Space Walk

The USA Today is running an article entitled, "Astronauts Will Try to Mend Solar Wing." The article begins, "Two astronauts will conduct a hastily planned, risky and unprecedented spacewalk as early as Friday at the International Space Station to fix a torn solar panel, which if not repaired might have to be junked." It reports, "The $5.6 million panel generates roughly 15% of the station's electricity. Without it, the station would not have enough power to support all the rooms slated to be added to it in the coming year."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• What do your students think it means to be brave? What kinds of things might a brave person do? Do your students think it's important to be brave? Why/why not?
  
• Students might develop skits in which they demonstrate what it means to be brave.
  
• Ask students if they would like to go out to outer space one day? Why/why not? What do students think it would be like to be in space? What kinds of things do they think they would see?
  
• Invite students to walk around the room as if they were in outer space. Invite them to walk around the room as if they were in the middle of the ocean.
  
• Ask students how many things they can find around the classroom that run on electricity, that is need to be plugged in. Do students think that electricity is important? Why/why not? Can students think of anything that can make something move? What?
  
• The class could list as many things that need to be plugged in, as possible.
  
• Ask students what they think of when they hear the word "sun." Do students think that the sun could be called "strong"? Why/why not? How might the world be different if the sun did not exist? (Consider telling students to never look directly at the sun.)
  
• Ask students to draw a picture of the sun and Earth.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Junked; Potential; Deployment; and, Debris.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they were in charge of the International Space Station. Would they ask astronaut Scott Parazynski to make the space walk in an attempt to fix it, given the potential dangers? Why/why not? What are the potential benefits of fixing the solar panel? What are the potential detriments? How should one weigh the benefits against the detriments?
  
• Consider asking students to respond to these questions in groups of two or three. The entire class might then put the emergency space walk on trial.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they were an astronaut living aboard the space station. What kinds of things might they do on a regular basis? What might they think about? How might they feel?
  
• Consider asking students to write a journal entry from the perspective of an astronaut aboard the space station.
  
• Sixty years ago the prospect of an international space station was pure science fiction. Today it is reality. Ask students to think of something that would be considered science fiction today that could actually exist in sixty years. Why do students think that this thing could exist? In what ways would this thing effect the world in which we live?
  
• Consider asking students to draw pictures of their imagined devices.
  

The First Gentleman?

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "In His Wife's Campaign, Bill Clinton is a Free Agent." The article presents an overview of a typical week lived by Bill Clinton. It states, "Exactly how Clinton would conduct himself during this unprecedented process has been a subject of much speculation from the outset. Advisers worried that his charisma might eclipse his wife, that his past marital misconduct might become an issue again, or that after years of dominating public attention it would be hard for him to cede the spotlight." Apparently the former president talks about a great deal, in addition to pitching for his wife.

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Young Children

• Ask your students if they've ever heard their mother start saying something and their father finish saying it for them? What did their parents say? Have they ever started to say something only to have somebody else interrupt them and finish their sentence for them? What were they saying? Why do they think that sometimes people say the same things as one another at exactly the same time?
  
• Consider teaching students the game of Jinx.
  
• Do your students think that it's good to say nice things about other people? Why/why not? What kinds of things might be nice to say about other people?
  
• Consider asking every student in class to say one nice thing about somebody else in class. Make sure that something nice is said about every student.
  
• Have your students ever wanted somebody to listen to them say something but couldn't get anybody to pay attention? How does this feel when this happens? What do students think that they could do to try and get other people's attention?
  
• Consider asking students to develop skits demonstrating how they might get somebody's attention in a nice way when they want to say something.
  
• Do students think it's appropriate to call out and interrupt class or interrupt whole school assemblies by calling out? Why/why not? Why do they think that somebody might interrupt class? What kinds of things could be done to make sure that students don't disrupt class? Why might these strategies work?
• Consider asking students to make a list of strategies to discourage people from calling out in class. Make sure that the entire list is not punitive.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Transformation; Pivoted; Unprecedented; and, Stratospheric.
  
• Ask students to imagine that Senator Hillary Clinton asked them for advice. How involved should she allow her husband to become in her presidential campaign? What advice would your students provide to the Senator? Why would they provide this advice. If students were to seek out advice from others, from whom should they seek advice? Why should they seek advice from these people?
  
• Students might develop responses in groups of two or three and then present back to the class.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they were the thought processes inside Bill Clinton's head. What would they think about the potential of Senator Clinton becoming President. Would they want her to be President? Why/why not? How would they feel about being the first First Gentleman in the history of the United States? Why would they feel this way?
  
• Consider asking students to respond to these questions in reflective essays, written in the voice of Bill Clinton.
  
• Ask students to imagine that Hillary Clinton had never met Bill Clinton. Do they think that she still would have been running for president today? Why/why not? If they had ever met do students think that Mr. Clinton would have been president? Why/why not? In what ways might married couples help one another succeed in life? Is it ever possible for married couples to impede one another's success? How might they do this? Do students think that these impediments are avoidable? Why/why not?
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.
  

Joe Girardi

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Girardi is Yankees' Choice for Manager." The article states, "Girardi was selected over Don Mattingly and Tony Peña, who were members of Torre’s last coaching staff with the Yankees." The article reports, "In selecting Girardi, the Yankees set in motion Mattingly’s exit from the team. 'Don was extremely disappointed to learn today that he wasn’t the organization’s choice to fill the managerial vacancy,' Mattingly’s agent, Ray Schulte, said in a statement."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Have you ever been asked to choose somebody to do something with you? What did you ask this person to do with you? Why did you choose the person that you did choose? Do you think you picked the right person? Why/why not?
  
• What is your favorite game? Why do you like this game? If you could change one rule in the game, what rule would you change? Why would you change this rule?
• Have you ever been mad or sad when you were not chosen to do something that you wanted to do? What did you want to do? Why do you think you were not chosen to do this thing? Do you think you might be able to do this thing in the future? Why/why not?
  
• Would you want to be the head of a team? Why/why not? If you were the head of a team, what kinds of rules would you try to make sure were followed? Why would these rules be important?
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Timetable; Vacancy; Circumstances; and, Propelled.
  
• Imagine a conversation that might have taken place between Joe Girardi and Don Mattingly after they learned that the Yankees would offer the manager's job to Girardi. If you were in Mattingly's position would you have wished Girardi well? Why/why not? What information would you like to know about these men in order to determine how they might have responded to one another?
  
• What skills do you think it would be important for the manager of a baseball team to have? Why do you think that these skills would be important? Do you think that people are born with these skills, cultivate these skills, or both? Explain!
• Do you think that it is appropriate for a blog on current events, that seeks to reach a national audience, to feature the New York Yankees' new manager? Why/why not? Would it have been less appropriate to highlight a sports team from a smaller town? Why/why not?
  

Can Toddlers Donate Money?

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "As Campaigns Chafe at Limits, Donors Might be in Diapers." The article states, "...Campaign donations from young children would almost certainly run afoul of campaign finance regulations, several campaign lawyers said. But as bundlers seek to raise higher and higher sums for presidential contenders this year, the number who are turning to checks from underage givers appears to be on the rise." The article reports, "Just how much campaign cash is coming from children is uncertain -- the FEC does not require donors to provide their age. But the amount written by those identifying themselves as students on contribution forms has risen dramatically this year, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. During the first six months of the 2000 presidential campaign, students gave $338,464. In 2004, that rose to $538,936...This year, the amount has nearly quadrupled, to $1,967,111."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Young Children

• Ask your students what they think the difference is between children and adults. Encourage them to explain their thoughts. Do students think that adults can do some things that children cannot do? If so, what? Can children do some things that adults cannot do? If so, what?
• Consider asking children to draw cartoons explaining what children can do and what adults can do. Alternatively, you might create a T-Chart labeling one side, "adults," and the other side, "children."
  
• Ask students if any of them have favorite charities. Do they know what the word "charity" means? Do students think it's important to donate money to charity? Why/why not? Do they think that it would be OK to donate money to charity without their parents' permission? Why/why not?
  
• Students might select a community charity and make a short infomercial about it. They might do this in small groups. You could provide a list of community charities.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they wanted to tell everybody in the world one thing. What one thing would they want to tell people? Challenge students to think of some creative ways that they might share this message with as many people as possible. Do students think that it would be easier to share their message with more people if they had money? Why/why not?
  
• Ask students to list things they might do with money to share their message with as many people as possible. The class might make a collaborative list.
• If a friend offers to give them a toy or a little bit of money for no particular reason, do students think it's OK to take this toy or money? Why/why not? Should students ask their parents first before they take something from somebody else? Why/why not?
  
• Students might write (or dictate) three rules as to when it is OK for one person to take something from somebody else.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Chafe; Trustee; Provision; and, Routing.
  
• Do students think it is OK for a parent to donate money to a particular political candidate, in their children's names? Why/why not? If parents can donate money in their children's names, shouldn't they just be allowed to donate more money in their own name? Why/why not?
  
• Ask students to respond to these questions in persuasive essays. Students could refer to a core democratic value in their essays.
  
• Why do your students think that campaigns would return money that they received from young children? What does the word "perception" mean? In what ways does perception influence the success of a political campaign? In what ways does perception influence an individual lives?
  
• Consider asking students to develop definitions for the word "perception" in groups of two or three. The entire class might then develop a collaborative definition.
  
• Do your students think that children and teenagers should pay attention to political campaigns even though they can't vote? Why/why not? At what age should an individual begin to pay attention to a political campaign? Encourage students to support their opinions?
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.
  

Fire!

The AP is running an article entitled, "350,000 Homes Evacuated in Calif. Fires." The article states, "The blazes bedeviled firefighters as fires roared from mountain passes to the edges of the state's celebrated coastline, spreading so quickly that even hotels serving as temporary shelters for evacuees had to be evacuated. Two people have been killed." It reports, "Since they began Sunday, the fires have burned at least 373,000 acres, or 583 square miles — an area larger than New York City. Fully a quarter of the California coast was ablaze. Flames climbed halfway toward the Nevada line, chewing through chunks of seven counties and devastating numerous communities."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Ask your students what they would save from the classroom, if they could only save three things. Encourage them to explain why they would save these three things. Inform students that they won't have to save any person from the fire because everybody will be able to save themselves.
  
• Consider challenging the class to develop one list that all students can agree upon. Would this be a hard activity? Why/why not? Ask students why everybody might not choose to save the same three things.
  
• Ask students to think of four rules that they should remember if they ever see a fire. Do students know what 911 is? Is it more important to save a person or a thing from a fire? Why?
  
• Consider asking students to write four rules that begin with the letters "F.I.R.E."
  
• Ask students how they think that firefighters could try to put a fire out if they could not actually get close to the fire on the ground. Can students create a tool that would make it easier to fight fires? What would the tool look like? Why would the tool look like this?
  
• Students might draw pictures of their fire fighting machines.
  
• Ask students if they think it would be easier for fire fighters to put out fires when it's wet outside (because of rain) or dry outside. Encourage them to explain their answers. Do students think it would be easier to fight fires when it is warm outside or cold? Why?
  
• Consider asking students to monitor the weather in your community for a week or longer. Would it be easy or hard to put out fires in your community this time of year? Why?
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Unrelenting; Tamping; Tentacles; and, Pulsed.
  
• Ask your students to imagine that they were fire fighters fighting a huge fire that spread for miles. What four strategies would they seek to implement in order to extinguish the fire? Why would they use these strategies? What information would they like to know in order to more fully answer this question? Why would this information help them answer these questions.
  
• Students might develop their plans in groups of two or three.
  
• Ask your students to consider a conversation that might take place between a married couple in determining whether or not they should evacuate from their home. Imagine that one member of the couple wanted to leave and the other wanted to stay. Why would somebody want to stay with their home in the time of a crisis? Why would somebody want to leave their home in the time of a crisis? If students were involved in such a disaster would they want to stay with their homes or leave? Why?
  
• Students might develop these conversations in groups of two.
  
• Ask students to reflect: There used to be a time when people would have said that a huge fire was a punishment from God. Indeed, there are people today who believe this idea. Why might people accept this idea? Does the idea have merit for your students? Why/why not?
  
• Consider asking students to write persuasive essays in which they either support or oppose the idea that a huge fire could be a punishment from God.
  

What's in the Garbage

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "One Person's Trash is Another Person's Lost Masterpiece." The article begins, "It’s hardly a place you would expect to find a $1 million painting...But one March morning four years ago, Elizabeth Gibson was on her way to get coffee, as usual, when she spotted a large and colorful abstract canvas nestled between two big garbage bags in front of the Alexandria, an apartment building on the northwest corner of Broadway and 72nd Street in Manhattan." The article reports, "Experts say the painting — a largely abstract depiction of a man, a woman and an androgynous figure in vibrant purples, oranges and yellows — is in miraculously good condition and worth about $1 million. On Nov. 20 it is to go on the block at Sotheby’s as one of the highlights of a Latin American art auction."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Have you ever found something in the garbage that you really liked? What did you find? Why did you like it? Did you keep the object that you found? Why/why not?
• Have you ever thrown something away that you later wished that you had not thrown away? What was it? Why did you later wish that you had not thrown it away?
  
• Do you like to draw? What kinds of things do you like to draw? If you don't like to draw, do you like to make things? What kinds of things do you like to make? How would you feel if you made something and somebody threw it out? Why would you feel this way?
  
• If you were to take a picture of any one thing that you can see right now, what would you take a picture of? Why would you take a picture of this? Do you think it would be hard to take this picture? Why/why not?
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Abstract; Nestled; Credible; and, Dismantling.
  
• How do you think that the painting got from Texas to New York? If you were to conduct an investigation to try to determine how the painting got from Texas to New York what kind of questions would you ask? With whom would you want to speak? Why?
  
• What does it mean for a painting to be high quality? Do you think the answer to this question is entirely subjective or can some objective criteria be applied to it? What objective criteria might be applied to it?
  
• Imagine that you were the thoughts inside of Ms. Gibson's head when she realized that she had a stolen painting in her house. What would you have thought? Why would you have had these thoughts?
  

Explosions and Bhutto

(Note: Please ask students to contribute their responses to these questions. When I teach I sometimes wish that I had an activity that I could pull out at the last minute for students who may have finished other work. Do you ever have the same thought? If so, why not encourage students to respond to these questions on the blog. Remind them not to use their full names.)

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "Explosions Target Bhutto Convoy in Karachi." The article begins, "Two explosions tore into a convoy transporting former prime minister Benazir Bhutto through Karachi early Friday, killing and injuring scores of people celebrating her triumphant return to Pakistan from eight years in exile." The article continues, "Ignoring assassination threats and a suggestion from President Pervez Musharraf that she delay her homecoming, Bhutto arrived on a plane from Dubai Thursday at a time of immense turmoil in Pakistan -- with her presence and possible return to the prime ministership adding another layer of uncertainty."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Students

• Have you ever heard somebody say something that you did not like? What didn't you like about what was said? Why didn't you like this? Have you ever heard a sound that you did not like? What kind of sound was it? What didn't you like about the sound?
  
• When somebody is saying something that someone does not like, do you think it's OK to try and make that person be quiet? Why/why not? If you were saying something that somebody else did not like would you want the other person to try and make you be quiet? Why/why not?
  
• Have you ever had to make a difficult choice? What choice did you have to make? Do you think you made the right choice? Why/why not? Would you make the same choice again? Why/why not?
  
• Imagine that you were leaving their home for a year and could only bring four things with them. What four things would you bring? Why would you bring these four things? What kinds of things from your house might you miss if you had to leave for a year?
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Scores; Gridlock; Throngs; and, Scrum.
  
• Respond to the following statement: "Benazir Bhutto has blood on her hands. For if she had not returned to Pakistan people would not have been killed in this apparent assassination attempt. Simply put, Bhutto should not have returned to Pakistan."
• Imagine a conversation between President Musharraf and Ms. Bhutto in which Ms. Bhutto looks at the president and says, "Thank you for allowing me to return. Now you should leave office if the people don't want you in office anymore." How would the rest of the conversation go? What would you like to know about the situation in Pakistan in order to consider the possible discussion, intelligently? Why would this information be useful. Do you think that Ms. Bhutto, a supporter of democracy, should form an alliance with the dictator Musharraf? Why/why not?
  
• Select one paragraph from the article that you would like to find more information about. What paragraph would you select? What information would like to gather? Why do you think that this information would be useful? Do you think that there is anything about this situation worth knowing? Why/why not?
  

What's Wrong?

Several days ago another blogger, Stephen Downes, asked why I did not raise the issue of gun control in my post related to the school shootings in Cleveland. I don't usually ask questions about editorials but today I found one that really peaked my interest and perhaps responds to Mr. Downes' question.

Detroit Free Press columnist and author of the best selling and incredibly powerful book "Tuesday's with Morrie," Mitch Albom writes an editorial entitled, "What Lies Behind a Shooter's Bullet." The editorial states, "Microsoft's Halo 3 video game -- a first-person shooter experience using guns, grenades and other weapons -- earned $170 million in sales on its first day of availability, making it the hottest-selling title in video game history." Albom writes, "According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in four children is bullied and 87% of teens say school shooters operate from a desire to 'get back at those who have hurt them.' 'How can these shootings happen?' we ask. How can we ask that question?"

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Have your students ever felt mad at somebody? Why did they feel this way? Is it OK to feel mad? Why/why not?
  
• Ask students to develop skits/charades in which they demonstrate three or four different feelings as the class tries to guess the feelings that they are demonstrating.
  
• What are your students' favorite video games? What is the goal of these video games? Why do they like to play them?
  
• If these video games are violent, consider asking students to change one part of these video games so that they are less violent. Challenge students to create games that require players to display peaceful behavior not violent behavior.
  
• What do your students think it means to "be good." Do your students think that somebody should always have to tell them what to do for them to be good? Why/why not? Are there some things that students should automatically do without being told to do them? What kinds of things should students just do, without being told to do them, in order to be good people?
  
• Consider asking students to draw pictures of people doing "good" things.
  
• Do your students think that people should be allowed to own guns? Why/why not? Should people be allowed to own knives? Why/why not?
  
• Consider putting gun ownership on trial in your classroom.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Rampage; Atheist; "Columbine Type Attack"; and, Complicit.
• Do your students think that people should be allowed to carry guns? Why/why not? Should all police officers be allowed to carry guns? Why/why not? Should police officers be allowed to carry guns when they are off duty? Why/why not?
  
• Challenge students to find a rhetorical line where it becomes murky as to whether or not people should be allowed to own/carry guns? This exercise might be part of placing gun ownership on trial.
  
• Ask your students to imagine a conversation between President Bush and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which Ahmadinejad accuses the United States of being a morally depraved nation.
  
• Students might develop these conversations in groups of two or three.
  
• Albom writes, "'How can these shootings happen?' we ask. How can we ask that question?" What point is Mitch Albom making in this editorial? Do students think that his point is valid? Why/why not? Will students continue to play videos such as Halo 3? Why/why not? Do students think that they should continue to play Halo 3? Why/why not?
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.
  

China Angry

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "China Angered at U.S. Reception to Dalai Lama." The article begins, "China expressed outrage Tuesday at the honors being accorded the Dalai Lama in Washington, warning that the unprecedented embrace by Congress and the White House would harm U.S.-Chinese relations." The article reports, "The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Laureate based in Dharamsala, India, is scheduled to meet privately with President Bush at the White House Tuesday and receive a Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday in recognition for his years of struggle against Chinese rule. Bush himself will present the medal, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president has met in public with the Tibetan spiritual and political leader. The Dalai Lama will make a public address Wednesday afternoon on the West Lawn of the Capitol; thousands of Buddhists from around the world, and other admirers, are expected to attend."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Have your students ever gotten mad when one of their friends played with somebody whom they did not like? Does it make sense to get mad when this happens? Why/why not? Have your students ever played with somebody who they knew that one of their other friends did not like? Why would they have played with this person?
  
• The class might develop a collaborative list with rules as to when it is OK to play with somebody and when it is not OK to play with somebody. Is it OK to play with somebody who teases a friend? Why/why not? What about somebody who has simply never played with one of your friends? Why/why not?
  
• What do your students think it means to be a leader? Do leaders have to have any special characteristics? What kinds of characteristics? Why do leaders need these characteristics? Would your students like to be leaders? Why/why not?
  
• Consider asking students to develop skits which demonstrate the type of behavior that leaders display.
  
• Have your students ever decided that there were too many people playing with one toy and therefore decided to start playing with another toy? What problems might occur when too many people play with one toy? Would it have been OK if a few other students had chosen to play with this new toy, together? Why/why not?
  
• Students might draw a picture of what it looks like when different groups of children play with different toys.
  
• Do your students think that it would be exciting to receive an award at a school assembly when the entire school was present? Why/why not? Do students think that there is anything a student could do to deserve to receive an award in front of the entire school? What could the student do? Why would this behavior merit such an award?
  
• Ask students to pretend that they are the principal of the school. Why would they decide to honor a student in front of the rest of the school? What would they say as they were honoring the student? Students might deliver short skits.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: "Accorded"; Autonomy; "Spiritual and Political Leader"; and, Solemnly.
  
• Do your students think that the U.S. government should offer the Dalai Lama the warm reception that it is offering to him? Why/why not? In what ways should the importance of the U.S. relationship with China figure into this decision?
  
• Ask students to imagine that the President of the United States has asked their advice. In groups of two or three, they might develop responses for the President.
  
• Ask your students to respond to the following statement, "Though many people believe that religious leaders deserve greater respect than other people, we need to remember that religious leaders are people too and everybody deserves equal respect." Challenge students to engage one another in discussion. Remember, do not enforce your own views on this discussion.
  
• Students might respond to this prompt in persuasive essays.
  
• What five things would students like to learn about the Dalai Lama. How might they go about procuring this information?
  
• Students might investigate the answers to their questions in groups of three or four.
  

Putin is Going to Iran

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Putin Confirms Trip to Iran Despite Reported Threat." The article begins, "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said today he would travel to Tehran for a meeting of Caspian Sea nations despite a report by a Russian news agency of a possible assassination plot against him there that was immediately dismissed by Iran." President Putin said, " Of course I am going to Iran...If I always listened to all the various threats and the recommendations of the special services I would never leave home.”

Read the Article

Discussion Starters for Younger Students

• Can your students think of any places where it might be dangerous for them to go? If so, where? Why might these places be dangerous?
  
• Consider asking students to make warning signs that can be placed in certain places where students should not go in the school for safety reasons.
  
• Can your students think of any people who work in dangerous places? If so, who? Do your students think that people who do not work in dangerous places should thank people who do work in dangerous places? Why/why not?
  
• Consider asking students to make thank you cards (or thank you pictures) in which they thank people who work in dangerous places, such as police officers or fire fighters.
  
• Do your students think that it's important for people to be able to speak with one another? What can be accomplished when people speak to one another? Ask students to consider why talking might be better than yelling.
  
• Consider asking students to think of as many different ways to communicate with other people, as possible.
  
• If your students did not want somebody to do something what would they try and do to make sure that the person did not do the thing? Why would they try and do this? Have your students ever tried to prevent somebody from doing something? If so, what?
  
• Consider asking students to develop skits in response to these question. Inform students that they should do everything they possibly can, without using force.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Disinformation; "Caspian Sea Nations"; Sanctions; and, Arrears.
  
• Ask your students to imagine that they were the thoughts inside of President Putin's head when he heard about the security risk. What might the president have thought? Why might he have thought this?
  
• Students might develop essays in the voice of Putin's thoughts.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they were asked to investigate Iran's intentions for using the nuclear capacity that it is developing. What five questions would they ask if they had the opportunity to speak directly with the Iranian leadership? Why would they ask these five questions?
  
• Students might develop these questions in groups of two or three and then report back to the class.
  
• If the Iranians publicly declared that they were developing nuclear power to use in weapons and refused to stop developing this technology, should the world engage Iran in military conflict to stop the Iranian efforts? Why/why not?
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.
  

Doris Lessing

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Dorris Lessing Wins Nobel Prize in Literature." The article begins, "Doris Lessing, the Persian-born, Rhodesian-raised and London-residing novelist whose deeply autobiographical writing has swept across continents and reflects her engagement with the social and political issues of her time, on Thursday won the 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature." It states, "Ms. Lessing’s strongest legacy may be that she inspired a generation of feminists with her breakthrough novel, “The Golden Notebook.” In its citation, the Swedish Academy said: 'The burgeoning feminist movement saw it as a pioneering work and it belongs to the handful of books that informed the 20th century view of the male-female relationship.'”

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Young Children

• Ask students to name their favorite stories. What do they like about these stories?
  
• Consider asking students to draw a picture of an image taken from a story.
  
• If students could meet one author, who would they like to meet? Why would they like to meet this individual? (Remember that with today's technology it might even be possible to set up a virtual class visit with an author. In such a visit, the author could visit with the class through an Internet tool, such as Skype.)
  
• Students could prepare a series of questions that they would ask this author.
  
• Invite students to make up a story about a topic of their choosing. What is the topic? Who is/are the main character/s? What is the setting of the story?
  
• Students could develop skits in which they tell a story.
  
• If students had to select a piece of their own work to win a prize, what piece of work would they select? Why would they select this piece of work?
  
• Consider inviting students to design awards that they would give to themselves for these pieces of work.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Feminist; Epicist; Voracious; and, Nonliterary.
• Ask students to identify the most significant social and political issues of our day. Encourage them to explain why they believe that these issues are so significant. What does it even mean for a social or a political issue to be significant?
  
• Students might identify issues in small groups and then report back to the class.
  
• Do students think that it's important for society to have prizes such as the Nobel Prize? Why/why not? In what ways might such a prize benefit society? In what ways might such a prize hurt society?
  
• Consider asking students to write reflective essays in response to these questions.
  
• Doris Lessing included many themes from her own life in her novels. Ask students to select one theme from their own life that might make for a provocative story. Why might this theme make for such a provocative story?
  
• Ask students to write stories related to their chosen theme.
  

Shooting at a Cleveland School

The Cleveland Plain Dealer and newspapers across the country are reporting on a shooting at Cleveland High School, Success Tech Academy. The Cleveland paper states, "People have been shot at Success Tech High School at 1440 Lakeside Avenue in Cleveland. Paramedics were called to Room 310, where one person was shot, and Room 415, where another was shot in the lower chest." The article concludes, "A SWAT team swept through the building at 2:20 p.m. to make sure it was cleared. Students and a growing group of parents had not yet been reunited. Counselors were with the students. The SWAT team and sheriff's deputies began sweeping the second floor at 3:09 p.m."

Read the Article!!
For an updated article click here.

Questions for Younger Students

• Ask your students to recall a time recently when they got mad. Why did they get mad? How long did it take for them to stop being mad? Can students think of anything that somebody could do when they are mad to help themselves stop being mad? Explain!
• Consider asking students to develop skits in which they demonstrate what somebody could do to stop being mad.
  
• Do your students think it's OK to become angry? Why/why not? Sometimes when people become angry they try and hurt other people. Is there a difference between being angry and trying to hurt somebody else? Ask students to explain this difference.
  
• Ask students to write the word "Angry" across the top of a piece of paper. Now they should write words that begin with each letter in the word "angry."
  
• Ask your students if they like being punished. Encourage them to explain why they don't like being punished. What can students do to avoid being punished. Who's fault is it when a student is punished?
  
• Consider asking students to list appropriate ways to behave, so that they don't get punished.
  
• Do your students think they should listen to any adult, even adults they do not know? Why/why not? Is there a difference between listening to an adult and doing what the adult says? Ask students to explain the difference.
  
• Consider asking students to draw a picture of what it looks like when one person listens to another person.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Allegedly; Self-Inflicted; Potentially; and, Custody.
  
• Ask your students why somebody would want to hurt/kill other people badly enough to shoot them. If a friend tells them that they plan on hurting somebody what kinds of options do they have in reporting this? Help students understand that they are not tattle-tailing when they report on a friend who plans on causing harm to either him/herself or others.
  
• These questions can be discussed in class.
• It's very important that students have an opportunity to share their feelings with regards to the Cleveland shooting.
  
• Ask students to write either essays or songs describing how they feel upon hearing this news. They might read these writings to the class.
  
• If students could do one thing in society to eliminate violence, what would they do? Why would they do this? Do they think it's realistic to talk about eliminating violence from society? Why/why not?
  
• Students might discuss their plans in small groups and then report back to the class.
  

iPods at School

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "In Some Schools, iPods are Required Listening." The article states, "Pedro Noguera, a sociology professor at New York University who studies urban schools, said that more districts were using new technologies like iPods to connect with students. For instance, he said, teachers have designed video games around history lessons and assigned students to re-enact novels and plays on YouTube. 'You know the No. 1 complaint about school is that it’s boring because the traditional way it’s taught relies on passive learning,' Mr. Noguera said. 'It’s not interactive enough.'” The article reports, "Ms. Poli (an ESL teacher) said her Spanish-speaking students — known around the school as Pod People — have been able to move out of bilingual classes after just a year of using the digital devices, compared with an average of four to six years for most bilingual students."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Students

• Do students think it's possible to learn from songs? Why/why not? Do they think it's possible to learn from pictures? Why/why not? What about from games? Why/why not?
  
• Challenge students to identify something that they have learned in a fun way.
  
• Ask your students to name their favorite electronic game. What do your students think they could learn from this game, if anything? Encourage them to support their points.
  
• Consider having groups of students select games from around the classroom and use the games to teach something, while playing "teacher."
  
• Ask students to name their favorite song. What do students think they can learn from these songs?
  
• Students might create their own songs.
  
• Ask students if they know anybody who does not know how to use a computer. Ask students why they think that some people don't use computers.
  
• Challenge students to teach you, the teacher, one new thing about the computer or technology.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Confiscated; Formula; Innovation; and, Irrelevant.
  
• Why do students think that so many schools outlaw technology devices such as cell phones and iPods. Do students think that it's right for schools to do this? Why/why not?
  
• Ask students to write persuasive essays in which they explain whether or not schools should allow these kinds of devices.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they walked into a classroom of the future, one hundred years in the future. How do students think that the required supplies would be different? Encourage students to support their opinions.
  
• Students might draw pictures, create computerized pictures, of the futuristic classroom. (Encourage students to consider how drawing in response to this prompt might create learning.)
  
• The technology writer Mark Prensky has called youth "digital natives" and adults "digital immigrants." Do students think that these descriptions are accurate? Why/why not? Can students think of any metaphors to describe the difference between youth and adults when it comes to sports/hobbies?
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.
  

Nobel Prizes

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "3 Win Nobel in Medicine for Gene Technology." The article states, "The technology allows scientists to establish the roles of individual genes in health and disease. Mice have been likened to pocket-sized humans because they have the same organs and their genes are about 95 percent identical in sequence to humans. Scientists have developed more than 500 different mouse models of human ailments, including those affecting the heart and central nervous system, as well as diabetes, cancer and cystic fibrosis." The article reports, "Gene targeting technology can inactivate, or knock out, single genes to study development of the embryo, aging and normal physiology. So far, more than 10,000 mouse genes, or about half of those in the mammalian genome, have been knocked out, the committee said, and ongoing international efforts will make knockout mice for all genes available within the near future."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Ask your students if they've ever won an award or a trophy. Do they know anyone who's ever won an award or a trophy? Whom? Why do they think that people like to win trophies?
  
• Consider asking students to draw a picture of a trophy that they can award to somebody else. Ask them to decide for what they want to give the trophy. Try and make sure that every student gets a trophy. This is a great opportunity to celebrate students' skills.
  
• Do your students think that it's important for doctors to know how to heal sick people? Why/why not? If doctors don't know how to heal a sickness is it important for them to learn how to do so? Why/why not? What might a doctor do to learn how to heal a sickness?
  
• Challenge your students to determine one new thing that they want to learn how to do. Students can help one another master these new skills.
  
• Ask students to consider how they are similar to their mothers. How are they similar to their fathers? How are they similar to their brothers and/or sisters? Do students think they are more similar to their own parents or adults who live down the street? Encourage them to explain their thoughts.
  
• Students might ask their parents how they are similar to their own parents, the students' grandparents, and report back to the class.
  
• Have your students ever been told that they could not do something well and then they surprised others by doing this thing well. What did they do well? Why do they think that they were able to do this well? If somebody tells your students that they won't be able to do something well, should they still try to do it? Why/why not?
• Ask students to develop skits in which they demonstrate that sometimes people can do things that they didn't even know that they could do.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Ailments; Mutations; Physiology; and, Culmination.
  
• Animal rights activists might argue that it's not fair for humans to intentionally cause mice to develop illnesses. Do your students agree with this argument? Why/why not? What do your students think it is OK to do to prevent human illness? What is it not OK to do? How does one draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable practices?
  
• Ask students to develop graphic organizers in response to these questions. The graphic organizers can be presented to the class.
  
• Ask your students to imagine a conversation between Dr. Capecchi and his mother after he won the prize. What might they have said to one another. How might their common experience in NAZI Germany influence this conversation? (For the purpose of this discussion it does not matter if the doctor's mother is deceased.)
• Students could write these conversations.
  
• What lessons do your students think can be learned from the bestowing of these prizes? Why do students think that these lessons can be learned?
• These questions could prompt an interesting class discussion.
  

Blackwater

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Iraqi Inquiry Says Blackwater Shooting was Unprovoked." The article begins, "A completed Iraqi government inquiry found that employees of the American security company Blackwater USA shot unprovoked at Iraqi civilians at a downtown traffic circle three weeks ago, an episode that killed 17 people and wounded more than 20 others, a government spokesman said Sunday." The article also reports, "In recent days, American military officials here have once again made a point of highlighting suspected Iranian influence or involvement in planning and executing attacks against Iraq’s government and the American military here."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Do your students think that anybody has ever hit another person for no reason? Why might somebody hit another person for no reason?
• Do your students know what a bodyguard is? What kinds of people have bodyguards? Why might these people need bodyguards?
  
• What kinds of questions do your students think a teacher should ask if he/she is trying to find out who started a fight?
  
• What kinds of things do your students think that people should do to avoid fighting with one another?
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Inquiry; "Joint Commission"; Mission; and, Accusation.
  
• What kinds of questions do your students think that the Iraqi commission that investigated the Blackwater incident likely asked to determine who was at fault? How might your students find out exactly what the commission did to complete its report?
  
• How do your students think that General David Petraeus might have determined that the Iranian ambassador to Iraq is a member of the Revolutionary Guards? How might this information have been procured?
  
• Ask your students to imagine that they were members of the press, speaking with General Petraeus. How might they have tried to convince him to reveal the information he used to determine that the Iranian ambassador is indeed a member of the Revolutionary Guards? Why would they try to convince him in this way? How do they think that the general would respond? Why do they think the general might respond in this way?
  

The Mayor Who Disappeared

The USA Today is running an article entitled, "Mayor of Atlantic City Goes AWOL; Wife Says He's Sick." The article begins, "The mayor of Atlantic City, N.J., vanished last week. Officials say Mayor Robert Levy is 'absent on temporary medical leave,' but won't share any details about his hospitalization with the public or press." The article reports, "Domenic Cappella, the city's business administrator who claims to be acting mayor, says he knows where Levy is, but lawyers have advised him that a federal privacy law bars him from sharing that information with the public. (That's not true, according to legal experts. We have requested comment from Kimberly Baldwin, the city's lawyer, about her interpretation of the HIPAA statute, which appears to govern medical and insurance providers, not employers.)

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Do your students think that it's OK to keep some things private between only them and their parents? Why/why not? What kinds of things might people want to keep private?
  
• Consider asking students to write one or two sentences about something which they are thinking. Remind students that their inner voice is the most important voice in the world to them. Remind them that they are special.
  
• Do students think that it would be OK if the principal of the school decided not to come to school one day? Why/why not? If the principal could not come to school should he/she tell somebody? Who do students think the principal should tell? Why do they think he/she should tell this person?
  
• Students might make get well cards for a student or teacher who is sick.
  
• Ask students if they were ever uncertain as to where their parents/babysitter/older sibling was and therefore felt alone. How did it feel to be alone? Why did it feel this way? Where did the person turn out to be?
  
• Consider asking students to develop skits describing what it might feel like to be home alone. What could students do so that they did not become afraid?
  
• Ask students if they've ever gotten in trouble for doing something that they did not even know was wrong to do. What did they get in trouble for? Have students ever not done something because they thought that it would be breaking a rule only to find out that they were allowed to do this thing? What was the behavior? Why might somebody not correctly know what all the rules are?
  
• Students might select classroom rules and draw pictures that explain what the rules say somebody should or should not do.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: AWOL; Ordinances; Expose; and, Revelations.
  
• Ask your students to imagine that they were friends with Domenic Cappella, Atlantic City's business administrator. Would they reveal where the mayor was? Why/why not? Imagine that the entire city council asked him to do so. Should he then reveal it? Why/why not?
  
• Students might respond to these questions in persuasive essays directed towards Mr. Cappella.
  
• Do students think it's reasonable to wait 60 days before Atlantic City can officially select an acting mayor? Why/why not? Imagine that the President of the United States could not be found for over a week. How do students think that the country would respond?
  
• These questions might promote an interesting class discussion.
  
• Do students think that this story should be covered in a national newspaper? Why/why not? What does it mean for something to be national news?
  
• Students might define national news in groups of three or four and then report back to the class. The entire class might then attempt to develop a definition by consensus.
  

Insurance

The L.A. Times is running an article entitled, "Bush Vetoes Healthcare Plan for Poor Children." The article begins, "President Bush today vetoed a compromise bill to extend a health insurance program for children of the working poor, and Democratic leaders in Congress responded by launching an all-out effort to override his decision -- although they face an uphill battle in the House." The article reports, "The congressional bill, a compromise between leading Senate Republicans and Democrats in both chambers, would renew and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, allocating $60 billion over five years to cover an estimated 9 million to 10 million children, an increase from about 6 million now enrolled."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Young Children

• If your students could pay $1.00 a day to stay healthy would they do so? Why/why not? Do they think it's fair that some people could not afford to pay $1.00 a day to stay healthy? Why/why not?
  
• Consider asking students to list as many things as they can think of that somebody should do to stay healthy.
  
• Do your students think that doctors should see poor people for free? Why/why not? If doctors did not charge poor people how would the doctors be able to feed their families?
  
• Consider inviting somebody who helps poor people into your classroom to discuss their work with students.
  
• Ask your students what they think the President of the United States does. Encourage them to support their opinions. Consider showing them a picture of the White House.
  
• Ask students to write two or three questions that they would ask President Bush if they had the chance. Students might email these letters to the White House.
  
• Ask students if they've ever worked hard to make sure that something would happen. What did they make sure would happen? Why did they make sure that this would happen?
  
• Consider asking students to develop skits in which they demonstrate how they might make sure that something will happen.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Override; Coverage; "Federal Poverty Level"; and, Levy.
  
• Do students think that the government has a responsibility to provide health insurance for children who could not otherwise afford it? Why/why not?
  
• Consider asking students to write persuasive essays in which they support one side of this issue. Students might include reference to a core democratic value in their argument.
  
• Ask students to imagine a conversation between President Bush and Speaker Pelosi, as to whether or not the insurance program for children should be expanded. What side of this issue do students think that business people would stand on? On what side of this issue might most teacher stand? Encourage students to explain.
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion. Encourage students to speak in the voices of the individuals to whom they refer.
  
• Ask students to imagine that they were members of Congress and had to vote on this health insurance package. Would they support it? Why/why not? If they did support it what budget items might they consider eliminating? After all, the budget of the United States is not infinite.
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion. Consider holding a debate. Before the debate students might investigate the current budget of the United States to determine what items they'd be willing to eliminate.
  

Pyongyang

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "Leaders of Two Koreas Meet in Pyongyang." The article states, "The atmospherics of this summit, only the second such meeting in the more than half a century since the North and South fought an all-out war, seemed rather cooler than in the first summit in 2000." It concludes by reporting that Lee Doo Won, a professor of economics at Yonsei University, "said that in the past five years the ability of the communist state's centralized economy to deliver food and other essentials has all but collapsed. This has weakened its stranglehold on the lives of North Korean...as chronic hunger and gross inequality in living standards have increased."

Read the Article!!

Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

• Do students think it's easier to get into a fight with somebody or makeup with somebody? Why do they think this way?
• Consider developing a class T-Chart. On one side of the T-Chart list things that typically cause fights. On the other side, list things somebody typically has to do to make up with somebody else.
  
• Ask students to consider where the milk came from that they might have drunk for breakfast.
  
• Students might develop a series of pictures to explain the route that the milk took to get to their kitchen table.
  
• Do your students think that it is their parents' responsibility to help them get enough food so that they are not hungry? Why/why not? Do students think that all people have enough food to eat? Encourage them to explain their thoughts carefully.
  
• Consider collecting cans of food as a class.
  
• Ask students to describe the purpose of a bridge. Have your students ever seen a neat bridge? If so, where? Have they ever built a bridge outside or with toys?
  
• Consider asking students to draw pictures of bridges.

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Convivial; Atmospherics; Bouffant; and, Contingent.
  
• According to the article, the South Korean President indicated that he would not offer North Korea economic aid until he received firm guarantees of economic reform inside that country. What do your students think firm guarantees of economic reform would look like? What does this term mean?
  
• Consider asking students to pretend that they are advisers to the South Korean President. These advisers should prepare a checklist of what the President should look for to ensure economic reform.
  
• Ask students to imagine the conversation that might have taken place between the presidents of North and South Korean. What kinds of information would students like in order to develop a better understanding of these conversations?
  
• Consider asking students to develop an imagined conversation. They might first investigate the relationship between North and South Korea.
  
• Ask students what the word "bridge" means. In what ways can the word "bridge" be used metaphorically? Can students think of any words that might serve as a metaphor for the bridge that separates North and South Korea?
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.
  

Bye Bye Mets

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Mets Complete Stunning Collapse." The article states, "They led the Phillies by seven games on Aug. 25. They rebounded from a humbling four-game sweep in Philadelphia by winning 9 of 10, a stretch, several players said, that left them no doubt that they had turned around their season. They held a seven-game lead on Sept. 12 and entered the final week of the season with a lead of two and a half games and a seven-game homestand against sub-.500 teams. They went 1-6." As a Chicago Cubs fan this was a particularly sweet article to read.

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Ask your students to tell about a time when they lost a game that they think they should have won. How did it feel to lose? Why did it feel this way?
• What kinds of lessons can be learned by somebody who loses a game? Have your students ever learned a lesson from a game? What did they learn?
• What is your students' favorite game? What do they like about this game?
  
• Have your students ever cheered for somebody? For whom have they cheered? Why did they cheer?
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Hapless; Listless; Beleaguered; and, Confounding.
  
• Do your students think that the manager of the New York Mets should be fired since the Mets did not make the playoffs after such a promising beginning, and even middle, of the season? Why/why not? Ask students to develop analogies to explain the role of baseball managers.
  
• Ask students to define the term rivalries? Why do students think that rivalries exist? In ways are rivalries good? In what ways are they bad? In what additional ways are they interesting?
  
• Ask students to imagine that they were inside of the Mets' manager's head during the team's final baseball game. What was he thinking? What would students have to know about the manager in order to truly determine what he was thinking during the final game? Why would they have to know these things?