Hazing

Later in the year, we'll be doing a short unit on hazing and alcohol abuse on college campuses.  This story hit the news today.

22 NIU frat members charged in freshman's hazing death

Thought you might be interested...

Gun Control, School Violence and other issues

In light of the tragic school shooting in Newtown, please work to gather information about the variety of issues that this incident raised.  Read the articles linked below or search on your own to see what people have been saying.  I also encourage you to look at library's subscription databases (Opposing Viewpoints, Issues and Controversy, CQ Researcher)to get some additional background information.  Keep track of what you read.  List the sources and take notes.
Here are some things that I've been looking at.

• NY Times Philosophical Blog, The Stone is doing a series of essays "that examine the ethical, social and humanitarian implications of the use, possession and regulation of weapons."
• The Atlantic is having an interesting internal debate stemming from this article that was published in its magazine the week prior to the Newtown shooting.  Search the site for gun control to see the other articles that have been written this week.  A columnist from Salon responds to the original Atlantic argument here.
• Mental health is also an issue that has been raised here, perhaps most heart wrenchingly by this article by a mother whose son suffers from a mental disease.  Time Magazine reviews the article and the responses it evoked here.

As you browse around today, please reply to this post by adding links to any articles that you find to be interesting, revealing, or provocative.

Questions on Abortion

After reading the Abortion Debates article and watching the film, Unborn in the USA, several questions emerged.  They include but are not limited to the following:

• What kind of role should the government play in abortion?
• Should a man have any rights in regards to his partner’s decision to have an abortion or not?
• Should parents be notified if their minor child wishes to have an abortion?
• What requirements, if any, should abortion clinics and those attending them have placed on them in order to do the procedure (consider ultrasounds and waiting periods)?
• What are the risks associated with making abortions severely restricted or illegal?
• Should individual states be allowed to have differing abortion laws?
• Should people have the right to protest outside abortion clinics?  Should there be any limitations on those protests?
• Should the ban on partial birth or late-term abortion be upheld?
• How do the choices of abortion and adoption compare?
• Should the morning after pill be allowed to be sold over the counter?
• Should contraceptives be given to teenagers in schools?
• Should parents know when teenagers are issued contraceptives?
• What is the relationship between abstinence only education and abortions?

Your task for today is to choose one of the above questions (or another question that was raised by the article or the film that is not listed above) and research the varying responses to it.  You should use the library subscription databases (CQ Researcher, Issues: Understanding Controversy in Society, or Gale Opposing Viewpoints, JSTOR).  You may do additional research on the web but be SURE that sites that you use are reputable, appropriate, and valid.

You should keep track of the sources you use as well as how they answer the question.  You should use one of the charts available under the Research Log section of the Research Tips at the Library website.
Also, several people expressed a desire to watch a film with a different point of view than "Unborn in the USA".  This one and this one provide alternate perspectives.

Update: Speech on Campus/Halloween Costumes/Etc.

Check out this story about an incident at Penn State University.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/50100377#50100377

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Death Penalty Update

Read this either before or after you complete the tasks from the previous post.

From yesterday's Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-31/news/sns-rt-us-usa-execution-southdakotabre89u06b-20121030_1_dave-curl-tina-curl-executions

Death Penalty Info

Now that you've looked at an individual case study and explored the law, it's time to examine the current status of the death penalty and how it operates. Please follow the steps below and blog your responses to the questions. Your responses can be separate paragraphs or one larger integrated piece. Make sure you are specific and detailed in your responses.  This can count as your post for the week.

• Read about the STAGES in a death penalty case. Be sure you understand all of the different steps inolved.
• RESPOND-What aspects of the stages in a capital case are designed to protect the rights of the accused? Do you believe that this system is sufficient to guarantee that only the guilty are convicted?
• Read about the different METHODS of execution.
• RESPOND-Which of these (if any) are the most humane? Should any be considered “cruel and unusual” according to the 8th Amendment? If so which? Why?
• Explore the state by state data found here. You can also see it in table form here, and here. (Note: While easier to read and compare in this format, these tables are only updated through 2008. To get current state by state information go here.) Questions to consider as you explore include: Which states have the most inmates on Death Row? Which states have no death penalty? Which state has the most inmates on death row? Are there more blacks or whites on death row? Which state has the most women on death row? Are more men or women on death row? Why aren’t there any statistics for juveniles on death row? Which states currently do not have a life without parole option? What is the most commonly used method of execution in those states that have the death penalty? Which state has committed the most executions as of 9/08? Which state has committed the second most executions as of 9/08? Are there differences in number of executions by ethnicity? What method of execution is most common?
• RESPOND-What sorts of conclusions can you draw from this data? What does the state by state data tell us about how the death penalty is used? What regional or other trends do you see? What might this data tell us about issues of equality, arbitrariness,and justice?
• Click on this document to read the former Illinois Capital Murder statute. RESPOND-what do you think? Was it fair? Should the crimes listed have death as a potential punishment? Why or why not? Go back to the state by state data and click on Illinois to find out the current status of the death penalty in Illinois. Does the data tell you anything about why the Illinois death penalty is no longer in effect? If not, make an inference.
• Take a look at the updated CHART put out by the death penalty information center.
• RESPOND-How does the information here influence your previous response? What does this data say about the economics of the death penalty? What does the data say about the influence of race on the death penalty? What does the data say about public opinion for the death penalty? Looking at the information overall, what point of view would you say that the Death Penalty Information center has? Is it convincing? Why or why not? What additional information would you like?
• BONUS-For Dexter fans. Read the blog posted here. RESPOND: If Dexter were caught, should he receive the death penalty? Why or why not?
• Sorry Dexter fans, the link above appears to be gone.  Here is another article, not as good as the first but similar idea.  Click here.

Constitutionality of the Death Penalty

Prior to making any conclusions about the death penalty, it's important to understand how the laws of the United States have applied it and why.  To do so, read about the Constitutionality of the Death Penalty.  You should begin on the page that opens in the hyperlink and continue to the end of the article on page 10.  (Alternatively, you can see and print a copy of the full article here.) Answer the questions on this worksheet as you read (you can make a copy of the worksheet to edit by going to file then clicking on "make a copy".  Be prepared to discuss in class.

So How Do I know Who I Should Vote For?

Check out these links.  What do you think of your results?  Are there any biases in any of these surveys?  Are you surprised by your results?  Why or why not?

USA Today Candidate Match

VoteSmart

ISideWith

SelectSmart

OntheIssues

Debate Highlights

Go to this link to see highlights from the 2nd Presidential Debate.

Election Season Contd.

As the election gets closer, it's important that we not only pay attention to the races, the candidates and the issues, but also to ensure that we have a solid grounding in the political process.  For your next assignment, you will work to do each of these things. With a partner, please work through the following.

Instructions:

• Go to http://upfront.scholastic.com/issues/09_03_12/book
• Read pages 6-9.  When you have finished, go back to page 6 and click on “Discuss this Article” circle (in red).  With a partner, discuss the questions.
• Read pages 10-11.  Make sure to click on the Red link “For more election lingo” on the top of page 10.  Be sure that you understand and can define each of the terms.
• Go to the Upfront Magazine
• Read the article
• Then with your partner, click on Games and Quizzes tab, select the “Electoral Challenge” game and then go ahead and play.
• Discuss the outcome. Who won? Why? What was the strategy used for victory?
• Next, read pages 12-13 in the magazine on polling.
• “Discuss this article" questions
• Then, go to the Web Links tab which will take you to Gallup, Real Clear Politics, and NYTimes swing state polls.
• Discuss with your partner. What polls did you look at? What do these latest polls show? What pieces of data are most interesting and why? Do you think this data will have an impact on the election? Why?
• Next, open this document and follow its instructions.  You can save the document as your own and then edit to respond to the questions.

Drug Testing Policy Town Hall Meeting

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Board of Education of the Township High School District hereby invites all interested parties to air their views on the new drug testing policy (*See below) at a town hall meeting to take place on October 11-12.

·       Each speaker must create a typewritten outline to be turned in prior to their opportunity to speak.

·       Each speaker will be limited to two minutes and is expected to have a firm grasp of the issues. 

·       Each speaker is required to demonstrate their understanding of the issues by using facts and argument from sources given as well as prior Supreme Court precedent (the Acton and Earls cases).

·       Each speaker should be prepared to answer questions from the school board.

 

Township High School District Policy:

The objectives of the District’s drug policy are:

• To educate children and adults as to the serious physical, mental, and emotional harm caused by the use of drugs.
• To provide a deterrent to the use of drugs by students of the District.
• To give students a valid reason to resist peer pressure to use drugs.
• To provide and maintain a safe, secure school environment, free of drug use and its effects.
• To eliminate the negative impact of drug use on the safety of students and others while traveling to and from school as well as throughout the school day and during school activities.

In order to meet the objectives of this program, all students and their parent/guardian are asked to sign a consent form agreeing to be part of the drug testing program for Township High School District.  During initial implementation, all students will take a mandatory drug test, and all students will be involved in random testing equivalent to a minimum of 10% of the group per month.  In subsequent years, incoming ninth graders will take a mandatory drug test, and all students, grades nine through twelve, will be involved in random testing at an equivalent to a minimum of 10% of the group per month.  Students entering the district after the first day or who had not been part of the initial mandatory testing will be given the test at the next random testing date.  Testing requires students to provide a urine sample, which is collected by an independent lab and screened for signs of tobacco and alcohol use, as well as for illegal substances.  If any of these substances are found as a result of the drug test, consequences will be imposed according to the policies listed on pages 18-21 of the student handbook.

Speech Codes on Campus

Last night you spent a little bit of time learning about speech codes on campus, what they are and the foundations of the law behind them.  Today, you will take a look at how these might be put into practice.  To do so, please follow the steps below:

1. Read Jim Crow on Fraternity Row
2. Next look at the pictures in the this slideshow
3. Begin a new post on your blog and respond to the articles and pictures.  What do you think?  Should the behavior depicted be outlawed or banned on campus?  Why or why not? Be sure to provide some context so that your readers know what you are writing about.
4. Go to the FIRE website and read their mission statement and what they are about. 
5. Look at the "What are Speech Codes?" article and "About Speech Codes" so that you understand how FIRE is defining them.
6. Go to "Using FIRE's Spotlight" in order to understand how to use their database.
7. Go to the database and select a college or university that you have an interest in.
8. Go back to your blog and continue your post by responding to the following:
• Describe your chosen university's speech codes (or lack of them).  How do your university’s policies or restrictions on free speech impact you as a prospective student? Does it influence or change the way you view the school? Do you believe that your university’s speech codes are legal or do they infringe on your rights to free speech?
• How might your university react to the parties that you read about in the previous activity?  Would you agree or disagree with their reaction?
9. Spend some time browsing FIRE’s website.  Explore their reports, articles, current events, projects.  Then continue your post.  What do you think of FIRE?  Do you agree with their perspective?  Do you agree with their definitions of what constitutes a speech code? Are the “restrictions” and codes they point out necessarily harmful or do they protect students?
10. Write a concluding thought.
11. Spend any remaining time looking at other class members' blogs.  Try to comment on at least two.

**NOTE: This does NOT take the place of your weekly blog post.

Reading Comprehension Day

You've had a lot of experience over the last few weeks reading expository articles and legal opinions.  Today you will be assessed on how well you are managing those skills.

• Last night, you read the Supreme Court's opinion in the Morse v. Frederick case.  Please respond to the questions on this quiz.
• Next, while we have been focused on your speech rights in high school, next year, as many of you will be in college, you will need to navigate your free speech rights on campus as well.  Read this article and then respond to the questions.
• Please print all of your responses and turn them in.
• Remember that this is an individual assignment.

Election Season

The Republican convention is in full swing, the Democrats are having theirs next week, political ads are prevalent on tv, our phones, and in our email.  The election season is upon us.  As many of you are going to vote for the first time in November, it is incumbent upon you to be as informed as you can be about the candidates and the issues.  Please begin to browse the links below and continue to gather information as we get closer to the election.

Mitt Romney's Website

Barack Obama's Website

The Huffington Post (Political Blog) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

The National Review (Political Blog)

Talking Points Memo (Political Blog)

Real Clear Politics (Political Blog)

The Wall Street Journal

The New York Times

Fact Checking Blog