Saying Goodbye to Issues

In order to finish out the year, you have two tasks to complete:

1. Complete this EVALUATION for the Marketplace of Ideas and the class overall.
2. Do a final blog post that says good bye to your readers and followers (or describes how you will be continuing to blog on your Issues blog or a new one you create).  Consider the state of "issues in America" (actual issues, not the class).  What issues continue to be important today?  What do you want your readers to continue to pay attention to, do, or watch out for?  Are you optimistic about the world today or not?  Why?  

We'll say our goodbyes in class on Monday, where among other things, it is ask Kramer anything day... : )

Rubric

Here is the rubric I'll be using to assess your Marketplace of Ideas project. Good Luck!
Rubric

Race and Affirmative Action Unit Assessment

In a formal essay to be submitted to turnitin.com, please answer one of these prompts.   

• Do you agree with Coates’ thesis? Why or why not? (i.e. When Coates asserts______________, he is wrong/right because________.)

OR

• Do you think African Americans have a case for reparations from the United States government? What form do you think such reparations should take? (i.e. African Americans do/do not have a case for reparations from the United States Government because______________.)

In your response, you should consider the following:

• Who is/are the party/parties responsible?- Who is/are the party/parties affected?- What are the specific grievances / acts of offense?- What are the impacts of such acts?
• In what way does the current state of affirmative action for admissions in college impact what you are asserting?
• In what way does the current relationship between Black-Americans and local police forces impact what you are asserting?

Your responses should use specific details from all of the materials studied in class over the last few weeks (affirmative action readings and cases, If I Were a Poor Black Kid articles, police shooting information, Coates's article) . You should use as many details as you need to prove your assertion but a general guideline should be to use at least 3 from Coates and at least 3 others. Essays should be carefully proofread and follow all of the tenets of good writing.  It must be submitted to turnitin.com by class time on Wednesday, April 29. 

This is the last full, formal piece of writing that you will submit for this class so make sure that it is your best work!

Police Shootings

Much discussion in 2015 about issues of race stem from a rash of deaths of African-American men at the hands of the police over the last several years. From Trayvon Martin to Michael Brown to Eric Garner to Walter Scott to Freddie Gray, there are many questions to consider about why this keeps happening in America, if there are solutions and what they might be. In order to consider these issues, please complete the steps listed below. All of your responses should go in a blog post that will count as your weekly post.

1. If you are not sure of the facts of the Walter Scott case, please review them by reading this STORY from the NY Times.
2. Read these four Perspectives on the Walter Scott Video. In your blog post, summarize the assertion/main idea of each. Then choose one that you most agree with and respond to it in more detail. What points do you agree with and why?
3. Read through the timeline that explores key cases From Trayvon Martin to Walter Scott Timeline. Respond in your blog post-what do you notice about these cases? What similarities are there? What differences? What questions do they raise? 
4. Choose one of the cases on the timeline to research further. In your post, identify, what additional information did you find out? What kinds of stories are there about your chosen case? What is the media reporting about it? Are there any updates or further implications about it? Are there any videos (if so, what are they? what do they tell you?)
5. Make a final conclusion in your blog post. What are you thinking about all of this information? How does it relate or connect to any of the other issues we've been discussing in class?

With any time left that you have in class, you may continue to read The Case for Reparations. Remember that you need to be finished with it for class on Thursday (1st period) or Friday (8th period).

A Case for Reparations

Washington Post writer Alyssa Rosenberg introduces her article "Culture Change and Ta-Nehisi Coates's The Case for Reparations this way: "In 'The Case for Reparations,' the... cover story of the June issue of the Atlantic, Ta-Nehisi Coates makes a painstaking argument that the gap in wealth, achievement, and a wide range of health and wellbeing outcomes between black and white Americans is the result of deliberate policy decisions. Those decisions, he says, lead to an inevitable conclusion: “An America that asks what it owes its most vulnerable citizens is improved and humane. An America that looks away is ignoring not just the sins of the past but the sins of the present and the certain sins of the future,” Coates writes. “More important than any single check cut to any African American, the payment of reparations would represent America’s maturation out of the childhood myth of its innocence into a wisdom worthy of its founders.”
Your task over the next week is to read Mr. Coates's article. Take notes as you read. Write down key facts, points where you agree with Mr. Coates's assertions, points where you disagree, and questions that you may have. 
Here is how you should plan your homework for the week:
Monday night-Read Sections I, II, III
Tuesday night-Read Sections IV, V, VI
Wednesday night-Read Sections VII, VIII, IX, X
Here is the link to the ONLINE version that has a lot of helpful interactive features.
Here is a link to a printable version if that is more useful to you.

Close Examination of the Michigan Affirmative Action Cases

Please open this Handout and follow the instructions.

Affirmative Action in College Admissions

This week we began our look at questions about race and affirmative action. We are going to be focusing our discussions on using race as a criteria in the college admissions process.
We began by working our way through a simulation of being on a college admissions committee that you can find in this packet. We will then start to take a look at the law as it relates to the use of race in the college admissions process by first looking at the Bakke decision that you can find in this packet.  In the packet, for the third day of class this week, students should:

1. Read the summary and answer the questions.
2. Do the Classifying Arguments activity.
3. Follow the instructions on page three as you read the Summary of the Decision (hold off on answering number 5.
4. Follow the instructions as you read the Excerpts from the Majority Opinion.
5. Answer number 5 on page 3. 

Hazing and Binge Drinking Wrap-Up

In order to bring some closure to the issues we've been exploring over the last few weeks, your assignment is to finish one of the following assertions and then prove it. Your responses should be typewritten, one page, single spaced and carefully proofread. You should use evidence from three different sources (either those provided in class or discovered by you) to prove your assertion.  Make sure you cite your sources.  Responses are to be submitted to turnitin by the end of your last class period prior to spring break. You have time in class to work on it during that period.

Your potential assertions are (choose one):

• Hazing should/should not be  eliminated from all organized group activities because_____________.
• The minimum drinking age should/should not be changed because_______________.
• Medical amnesty laws should/should not be passed because___________________.
• The most effective way to control binge drinking is______________because____________.

If you're interested, some additional sources where you can find more information are:

• Main web page for "Gordies Call"-organization started after Gordie Bailey's Death
• Alcohol Education Resources
• College Drinking-Changing the Culture
• Safe Spring Break
• Alcohol Poisoning Info from the Mayo Clinic
• Blood Alcohol Content Calculator
• Less Than You Think campaign
• Aware Awake Alive
• Harvard School of Public Health Studies on College Alcohol Us
• Medical Amnesty Initiative
• Amethyst Initiative (Drinking Age)
• In defense of 21

Hazing

To follow up on the Rolling Stone "Hazing" article that we read in class, please do this week's blog post on that issue.  Each blog post should reference THREE additional articles that you will read on the topic. You must choose at least one from either the Huffington Post or the New York Times (choose one of these to print out and bring to class to use in our discussions next week) and then you may use any other link below.  Please browse through them before selecting the articles that you will include in your post.
Also, please print out one of the articles from the Huffington Post or New York Times to use as part of our discussion in class next week.

Links

• The Huffington Post's section on Fraternity and Sorority Hazing
• NY Times Topics on Hazing
• If you want something closer to home, here is an article about Northwestern or this one about Northern Illinois
• The leading organization that has a lot of resources and current news about hazing is Stophazing.org
• If you want to read about sorority hazing specifically check out this article (the hyperlinks within the article are also helpful).
• If you are interested, here is a link to an essay in defense of hazing.  Scroll down to the undergraduate's essay after the introduction by Scott Mietchen.  

The Consequences of Bullying Contd.

After completing the assignment in the post below, print out your reflections.
Then for the following sets of articles either read them online and take notes OR print them out so that you can read and annotate them.  I will be grading your notes or annotations for completion and detail so please make sure that whichever you decide to do is quite thorough.

1. Rebecca Ann Sedwick and Phoebe Prince 
2. Sexting, Shame and Suicide-Audrie Pott 
3. One Town's War on Gay Teens 

Please come prepared to discuss your follow up to Bully and these articles in class on Wednesday, March, 18.
Note-these articles are long and generally more reading than I've given you in one batch. They contain difficult material and at times are quite graphic.  However, they're quite important for many different reasons. Please engage with them carefully and thoughtfully.

Bully Reflections

Greetings Issues Scholars,
In order to facilitate a continued discussion of the film Bully, please complete the following:

1. Create a Google Doc titled Bullying Portfolio.
2. All of your responses for the next several assignments should then be part of that document.  Please be thorough and clear in your writing. It will be submitted for a grade to turnitin.com upon completion.
3. Read What is Bullying. 
4. Respond to connections 1-3.
5. Skim through the Story Synopses to remind yourself of the different areas of focus in the film. Choose two stories and then respond to the corresponding guiding questions.
6. Find your name below, read your article and then choose three of the connections questions to answer. Each person listed should answer three questions individually. This is not group work. Please finish for your next class period.

Per. 1: Evan, Ashley, Brittany, Per. 6: Lindsey, Jovan, Nathan, Jared	The “In” Group Read the article and then summarize the main ideas and key points of the article. Read all of the “Connections” questions and then choose three to respond to.
Per. 1: Becca Horwitz, Nick, Will Per. 6: Rosie, Justin, Tommy, Kyle C.	Experiencing Bullying Read the article and then summarize the main ideas and key points of the article. Read all of the “Connections” questions and then choose three to respond to.
Per. 1: Sara, Billy, Rachel, Annie Per. 6: Lexie, Ryan, Max, Marnie	Nurturing School Culture Read the article and then summarize the main ideas and key points of the article. Read all of the “Connections” questions and then choose three to respond to.
Per. 1: Emily, Morgan, Dillon, David Per. 6: Sophia, Isabel, Lizzie, MacKenzie	The Power of Friendship Read the article and then summarize the main ideas and key points of the article. Read all of the “Connections” questions and then choose three to respond to.
Per. 1: Jamie, Dylan, Kyle, Ben Per. 6: Alex, David, Will, Noah S.	Adult Intervention Read the article and then summarize the main ideas and key points of the article. Read all of the “Connections” questions and then choose three to respond to.
Per. 1: A.J., Bijan, Jake, Noah Per. 6: Caroline, Riley, Michael, George	Upstanders and Bystanders Read the article and then summarize the main ideas and key points of the article. Read all of the “Connections” questions and then choose three to respond to.
Per. 1: Hillary, Josh, Becca Hyland Per. 6: Nick, Britney, Lucy	Telling the Stories Read the article and then summarize the main ideas and key points of the article. Read all of the “Connections” questions and then choose three to respond to.

Mock Trial Reflection

You will need to submit a written reflection on your roles, the dynamics of your group, and most significantly, the issues studied.

1. For each case, write a paragraph describing your opinion on the outcome and the issues involved.  Were you satisfied with the outcome?  What were the most relevant facts for you?  What does each outcome tell you about the issue involved? Please explain your responses thoroughly, using details from the cases.

2. Read Colleges are Rewriting What Consent Means to Address Sexual Assault and Hooking Up at an Affirmative Consent Campus? It’s Complicated then respond to the following questions (be sure to use specific details in your responses):
1. Do you think that affirmative consent policies are an effective means to prevent sexual assault? Why or why not?
2. What role do bystander intervention policies have?
3. How would an affirmative consent policy have changed the facts or the outcome of the David Jones case?

3. Read Know Your Rights: What Students Can do about Sexual Harassment in the Workplace  and 6 Things to Know About Workplace Sexual Harassment then respond to the following questions (be sure to use specific details in your responses):
1. How prevalant do you think sexual harassment is for students either in the work place or at school?
2. What do the articles suggest that students and/or workers can and should do about sexual harassment? Do you agree?
3. Knowing what you know about the Elyse Roberts case, what other advice would you give to students or workers to address the issue of sexual harassment.

4. Reflect on your role as a juror, witness, and lawyer (be sure to reflect on each role that you played)
1. What did you like about it?
2. What was most challenging for you?
3. Describe your personal preparation for your roles in the trial.
4. How do you think you performed?
5. What would you do differently next time?

5. Describe the dynamics of your group
1. Did everyone participate equally?  If not, who did more and who did less?
2. Was everyone prepared for the trial?  If not, who was not?
3. Describe your preparation for the trial.  Did everyone take your preparation time seriously by participating in strategy discussions and practicing/rehearsing their roles?  Did everyone make the best use of their preparation time?  If not, what happened?

Reflections should be Times New Roman, 12 pt font, and single spaced.  This is formal writing and thus, you should follow all standard rules of grammar and language.  Your work  should be proofread, thorough, thoughtful, and detailed.

Reflections are due to be submitted to turnitin.com by Friday, March 13.

Mock Trials

All the information for your mock trials is posted in the Unit Five Tab above.

Sexual Harassment

As we expand our topic to include issues of sexual harassment, we will be using the following articles both in class and out of class.  If you are absent, you are still responsible for these readings and activities.  Please contact someone in class to find out specifically what we went over in your period.

We'll read these articles and answer these questions.
We'll then explore these scenarios and make conclusions on the attached chart.  You'll need to apply this definition of sexual harassment.
We'll also take a look at the section of the Huffington Post dedicated to the issue of sexual harassment.  You are responsible for:
1) Reading at least 3 full articles from the section.
2) Writing a post on the issue in which you reference at least three articles (1 from the packet linked above and two from the Huffington Post).
3) Printing out one of the articles from Huffington, creating three discussion questions for it, and bringing it to class.

Sexual Assault

(Note-1st period will be doing this activity on 1/29, 8th period on 1/30)
After our conversations about Steubenville, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, and rape culture in America (see this LINK), it is important to find materials to help us learn more and continue our conversations.

As we heard in class, the issue of sexual violence towards women unfortunately remains a significant issue in our society. In a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease control of 5,000 college students at over 100 colleges, 20% of women answered "yes" to the question "In your lifetime have you been forced to submit to sexual intercourse against your will?" Thus, one in five college women has been raped at some point in her lifetime.  Clearly, this is an issue that requires further study and thought.  Take some time today to continue to gather information about its prevalence (in both high school and college), the issues surrounding it, its causes, effects, and solutions.  To do so, please follow these instructions:

1. Use the links below to browse and gather information.  For each, make sure that you don't just read the main article but also explore where some of the hyperlinks take you.
2. For every story that you read that's interesting, please copy and paste the link in a comment to this post along with a sentence or two describing the article and what's interesting about it.
3. Once you've read a few articles, do a blog post on the issues raised by our class discussion and in the articles that you read. There should be specific references to at least two articles in your post.  This may count as your weekly blog post (provided that you also follow the instructions in # 4 below).
4. After writing your post, return to the comment section for this one and scroll through the list of articles to see what people are thinking and writing about.  For one that sounds interesting, go to that student's blog, read their post and write a comment back to them.
5. Select one article that you'd like to discuss further. Print it out, develop some discussion questions, and be prepared to summarize and lead a discussion about it in class tomorrow.

LINKS

• Unfortunately, what happened in Steubenville is not an isolated incident.  After the Steubenville case, information came to light about a similar incident that happened to two young women in Maryville, Mo.  Here is the original article that details the situation although a lot has happened since.  If you're interested, read the article and then go here to see additional updates.
• In class we discussed a few examples where "rape culture" might be present in our society. See this list of 25 Everyday Examples of Rape Culture and see what you think.  What kind of impact on our society do you see these having? (Make sure you click the hyperlinks)

• The Huffington Post has an entire section devoted to "Breaking the Silence: Addressing Sexual Assault on Campus".  Scroll through and browse the latest stories and columns about this issue.

• Annie Clark, Andrea Pino, and Sofie Karasek are young women who founded an organization called End Rape on Campus. There are a number of interesting resources on the site.

• Often an afterthought in discussions on this issue is sexual assault against men.  Consider this OP-ED piece by a Stanford University student 

• Soraya Chemaly is a self described "Writer, Feminist, Satirist...not necessarily in that order" who writes and blogs extensively on sexual assault and violence towards women.  Here are a few of her articles(make sure you explore the hyperlinks she posts as well).

                    Notre Dame, Manti Te'o, and Institutional Rape Tolerance
                    5 Ways Sexual Assault is Really About Entitlement
                    Why Naked Pictures Aren't Harmless

Deadline the Movie

Welcome back and Happy New Year!
Today in class we began the film, Deadline, an exploration of the death penalty in Illinois and Governor George Ryan's decision to declare a moratorium and commute the sentences of all of the prisoners on death row in Illinois.  Here is a CLIP from the film. This GUIDE has some important definitions, a brief timeline of Governor Ryan's time in office and a space to take notes while watching the film.