Do you need this?

Based upon this list, choose three things that are "wants" and not "needs." List them and then describe, in a paragraph, why they are not necessary:

1. Buying Hot Cheetoh's
2. Cable TV
3. Fresh meat
4. New furniture
5. Nike Shoes
6. Internet
7. Going out to the movies
8. A swimming pool
9. Donating money to a charity
10. A birthday present for your nephew
    

Fahrenheit 451 Questions

We just finished reading a scene where a woman stayed with her books as they ignited her house. Was this woman crazy for dying for her books?

Is there any idea or belief that you would be willing to die for?

Discussion: Are We Becoming Cyborgs?

Go check out The Social Pulse to see some of the student comments on this idea!

In Farenheit 451, there is a scene with the Mechanical Hound, where the machine seems to become more "human" and the humans are being so programmed by technology that they seem to become more mechanical. What do you think of this?

What's most common on our blog?

We created a Wordle for our blog (first one) and our blog tags (second one)


So, what can we make of it? What does this say about our blog?

Globalization Picture

Write your reaction to this picture. Why is this an example of globalization? How does it shape the world's view of America?

Picture Source
Flickr Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinevan/3182419814/

Freedom and Globalization

Does globalization make the world more free or less free?

Photo Source:
Flickr Creative Commons

The Changing of Nations

We mentioned in class that the world is being shaped into:

• National - within your country
• International - between more than one country
• Micronational - (sometimes considered intranational) - a group within a country trying to be a nation
• Transnational - beyond countries, entirely global

Globalization (through economic and technological forces) make micronationalism and transnationalism more accessible to people within a nation.

Discussion Question:

How does this new type of grouping change the way a country fights a war?


Photo Credits
Flickr Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anjan58/1281306048/

Survey Results

Survey Results: In what area do you think you can make the most difference? You can see the results below.  Sixty-eight percent of students felt that it is in their neighborhood, while fifteen percent suggested in our city.  No one chose state, which is interesting. 

So, with these results in mind, here are some questions

1. How does this change how we'll plan service projects?

2. Why is it that no one thinks we can change our state?

3. What should we do to change our neighborhoods?

Your Neighborhood	13 (68%)
Your City	3 (15%)
Your State	0 (0%)
Your Nation	1 (5%)
Your World	2 (10%)

 

Native American Art

What point is the artist trying to make about America? What goes through your mind as you look at this?

REFERANCE:
Wayne Eagleboy (American, contemporary), We the People, 1971, Art Wagon Gallery. Contemporary Native American Wayne Eagleboy's version of the US flag bears portraits of two Indian men behind a screen of barbed-wire. The painting is framed with fur.

Case #1: Fighting Stereotypes

This is one of the many sports teams with Native American mascots

Before the Native American civil rights movement, there were many stereotypes about Native Americans that dominated the media. For example, sports teams like the Redskins used Native Americans as mascots. In movies, the American Indians were always portrayed as ignorant and evil while the white cowboys were the "good guys." Tobacco companies used Native Americans in logos that many Native Americans found offensive. Children learned about the first Thanksgiving without learning about the reality of how Native Americans had taught the original pilgrims how to farm.

Native Americans began protesting these stereotypes. They wrote letters to film companies asking for a change. They created protests in front of sports venues. At several universities, Native American groups burned symbols of offensive mascots. In addition, many Native American artists fought back and created their own art and imagery as well as music and movies that celebrated their rich heritage. These helped combat the stereotypes that had previously existed.

1. How had America used stereotypes to marginalize, demonize or assimilate Native Americans?
2. What methods did Native Americans use to fight back? Which ones were the most effective, in your opinion?
3. Do you feel that Americans still have negative stereotypes toward Native Americans?

Case #2: Changing Education

In the early 1900's, the U.S. government began creating Indian Schools. These schools were designed for assimilation, where Native Americans would learn how to act more "American." For example, students lost their native names, were forbidden to speak their native language, had to eat American food, dressed according to middle-class white standards and used "proper" manners.

In the 1960's, Native American activists began to challenge these ideas. They fought to close and reform the Indian Schools. They began to protest the "white history" that failed to mention the genocide of Native Americans. At universities, they began to demand courses in Native American studies. A group of Native American protesters even stormed the battle site of Wounded Knee to recover their own history. They began to write books like Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee that told the history of what happened to their people.

1. How had America used marginalizing, demonizing or assimilation to control Native American education?
2. What methods did Native Americans use to fight back?
3. Do you feel that schools have done an adequate job with Native American history?

Methods of Protest

During the Civil Rights Movement, people chose many methods of protesting against segregation and discrimination. Groups like the NAACP used community organizers and churches (not the chicken place) to spread the word. Rosa Parks, a member of the NAACP began a bus boycott when she deliberately broke the law and was arrested for refusing to sit in the back of the bus. College students led sit-ins and demonstrations where they "took over" the campus so that professors would include African-American and Latino studies. An all-black group of lawyers provided the lawsuit Brown vs. Board of Education, which led to the integration of schools. When the president failed to integrate schools, children throughout the nation led walk-outs which sent the message that they would not receive a mediocre education.

Groups such as the Black Panthers used the threat of violence to provide schools with free breakfast and lunch programs. In some areas of the country, there were riots. These helped pressure Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voter Rights Act of 1965. Although the government helped with Civil Rights, the FBI was often involved in spying on Civil Rights leaders and openly supported racist sheriffs like Bull Connor who used fire hoses and attack dogs on protesters.

As a group, decide which method was the most effective way of fighting for Civil Rights. Make sure your response uses persuasive arguments and is at least one paragraph.

Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr.

	Malcom X	Martin Luther King Jr.
Can all races get along?	Segregation – All races should be separate and leave one another alone	Integration – All races should live and interact with each other
Faith	Muslim	Christian
Methods	Violence might be necessary when protests are not enough, but also try boycotts and protests and speeches.	Never use violence. Instead, use boycotts, protests, speeches, etc.
National Identity	Be proud of your race and consider yourself a nation of your race instead of your country	Be proud of your American identity and your race at the same time. The goal is for all races to be part of our nation.

What are their similiarties? What are their differences?

Whose approach do you like better? Why?

Racism in Our Neighborhoods

What types of racism exists in our neighborhoods and in our city? Give me specific examples of it.

Racism in Our School

What types of racism exists in our school? Give me specific examples of it.

Racism in Our Neighborhoods

What types of racism exists in our neighborhoods and in our city? Give me specific examples of it.

Case #1: Cell Phones

Cell phone technology developed out of the need to supply wireless communication in war. During the Korean War and later in Vietnam, the U.S. developed new methods of communicating with walkie-talkies. Later, this combined with some of the NASA technology used to communicate with aircraft. By the early 1980's, consumers could use cellular phones (although they were massive beasts that would not last long.)

1. How is this related to either the military or NASA?
2. How would the world be different if this hadn't been invented?

Case #2: Satellites

The Russians were the first to send a rocket into outer space. The Sputnik was the first manned aircraft to orbit the world. As a result of this competition between the United States and Russia, America sent thousands of satellites into orbit. The technology used to win the space race is now used to supply cell phone signals, GPS, television signals, etc. Satellite technology is a part of what created our digital world.

1. How is this related to either the military or NASA?
2. How would the world be different if this hadn't been invented?

Case #3: Nuclear Power

One of the by-products of using a nuclear bomb was that the United States and Russia were both able to harness the nuclear technology into power plants (think Homer Simpson in Springfield). Although environmentalists were upset about some of the potential contamination issues, it has proved to be a powerful method of supplying power to the U.S.

1. How is this related to either the military or NASA?
2. How would the world be different if this hadn't been invented?

Case #4: Internet

During the Cold War, the United States needed a way to network computers to send information. In the 1950's, no one had personal computers. All the computers were massive computers contained in entire rooms. The U.S. neeeded a way to connect these. So, the military created ARPANET. Several other networks grew from there.

In the 1980's, NASA developed the IP address system, which helped lead to what we now consider to be the internet. The internet as we know it really took off between 1989 and 1993, which helped prove that the United States was more innovative than the fledgling Soviet Union.

1. How is this related to either the military or NASA?
2. How would the world be different if this hadn't been invented?