What In the World?!

What should the title of this map be?  Make a key.

Check your answer here.


What kind of bias is evident in this data?  Do you agree or disagree with the conclusions?  Why?

Obama Selfie

A news photographer captured the president sitting with the prime ministers of Great Britain and Denmark. He has a cellphone in his hand. The three of them are grinning.


First lady Michelle Obama sits off to the side, somber, dignified, as the world remembers Mandela. Yet next to her like some goofy adolescent who hasn't yet been taught how to behave properly at a memorial service — her husband — is snapping a memorial to himself.


President Selfie.


Is this a pattern developing for the President?


Are we lucky he wasn't making a Duck Face? Or worse?


When is a Selfie not just inappropriate; its dangerous?!

Whats Going On In This Picture?

Click here to find out.

6 Questions About the News.

Hear the President's speech.

How one British pop song helped to free Nelson Mandela.

Keep It Classy ND

Television viewers in Bismarck, N.D., were treated to some real class this weekend when none other than the great Ron Burgundy read them the news.

Actor and comedian Will Ferrell reprised his "Anchorman" role for KXMB's Saturday night news broadcast. The former "Saturday Night Live" star is promoting "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," a sequel to the 2004 film.

Read more...

How good of a job did he do?

Why Was it hard to take him seriously?

What essential skills do you need to report the TV news?

Write your own TV news report for presentation in class.

Katy Perry: Bio Hazard

Singer Katy Perry's new album has been adored in reviews, but not by the Australian Department of Agriculture who see it as a bio hazard.

Whats all the fuss about?

Invasive species here in America are diverse, from all different continents, but they have one thing in common: people put them here. Whether unintentionally on shipments from Asia or Africa, or former pets released into the wild, these animals (and one plant) have turned America into their predator-free playground.

We've gathered up only nine invasive species in this slideshow, but there are literally hundreds more pest, plant, and animal immigrants out there.

What invasive species did the Pilgrim's bring with them on the Mayflower?

What invasive species can be found right here in Ohio?

How big of a problem are they?

What can be done about them?

Paradox of the Poultry Pardon

"You can tell what a nation is like by the way it treats its turkeys"

President Obama on Wednesday will pardon a Thanksgiving turkey. Which makes this a good time to ask why a liberal constitutional lawyer who bemoans the bloated prison system and proclaims that "life is all about second chances" is--on the matter of clemency--one of the stingiest presidents in U.S. history?

Put another way: If a turkey deserves a second chance, why not Weldon Angelos?

What is the History of the Presidential Poultry Pardon?

Which States/ Countries are part of the unique club that still have the death penalty?

Is American justice any different than Iran?

Are some forms of capital punishment more humane than others?

Is the death penalty Cruel and Unusual Punishment?  Should it be abolished?

JFK: 3 Shots That Changed America

Living through significant and sometimes shocking historical events can burn memories into our brains like a cattle brand. And occasionally we roll up our sleeves and compare those brands with one another by telling the stories of where we were and what we were doing at those times. There are many other significant events in the past 50 years that might create such searing memories.

Slate.com has a bracket — www.slate.com/features/bracketologist/wherewere/index.html — like a tournament bracket, of 32 events from JFK's assassination in Dallas to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Readers can click on their “favorites” to advance them through the “tourney.”

Slate co-editor Mark Reiter explains his bracket, saying: “'Where Were You When' moments tend to involve death — via natural disasters, hostile acts, the unexpected passing of very famous people, or bad things happening at NASA. Seldom happy events … they tend to be memorable because you witnessed or heard about them on television. Our criterion is simple: How deeply has the event singed itself on your memory?”

What are your 'Where Were You When" moments?

What in the World?

What should the title of this map be?  What is it showing us?

Compare it to this map.  What is the correlation?

A new report pulls together the current evidence on the current and projected human impact of climate change. It’s not pleasant reading. Headline numbers: Every year climate change leaves over 300,000 people dead. This will rise to roughly half a million in 20 years. 325 million people are seriously affected, and economic losses amount to US$125 billion, more than the total of all Official Development Assistance in a given year. Four billion people are vulnerable, and 500 million people are at extreme risk. These figures represent averages based on projected trends over many years and carry a significant margin of error. The real numbers could be lower or higher.

Over nine in ten deaths attributable to climate change are related to the gradual environmental degradation it causes (principally malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria), with the remaining deaths being linked to weather-related disasters brought about by climate change.

Developing countries bear over nine-tenths of the climate change burden: 98 percent of the seriously affected people and 99 percent of all deaths from weather-related disasters (see map), along with over 90 percent of the total economic losses. The 50 Least Developed Countries contribute less than 1 percent of global carbon emissions.

Whats the difference between a developed country and a developing one?

Philippines delegate Naderev (Yeb) Saño, announces his decision to go on hunger strike on the first day of the COP19 Climate Change Summit in Poland, 11 November 2013.

Making an impassioned plea for action by the conference, he said that he would be fasting in solidarity with his country-folk until action to prevent climate change is forthcoming.

Saño received a standing ovation after describing the hardship suffered by Filipino's, including members of his own family, due to the "colossal" typhoon Haiyan which recently hit his country.

But who is to blame?

Should the Developed Nations of the world pay compensation?  If so, how much?

Help Wanted: Storm Chaser

The cleanup continues across the Midwest, where dozens of tornadoes struck on Sunday. The Illinois town of Washington appears to have been hardest hit. The mayor says as many as 500 homes were damaged or destroyed by a tornado that cut a path about an eighth of a mile wide from one side of the town to the other.

Listen to the Story

See More Images

Just How Big Was This Storm?

Who was Dr. Ted Fujita and how has his research saved lives?

Would it be exciting to be a Storm Chaser?

Are Storm Chasers just like in the movies?

Write a Help Wanted ad.

The 'Hole' Truth

Add the earth opening up in the middle of the night and swallowing you to your growing list of irrational fears!

The gaping sinkhole that swallowed a man from his Florida home last spring was revealed  when demolition crews finished knocking down the remaining walls and clearing away the debris.

If you could only save one item from your house what would it be?

5 facts about sinkholes.

Where do sinkholes rank in terms of mortal risk?

Do sinkholes only happen in Florida?

What are you afraid of?

Storm of the Century

CLEVELAND - It was the biggest, meanest, deadliest winter storm to affect northern Ohio and the Great Lakes -- and you've probably never heard about it.

Thursday marks the 100th anniversary of what is known as the Great Lakes White Hurricane of 1913. It hit between Nov. 7 and Nov. 10 that year. This storm is considered by most historians to be the strongest and deadliest storm to ever strike the Great Lakes.

Read more....

How does this storm compare to the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillipines this week?

Is anywhere in the world safe from extreme weather?

Whats Going On?

Current Events Mad Lib;  Fill in the blanks....

_______ing  _______    is a mans job,  and if there is any  ______  link it gets   _____ ed  out.  It's the _________ 's    job on the ________ to take care of it.

Click here for Answer.

 Who is this man and what is he accused of?

How was he punished?

Listen to his response in his own words.  Would you forgive him?

Should NFL players or Professional Athletes be held to different societal standards?  Why or Why not?

How big a problem is bullying at our school?

When does bullying go too far?

Develop a Bullying Action Plan

Somebody's Watching You

Edward Joseph "Ed" Snowden is an exiled American computer specialist and former CIA employee and  NSA contractor who disclosed classified details of several top-secret United States and British government mass surveillance programs to the press.

Who are the NSA and what are their methods? 

Take a rare behind the scenes tour.

Did you ever feel like somebody's watching you?

WikiLeaks

A dramatic thriller based on real events, THE FIFTH ESTATE reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century's most fiercely debated organization. The story begins as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) team up to become underground watchdogs of the privileged and powerful. On a shoestring, they create a platform that allows whistleblowers to anonymously leak covert data, shining a light on the dark recesses of government secrets and corporate crimes.

Assange has inspired other internet whistleblowers including American Edward Snowden whose leaks of National Security documents last year disclosed classified details of several top-secret United States and British government mass surveillance programs to the press.  The diplomatic fallout includes allegations that the United States was spying even on its closest allies France and Germany.

Mr. Snowden has been fleeing United States authorities ever since, first taking refuge in Hong Kong, then holing up in the transit section of the Moscow international airport, and finally get a year’s asylum in Russia.

Even though he may have broken American laws in leaking classified documents to the press, do you think Mr. Snowden did the right thing? Did he reveal information the public needed to know? Is he justified in fleeing the United States?

Key Question: Is Snowden a Hero, a Traitor or Something Else?

Government Re-opens: Win, Lose or Draw?

Play Video

President Barack Obama signed into law a bipartisan deal approved by Congress Wednesday to reopen the federal government and avert an unprecedented debt default, ending a bitter and partisan 16-day impasse.The Senate voted 81-18; The House voted 285-144. Only Republicans opposed the deal in each chamber.

But Who were the winners?  Who were the losers?

National Parks?  Astronauts? Giant Pandas?

Budget Legos

Confused about the back-and-forth between the House and Senate over the budget shutdown that threatens the entire American economy? Allow us to explain, using the Legos on our desk.

The shutdown is only part of the story. On Oct. 17, the government is set to run out of money to pay its bills, leading to a potential default by the United States, something that has never happened and which many economists and business leaders warn could be calamitous for the country and the economy.

Think you could do a better job than Washington balancing the budget?  Play the Penny Game. 

Do you have what it takes to be a Budget Hero?

To understand the debt ceiling crisis, read the article “Treasury Puts a Date on When Cash May Run Out: Oct. 17″ and answer the following questions:

1) What is the debt ceiling? What is a default?

2) Why do many economists fear a default? What might happen?

3) Why have Republicans in Congress been reluctant to raise the debt ceiling?

4) Should President Obama ignore the debt ceiling?

5) Should he interpret the 14th Amendment as giving him the authority to bypass Congress and pay all United States debt in full?

6) Should Congressional Republicans offer to raise the debt ceiling to create more time to pursue their legislative goals with the shutdown?

7) How is the current standoff different from the 1995-96 shutdown? How did that end? How do you think this will end?

Obamacare: Should I Care?

While the Democrats and Republicans have been arguing about the budget, and we've been talking about the subsequent government shutdown, you may have missed the series finale of one of the best shows on television: Breaking Bad.

Why would this show never have happened anywhere else in the Industrialized World except the USA?

How is health care in America broken?

What will 'Obamacare' do to fix it?

What are the arguments against his 'Affordable Care' Law.

Room for Debate:  Is 'Obamacare' working?

Privatize It?

What is the role of Government in our economy? Should all government be privatized and controlled by a 'Free Market?' Are there certain government services that can't be privatized?

What is the 'Yellow Pages' test? Take a look at this list of services and decide whether or not you think they should be privatized:

1. Phone Service
2. Postal Serivice
3. Trash Removal
4. Police
5. Fire
6. Education
7. Parks
8. Shopping
9. Recreation
10. Hospitals
11. Military
12. Transportation
13. Power
14. Day Care
15. Banking
16. Road Building
17. Insurance
18. Radio
19. Museums
20. Libraries

Check your answers here.

What was the "Kids for Cash" scandal?

Wouldn't it be cool to have a robot police force to protect our streets from crime?

Detroit thinks so.

How about your own Zoo?

Anarchy In the USA?

Ten hours before parts of the federal government shut down -- unless Congress manages to strike a budget deal -- the Senate will reconvene at 2 p.m. Monday to initiate the final rounds of fiscal ping-pong between the Democrat-controlled upper chamber and the GOP-controlled House. There is little cause for optimism. Are we headed for Anarchy in the USA?

How we love to hate our government. Have you really stopped to think about what our government actually does for us?

Make a list of as many things you can think of?

But what happens if the government really shuts down?

What do you think?

Twins

Julius (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Vincent (Danny DeVito) Benedict are twin brothers, but that's where the similarities end. Julius was created to be the perfect child. Vincent is a crook about to be killed by loan sharks.

Watch Trailer

Wouldn't it be cool to have a twin?  What would be the positives?  Negatives?

Scientists have already cloned sheep, cattle, goats, mice, pigs, cats and rabbits. 
Are humans next?

Isn't this the stuff of Science Fiction?

Is human cloning wrong?

If we had the ability to clone human beings who would be first?  Imagine.

Mr. Cruz Goes To Washington

fil·i·bus·ter

ˈfiləˌbəstər/

noun

1. 1.

   an action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures.

   "it was defeated by a Senate filibuster in June"

   synonyms:

   stonewalling, delaying tactics, procrastination, obstruction

   Sen. Ted Cruz ended his nearly day-long filibuster at noon Wednesday, having held the chamber floor for more than 21 hours straight, etched his place in the record books with the fourth-longest filibuster in Senate history, and raised his own profile and boosted his quest to defund the health care law.
   
   Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/25/ted-cruz-filibuster-tops-mark-set-rand-paul/#ixzz2fvRzAHY5 

   
   

   
   

   1) Was Senator Ted Cruz technically ‘filibustering?’  Why/ Why not?

   
   

   
   

   2)  What did Senator Cruz hope to accomplish with his ‘very long speech?’

   
   

   
   

   3) What were his chances of  succeeding?

   
   

   
   

   4) Do you agree or disagree with the Senator’s tactics? Why?

   
   

   
   

   5) Why is that nothing ever seems to get done in Washington? 

Fires, Floods, and Hurricanes.... Oh My!

Climate Change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for public health and welfare.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?  Why/ not?

Are the recent floods in Colorado another symptom of a much larger problem?

Did Climate Change Worsen the Colorado Floods?

Or is the 'Influencing Machine' using fear tactics to control our minds?

Syria-ous-ly

What 3 questions would you have asked President Assad of Syria?

The possibility of a military strike by the United States and its allies against the Assad regime in Syria had triggered world wide demonstrations.  

Take a look at these WWI posters and then make one of your own for Syria using the propaganda techniques we looked at in class.

Should We Stay... Or Should We Go?!

It is hard, if you've got a head and a heart, to come down against a strong U.S. response to Syria's use of chemical weapons against its civilian population. This is especially so if you believe that humanity stands at a door that leads only to darkness. (read more)

But if we don’t act in this case, after all this windup, Iran and Hezbollah will take note of how little our admonitions to not acquire or use weapons of mass destruction really mean. We can’t know exactly what would come of our self-inflicted humiliation, but it would be nothing good. (read more)

What do you think our action in Syria should be?  What would Washington do?

What do YOU see?!

What’s going on in this picture?
What do you see that makes you say that?
Can you answer the 5 Ws & H:  WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, & HOW?

Compare what you see with your classmates. How can we all look at the same image and see something completely different?

Psychologists use tests like this in an attempt to examine the personality characteristics and emotional functioning of their patients. 'The ink blot' or 'Rorschach test' is the most famous example. Take the test online.

In journalistic terms how we see the world around us is called 'BIAS.' Every news story is influenced by the attitudes and background of its interviewers, writers, photographers and editors. Not all bias is deliberate. But you can become a more aware news reader or viewer by identifying the following journalistic techniques that allow bias to "creep in" to the news.

A Pope By Any Other Name....

Eight popes total (almost nine) have chosen the name Boniface. (Boniface VII was an antipope)

But that only ranks Boniface #10 on the list of most popular pope names.

What name did the new Pope choose?  Why?

What would your pope name be?

Click here to take the test.

'Pope-fuls'

Pope Benedict XVI’s shock resignation may be virtually unheard of in modern times but the system that will choose the Catholic Church’s new leader follows centuries of well-rehearsed and high secretive tradition.

Here are the top candidates to replace Pope Benedict XVI:

• Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina
• Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico
• Joao Braz de Aviz of Brazil
• Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines
• Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana
• Cardinal Angelo Scola of Italy
• Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada
• Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria
• Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Nigeria
• Cardinal Timothy Dolan of USA

How is a new Pope chosen?  Why all the secrecy?

What does the 'white smoke' mean?

Who is your top pick? Why?

America prides itself on secular tradition.  Why should non-catholics care about the new Pope?

Daylight Savings

When told the reason for daylight saving time the old Indian said…
‘Only a white man would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew it to the bottom of a blanket and have a longer blanket.’

So what exactly is Daylight Savings Time and why do we have it?

Write a persuasive essay on whether you think we should keep daylight savings or scrap it. 

Give at least 3 specific arguments either way.

Whats the Headline?

Can you write a lead for this photo answering Who, What, Where, When, Why, How?

Make a prediction of what will happen next.

What does Justin Timberlake think?

Sequester

Let’s admit it: we’ve all heard the word sequester being thrown around by the president and other politicians lately, and we’ve pretty much done everything in our power to ignore it.

Unfortunately, we can tune out this discussion no longer. The time has come to take our heads out of the sand and understand not only what the word sequester means, but the many ways in which, if enacted, it will totally ruin our lives.

Rank these 7 government programs in order of importance:

HEALTH CARE

EDUCATION

MILITARY

NATIONAL PARKS

DISASTER RELIEF

AGRICULTURE

FOOD & DRUG INSPECTION

Which do you think is the most important?  The least?

How specifically would each be affected by the proposed cuts?

Are there any 'silver linings' to the sequester?

Does everyone think the sequester is bad?

Red Carpet Dress Code

Who were the good the bad and the ugly at this years Oscars?

Notice anything unusual about the men?

Should the Oscar's have a Dress Code like the Grammys?

How does this Dress code compare to Talawanda's:

Rule 14. Dress and Appearance 

Dress and grooming should be neat, clean, and appropriate. It should not constitute a safety or health hazard or be such that it might hamper the educational process. The faculty and administration will have the responsibility of deeming what is appropriate for the health and safety of all persons involved in all aspects of Talawanda High School.  

First Offense: verbal warning and student will be required to correct the infraction before returning to class. 

Second Offense: Discipline will be issued based on severity of the infraction and student will be required to correct the infraction before attending classes  

In order to promote an environment conducive to learning, the standard for personal appearance prohibits the following:

- Low-cut or see through clothing
- Skirts, skorts, and dresses shorter than mid-thigh, even with leggings worn underneath.    For skirts, skorts, and dresses with slits, the slit must meet the above standard.
- Pants with holes or tears above mid-thigh
- Pajama pants or house slippers
- Visible undergarments
- Spiked jewelry or long linked chains
- Exposed midriffs and/or lower backs
- Halter-tops, muscle shirts, mesh shirts, and/or spaghetti straps
- Spandex or spandex-like shorts or pants
- Hats, bandanas
- Items that display or allude to inappropriate language or graphics representing any type of alcohol, tobacco, violence, illicit drugs, sex, or deemed to be disruptive to the educational
process.

Would these 'Stars' be sent home from THS?

How about FLOTUS (First Lady of The United States)?

Retire or Rehire?

Pope Benedict XVI announced today that he would resign his position as the head of the Roman Catholic Church on February 28, shocking the Christian world and even those close to him. Benedict, 85, explained that because of his advanced age and diminishing strength, he didn't feel he could carry on the job.  The 265th Pontiff, Benedict will be the first leader of the Church to step down voluntarily in almost six centuries.

This begs the question:  How old is too old to keep working?

Millions of people in their 50s and 60s are unemployed; some have retired but many wish they were still working. Research shows that older people have much to offer, particularly as educators and child care providers.

How can the talents and experience of older workers be put to good use? Would it be smart for temp agencies and internship and fellowship programs to recruit more older people? 

Read what the experts say and you decide.

What Would Martin Do?

In his short lifetime, Martin Luther King Jr. was a model of nonviolence. We can only imagine now how he would have reacted to the random violence of the last year, what kind of leadership he would have provided as we struggle to respond to the mass murders in Sandy Hook, Aurora and elsewhere.

King, of course, was himself the victim of gun violence. His life was ended at the age of 39 by an escaped convict who bought a high-powered rifle under a false name without being required to show so much as a driver’s license.

He would have turned 84 this year and, if he had lived, would certainly have provided wisdom based on his chief principle of nonviolence. 

What would he have said? What would Martin have done?

What would he have said about allowing guns in school zones, as Rep. Thomas Massie of Northern Kentucky and others want to do?

What would he have said about posting armed guards at the doors of every school, as the NRA proposes?

What would he have said about the general availability of high-capacity, rapid-fire weaponry designed to kill people in large numbers?

Would you agree or disagree with Dr. King?  What do others say?

Gun Control and the 2nd Amendment

Amid discussion in Washington of new gun-control measures, the NRA releases an online ad that cites the Secret Service protection of Sasha and Malia Obama as an example of how President Obama is a 'hypocrite' on guns.

Is it wrong for NRA to drag Obama's daughters into gun-control fight?

Everything You Need To Know About Obama’s Gun Violence Prevention Proposals.

China Keeps Tight Grip On Media

A man buys the latest edition of Southern Weekly at a newsstand near the newspaper's headquarters in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, on Thursday. The staff at the influential weekly rebelled to protest censorship by government officials; the newspaper was published Thursday after a compromise that called for relaxing some intrusive controls.

Listen to the rest of the story.

Read more on how a feisty Chinese newspaper stood up for press freedom.

Write a summary of the News Article.