QUESTION from FRONTLINE, HERE.
*******************THE DESCRIPTOR OF YOUR COURSE PAPER IS HERE.***************
**********************SEE OTHER STUDENTS' TOPIC CHOICES HERE.*********************
MONDAY 1/25: Class hinged on 3 questions to open our discussion of moral issues in American society, most immediately on the topic of abortion. We used the block to discuss: Is it possible for an increasingly secular society to maintain it's morals? Is our society losing it's moral compass? Where do you personally get your sense of right and wrong? Students were asked to read the article END OF CHRISTIAN AMERICA (?) HERE by Jon Meacham for in class discussion on THURSDAY
We used part of the block to human graph, take sides on the specific issue of abortion. Are you Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? Notice no one is Pro-Abortion. Surveys tell us that the majority of Americans are morally opposed to abortion, but feel that it is not their place to tell others what to do with their own bodies. Our classroom human graph was a reflection of that.
Students were asked to use the Congressional Quarterly among other sources to create an ANALYSIS and SYNTHESIS of abortion demographics. See a sample of the assignment HERE.
TUESDAY 1/26: This was a lab day to work on the MAJOR RESEARCH PAPER.
WEDNESDAY 1/27 & THURSDAY 1/28: After a follow up to THE END OF CHRISTIAN AMERICA, Mr. Holm used James C. Mohr's study ABORTION IN AMERICA: THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF A NATIONAL POLICY to show how a decision that most people think is very private became a national policy. You can see his chicken scratch notes HERE. The class discussed briefly the criticism of this policy, particularly the challenge Margaret Sanger, founder of the American Birth Control League which eventually became the Planned Parenthood Federation. Roe v. Wade, then, became the Landmark case in 1973 that overturned this national policy. It is a very controversial topic that divides the rights of women to control their own bodies and reproductive choices and the rights of the unborn. For a simple quick reference of the Roe Decision look HERE.
FRIDAY 1/29: Knowing that we analyzed and synthesized the material from our lab work yesterday. We meant to recognize that all of this data is the LOGOS (logistics) of the issue: Those who would say they are Pro-Life has risen from 33% in 1995 to 51% in 2009, 75% of abortions concern people between the ages of 15 & 29, 88% of those surveyed think Dr.s should present possible other options to abortion patients, etc.
HOWEVER, like with all issues, there are also matters of ETHOS (ethics) and PATHOS (passion/emotion). There are matters of FREEDOM and LIBERTY as well as MORALS and SOCIETY'S VALUES. To address these issues of impact on culture we turn to an article entitled "The Paradox of the Pill." HERE. While it is not directly about abortion, it is about cultural values and change. It is about women and freedom. It is about choice. Students were asked to read the article and comment on the PARADOX HERE.
Consider the contradictions: It was the first medicine ever designed to be taken regularly by people who were not sick. Its main inventor was a conservative Catholic who was looking for a treatment for infertility and instead found a guarantee of it. It was blamed for unleashing the sexual revolution among suddenly swinging singles, despite the fact that throughout the 1960s, women usually had to be married to get it. Its supporters hoped it would strengthen marriage by easing the strain of unwanted children; its critics still charge that the Pill gave rise to promiscuity, adultery and the breakdown of the family.
MONDAY 2/1 & TUESDAY 2/2: Students were organized into teams for a X FIRE DEBATE between teams of PRO-LIFE and PRO-CHOICE arguments. While the debate was fast paced, a great deal of reason provided that backed each side of the issue. These points were Constructed, Rebutted and Defended in the process shown HERE. The Debate was very worthwhile, particularly for those who defended the side of the debate for which they don't personally agree.
Tuesday 2/3: Today we began a look into the Uniquely American issue of Gun Violence. By using the terms Gun Violence, this is not to suggest that we are unique in having guns OR being violent. What is unique is that compared to most Western Nations we have more gun deaths a year than our peers as seen HERE. This includes Murder, Suicide and Accidental Deaths. WHY??
The facets, clues and complexities to this issue has been debated, argued and defended by many, but there seems to be no clear answer. Canada has as many guns per-capita as us, but do not suffer the same level of tragedies. Japan is the home of violent video gaming & Norway and Sweden are home to Death Metal Music, but they don't have the same issues. Why us? So, this unit's aim is to pose the many contributing factors that all together create and interesting American Stew. As individual entities, none can explain the whole problem, but combined create an interesting phenomenon.
For our first look at the issue we broke down the poorly written (at least as handed down to us 200 years later) 2nd Amendment as linked above. Then, we put the Amendment into historic perspective as in the article HERE: THE 2nd AMENDMENT WAS RATIFIED TO PRESERVE SLAVERY, by Thom Hartmann. While I think we would all understand this wasn't the 2nd Amendment's sole purpose, it does give us an eye opening perspective into the politics of Gun Violence in our nation's history.
WEDNESDAY 2/4: Today was a lab day. Students were asked to find 5 graphics providing data on the issue of GUN VIOLENCE in the USA since 2010. President Obama and Vice President Biden have commissioned this same activity in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook. These 5 items should be put in a document with the source, and brought to class on Thurssday.
Another sources that we will be considering are HERE: HAND GUN VIOLENCE, PUBLIC HEALTH & THE LAW by Gregory D. Curfman.
THURSDAY 2/5: In large groups of 7 or 8 students created visual representations of the data they had compiled on Gun Violence. We finished the block by then spinning the data and asking "when is violence legitimate?"
FRIDAY 2/6 WE spent the block talking about legitimate violence. We came to the understanding of the term legitimate, meaning within the bound of the law. Does violence for honor fall into that category? Name calling? Standing your ground? Protection of property? An interesting discussion ensued showing that these visions of legitimacy are regional. They are also up to interpretation by gender and even time. Whereas all students immediately say self-defense and defense of loved ones is legitimate, after that the lines of legitimacy become very unclear.
We assembled into groups of four and used the block to due some PLARNES CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING as seen HERE.
TUESDAY 2/17: We began our look at the issue of education in America. Why is the very broad topic of education a concern in the US? Cost? Efficiency? Testing? National Ranking? NCLB? Race to the Top? Quality Teachers?Student preparation? Illiteracy? School Saferty? Equal Opportunity? OR ALL OF THE ABOVE?
To start our discussion, three articles were provided and students are asked to answer the question following each article.
"JEFFERSON ON PUBLIC EDUCATION" HERE
"HAS SPENDING ON PUBLIC EDUCATION RISEN TOO HIGH?" HERE
"IS COLLEGE STILL WORTH IT?" HERE
Referring to article...
1] Do you believe we should return to Jefferson’s ideals of Public education? Give three reasons.
2] "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be," espoused Thomas Jefferson. Reflecting on this statement, and the PRO/CON debate, how much should society pay for public schooling.
3] Jefferson proposed a much shorter span of schooling than we seem to require today. Over-all, are today’s costs worth it?
MAJOR PROJECT DESCRIPTOR seen HERE
WEDNESDAY 2/18: Class focused on students sharing their answers to Monday's questions about the purpose, cost and challenges to modern day public education.
Then students watched the video HERE, to think outside of the box of our current model.
After seeing the video above, what should a modern public school like? Pull off the blinders. Get your Divergent Thinking Cap on Geniuses. Try starting with the questions HERE, then go to the PREZI SITE HERE and answer the questions in your own presentation for FRIDAY. Remember to share your product with Mr. Holm when you are done.
Another sources that we will be considering are HERE: HAND GUN VIOLENCE, PUBLIC HEALTH & THE LAW by Gregory D. Curfman.
THURSDAY 2/5: In large groups of 7 or 8 students created visual representations of the data they had compiled on Gun Violence. We finished the block by then spinning the data and asking "when is violence legitimate?"
FRIDAY 2/6 WE spent the block talking about legitimate violence. We came to the understanding of the term legitimate, meaning within the bound of the law. Does violence for honor fall into that category? Name calling? Standing your ground? Protection of property? An interesting discussion ensued showing that these visions of legitimacy are regional. They are also up to interpretation by gender and even time. Whereas all students immediately say self-defense and defense of loved ones is legitimate, after that the lines of legitimacy become very unclear.
We assembled into groups of four and used the block to due some PLARNES CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING as seen HERE.
TUESDAY 2/17: We began our look at the issue of education in America. Why is the very broad topic of education a concern in the US? Cost? Efficiency? Testing? National Ranking? NCLB? Race to the Top? Quality Teachers?Student preparation? Illiteracy? School Saferty? Equal Opportunity? OR ALL OF THE ABOVE?
To start our discussion, three articles were provided and students are asked to answer the question following each article.
"JEFFERSON ON PUBLIC EDUCATION" HERE
"HAS SPENDING ON PUBLIC EDUCATION RISEN TOO HIGH?" HERE
"IS COLLEGE STILL WORTH IT?" HERE
Referring to article...
1] Do you believe we should return to Jefferson’s ideals of Public education? Give three reasons.
2] "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be," espoused Thomas Jefferson. Reflecting on this statement, and the PRO/CON debate, how much should society pay for public schooling.
3] Jefferson proposed a much shorter span of schooling than we seem to require today. Over-all, are today’s costs worth it?
MAJOR PROJECT DESCRIPTOR seen HERE
WEDNESDAY 2/18: Class focused on students sharing their answers to Monday's questions about the purpose, cost and challenges to modern day public education.
Then students watched the video HERE, to think outside of the box of our current model.
After seeing the video above, what should a modern public school like? Pull off the blinders. Get your Divergent Thinking Cap on Geniuses. Try starting with the questions HERE, then go to the PREZI SITE HERE and answer the questions in your own presentation for FRIDAY. Remember to share your product with Mr. Holm when you are done.
NATIONAL DEBT? STUDENT DEBT? SEQUESTER? CAN YOU IMAGINE THE SIZE, LITERALLY? Scroll down.
AMERICA's STUDENT DEBT IS OVER $1 TRILLION. What does that look like?
THURSDAY 2/19: IS COLLEGE STILL WORTH IT? Read HERE. Watch COLLEGE, INC. HERE. Join the discussion and relate to how it effects you personally HERE.
MONDAY 2/23: Today we simply were introduced to the Energy Crisis or addiction as some have labeled it. To do so we watched the film A CRUDE AWAKENING HERE.
TUESDAY 2/24: Students had several options today: work on major research paper, watch the remainder of the film, &/or look ahead to the activity attached HERE. Author Michael Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma) proposes a way to address this addiction in his public letter to the President. This proposal has been titled "Farmer-in-Chief." Students should read the letter and choose 3 of the 5 activities to complete for next WEDNESDAY.
WEDNESDAY 2/25: The passed two days we have looked at the impact of an energy crisis from the perspective of what will happen when we run out of oil, but what about the imprint burning fossil fuels for the past century has had already. You can investigate it HERE in PBS FRONTLINE REPORT: HEAT.
WEDNESDAY 2/25: The passed two days we have looked at the impact of an energy crisis from the perspective of what will happen when we run out of oil, but what about the imprint burning fossil fuels for the past century has had already. You can investigate it HERE in PBS FRONTLINE REPORT: HEAT.