Out of Print

A new report to be issued in January by the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future predicts that most newspapers will be dead in five years. The Center’s director, Jeffrey I. Cole, had this to say about the future of newspapers: “Circulation of print newspapers continues to plummet, and we believe that the only print newspapers that will survive will be at the extremes of the medium – the largest and the smallest,” said Cole. It’s likely that only four major daily newspapers will continue in print form: The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. At the other extreme, local weekly newspapers may still survive. “The impending death of the American print newspaper continues to raise many questions,” Cole said. “ 

1) Will media organizations survive and thrive when they move exclusively to online availability?

2) How will the changing delivery of content affect the quality and depth of journalism?” (source)

3) Is the New Orleans Times Picayune the next to go?

Presidential Top Ten

As we reflect and remember the life of our 41st President, George HW Bush, where would he rank amongst our Nation's best and worst Presidentts?  What are the criteria that we use to measure a President's success?

For C-SPAN's third Presidential Historians Survey, nearly 100 historians and biographers rated 45 US presidents on 10 qualities of presidential leadership: public persuasion, crisis leadership, economic management, moral authority, international relations, administrative skills, relations with Congress, vision, pursued equal justice for all, and performance within the context of his times.

Did your favorite make the list?

Superhero Day

Happy Superhero Day!

Do you recognize a superhero when you look one in the face? Do you think such men and women truly exist? If not, then look. And think again.

Indeed, there is a real subculture of genuine heroes, that bridge the gap between the fantastic and the practical. Anonymous and selfless, they choose every day, to make a difference in the world around them. Whether it be feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, or cleaning up their neighborhoods, they save real lives in very real ways. These are not “kooks in costumes,” as they may seem at first glance. They are, simply put, a radical response… to a radical problem.

So who are these modern day heroes? They are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. They are artists, musicians, athletes, and yes, politicians. Their actions serve as reminders that as most giving today has become reactive—digital and removed, temporarily soothing our guilt and feelings of helplessness—we have blinded ourselves to simple principles and practice of compassion and goodwill.

1) If you could have any superpower what would it be? Why?

2) Which Superhero are you most like?

3) Why are superhero stories so popular?

4) What makes a person a superhero? Is it the costume or the cape?

5) How do these guys make a difference? Does everyone approve?

6) Who is Bat Dad?

7) What is the Real Life Superheroes project?

8) Who is your Hero?

Political Advertising

Tim Derickson, Talawanda grad,  and one of the many candidates running in the special election for Ohio’s vacant eighth congressional district, “grew up a third-generation dairy farmer.”   What metaphor does he use for Washington politics?

Political campaigns literally spend millions of dollars trying to sway their voters. But are they getting their money's worth?

There are four main types of ads:

Negative - One candidate portrays the other in an unfavorable light.
Warm and Fuzzy - Candidates make the viewer feel good about the country or his/her campaign.
Humorous - Candidates elicit a laugh or smile from the viewer.
Scary - Candidates evoke images of fear (usually combined with a Negative ad)

After you have closely observed these political ads, answer the following questions.

The Most Disasterous 2018 Campaign Ads

1. What are the key messages communicated in each advertisement?
2. Which type of ad was more memorable? Why?
3. Which do you think would be most effective in convincing viewers to vote for (or against) a candidate?
4. Did you learn from the ads? Did they help you to decide which candidate to support?
5. What do all types have in common? Do they provide factual information or do theyevoke an emotional response?
6. During which programs do the ads play? What time of the day do you see the most ads?
7. What are the limitations of a 30-second commercial?
8. How important is a candidate’s look in these ads? What type of image are they trying to create?
9. If you were the campaign manager for a candidate in your district, what type of ad would you try to create?

Political commercials are like miniature movies. As in movies, great care is taken to make certain each detail of production--lighting, editing, music--work together to convey a particular mood.

Watch an ad for a fictional candidate. You can add different effects to manipulate the tape into an ad for or against the candidate.

You vs. FNORDY Krueger

How would you defeat Freddy Krueger?

In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late?

How do we defeat the 'FNORDS?'

Kavanaugh Accusations

SHOULD YOU BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR BAD DECISIONS IN HIGH SCHOOL? WHY OR WHY NOT?  

The confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been delayed due to recent allegations that when Kavanaugh was in high school in the early 1980s, he allegedly sexually assaulted another teenager, Christine Blasey Ford, at a party. On Sunday, a second woman came forward to make an allegation against Kavanaugh, which dates back to 1983-84, when the woman and Kavanaugh were students at Yale University.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will face a crucial vote this week as a Senate panel will decide whether or not to move his nomination to the full Senate with a full vote as early as next week. This comes after Kavanaugh adamantly denied sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford, who insisted she’s “100 percent” certain he did. High drama played out in a day-long hearing on the allegations against Kavanaugh. Ford offered her much-awaited testimony about the summer day in 1982 that she remembers being assaulted, while Kavanaugh defiantly called it a “political hit.”

READ THE ARTICLE:  WHAT TEENS THINK ABOUT KAVANAUGH ACCUSATIONS

1) What is 'consent' and when is it required?

2) What does the saying 'boys will be boys' mean? Do you agree?

3) Should there be a 'statute of limitations' on mistakes you've made in the past? If so how long?

4) Do you think Judge Kavanaugh should he be excluded from the Supreme Court? Why or why not?

Fighting the Sandy Hook Lies

"You are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts."

A battle currently pits parents still mourning the loss of their children in the Sandy Hook school shooting against purveyors of the most mean-spirited and outlandish of myths. 

1) What are the lies about Sandy Hook?

2) Why do conspiracy theories like this persist?

3) Why are these lies so painful to parents of the deceased?

4) Is the Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory the only one?  List 5 more.

5) What steps can we take to fact check conspiracy theories?

News You Can't Use

Polls... don't get me started.

News consumers complain more about inaccuracy than cowardice.  More than half the people polled in a 2009 Pew study believed news stories are rife with inaccuracies and 79% believe news outlets try to cover them up.  A poll's precision is 'seductive and soothing;'  but it can also be a 'snare and delusion.'

Donald Trump's campaign launched often vitriolic attacks on minorities, Muslims, women and pretty much anyone else – and yet his populaarity just kept on climbing. He led the race to win the Republican nomination and ultimately the White House, defying the polls.
1) Why were the 'polls' so wrong about Donald Trump?

2) How did Donald Trump use the media to get out his message and win the election?

Are Video Games Really That Bad?

The video game industry is a global phenomenon. There are over 1.2 billion gamers across the planet, with sales projected soon to pass $100 billion per year. But their very popularity fuels the controversy that surrounds them. They frequently stand accused of corrupting the young - of causing violence and addiction. But is this true?

Recent headlines of a shooting at a gaming event in Jacksonville Florida would seem to reinforce these arguments.  Or do they?

Horizon reveals a scientific community deeply divided. Some are convinced that video games incite aggression. Others insist they have no effect whatsoever on real-world violence. But away from the controversy, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests video games may help keep the brain sharp, and could soon revolutionise how we combat mental decline as we age.

Does Secrecy Still Make Us Safer?

CNN's Kate Bolduan reads the entire op-ed in the New York Times written by an unnamed senior Trump administration official.

1) Is the anonymous author a 'hero' for calling out the President, or a 'gutless loser' as Trump claims?

2) Should we have secrets from our Government? Explain.

3) Should our Government have secrets from us? Explain.

4) Where does our right to 'privacy' end and the Government's right to 'know' begin?

5) Who do you think the anonymous author is?

American Hero

Who is your hero? Why?

What characrteristics or core values do heroes share?

Should Donald Trump 'award' John McCain the Medal of Honor posthumously?

John McCains Farewell Message to America

My fellow Americans, whom I have gratefully served for sixty years, and especially my fellow Arizonans,

Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them.

I have often observed that I am the luckiest person on earth. I feel that way even now as I prepare for the end of my life. I have loved my life, all of it. I have had experiences, adventures and friendships enough for ten satisfying lives, and I am so thankful. Like most people, I have regrets. But I would not trade a day of my life, in good or bad times, for the best day of anyone else's.

I owe that satisfaction to the love of my family. No man ever had a more loving wife or children he was prouder of than I am of mine. And I owe it to America. To be connected to America's causes -- liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people -- brings happiness more sublime than life's fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves.

Fellow Americans' -- that association has meant more to me than any other. I lived and died a proud American. We are citizens of the world's greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history. We have acquired great wealth and power in the process.

We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.

We are three-hundred-and-twenty-five million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.

Ten years ago, I had the privilege to concede defeat in the election for president. I want to end my farewell to you with the heartfelt faith in Americans that I felt so powerfully that evening.

I feel it powerfully still.

Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.

Farewell, fellow Americans. God bless you, and God bless America.

The End of the World as We Know It?!

Amatuer archaeologists have uncovered what they are calling the ancient civilization of 'Usa.'  Long buried by an unknown catastrophe who were these mystery people?

There has been a lot of apocalyptic talk lately that the end of the world is nigh.  
Imagine explorers arriving to find our cities deserted.  Our books and newspapers have perished in some unknown catastrophe.  All that is left to speak for us are the written words we have carved in stone.  The travelers can not make sense of our mysterious script;  but if they could would they comprehend who we were?

Is Archaeology Newsworthy?

Read the latest Archaeological Headlines.

Listen to The End of the World as We Know It.

Peace In the Midle East?

Do you tink the President's decision to move the US Embassy in Isreal to Jerusalem will help the peace process or hinder it?  Why?

What would you do if you were to bring peace to the region?

Prom and Global Warming

Imagine not being able to have your Prom.

The Prom is seen as a rite of passage in the United States. The culmination of your High School years and celebration of your step into adulthood. The history of Prom in the United States goes back over 60 years. The word Prom is short for promenade, the formal, introductory parading of guests at a party. The Prom can be traced back to the simple co-ed banquets that 19th century American universities held for each year's graduating class.

What does Global warming have to do with their Prom?

Why does French President Emmanuel Macron want President Trump to 'come back and join' the Paris Climate Agreement?

Are we to blame for Joplin's tragedy? Vice President Al Gore thinks so.

10 years later is the truth still inconvenient?

What do the climate deniers say?

 
How do their statements prove the adage 'Statistics never lie but liers always use statistics?'

I'm not a Scientist but I am a Social Studies teacher.  How is this issue politicized?

What is your 'Global Footprint? What can be done about it?

Super Freakonomics

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? Does turning on the lights kill coal miners?

Statistics never lie but liers always use statistics.

Freakonomics is a ground-breaking collaboration between Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, an award-winning author and journalist. They usually begin with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: Freakonomics.

Read this excerpt and then answer the following questions:

1) What is an externality?
2) Who is Jack? What are the externalities in his life?
3) Are externalities easily quantifiable? Why or Why not?
4) List the top ten exteralities in your life and what you can do to control each one.

Taxing Times

"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

-Benjamin Frankilin 1817

The original tax form, introduced in 1913, only came with one page of instructions, "which would make people very happy," said Nina Olson, taxpayer advocate at the IRS.

Back then, only about 3 percent of the population was subject to the income tax. Today it's 54 percent. Gone is the single page of instructions, with its deductions for losses due to "shipwreck."

Now, the tax code is more than 73,000 pages long. Just figuring out what to pay eats up an estimated 6.1 billion hours of our time each year.

Read more...

Why do we have to pay taxes in the first place?

Where is the tax bill now on the path to becoming law?

Who is Grover Norquist and what is his pledge?

Would you sign it?  Why/ not?

A Higher Loyalalty

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Comey describes having to talk to the then-president-elect about allegations Trump was involved with prostitutes in Moscow.

1) Who is James Comey?

2) Why did he write this book?

3) Why was he fired?

4) What does the POTUS think about James Comey?

5) Who do you beleive:  POTUS or Comey?  Why? 

Happy Friday the 13th!

Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year.  The superstition surrounding this day may have arisen in the Middle Ages, "originating from the story of Jesus' last supper and crucifixion" in which there were 13 individuals present.

Why do we like being afraid?

Why should or shouldn't we be afraid of the news?

War In Syria

For the past five years, Hadi Abdullah, 29, has been reporting on the war in Syria and its devastating effects in rebel-held areas. This work has put him and his colleagues in the line of fire.  Watch his report and answer these questions on your own sheet of paper.

1) Why did Hadi become a reporter?

2) What was he studying before the war?

3) Is he biased? If so, how?

4) What risks does he and his friends face?

5) Who does he hope will see his reports ? Why?

Still don't understand the fighting in Syria? It's complicated.

6) What was the 'Arab Spring?

7) What are the roots of the conflict?

8) Who are the good guys and the bad guys?

9) Why aren't the United States, Europe, or the United Nations doing anything?

10) In your opinon what should happen next? Should the United States Intervene? If so how? If not why?

So what has happened to Hadi Abdullah?

Fake News Blues

How America's largest local TV owner turned its news anchors into soldiers in Trump's war on the media: https://t.co/iLVtKRQycL pic.twitter.com/dMdSGellH3

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) March 31, 2018

One company. One script. Many, many voices.

A video published by sports news site Deadspin over the weekend revealed dozens of TV anchors from Sinclair Broadcast Group reciting the same speech warning against "biased and false news."

It was the latest show of the vast reach of a company that owns local TV stations across the country and has long been criticized for pushing conservative coverage and commentary onto local airwaves.

Sinclair required local anchors to record promos where they denounce "the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country" and say that "some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control 'exactly what people think.' "

Sinclair says it is simply warning viewers about the dangers of fake news circulating on social media.

But media critics see a powerful company using local journalists to parrot one of President Trump's most consistent talking points — an allegation that the mainstream media cannot be trusted.

Read the rest of the story then answer these questions:

 1) What is the Sinclair Broadcasting Group? Does this group have its own bias?

 2) What are some of the criticisms of this campaign against 'fake news' by the Sinclair Broadcasting Group?  How has Sinclair responded to these criticisms?

3) What does President Trump think about these criticisms?  What has he tweeted?

4) Is it wrong for Sinclair Broadcasting Group to send out messages like this or does it really affirm their commitment to fair, unbiased journalism? What do you think?

The Post

 The Oscars are this Sunday, and Meryl Streep extends her record for nominations to 21 for her performance as Katherine Graham in “The Post.” The nod extends Streep’s record by nine over Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, who are tied in second place with a dozen each.

 As Graham, Streep plays a leader who decides to publish the incendiary information about the Vietnam War amid great pressure, in both directions, from government officials, her lawyers and her own employees. The papers fell into the Washington Post‘s hands at a delicate time.

 The New York Times, which first reported on the papers, had been temporarily banned from publishing the information, which exposed that the government had repeatedly lied to the public about progress in the Vietnam War. Editors at the Post had a small window of time to jump on the story. President Nixon and his administration fought hard to keep the information from going public, even taking the case to the Supreme Court.

1) Why did Nixon fight so hard to keep the information from going public?

2) Who was the real Katherine Graham?  What in her life led her to this historic moment?

3) Do you agree with her historic decision to publish the papers which criticized Nixon and the government?  Would you have made the same decision? Why/not?

4) How did the publication of the Pentagon Papers change the perception of the press and the government in America?

5) If history is an indication do you think Meryl Streep and The Post will win the Oscar Sunday night?  Why/not?

Another School Shooting

Some of those mothers and fathers were still waiting into the night for word whether their child survived the massacre. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said five of the 17 victims have still not been identified as of 9:30 p.m. ET — about seven hours after the shooting.

The gunman, who had been expelled and didn't graduate, was identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz. Israel said Cruz was armed with “countless” magazines and an AR-15-style rifle.

Cruz was arrested a short distance from the school near a home, a law enforcement official who is not authorized to comment publicly told USA TODAY. Students recognized the suspect during the assault, he said.

Flanked by officers, the suspect was later escorted into a police station wearing a hospital gown.

"Another horrific day, a detestable day," Israel said. "I'm absolutely sick to my stomach to see children who go to school armed with backpacks and pencils lose their lives."

Some argue that it is far to easy for young people to get their hands on guns to carry out such crimes.

While others argue the importance of keeping guns in preserving our freedom?

What do you think?



Who is RT News and why would  they make a documentary about 2nd Amendment gun rights in America?

Can the Olympics Bring the Koreas Together?

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have sharply escalated recently, with North Korea firing a ballistic missile over Japan and threatening to launch missiles into waters near Guam, and President Trump mocking the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, as “Rocket Man,” and Mr. Kim responding by calling Mr. Trump a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard.”


But then the Olympics approached, and suddenly the tone seems to have changed. Athletes from North and South Korea will march under one flag; the two countries will field a joint women’s hockey team; and a North Korean pop orchestra will stage performances in South Korea during the Games. Do the 2018 Winter Olympics offer a real chance to ease political and nuclear tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula?

Read the related article.

What Makes a Good Commercial?

The Super Bowl is much more than just about football — it has become a widely anticipated advertising blitz that costs companies close to $5 million for a 30-second commercial. Every year advertisers roll out what they hope will be the cleverest, funniest and most memorable commercials. 

 What do you think makes a good commercial?

What techniques do advertisers use to get what they want?

 What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial this year?  Your least favorite?

 How do this years commercials compare to the past?

 What about the ads that weren't shown? Does getting a 'banned' commercial still sell your product?

Do you think you could do better than the 'Mad Men?'

Words Matter

President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address Tuesday night (Jan. 30), stressing growth in the economy during his first year in office, his stance on immigration and ramping up the battle against terrorism. He rarely strayed from his script and made a point to praise several individuals he deemed "the best of America."

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune placed text of the Trump's address in a word cloud generator, which filtered out articles, pronouns, as well as common and modal verbs to determine the 100 most frequently used words in his speech. It generated the image above -- the bigger the word appears, the more often it was used.

Our words matter. It's not how much you say, but it's making what you say count. Are your words making an impact or is it just chatter? Are you contributing to the conversation or trolling? Right now, there is a lot of noise out there that, unfortunately, is drowning out real, constructive conversations. Political correctness is dead and has been replaced by a spare-no-feelings, tell-it-like-it-is attitude. I'm not a fan mainly because, as a communicator, I understand that it's not so much what you say as how you say it. Being politically correct doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't speak truth, it is just the recognition that I need to take other people's feelings and dignity into account when I speak. I value frankness as much as anyone, but our words carry more impact if they are not weighed down by rudeness and baseless stereotypes.

Click the link below to watch the video on 'Active Listenting' and practice your skills.

The Difference Between Reflective & Active Listening - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

Do you think you are a better listener than the late Jerry Lewis?  Take the 'Announcers Test.'

For Fake's Sake: The Dangers of Fake News

There's a whole industry dedicated to producing fake US news in Macedonia -- and it's gearing up for 2020. (Source: CNN)

Fake news isn’t new, but it’s provoking division and distrust, both in institutions and amongst ourselves. Fake news isn’t always political, but it’s almost always personal. And guess what? Anyone can fall for it. Even you.

What are the dangers of 'Fake News' and what can we do to protect ourselves?

What is Current Events?

What do you think was THE most improtant event of 2017? Why?

1) What made these events Headlines?

2) What similarities or differences did these events share?

3) Which do you think is the most important? Least?  Why?

4) What predictions can you make up about the events we will study this year?