Oct 15-Oct 20, 2007

10/15/07 | 10/16/07 | 10/17/07 | 10/18/07 | 10/19/07 |

Oct. 15, 2007

Aim: To create a poster that focuses on a popular topic that is covered in various sections in the newspaper.

Do Now:

1. Copy WOD
2. Do Test-Prep Question
3. Read and copy one of the most interesting news summaries including the headline in your notebook.
4. Go to Editorial/ Op-Ed section to find out what is being discussed.

Activities

Use the worksheet to work with a partner to do the following activities:

Worksheet

Partner Names ___________________________________and_________________________________

A: Look in today’s New York Times and work together to identify the topic, issue or event referred to in every piece on the editorial and Op-Ed pages. (Be sure to include the letters to the editor, as well as any editorial illustrations.) Write the topic, issue or event directly above, below or to the side of each item on these pages.

B: Look at the news and business pages of today’s New York Times to see if you can find news articles, analysis, special features of columns on these same events, issues or topics. Make a list of the items you find that do connect and decide which of the items you will use in part C.

____________________    ____________________    ____________________

____________________    ____________________    ____________________

____________________    ____________________    ____________________

____________________    ____________________    ____________________

C: Work together to create a “smart chart.” In the center of the sheet of poster paper write an event, topic or issue that is connected to several of the items you found in the editorial pages. Clip news articles from the newspaper that have a connection to the topic, event of issue you selected. Arrange the  news articles you find around the topic in the center of the poster, and tape them to the poster.

D: On your own, write a brief letter to the editor in which you give your opinion on the issue. Proofread each other’s letters for accuracy. Tape your letters on the poster.

Homework #21: Complete the poster. Here is an Example:

10/16/07

Aim: How to identify opinions and facts in an article? Why is it important to use facts while expressing our opinions?

Do Now:

1. Copy WOD
2. Do Test-Prep Question
3. Read and copy one of the most interesting news summaries including the headline in your notebook.

Activities:

    “Where in The New York Times would you find opinion pieces?”

               (Editorial page, Op-Ed page, advertising, reviews)

-         “Look at the article I have selected for a few moments and see if you can find examples of both fact AND opinion in the article.”

-         “Tell me which words and phrases in the Opinion column are indicators or signals of opinion.

-         “Today we are going to explore in pairs The New York Times and search for fact and opinion. Read the three articles( relating to the issue or topic you are exploring ) you may have found in sections of  Business day, Escapes, the Op-Ed page, Sports, The Arts, Dining In/Dining Out, Science Times, ads in the newspaper, etc to find two examples of facts and two examples of opinions and copy them down in your notebook ( make sure you also write down the headline and the date when the article is published).

-         “Tell me some of the discoveries in your group about facts and opinions.” (Some contains facts AND opinion; it is easy to recognize opinions in advertising and opinion pieces in the newspaper; whether something is a fact or not is debatable, we couldn’t agree, etc.)

-         “Were there any surprises about where you found facts and opinions in The New York Times?” (I didn’t think there would be so many facts in and editorial; we knew there would be expressions of opinions in advertising, but we didn’t find as many as we thought, etc.)    

Assignment: Use the facts and opinions you have collected from the three related articles on a certain topic and express your opinion in a letter to the editor on whether you agree or disagree with the position expressed in the editorial.

 Follow the following steps to complete the assignment. It's due on Thursday.:

Step 1: Go to the Opinion Page of the NYTimes and find an article in the section of Editorials/Letters. Copy down the topic of the article.

 Step 2: Read the article and write one sentence to state whether you agree or disagree with the author of the article.

Step 3: At the end of the article, you will find at least three related articles on the same topic. For each article, you will-

• Write one-sentence summary ( use the first paragraph to the get the info).
• Find and copy down two statements of facts.
• Find and copy down two statements of opinion.

Step 4: Write a letter to the Editor on the same topic using -

• Your own opinion.
• Facts from the related articles.
• Opinion from the related article.

10/17/07

Aim: To complete the "Letter to the Editor" assignment (Reminder: Those who acted out during my absence will FAIL the 2nd marking period).

Do Now:

1. Copy WOD
2. Do Test-Prep Question
3. Read and copy one of the most interesting news summaries including the headline in your notebook.

Activities:

 Follow the  steps provided to complete the assignment. It's due on Thursday.:

Step 1: Go to the Opinion Page of the NYTimes and find an article in the section of Editorials/Letters. Copy down the topic of the article.

 Step 2: Read the article and write one sentence to state whether you agree or disagree with the author of the article.

Step 3: At the end of the article, you will find at least three related articles on the same topic. For each article, you will-

• Write one-sentence summary ( use the first paragraph to the get the info).
• Find and copy down two statements of facts.
• Find and copy down two statements of opinion.

Step 4: Write a letter to the Editor on the same topic using -

• Your own opinion.
• Facts from the related articles.
• Opinion from the related article.

#21 Assignment: Use the facts and opinions you have collected from the three related articles on a certain topic and express your opinion in a letter to the editor on whether you agree or disagree with the position expressed in the editorial.

10/18/2007

Aim: “What do you think conflict is?” (disagreements, difference of opinion, war, violence)

Do Now:

1. Copy WOD

2. Respond to Test Prep Question of the Day

Activities:

1. Read aloud and copy:

-         “Many of the articles in newspapers focus on the conflicts occurring locally, nationally and internationally. Conflicts can generally be classified into categories such as ‘human conflicts, or ‘man vs. man,’ ‘man vs. nature,’ man vs. self,’ or ‘man vs. society’ and "man vs. fate. "

 What other words or phrases can we use to describe conflicts or things that can cause conflicts?( Problem, argument, clash, discrimination, prejudice, injustice, fights, war, violence, disturbance, disrespect, distrust, anger, stress, racism, bigotry, self-righteousness, greed, dishonesty, religion,  nature, advanced technology, diseases, pollution, suicide, crimes, point of views ...)

-          “Each day newspapers report on these conflicts. By looking at the news articles, features stores and news photos in today’s New York Times, you will find evidence of each of these types of conflict.

Homework Assignment #22:

-Skim today's NYTimes , give one example of conflict as stated or indicated in the headline. Describe what type of conflict it is.

-Find an image from any source to show a conflict and glue it in your notebook

Select one of the news articles you found in today’s New York Times and read the entire article.  Use the following format to present your information.

Headlines:

Date/section/page:

Summary:

Characters:

Types of conflicts:

Causes:

Effects:

10/19/07

Aim: How are conflicts explored or portrayed in literary and artistic expressions?

Do Now:

1. Copy WOD
2. Do Test-Prep Question
3. Respond: Besides newspaper articles, where else do we experience conflicts  indirectly?

Activities:

1. What conflict is revealed in the cartoon?

2. What conflict is portrayed in this video op-ed "Know Thine Enemy."?

3. Winslow Homer's "The Morning Bell"

4.  Read today's news article from  the Business section "Core Inflation Remains Steady, Presenting a Puzzle to the Fed " By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM

Hopes that the Federal Reserve will again cut interest rates at the end of the month were further reduced yesterday after a report showed inflation holding steady in September. But a worsening housing slump and a mixed economic outlook could put the Fed in a difficult spot as it considers what steps to take in the months ahead. Prices of consumer goods ticked up 0.3 percent in September, a slightly higher-than-expected increase that reversed a 0.1 percent decline in August. The Consumer Price Index’s core rate, a gauge of inflation that excludes relatively volatile food and energy prices, held at 0.2 percent, where it has been since June, the Labor Department said yesterday. The report suggests that pricing pressures have remained in check. But the Fed, always wary of inflation risks, prefers a slower rate of 1 percent to 2 percent. Overall inflation was up 2.8 percent compared with September 2006, its highest 12-month growth rate since March. Higher prices for rent, gasoline and food, especially fruit and vegetables, led the increase as consumers began to feel the effects of surging oil prices and a weaker dollar. The inflation picture, coupled with recent reports that have indicated a more resilient economy than analysts expected, makes it more likely the Fed will keep rates unchanged when it issues its decision on Oct. 31. But upward pressure on prices may offer conflicting evidence for the Fed’s rate-setting committee, analysts said. The Fed has signaled that it is willing to make additional cuts to jump-start growth, especially if economic conditions worsen in the fourth quarter. But an increased risk of higher prices could give pause to the central bankers, who tend to be wary of igniting inflation through rate cuts. “It is much more difficult to weed inflation out of the economy than it is to revive an economy that’s in trouble,” said Bernard Baumohl, managing director of the Economic Outlook Group, a research firm in Princeton, N.J. “Labor costs have been growing, and that’s squeezing profit margins. Then we’ve got a falling dollar and record high oil prices. All of this tells us that inflation pressures are likely to build in the future.” A survey of business and economic conditions released yesterday by the Fed warned of “upward pressure” on prices across the country, pushed along by higher food prices and more expensive imports. The report, known as the beige book, also noted a slowdown in job growth, manufacturing activity and consumer spending. Businesses said that overall expansion was “mixed” and “modest,” and many executives said they were uncertain about how they would fare in the fourth quarter. Much of the uncertainty stems from the ailing housing market, which continues to decline. There were fewer groundbreakings in September than in any other month in the last 14 years, the Commerce Department reported yesterday. New housing projects dropped more than 10 percent, to an annual pace of 1.3191 million, falling short of even reduced expectations. That news did not seem likely to improve any time soon: housing permits declined 7.3 percent last month, a substantial slowing from a 4.8 percent drop in August. Fed bankers and staff members will now watch to determine whether the housing turmoil bleeds into the broader economy, while also keeping an eye on inflation levels. “They’re in a tough spot right now because they still have the inflation to deal with, yet they’re looking at third- and fourth-quarter earnings that are supposed to be weaker than expected,” said Ryan D. Larson, senior equity trader at Voyageur Asset Management. The Fed next meets Oct. 30-31 and then on Dec. 11, making predictions what it will do a chancy matter. And yesterday’s reports, while worrisome to some analysts, are unlikely to sway the prevailing belief that the Fed will keep its current target for the benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at 4.75 percent at the end of the month. The central bankers have seen recent signs of strength, like a strong September jobs report and a pickup in retail sales, which indicates an increase in consumer spending. The trade deficit narrowed in August and is now at its lowest level since January; exports were also up. And September’s plunge in housing starts, while painful, was hardly surprising. Top officials seemed to foreshadow the statistics in speeches early this week. The Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said Monday night that housing problems would create a “significant drag” on domestic economic growth into next year, and Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, also warned of continuing turmoil in the housing market. Some investors betting on the Fed’s actions yesterday increased the prospects of a quarter-point cut at the next meeting. But other investors and analysts said the futures market had simply overreacted to the weak housing data. The Fed “wants to tell the market that they have the flexibility to move if needed, but they certainly don’t want to lay the foundation for additional moves,” said Michael T. Darda, chief economist at MKM Partners, a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Conn. “My call is for them to stand pat.”   The New York Times     The New York Times

Homework #23:

Write about an experience of conflict and make a collage using newspaper or magazine clippings to illustrate it.

Read O. Henry's Short story The Cop and the Anthem

“Sestina of Youth and Age” by Frank Gelett Burgess.

“Almost a Man”—Richard Wright