Occupy https://www.morningsidecenter.org/ en The Power of Strategic Nonviolent Action: Strategy for Change https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/power-strategic-nonviolent-action-strategy-change <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>The Power of Strategic Nonviolent Action: Strategy for Change</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>by Marieke van Woerkom</strong></p> <p><strong>To the Teacher</strong></p> <p>On September 17, a group of protesters occupied Zuccotti Park, near Wall Street. They tried to bring into the public eye their dissatisfaction with the excesses of Wall Street and the inequality between the richest 1% of Americans and the other 99%. They called their movement Occupy Wall Street. As it spread across the country, interest in the movement grew, as did the discussion about Occupy's strategies, tactics, and demands.</p> <p>In the months following September 17, Occupy protesters were in the news for being pepper-sprayed (while seated), beaten, and shot with rubber bullets. And yet in the face of these violent actions by police and security personnel, the Occupy Wall Street movement remained remarkably nonviolent.</p> <p>On November 15, Occupy Wall Street protesters were forcibly removed from Zuccotti Park by police in the dead of night. Many have wondered what this will mean for the movement. Having lost their iconic "home base" what will Occupy's next steps be? Is this perhaps the end of Occupy?</p> <p>The lesson below will look at nonviolence as a strategy for intentionally building public support--in both the Occupy movement and in the Civil Rights Movement.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Gathering&nbsp;</h4> <p>Ask students whether they saw or are aware of the video clip of protesting students at UC Davis being pepper sprayed by campus police during a protest against tuition hikes. Ask them to a) share what they know about the incident and b) share their thoughts and feelings regarding what happened.</p> <p>In case students did not see the clip, consider playing it at:&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/uc-davis-students-pepper-sprayed-peacful-protest-caught-14996508">abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/uc-davis-students-pepper-sprayed-peacful-protest-caught-14996508</a>. Afterwards, ask for reactions.</p> <p>Elicit and explain that on November 18, the students had organized a protest against tuition increases. They sat down and locked arms, a classic nonviolent technique, which made it more difficult for campus police to remove protesters from the path they were blocking. Campus police had been given orders to disperse the students. They used pepper spray (a toxic chemical) to do so. But despite being pepper-sprayed in the face, the UC Davis students remained nonviolent. The scene was taped and the video quickly went viral, triggering public outcry.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Strategy for Change&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>(18 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask students to read Dr. Martin Luther King's speech on May 4, 1966,"Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom" (see the handout below). Ask students some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What are your thoughts or feelings about what you just read?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How does what Dr. King said in 1966 about the Civil Rights Movement relate to what is happening with Occupy Wall Street today?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How does Dr. King explain the workings of nonviolence?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What do you know about the violence faced by the students in the lunch counter sit-ins?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How did they handle it? What did that achieve?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>According to Dr. King, how did the lunch counter sit-ins work? What were the different phases?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Where does Dr. King say the Civil Rights Movement derived its power?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What does this suggest about the Occupy Wall Street movement and its next steps?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>When people talk about nonviolent action, they often add the adjective strategic. Why do you think that is?</li> </ul> <hr> <h3>Occupy Wall Street's Next Steps&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>(18 minutes)</em></p> <p>Randy Shaw, a Bay Area-based attorney, author and activist, argues that the Occupy movement's nonviolent tactics are key to its continued public support. In an essay on the website Beyond Chron (November 21, 2011), Shaw recommends that protesters adopt several particular nonviolent tactics. Ask students to read excerpts below.</p> <blockquote> <p>First, the tactics must bring some victories. Otherwise, the public will conclude that the cost and public inconvenience of confrontational protests are not worth it.That's why returning homeowners to their potentially foreclosed homes is important, as was getting banks to back down on debit card fees.</p> <p>Second, constant creativity and avoiding repetition is a must....Creativity means ... rotating targets so that one event deals with foreclosed homes, another with tuition hikes, another with taxing millionaires etc. This avoids the public getting weary of being inconvenienced by activists doing the "same old thing."</p> <p>Third, minimize inconvenience to non-targets, particularly small businesses. This means avoiding random bridge blockades or other tactics that chiefly anger the 99%, and ensuring that public street takeovers do not hurt the livelihoods of nearby sandwich shops or other small businesses. Many in urban centers are owned by persons of color, and often women of color, who support the Occupy cause.</p> <p>Fourth, the public is more likely to look favorably on mass events, as it shows a "base" for public disruption. This means fewer but larger confrontational protests are preferable to weekly events whose low participation undermines public perceptions of Occupy's support.</p> <p>Finally, Occupy's ability to sustain direct action confrontations over time will be boosted by ongoing incidents of brutal police violence.... Campus police treating students as if they were violent thugs reaffirms Occupy's chief message that excessive income inequality is undermining the nation's core values. This critique has resonated with millions, and explains why in Occupy's case the public will accept crisis tactics on a sustained basis and support for the movement will grow."</p> </blockquote> <p>After students have read the excerpts, lead a discussion in your class around some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Some might say that Shaw's advice is about "tactics," while King's speech is about "strategy." Do you agree? What is the difference between a tactic and a strategy?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Shaw argues against inconveniencing those who might be allies (the 99%). What if anything does King say about this?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Based on what you know about the Civil Rights Movement, do you think the organizers back then followed Shaw's advice?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How does Shaw evaluate police response to nonviolent actions?&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>From what you know of the Civil Rights Movement, what effect did police violence against nonviolent protesters have on the movement and its level of support?&nbsp; <p>&nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <hr> <h3>Means to an End&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>(6 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask students what they think of the saying "the end justifies the means."&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Do they agree/disagree?&nbsp;</li> <li>Ask students to provide examples to support their argument.&nbsp;</li> <li>How do they think Dr. King might respond to this question, based on what they just read?</li> </ul> <p>Next, read what Nathan Schneider wrote on the Waging Nonviolence website:</p> <p>"A simple definition for nonviolent resistance is simply to do something one should be doing (even if you're told not to) or to not do something you shouldn't be doing (even if you're told you must). It's using means worthy of the ends you want to achieve, acting in accordance with the world you want to create. Once you reach your goal, after all, it's really hard to do away with the means that got you there. The fact that my conversation at Occupy Wall Street happened on Armistice Day should've been a hint: wars don't end war, they breed more. Locking arms with one's comrades, however, looks more like a glimpse of utopia."<a href="http://wagingnonviolence.org/2011/11/dont-let-them-confuse-you-about-violence/%20">http://wagingnonviolence.org/2011/11/dont-let-them-confuse-you-about-violence/</a></p> <p>Ask:&nbsp;How do students think the incident at UC Davis relates to the saying "the end justifies the means"?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>STUDENT HANDOUT</h4> <h3>Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom</h3> <p><strong>Excerpts from a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King on May 4, 1966</strong></p> <p>The American racial revolution has been a revolution to "get in" rather than to overthrow. We want to share in the American economy, the housing market, the educational system and the social opportunities. The goal itself indicates that a social change in America must be nonviolent.</p> <p>If one is in search of a better job, it does not help to burn down the factory. If one needs more adequate education, shooting the principal will not help, or if housing is the goal, only building and construction will produce that end. To destroy anything, person or property, can't bring us closer to the goal that we seek.</p> <p>The nonviolent strategy has been to dramatize the evils of our society in such a way that pressure is brought to bear against those evils by the forces of good will in the community and change is produced.</p> <p>The student sit-ins of 1960 are a classic illustration of this method. Students were denied the right to eat at a lunch counter, so they deliberately sat down to protest their denial. They were arrested, but this made their parents mad and so they began to close their charge accounts. The students continued to sit in, and this further embarrassed the city, scared away many white shoppers and soon produced an economic threat to the business life of the city. Amid this type of pressure, it is not hard to get people to agree to change.</p> <p>So far, we have had the Constitution backing most of the demands for change, and this has made our work easier, since we could be sure that the federal courts would usually back up our demonstrations legally. Now we are approaching areas where the voice of the Constitution is not clear. We have left the realm of constitutional rights and we are entering the area of human rights.</p> <p>The Constitution assured the right to vote, but there is no such assurance of the right to adequate housing, or the right to an adequate income. And yet, in a nation which has a gross national product of 750 billion dollars a year, it is morally right to insist that every person has a decent house, an adequate education and enough money to provide basic necessities for one's family. Achievement of these goals will be a lot more difficult and require much more discipline, understanding, organization and sacrifice.</p> <p>It so happens that Negroes live in the central city of the major cities of the United States. These cities control the electoral votes of the large states of our nation. This means that though we are only ten percent of the nation's population, we are located in such a key position geographically--the cities of the North and black belts of the South--that we are able to lead a political and moral coalition which can direct the course of the nation. Our position depends a lot on more than political power, however. It depends on our ability to marshal moral power as well. As soon as we lose the moral offensive, we are left with only our ten percent of the power of the nation. This is hardly enough to produce any meaningful changes, even within our own communities, for the lines of power control the economy as well and once the flow of money is cut off, progress ceases.</p> <p>The past three years have demonstrated the power of a committed, morally sound minority to lead the nation. It was the coalition molded through the Birmingham movement which allied the forces of the churches, labor and the academic communities of the nation behind the liberal causes of our time. All of the liberal legislation of the past session of Congress can be credited to this coalition. Even the presence of a vital peace movement and the campus protest against the war in Vietnam can be traced back to the nonviolent movement led by the Negro. Prior to Birmingham, our campuses were still in a state of shock over the McCarthy era and Congress was caught in the perennial deadlock of southern Democrats and Midwestern Republicans. Negroes put the country on the move against the enemies of poverty, slums and inadequate education.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.org by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/marieke-van-woerkom">Marieke van Woerkom</a>. We welcome your comments. Please email them to:<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-12-19T00:00:00-05:00" title="Monday, December 19, 2011 - 00:00">December 19, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000 fionta 641 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Student Debt Crisis https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/student-debt-crisis <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Student Debt Crisis</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the teacher:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>With college increasingly expensive, millions of Americans must take out student loans to pay for higher education. In today's economy, many college graduates are now having trouble paying back these loans. Last year, student loan debt in America surpassed credit card debt, with the nation's total student debt load exceeding $830 billion. Solutions to this crisis are hard to find. However, Occupy Wall Street protests have shined a light on the mounting problem -- and on some new proposals for addressing it.</p> <p>This lesson is divided into two student readings. The first reading compares the scope of the present student debt crisis with the past and discusses what has changed. The second reading explores some proposals for dealing with the student debt crisis. Discussion questions aimed at getting students to think critically about the student debt problem and its possible solutions follow each reading.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Student Reading 1:</h3> <h2>Student Debt, A Growing Problem</h2> <p>Stay in school and get good grades so that you can get into college. Go to college so you can get a good job. Get a good job and you will enjoy a life of economic security. For decades, some version of this narrative has been presented to almost all students in American high schools. Yet, today, a burgeoning student debt crisis is calling these promises into question.</p> <p>In recent years, the cost of college tuition has increased significantly. Most students must take out loans to afford it. In fact, in August 2010 the total amount of student loan debt owed by Americans reached an all-time high of $830 billion dollars, surpassing total credit card debt, which stood at $826 billion dollars. Meanwhile, as a result of the global economic recession, many college grads haven't found the good jobs they expected to find after earning their college degree. The combination of a steadily increasing debt burden with an already unstable economy and unusually high unemployment has resulted in a full-fledged student debt crisis.</p> <p>This year, students are expected to take out more than $1 trillion in loans, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. As Tamar Lewin of the&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>&nbsp;reported on November 2, 2011:</p> <blockquote> <p>Students who graduated from college in 2010 with student loans owed an average of $25,250, up 5 percent from the previous year, according to a report scheduled for release Thursday. The average debt--once again the highest on record--came as the class of 2010 faced an unemployment rate for new college graduates of 9.1 percent, the highest in recent years, according to the report by the Project on Student Debt, which pointed out that unemployment rates for those without college degrees were still higher.</p> <p>Matthew Reed, the report's author, said that some people had expected the jump "to be even higher because of the economic downturn," but that larger grants had helped "at least partially offset lower family incomes and higher tuitions while the class of 2010 was in school." About two-thirds of the class of 2010 graduated with student debt. (The debts examined in the report do not include loans taken out by parents.)</p> <p>The report is based on data from more than 1,000 colleges, representing half of all public and private nonprofit four-year schools. The average amount of debt would be even higher if the report included profit-making schools, where almost all students take out loans and, according to federal data, borrow about 45 percent more than students at nonprofits. (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/education/average-student-loan-debt-grew-by-5-percent-in-2010.html?_r=1&amp;pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/education/average-student-loan-debt-grew-by-5-percent-in-2010.html?_r=1&amp;pagewanted=print</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>The cost of college has been increasing steadily in recent years. Yet growth in average family incomes has fallen behind. As Annalyn Censky wrote for CNN.com on June 13, 2011:</p> <blockquote> <p>The crux of the problem: Tuition and fees at public universities, according to the College Board, have surged almost 130% over the last 20 years--while middle class incomes have stagnated.</p> <p>Tuition: In 1988, the average tuition and fees for a four-year public university rang in at about $2,800, adjusted for inflation. By 2008, that number had climbed about 130% to roughly $6,500 a year--and that doesn't include books or room and board.</p> <p>Income: If incomes had kept up with surging college costs, the typical American would be earning $77,000 a year. But in reality, it's nowhere near that. (<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/13/news/economy/college_tuition_middle_class/index.htm">http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/13/news/economy/college_tuition_middle_class/index.htm</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>The trend of increasing costs that Censky cites is even more severe at private universities, which in some cases charge more than $50,000 in tuition per year. Twenty years ago, it was conceivable that a student could pay off a large portion of his or her college tuition by working a part-time job while attending school. With current college costs, that is no longer a realistic option. Other sources of funding, while limited, are available. For instance, the federal government offers need-based Pell grants that provide students with up to $5,550 in aid. However, conservative members of the House of Representatives have put those grants on the table for cutting as part of their push to reduce the federal budget.</p> <p>More and more graduates are unable to repay their loans and are going into default. As Lewin reported in the<em>&nbsp;New York Times</em>&nbsp;on September 12:</p> <blockquote> <p>The share of federal student loan defaults rose sharply last year, especially at for-profit colleges and universities, where 15 percent of borrowers defaulted in the first two years of repayment, up from 11.6 percent the previous year.</p> <p>According to Department of Education data released Monday, 8.8 percent of borrowers over all defaulted in the fiscal year that ended last Sept. 30, the latest figures available, up from 7 percent the previous year.</p> <p>At public institutions, the rate was 7.2 percent, up from 6 percent, and at not-for-profit private institutions, it was 4.6 percent, up from 4 percent.</p> <p>"Borrowers are struggling in this economy," said James Kvaal, deputy under secretary of education. "We see a strong relationship between student default rates and unemployment rates."<br> (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/education/13loans.html?pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/education/13loans.html?pagewanted=print</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Some graduates feeling the burden of large student debts have dubbed themselves "debt slaves," saying that they could be stuck paying off debt for decades. They, and many others, are calling on lawmakers to address the growing crisis of student debt.</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>How is student debt different now than in the past?</p> <p><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp;How are student debt and unemployment interrelated? Do you know anyone who is currently unemployed and has student loan debt? How are they dealing with the situation?</p> <p><strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>Do you think it is fair to ask students to make financial sacrifices in exchange for the benefits of higher education, or do you think that college should be free? Explain your position.</p> <p><strong>Optional follow-up:</strong></p> <p>Recently, the <em>Huffington Post </em>published a series of blog posts from young people sharing their experiences with debt. Have students read some of these posts and reflect on them:</p> <ul> <li>What are some of the issues raised about student debt in these blog posts?</li> <li>How do these stories relate to experiences among your family and friends?</li> </ul> <p>(<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/19/student-loan-debt-to-exce_n_1019727.html#s345536&amp;title=Brittany_Baker_Allegheny">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/19/student-loan-debt-to-exce_n_1019727.html#s345536&amp;title=Brittany_Baker_Allegheny</a>)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading 2:</h3> <h2>Some possible solutions to the student debt crisis</h2> <p>The Occupy Wall Street protests have shined a light on the student debt crisis, and raised the visibility of some proposals for addressing this problem.</p> <p>Some protesters have advanced the proposal that student debt should simply be forgiven outright. More than 650,000 people have signed an online petition called "Forgive Student Debt to Stimulate the Economy," launched by Robert Applebaum, a Staten Island-based attorney, in early 2009. Applebaum and his supporters argue that banks received an enormous federal bailout, so why can't the government also help ordinary Americans with overwhelming student debt? They contend that such a policy would help the economy, enabling people to spend more of their money on consumer goods and helping retail businesses.</p> <p>As the petition campaign's website explains:</p> <blockquote> <p>The Wall Street financial institutions, auto manufacturers, insurance companies and countless other irresponsible actors have now received TRILLIONS of taxpayer dollars... to bail them out of their self-created mess. This, too, does nothing to stimulate the economy. It merely rewards bad behavior and does nothing to encourage institutional change. There is a better way.....</p> <p>Instead of funneling billions, if not trillions of additional dollars to banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and other institutions of greed that are responsible for the current economic crisis, why not allow educated, hardworking, middle-class Americans to get something in return? After all, they're our tax dollars too!</p> <p>Forgiving student loan debt would have an immediate stimulating effect on the economy. Responsible people who did nothing other than pursue a higher education would have hundreds, if not thousands of extra dollars per month to spend, fueling the economy now. Those extra dollars being pumped into the economy would have a multiplying effect, unlike many of the provisions of the new stimulus package. As a result, tax revenues would go up, the credit markets will unfreeze and jobs will be created. Consumer spending accounts for over two thirds of the entire U.S. economy and in recent months, consumer spending has declined at alarming, unprecedented rates. Therefore, it stands to reason that the fastest way to revive our ailing economy is to do something drastic to get consumers to spend.&nbsp;<br> (Original source http://forgivestudentloandebt.com/content/proposal is no longer active. See <a href="https://studentdebtcrisis.org/">studentdebtcrisis.org</a>&nbsp;for current information.)</p> </blockquote> <p>Some progressives have been calling for free public higher education for some time, based on similar reasoning: College-educated, debt-free workers are a boon to the economy. Proponents cite the original GI Bill, passed in 1944, which enabled 7.8 million returning World War II veterans to get a college education or technical training. According to a 1988 analysis by the Congressional Subcommittee on Education and Health, for every dollar invested in the GIs' higher education, the government and economy received at least $6.90 in return (in higher tax revenues.</p> <p>While nothing so radical as free higher education or forgiving student loans altogether is currently under consideration in Washington, DC, the combination of the skyrocketing debt burden and an upsurge in protest has motivated politicians to consider other possible solutions. In October, President Obama proposed a plan that would reroute Department of Education funds to help people who are struggling to make their loan payments. According to the&nbsp;<em>Christian Science Monitor:</em></p> <blockquote> <p>The plan, to be implemented by executive authority alone, allows some 1.6 million students to cap their loan payments at 10 percent of their discretionary income starting in 2012. It also forgives the balance of student loans after 20 years of payments. Current law allows students to limit loan payments to 15 percent of income, forgiving debt after 25 years of payments, though few students are aware of this option.</p> <p>In a related move, the US Department of Education, which now administers all federal education loans, is giving borrowers the option of consolidating federal and private loans at reduced rates. (<a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/1025/Obama-s-student-loan-debt-relief-plan-Too-good-to-be-true">http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/1025/Obama-s-student-loan-debt-relief-plan-Too-good-to-be-true</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Republican politicians in Congress have vowed to block the president's plan. Nevertheless, other student debt relief measures may be introduced into Congress in coming months. As long as protests that highlight the student debt crisis continue to grow, the issue is unlikely to disappear from political discussion.</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>What have protesters proposed as a solution to the student debt crisis? How does this compare with President Obama's plan for addressing the issue?</p> <p><strong>3.&nbsp;</strong>Do you think that debt forgiveness for student loans is realistic? What would be some of the pros and cons?</p> <p><strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>Some are unsympathetic to the complaints of recent graduates about student loans. They argue that students should consider the responsibility of accepting a loan before taking the money and that they should be prepared to make greater financial sacrifices in order to pay off their debts. What do you think of this argument?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.Org by Mark Engler with research assistance by Eric Augenbraun.</em></p> <p><em>We welcome your comments. Please email them to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-11-19T00:00:00-05:00" title="Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 00:00">November 19, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000 fionta 644 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org MONEY IN AMERICAN POLITICS: A key Occupy Wall Street issue https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/money-american-politics-key-occupy-wall-street-issue <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>MONEY IN AMERICAN POLITICS: A key Occupy Wall Street issue</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the teacher:</strong></p> <p>One major concern of Occupy Wall Street protesters across the country is getting corporate money out of politics. Corporate donations to both Democratic and Republican politicians have been growing each year. Big business's huge influence in our political system has prompted the protesters - and many other citizens - to wonder whether politicians can truly serve in the interests of the vast majority of Americans.</p> <p>This lesson consists of two student readings. The first reading takes a general look at how U.S. campaigns are financed and at the extent to which corporate donations to political campaigns are a growing, bipartisan problem. The second reading examines more closely the impact that accepting corporate money has on politicians. Does corporate money cause politicians to legislate in a way that is favorable to big business? Can there be a counterbalance to the influence of corporate money in U.S. politics? The readings are followed by discussion questions aimed at getting students to think critically about the question of money in politics.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading 1:&nbsp;</h3> <h2>The Growth of Corporate Money in US Politics</h2> <p>One major concern of Occupy Wall Street protesters across the country is getting corporate money out of politics. Corporate donations to both Democratic and Republican politicians have been growing each year. Big business's huge influence in our political system has prompted the protesters - and many other citizens - to wonder whether politicians can truly serve in the interests of the vast majority of Americans.</p> <p>Running for office in the United States, especially national office, is an expensive endeavor. Candidates must hire campaign workers, travel around the country to make appearances, and pay for media ads of all kinds. Unless a candidate is extremely wealthy and can finance their own campaign, this money comes from donations. Small donations from individuals represent a portion of this money. However, candidates increasingly rely on donations from corporations.</p> <p>Advocates of campaign finance reform argue that if corporations are able to donate large sums of money to candidates, then those candidates will feel beholden to their corporate donors and advance legislation that favors big business at the expense of the vast majority of Americans. The Occupy Wall Street movement has sharpened this argument and revived public discussion about campaign finance reform.</p> <p>Writing in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Zaid Jilani, a blogger for the website ThinkProgress.org, notes the scope of the problem of corporate money in American politics. He cites numerous instances where donations from the financial sector coincided with decreased regulation of banking:</p> <blockquote> <p>On November 12, 1999, President Bill Clinton signed into law the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, a Depression-era law that created a firewall between commercial and investment banking. Repealing this law was one of the top legislative goals of the financial industry. In the 1998 election cycle, commercial banks spent $18 million on congressional campaign contributions, with 65 percent going to Republicans and 35 percent going to Democrats. Securities and investment firms donated over $40 million. The mega-bank Citibank spent $1,954,191 during that cycle, and it was soon able to merge with Travelers Group as a result of the repeal of banking regulations.</p> <p>Between 2008 and 2010, when new financial regulations were being written following the financial crisis, the finance, insurance, and real estate industries spent $317 million in federal campaign contributions, with $73 million of that coming from Political Action Committees (PACs). The hold of campaign contributions is starkly bipartisan.</p> <p>As Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) explained to Real Clear Politics in an interview last year, he couldn't get a vote on a windfall profits tax on bonuses at bailed out banks due to campaign contributors. "I couldn't even get a vote," Webb explained. "And it wasn't because of the Republicans. I mean they obviously weren't going to vote for it. But I got so much froth from Democrats saying that any vote like that was going to screw up fundraising.</p> <p>(<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/12/341801/the-other-occupation-how-wall-street-occupies-washington/">http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/12/341801/the-other-occupation-how-wall-street-occupies-washington/</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>It appears that the problem is only growing. With each successive election, the amount of money in US politics continues to climb. The website OpenSecrets.com, which is dedicated to tracking campaign finances, noted in early 2008 that fundraising for that year's election cycle had already surpassed funding for every election prior to 2004. Presidential candidates are also vowing to raise more money then ever. This summer, the Obama campaign announced its intention to raise as much money or more than it did in 2008. As the Associated Press reported:</p> <blockquote> <p>Obama's advisers have told donors privately they hope to match or exceed the $750 million they raised in 2008, anticipating a stiff challenge from Republicans amid rocky economic conditions. Obama has acknowledged he will need to re-energize supporters who were inspired by his message of hope and change three years ago but may be discouraged by the economy and the pace of change.</p> <p>(<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/obama-fundraising-2012-dnc_n_896813.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/obama-fundraising-2012-dnc_n_896813.html</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States made a landmark decision in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The ruling overturned previous efforts to limit donations to campaigns. Specifically, it struck down a key aspect of the McCain Feingold Act of 2002. That law had restricted corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make "electioneering communications," television ads or appeals in support of a specific candidate for office.</p> <p>Some conservatives celebrated the ruling. They believe that government limits on how much corporations (or anyone) can spend to promote their point of view amounts to a violation of the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech. Corporations should be able to participate in the public debate over ideas, they argue - even if that takes the form of campaign contributions.</p> <p>But others decried the court's decision to allow corporations to spend as much money as they please in support of candidates. They argue that this only strengthens the sway of corporations over elections and that this distorts the American political system.</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>Why do advocates of campaign finance reform believe that money in US politics is a bigger problem than ever before?</p> <p><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp;Do you think that it is a problem that national campaigns are more expensive than ever before? Why or why not?</p> <p><strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>Some people might argue that increased campaign spending gives Americans even more opportunities to debate the issues and hear from the candidates about their different stances. Do you agree? Why or why not?</p> <p><strong>5.&nbsp;</strong>In the case cited by writer Zaid Jilani, do you believe that campaign contributions from the financial industry had an impact on Congressional debates about regulation of the banking sector?</p> <p><strong>6.</strong>&nbsp;According to the reading, what was the impact of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling?</p> <p><strong>7.</strong>&nbsp;Do you believe that corporations and unions should be allowed to use money from their general funds to make independent advertisements in support of or in opposition to political candidates?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading 2:</h3> <h2>Peddling Influence: How Much Does Money Affect Our Politicians' Decisions?</h2> <p>We know that corporate money is a big factor in political campaigns. But do donations really affect politicians' decisions once they take office? Advocates of campaign finance reform argue that, indeed, they do. These critics believe that the ever-growing importance of corporate campaign donations in deciding the outcomes of elections leads elected officials to advance legislation that is favorable to corporate interests. In fact, former Senator Russ Feingold went so far as to say that corporate money in campaigns and the prevalence of corporate lobbyists in Washington, DC, amounts to a system of "legalized bribery."</p> <p>But while these arguments make common sense, it's often hard to prove that a politician voted in a certain way because of campaign contributions he or she received.</p> <p>On October 25, the&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>&nbsp;ran an article that profiled an effort by business groups to roll back government regulations on new medical devices. TheTimes&nbsp;reported that Rep. Erik Paulsen, a Republican from Minnesota, appeared before the House oversight committee in the spring of 2011 to argue for easing these regulations. He subsequently received generous campaign donations from the affected industry. As the&nbsp;<em>Times</em>&nbsp;notes:</p> <blockquote> <p>One afternoon last spring, a little-known congressman from Minnesota made an impassioned plea before a House oversight committee.</p> <p>Rein in the Food and Drug Administration's uncertain approval process for new medical devices, urged the Minnesota congressman, Erik Paulsen, or Minnesota and other states stand to lose up to 400,000 jobs because of lost investment in the device industry.</p> <p>Over the following month, Mr. Paulsen's campaign committee took in $74,000 from people with a stake in device regulation, much of it from executives affiliated with venture capital funds and their spouses. Now Mr. Paulsen, a two-term Republican, is a sponsor of a bill that would make it easier to bring new medical products to market.</p> <p>(<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/business/venture-capitalists-join-push-to-ease-fda-rules-for-medical-device-industry.html?_r=1&amp;pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/business/venture-capitalists-join-push-to-ease-fda-rules-for-medical-device-industry.html?_r=1&amp;pagewanted=print</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Paulsen denied that his testimony had been influenced by the contributions he later received. According to the&nbsp;<em>Times</em>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Mr. Paulsen, the Minnesota congressman, did not respond to requests for an interview. But a spokesman, Tom Erickson, said that the lawmaker's testimony this spring was unrelated to any campaign donations and reflected his long-held view that the FDA was undermining an industry crucial to Minnesota.</p> </blockquote> <p>In 2002, concern about the impact of large donors led Senator Feingold, then a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, to team up with Republican Senator John McCain to pass the McCain-Feingold Act. The act put limits on the amount of money a national party committee could raise and spend on candidate and issue campaigns. It also limited ads paid for by corporations and unions in the run up to elections. But, as noted in the previous reading, in 2010 the Supreme Court overturned key aspects of McCain-Feingold, allowing corporations and unions to again pay for "electioneering communications."</p> <p>The Occupy Wall Street movement spurred new action on campaign finance reform. Dylan Ratigan, a host for the cable news network MSNBC, launched a campaign called "Get Money Out" that calls for a Constitutional amendment to limit the influence of money in politics. To date over 230,000 people have signed a petition in favor of the proposal. Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig suggested possible wording for such an amendment:</p> <blockquote> <p>No non-citizen shall contribute money, directly or indirectly, to any candidate for Federal office. United States citizens shall be free to contribute no more than the equivalent of $100 to any federal candidate during any election cycle.</p> <p>Notwithstanding the limits construed to be part of the First Amendment, Congress shall have the power to limit, but not ban, independent political expenditures, so long as such limits are content and viewpoint neutral. Congress shall set forth a federal holiday for the purposes of voting for candidates for federal office.</p> <p>(<a href="http://www.getmoneyout.com/">http://www.getmoneyout.com/</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Reform advocates hope that such an measure would end the system of "legalized bribery" in US politics and decrease the ability of large donors to buy influence in Washington.</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>Do you believe that Minnesota Representative Erik Paulsen was influenced by campaign contributions when taking his stance on the government regulation of new medical devices? What was Rep. Paulsen's response to charges that he had been influenced by campaign donations?</p> <p><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp;What was the McCain-Feingold Act? What became of it?</p> <p><strong>4.</strong>&nbsp;Do you think protests can act as a counterbalance against the influence of corporate money in the American political system?</p> <p><strong>5.</strong>&nbsp;What are the pros and cons of a constitutional amendment limiting the amount of money a political candidate can receive?</p> <p><strong>6.</strong>&nbsp;If the US did ban corporate money in politics, how might it change our political system?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.Org by Mark Engler with research assistance by Eric Augenbraun.</em></p> <p><em>We welcome your comments. Please email them to:<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-11-17T00:00:00-05:00" title="Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 00:00">November 17, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000 fionta 645 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org IS THIS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE? Considering Occupy Wall Street's 'leaderless movement' https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/what-democracy-looks-considering-occupy-wall-streets-leaderless-movement <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>IS THIS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE? Considering Occupy Wall Street&#039;s &#039;leaderless movement&#039;</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4>Objectives</h4> <p><strong>Students will:</strong></p> <ul> <li>define democracy</li> <li>explore democracy by "doing" democracy</li> <li>read about and discuss democracy and the Occupy Wall Street movement</li> </ul> <p><strong>Social and Emotional Skills:</strong></p> <ul> <li>active listening</li> <li>democracy: having all voices are heard</li> <li>compromise&nbsp;</li> <li>choose leadership/representation</li> <li>explore the idea of leadership</li> </ul> <p><strong>Materials needed:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Today's agenda on chart paper or on the board</li> <li>Index cards and flipcharts&nbsp;</li> <li>Access to Heather Gautney's&nbsp;Washington Post&nbsp;article, "What is Occupy Wall Street? The history of leaderless movements"</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Gathering:&nbsp;</h3> <h2>Defining Democracy&nbsp;</h2> <p><em>(15 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask students to break into pairs, and give each pair an index card. Ask each pair to come up with a definition for democracy. Give them about two minutes to discuss this and write down their definition on the index card. Next, instruct each pair to join up with another pair. Now in groups of four, ask students to compare their two definitions of democracy and come up with one definition that works for all four students in the group. Each group will now write down their new definition (on a new index card if needed). Next, instruct each group of four, to join another group of four and go through the same process again, this time in groups of eight.</p> <p>Provide each group of eight with a sheet of chart paper. Instruct them to write their definition so they can present it to the rest of the class. Ask each group to select a representative who will post their chart paper and read the definition out loud (but don't specify how that representative will be chosen).</p> <p>Next, facilitate a dialogue about democracy by asking some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What do you notice about the different definitions of democracy?&nbsp;</li> <li>Do you notice similarities? Differences? Possible surprises?</li> <li>Ask students to compare the student definitions with the definition from <em>Merriam Webster</em>:</li> </ul> <p><em><strong>de·moc·ra·cy</strong></em><br> 1 a : government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections</p> <p>Also ask students about the process they just went through to create a definition for democracy</p> <ul> <li>What was the activity like for you?</li> <li>Do you think the process was democratic? Why? Why not?</li> </ul> <p>Elicit and touch on such perceptions as: hearing all voices, inclusion, involvement, handling differences of opinion, negotiation. Students might also mention that the process is time-consuming, messy, frustrating, etc.</p> <ul> <li>How did you work towards consensus (group agreement) over the definition in your groups?&nbsp;</li> <li>Was it easier to reach consensus in your smaller or larger groups? Why do you think that is?</li> <li>How did you select the representative from your group? Was it by consensus? Did the process make sense to you?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Review agenda and opening discussion (7 minutes)</p> <p>Explain that in today's lesson you'll be looking at Occupy Wall Street and its connection to democracy.</p> <p>Ask students what they know about Occupy Wall Street.</p> <p>Elicit and explain that after months of planning, on September 17, 2011, a group of protesters gathered in Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan to march on Wall Street to protest the greed, corruption and power of the financial institutions, big corporations and the wealthiest 1% of Americans.</p> <p>Since that day in September, a dedicated group of protesters has established an ongoing physical presence in Zuccotti Park, creating a hub for what has become the Occupy Wall Street movement. People around the country and the world have protested and created their own "Occupy" encampments.</p> <p>In the lesson that follows students will be asked to take a critical look at Occupy and the message it is trying to send.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Small Group Discussions in Microlabs&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>(23 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask students to take 10 minutes to read excerpts from Heather Gautney's<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/what-is-occupy-wall-street-the-history-of-leaderless-movements/2011/10/10/gIQAwkFjaL_story.html">&nbsp;What is Occupy Wall Street? The history of leaderless movements</a>, published in theWashington Post&nbsp;on October 10, 2011.</p> <p>Have students break into groups of three or four. Ask them to discuss what they just read by answering some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Based on Gautney's article, what is Occupy Wall Street about?</li> <li>What does Gautney say about the role of leadership in OWS? What do you think about that?&nbsp;</li> <li>Some people accuse Occupy Wall Street of being unorganized and not having a clear message. What are your thoughts on that?</li> </ul> <p>Back in the large group, ask a few volunteers to present what was discussed in their microlabs. Continue deepening students' understanding by exploring some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Gautney talks about the integrity of the Occupy Wall Street movement. What does she mean by this?</li> <li>According to Gautney how is OWS a "laboratory for participatory democracy"?</li> <li>What are some of the ways in which Occupy practices participatory democracy on a daily basis?</li> <li>How does all this relate to the activity we did earlier in the lesson?&nbsp; <p>&nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <hr> <h3>Closing</h3> <p><em>(5 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask students to read and/or listen to the following three quotes.</p> <p>"Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country."&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-right:24.0pt;background:white">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>—&nbsp;<em>Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the U.S.</em></p> <p>"I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it."<br> —<em>Alexander Woollcott, American critic and commentator for the&nbsp;New Yorker magazine</em></p> <p>"There can be no daily democracy without daily citizenship."<br> —<em>Ralph Nader, U.S. political activist and consumer advocate</em></p> <p>Ask a few volunteers their thoughts on these quotes and how they relate to today's lesson.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Homework Assignment</h4> <p>Ask students to explore the interactive map of Zuccotti Park at:<a href="http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/zuccotti-park-map-protest-plan">http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/zuccotti-park-map-protest-plan</a></p> <p>Follow up with a class discussion of this map. What do students think it reveals about the nature of Occupy Wall Street?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.org by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/marieke-van-woerkom">Marieke van Woerkom</a>. We welcome your comments. Please email them to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-10-28T00:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, October 28, 2011 - 00:00">October 28, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000 fionta 690 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org CONSIDERING DEMOCRACY in Occupy Wall Street & the Classroom https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/considering-democracy-occupy-wall-street-classroom <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>CONSIDERING DEMOCRACY in Occupy Wall Street &amp; the Classroom</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>Objectives:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Students will learn the definition of democracy</li> <li>Students will identify some ways democracy is practiced in the country, city/town and school and classroom</li> <li>Students will learn how the protesters at Occupy Wall Street are using democratic principles</li> <li>Students will consider ideas for making their classroom more democratic</li> <li>Students will determine the feasibility of their democratic ideas</li> </ul> <p><strong>Materials Needed:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Chart paper</li> <li>Markers</li> <li>Copies of Idea chart</li> </ul> <p>This lesson is geared towards upper elementary and middle school students. It helps students explore the meaning of democracy and how it plays out in our society, as well as how Occupy Wall Street and other "Occupy" movements are using elements of democracy in their protests. It then asks students to apply the principles of democracy in their own classroom, developing ideas and strategies for making their classroom more democratic.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Gathering</h3> <p>Have students....</p> <ul> <li>Stand up if you've ever voted.</li> <li>Stand up if you've ever decided what kind of report you were going to write.</li> <li>Stand up if you've been on the Student Council.</li> <li>Stand up if you've stated an opinion clearly and strongly.</li> <li>Stand up if you've helped a group of friends come to a decision in which they all agreed.</li> </ul> <p>(Add your own statements if you like.)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Defining Democracy</strong></p> <p>Create a semantic web with the word "democracy" in the center.</p> <p>Ask the students: What is democracy? What are some words and phrases that come to mind when you hear the word democracy? Record their responses on the web, drawing lines between ideas that go together. It might look something like this.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/democracyweb.jpg"></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When the web is completed, ask: What do you notice about the web? What does it tell you about democracy? What kind of feeling do you have while reading it?</p> <p>Together with the students, define democracy as follows:</p> <p><em><strong>de·moc·ra·cy</strong></em><br> <em>1 a</em> :&nbsp;government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections</p> <p><strong>Ask:</strong>&nbsp;In what ways is our country democratic? How about our city/town? What about in our classroom and school? Get students to think about key elements of democracy which include:</p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Representation/voting<br> <strong>2.</strong>&nbsp;Participation/having a voice or say<br> <strong>3.&nbsp;</strong>Free speech<br> <strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>Communication (making sure people understand what's happening)</p> <p>Have students share examples of how democratic principles are present in the country, city/town, and school/classroom. If they have a hard time coming up with ideas, suggest some of your own first to get the discussion going.</p> <p>You might also note that there are some ways that our country isn't always democratic, even though people do have rights such as a vote and free speech. Ask students if they can think of some examples. (Examples include: People and corporations with lots of money can make political contributions that give them more influence over our government than other people. Another: People who have a lot of power and resources can pay to have their opinion heard.)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Class discussion:</h3> <h2>Democratic Principles of Occupy Wall Street</h2> <p><strong>Ask students: </strong>Have you heard about Occupy Wall Street? Do you know what the protest is about? Do you know how Occupy Wall Street is organized and how they work together? If they don't know anything about Occupy Wall Street or how it is being organized, share the following with them:</p> <p>Occupy Wall Street is a group of activists who want to change the way money, wealth, and income are distributed in the U.S. They want to change the fact that there is a very big difference between how much money and wealth rich and poor people have. Also, they want to make our country more democratic so that even people with little money and power can have more of a voice.</p> <p>A group of people, mostly young people, came together in New York City on September 17, 2011, and began gathering in Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan near Wall Street. Several hundred stay overnight and sleep in sleeping bags. Since then, they have organized many protests and marches, and thousands of other people have joined in these protests.</p> <p>There are now hundreds of "Occupy" protests going on all over the country and even in other countries.</p> <p>At Zuccotti Park, there are information stations, a recycling center, a medical station, a media center where a gasoline generator powers computers. At the east end sits the library, labeled cardboard boxes brimming with donated books: nonfiction, fiction, poetry, legal. There is a lost and found. The protesters are concerned about many issues, and have varied points of view. But the main focus of the protest is about inequality in our country.</p> <p>The way they have organized themselves and how they make decisions is different than other movements. In protests, they sometimes chant, "This is what democracy looks like." They are trying to show the kind of society they want to live in by the way they act and the way they organize themselves. They have been called a "leaderless movement."</p> <p><strong>Ask:</strong>&nbsp;What do you think it means to be a "leaderless movement?" Do you like that idea?</p> <p>They have a General Assembly, or "GA," every day, that includes hundreds of people in Zuccotti Park. Anyone who is at the encampment at the time of the meeting can participate. The meetings are led by facilitators who rotate on a regular basis. They offer training in facilitation so that anyone who wants to participate as a facilitator can. Occupy Wall Street has working groups - open and inclusive - to address particular needs of the encampment, including food, medical and legal needs, outreach, and security. The working groups periodically report back to the GA. Occupy groups use a consensus process, and anyone can join in the decision-making and propose an idea.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Ask:&nbsp;</strong>What is consensus? How does it work?</p> <p>At Occupy Wall Street, if you have an idea, you state what it is and then you have to respond to questions, justify why you think it's a good idea and how you would go about making it happen. Then the whole group discusses it and votes on it. Votes are cast using hand signals (waving fingers up for yes, down for no). Proposals are revised until 9/10 (90%) of the group agrees.</p> <p>Because New York City requires a permit for "amplified sound" (bullhorn or microphone), at Occupy Wall Street they have to use what's called a "human microphone." Ask: What do you think that means?</p> <p>It works this way: When someone needs to communicate with everyone, they make their statement, and then everyone who can hear them repeats back what they said in unison to amplify the speaker's words. This creates a democratic feeling among the people who are participating. It feels as if everyone's words are heard and valued. Because of this, Occupy movements across the country and the world are using this same process - even when they have a microphone!</p> <p><strong>Ask:</strong>&nbsp;How are democratic principles being used to organize and communicate about Occupy Wall Street? Why do think it's important to the protesters to use these principles? What do you think about it?&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Small Group Activity:</h3> <h2>Democracy in our Classroom</h2> <p>Distribute large chart paper and markers and divide the students into small groups of 4-5 students each. Ask each group to draw a picture of what a democratic classroom might look like. What would be in the classroom? How would it be arranged? How would students feel? How would students, teachers, administrators relate to each other? How would the class be organized? All of this should be represented in their drawings.</p> <p>Give the groups 10-15 minutes to do the drawing, and then have the students hang the pictures around the classroom. Have students do a "picture walk" to look at all of them and then have each group present to the class.</p> <p><strong>Ask:</strong>&nbsp;What are your ideas for making our class more democratic? (This can include new ideas, in addition to what is already happening in class that they want to continue.) What about in our school as a whole? As the students are coming up with the ideas, record them on the board or chart paper.</p> <p>The list could include:</p> <ul> <li>Decide what we are learning in class/make curricula decisions</li> <li>Have a student council in the class to create and enforce rules&nbsp;</li> <li>Create the classroom rules and consequences as a group</li> <li>Students decide the menu for school lunch</li> <li>Use consensus decision-making for important decisions&nbsp;</li> <li>Have students take turns teaching the class</li> </ul> <p>List all of their ideas, grouping together ideas that are connected. See where most of the energy is and work with the group to narrow the list down to five ideas they will be pursuing in greater detail. If you can't come to consensus about which five to choose, vote.</p> <p>Have students divide into five small groups of 4-6 students each. Their task will be to take one of the ideas and discuss it together, coming up with the pros and cons of the idea for students and for the teacher, and to answer a list of questions about the idea. (For whole school ideas, you could also add pros and cons for the school.) The goal of the small group work is to determine if the idea will make the classroom more democratic, if it is a good idea, and what would be needed to make it happen.</p> <p>You might want to make sure students understand that this is an exploration, and that there's no guarantee that the class can implement a particular proposal. You as the teacher have a certain role you must play. Also, there are many people outside the classroom who make decisions affecting your classroom - and who also have a real stake in what happens in the classroom.</p> <p>Students will use the following chart and list of questions to work out the idea. (A specific example is given but you should distribute blank sheets for the students).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <table border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td>Sample Idea</td> <td>Pros-Students</td> <td>Cons-Students</td> <td>Pros-Teacher</td> <td>Cons-Teacher</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Students decide what books they read for English literature class.</p> </td> <td>Students like the books because they choose them and are more motivated to read.</td> <td> <p>Students might not get to read as wide a variety of books (genre).</p> <p>It might be hard to make a decision in which all students agree.</p> </td> <td>Students will be motivated to read the books since they choose them.</td> <td> <p>Teacher might not know the books well and have more to read and plan.&nbsp;<br> Teacher may not be able to cover everything for standards and prep for high school.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p>Idea # ___:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After completing the chart, the group should answer the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What is the reason you are proposing this idea?&nbsp;</li> <li>How does it make the classroom/school more democratic?</li> <li>Is it a good idea? Why or why not?</li> <li>What would be needed to implement the idea? What conversations would be needed?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Large Group Discussion</strong></p> <p>Have each group present their idea (pros, cons, response to questions) to the whole class. Allow students to ask questions. As a group, try to determine which ideas could actually be implemented, and which are the best one or two ideas. Make a plan for implementing them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Closing</h3> <p><em><strong>Synectics:</strong>&nbsp;</em>a method of identifying and solving problems that depends on creative thinking, the use of analogy, and informal conversation among a small group of individuals with diverse experience and expertise.</p> <p>In the large group, ask students to think of:</p> <ul> <li>five machines (e.g. TV, car, ipod touch)</li> <li>three things that occur in nature (tree, mud)</li> <li>two thing people like to do (e.g. eat, dance)</li> </ul> <p>List their responses on the board or chart paper. Give students the following sentence:</p> <p>"Democracy is like a __________________ because ____________________."</p> <p>Point to the first machine and use that word to fill in the blank ("Democracy is like an ipod touch because it includes many different voices.")</p> <p>Go through the list of words, having students complete the analogy for each one.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.org by Jinnie Spiegler. We welcome your comments. Please email them to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-10-27T00:00:00-04:00" title="Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 00:00">October 27, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000 fionta 691 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org 'OCCUPY WALL STREET': Background & international context https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/occupy-wall-street-background-international-context <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>&#039;OCCUPY WALL STREET&#039;: Background &amp; international context</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the teacher:</strong></p> <p>In recent weeks, "Occupy Wall Street" protests, focused on economic inequality, have swept the country. Starting with a protest encampment in lower Manhattan, occupations have spread to more 70 cities nationwide, generating significant news coverage and public discussion.</p> <p>This lesson presents students with two readings on the Occupy Wall Street protests. The first reading gives background information on the demonstrations and addresses the question of what the protests' demands are. The second reading situates the Wall Street occupation in an international context, looking at it in relationship to movements in other countries that have captured headlines in the past year. The readings are followed by questions designed to further discussion and prompt students to think critically about the issues raised.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading 1:&nbsp;</h3> <h2>The Message of Occupy Wall Street<br> &nbsp;</h2> <p>In recent weeks, a movement inspired by the call to "Occupy Wall Street" has spread throughout the country. Protests began in New York City. On September 17, hundreds of activists descended on Wall Street, ultimately setting up a camp in Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan. They had responded to a call to action, initially raised by the anti-consumerist magazine&nbsp;<em>Adbusters</em>, which asked people to "flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street." In the weeks since then, the encampment has grown. Moreover, similar demonstrations have appeared in more than 70 cities across the country.</p> <p>The basic message of the protesters is simple: people are mad at the greed and corruption of big banks and corporations that were responsible for sending our economy into a recession. Protesters would like to enact changes to make our political and economic system better serve the vast majority of Americans instead of the country's wealthiest one percent. Reflecting this idea, one of the most popular rallying cries of the movement has been "We Are the 99 Percent."</p> <p>On several occasions, police have clashed with the protesters. During the second weekend of the occupation, police officers pepper sprayed several individuals who had been detained and who did not appear to be resisting. Video of this apparently unnecessary use of force circulated widely on the internet and in the news media. Approximately one week later, some 700 demonstrators were arrested while attempting to march across the Brooklyn Bridge. In spite of the arrests, or perhaps because of the publicity they created, greater numbers of people have since been moved to take part in the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. Thousands of people, including the Occupiers, marched to support the protest on October 5, 2011.</p> <p>Early on, commentators in the media and even some protest sympathizers began voicing the criticism that the movement lacked coherent demands or clear targets for its participants' general feelings of anger. On September 23,&nbsp;New York Timesreporter Ginia Bellafante criticized "the group's lack of cohesion and its apparent wish to pantomime progressivism rather than practice it knowledgeably." She wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>One of the few New Yorkers I met, a senior at Bronx High School of Science, was stopping by in fits and spurts, against the wishes of his psychiatrist mother, who feared the possibility of tear gas and had chastised her son for giving his allowance to the cause.</p> <p>That cause, though, in specific terms, was virtually impossible to decipher. The group was clamoring for nothing in particular to happen right away - not the implementation of the Buffett rule or the increased regulation of the financial industry. Some didn't think government action was the answer because the rich, they believed, would just find new ways to subvert the system.<br> ....</p> <p>Some said they were fighting the legal doctrine of corporate personhood; others, not fully understanding what that meant, believed it meant corporations paid no taxes whatsoever. Others came to voice concerns about the death penalty, the drug war, the environment.<br> (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/nyregion/protesters-are-gunning-for-wall-street-with-faulty-aim.html?_r=2">www.nytimes.com</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Defenders of the movement have disagreed with Bellafante's assessment. On September 28, Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>Does anyone really not know what the basic message is of this protest: that Wall Street is oozing corruption and criminality and its unrestrained political power-in the form of crony capitalism and ownership of political institutions-is destroying financial security for everyone else?<br> ....</p> <p>So, yes, the people willing to engage in protests like these at the start may lack (or reject the need for) media strategies, organizational hierarchies, and messaging theories. But they're among the very few people trying to channel widespread anger into activism rather than resignation, and thus deserve support and encouragement - and help - from anyone claiming to be sympathetic to their underlying message.&nbsp;<br> (<a href="https://www.salon.com/2011/09/28/protests_21/">www.salon.com</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Young people have been at the forefront of the occupation from the beginning. They have stressed the idea that their generation especially has been betrayed by the American economy. An article by David Weidner at MarketWatch.com captured this idea. Widener wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>[A]sk yourself how you might act if you were in school or fresh out of it or young and unemployed. What future has Wall Street, the heart and brain of our capitalist country, promised you? How does it feel to be the sons, daughters and grand kids of a "me" generation that's run up the debt and run down the economy?</p> <p>Unemployment is between 13% and 25% for people under 25. Student loans are defaulting at about 15% at a time when more young people have no alternative but to borrow to pay for school.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Wall Street bonuses continue to be paid at close to all-time highs. Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS), took home $13.2 million last year, including a $3.2 million raise.&nbsp;<br> (<a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/Story/story/print?guid=F2FFA022-E843-11E0-8BF8-002128040CF6">www.marketwatch.com</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>As protests have grown larger and more visible, greater numbers of participants have been able to voice their criticisms of corporate power and economic inequality. While the ultimate political impact of the protests remains unclear, the demonstrators' concerns have evidently resonated with a wide swath of the American public. A&nbsp;<a href="http://swampland.time.com/full-results-of-oct-9-10-2011-time-poll/">Time Magazine poll</a>&nbsp;taken in early October 2011 found that 54% of Americans had a favorable view of the protest.&nbsp;The same poll found that the issues positions supported by the occupiers were also strongly favored by most Americans: 68% want the wealthy to pay more taxes; 71% want to see bankers prosecuted for the 2008 crash; 79% believe the gap between rich and poor in the U.S. has grown too large; and 86% believe Wall Street and its lobbyists have too much influence.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.</strong>&nbsp;According to the reading, what are some of the main reasons for the occupation of Wall Street?</p> <p><strong>3.</strong> From what you've read and heard about the protests, do you agree with Ginia Bellafante's criticism that the protesters don't have a coherent message? Why or why not? What do you think of Glenn Greenwald's argument?</p> <p><strong>4.</strong>&nbsp;One of the main slogans of the protest is "We Are the 99 Percent." What does this slogan mean? Do you agree or disagree with focusing on the top one percent as a symbol of economic inequality in our country? Why?</p> <p><strong>5.&nbsp;</strong>Young people have taken a leading role in the Occupy Wall Street protests. What are some reasons that young people might feel uniquely invested in this movement?</p> <p><strong>Optional follow-up:</strong></p> <p>Have students read some of the personal stories presented at the "We Are the 99 Percent" Tumblr site:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/high/v">http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/</a>.</p> <p>Discuss the following:</p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>What are some of the hardships experienced by people who have contributed their photographs to this project?</p> <p><strong>2.</strong>&nbsp;How do these stories relate to students' own experiences?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading 2:</h3> <h2>Occupy Wall Street In A Global Context</h2> <p>The Occupy Wall Street protest is only one of many important protests people have organized in public spaces around the world over the past year. The same economic conditions that gave rise to the Wall Street occupation and other "Occupy" demonstrations around the United States have also been felt in other countries.</p> <p>In Spain, for example, protests erupted at the beginning of 2011 in response to high unemployment and significant government spending cutbacks. In Madrid, protesters known as los indignados (the indignant) took over a number of public squares and plazas - including the city's central plaza, Plaza del Sol - where they camped out for extended periods of time. In both the Spanish movement and Occupy Wall Street, participants made active use of the Internet - particularly social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter - to communicate with other protesters and plan their actions.</p> <p>An even more famous instance of protesters taking over a public square in the past year was in Egypt, as part of what became known as the "Arab Spring." In early January, citizens speaking out against the 30-year reign of the violent and undemocratic regime of President Hosni Mubarak filled Tahrir Square, a major plaza in downtown Cairo. Protests and occupations in other parts of the country followed. Government forces attempting to repress the protests killed hundreds and injured thousands of demonstrators, but the protest only grew. Some two weeks after the Tahrir Square occupation began, popular discontent throughout the country succeeded in toppling the Mubarak regime.</p> <p>The Wall Street occupation has drawn comparisons to the Egyptian uprising from participants, supporters, and some members of the media. Patrick Glennon of&nbsp;In <em>These Times</em>&nbsp;magazine writes that the Wall Street occupation shares some qualities in common with the Tahrir Square uprising:</p> <blockquote> <p>The activists behind Occupy Wall Street hope to emulate the success of Tahrir Square, which was an integral force in the dethroning of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak last February. In Cairo's case, the occupied square became the most compelling symbol of the country's spontaneous rebellion against its autocratic leader.</p> <p>By endowing Wall Street with a similar, populist significance, American activists may succeed in producing a symbolic rallying point to push their agenda for finance and government reform, especially as the nation has recently seen the first ravages of the Citizens United ruling and the appalling leniency granted to speculators and profit hounds responsible for the financial crisis. (<a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/ittlist/entry/11952/wall_st/">www.inthesetimes.com</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>At the same time that some commentators have attempted to link Occupy Wall Street with other global demonstrations, there are also some important differences. One difference is the sheer number of people involved. The Egyptian uprising relied on the participation of millions of people across that country. In contrast, participants in the Wall Street occupation and subsequent demonstrations in other American cities have only numbered in the hundreds or thousands.</p> <p>In his article, Glennon himself goes on to note some other distinctions between Occupy Wall Street and movements in other parts of the world:</p> <blockquote> <p>[T]here are significant differences between the situation that Egypt faced at the onset of its occupation of Tahrir Square and where the United States is now. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was an aggressive tyrant. The Egyptian people thus had an enemy against whom a diverse array of individuals with different political, social, and religious affiliations could organize.</p> <p>The US activists behind Occupy Wall Street inhabit an altogether different environment. The financial world lacks the identifiable characteristics of a single dictator, and it operates more as an abstraction compared to Mubarak's concrete and oppressive security apparatus.</p> <p>Additionally, the movement's cri de guerre is far from codified. Its demands are all variations of politico-corporate reform, yet they still vary, ranging from the modest goal of a implementing a Federally appointed oversight committee to the more radical call for a one dollar, one citizen, one vote system in which only citizens could make campaign donations exceeding no more than $1.&nbsp;<br> (<a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/ittlist/entry/11952/wall_st/">www.inthesetimes.com</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Of course, just because various international protests are different does not mean that the Occupy protests aren't important. In the weeks since their action began, the protesters' cause seems to be gaining ground.</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>The reading discusses several recent protests that occurred in other parts of the world. Are students aware of protests in countries not mentioned in this reading?</p> <p><strong>3.&nbsp;</strong>What are some of the similarities between the protests in other countries and the Wall Street occupation? What are some of the differences?</p> <p><strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>The idea of taking over or "occupying" public space has had a great deal of resonance in the past year. What do you think about this use of public parks and plazas? Do you think that ongoing protest encampments in public spaces are a good way of voicing a political message?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.Org by Mark Engler with research assistance by Eric Augenbraun.</em></p> <p><em>We welcome your comments. Please email them to:<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-10-13T00:00:00-04:00" title="Thursday, October 13, 2011 - 00:00">October 13, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000 fionta 693 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org TAXES: Why do we have them? Are they fair? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/taxes-why-do-we-have-them-are-they-fair <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>TAXES: Why do we have them? Are they fair?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the teacher:</strong></p> <p>In protests in New York City and other cities, demonstrators are demanding that we "tax the rich." It's a teachable moment for a discussion about taxes: why we have them, who pays how much, and whether the current rates are fair.</p> <p>When President Obama stated a few weeks back that the wealthiest Americans, many of whom are taxed at remarkably low rates, should bear part of the burden of reducing the budget deficit, he was accused of waging class warfare. The term "class warfare" was traditionally used by socialists to describe a struggle by workers to challenge capitalism and create a more equal society. What President Obama proposed would instead level out the playing field somewhat by expecting the very rich to pay the same overall tax rate on their earnings as other taxpayers.</p> <p>President Obama called his plan the Buffett Rule, after Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor who has pointed out repeatedly that the wealthiest Americans pay a smaller percentage of their earnings in federal taxes than the middle and low-income people. Buffett illustrates this by pointing to his secretary who pays a higher tax rate on earnings than he as a billionaire does. The top U.S. tax rate on regular income (wages) is 35%. Most very rich Americans get most of their income not from wages, however, but from selling stocks and other financial maneuvers. This income, called "capital gains," is taxed at only 15%.</p> <p>In the following lessons, students explore the question of taxes, and discuss opposing views on tax fairness.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Objectives</h4> <p><strong>Students will:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Explore why we pay taxes and the tax rates various Americans pay on their earnings;</li> <li>Look at the pros and cons of President Obama's proposed "millionaire's tax," and discuss them as a group</li> </ul> <p><strong>Social and Emotional Skills:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Considering different perspectives on the same issue</li> <li>Conflict resolution skills</li> <li>Critical thinking skills</li> </ul> <p><strong>Materials Needed:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Today's agenda on chart paper or on the board</li> <li>Chart paper, markers and tape</li> <li><a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/taxcharts.pdf">Handouts</a> (attached PDF and at the bottom of this lesson plan)</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Gathering&nbsp;</h4> <p><em>(5 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask a few volunteers to share what they've heard about President Obama's proposal for a Millionaire's Tax, also known as the Buffett Rule. Have they heard other discussion about "taxing the rich"?</p> <h4><br> Review Agenda</h4> <p><em>(2 minutes)</em></p> <p>Explain that in today's lesson you'll be exploring the idea of taxation in the context of President Obama's proposal to have the wealthiest one percent Americans pay a higher percentage in income tax than they are currently paying.</p> <h3><br> Exploring Taxation</h3> <p><em>(20 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask students for their free associations with the word "TAX/TAXES" and record their ideas graphically on a web chart.</p> <p>Making webs can stimulate creative thinking and allows for different voices and perspectives to be raised. Remember in a brainstorm there are no wrong or right answers and all (appropriate) responses should be charted.</p> <p>To make a web, write the core word or phrase, in this case "TAX/TAXES" in the center of the board, or on chart paper, and circle it. Chart students' associations and connect them to the core idea by drawing lines or spokes radiating out from the center. Related ideas can be grouped together.</p> <p>Continue the brainstorm while energy is high. If needed use prompts like:</p> <ul> <li>What do taxes consist of?</li> <li>Who pays taxes? To whom?</li> <li>What is the tax debate in the news these days about?</li> </ul> <p>When you've finished charting, discuss the web by asking students what they notice about the words in the web. Are there generalizations to be made? Is there anything that's surprising? Next ask if anyone would like to come up with a definition for the word "TAX."</p> <p>Definition of TAX [from Merriam Webster online]&nbsp;<br> a: A charge usually of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes<br> b: a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expenses</p> <p>Using what students came up with in their web and definition, explain that taxes are not voluntary. They are imposed and collected by the local, state and federal government to provide services. We don't just pay taxes on income. For instance, we pay taxes on things we buy (sales tax), and on property.</p> <p>Work with students to create a list of what taxes pay for.</p> <p>Answers include:</p> <ul> <li>schools /public education</li> <li>infrastructure - building and maintaining roads, bridges,etc.</li> <li>public transportation</li> <li>garbage collection and other sanitation</li> <li>safe water, safe food&nbsp;</li> <li>military&nbsp;</li> <li>police and fire protection</li> <li>the court system</li> <li>libraries, museums and other places of learning</li> <li>parks, national forests</li> <li>research</li> <li>student loans</li> <li>food stamps and other supports for people with little money</li> <li>Social Security (support for seniors)</li> <li>public health insurance, like Medicare&nbsp;</li> <li>unemployment insurance&nbsp;</li> <li>the space program and other science-related programs</li> <li>international aid&nbsp;</li> <li>environmental protection</li> </ul> <p>Without taxes, the government would not be able to pay for these services.</p> <p>Ask students: Why does the government need to provide these services in the first place? Why, for instance, don't we have individuals "pay as they go," i.e. pay for services as they need them?</p> <p>Providing all the services students have listed would be too great a burden for any one individual, or group of individuals, to pay for. Instead the government imposes taxes on everyone so it can pool the money and provide these kinds of services to all people, allowing society to function as a whole. Some taxes are "progressive" in that those with high incomes pay a higher share.</p> <p>After some discussion, ask students to imagine what it would be like to live in a world where you had to pay as an individual for all of the services listed above. Some people would not have enough money to pay for the services. This would have potentially deadly consequences for the individual, but would also have consequences for society as a whole.</p> <p>Work with students to develop a couple of examples of what it would be like if every individual had to pay out of pocket for government services. For example:</p> <ul> <li>Many people would not be able to afford school. A high percentage of the people in our communities would be illiterate.</li> <li>Roads and other infrastructure would be in good condition in rich areas, but perhaps nonexistent in areas where poor people lived.</li> <li>Sanitation would be spotty, so disease would spread.</li> </ul> <p>Society pays taxes to support the general welfare and the public good. When it comes to many of the services government provides, we all suffer if they services aren't universal.</p> <p>Of course, no one enjoys paying taxes, but it is important to realize what we get in return. The vast majority of people think taxes are worth it when they are collected properly and fairly. And here is the rub: Different people have different perspectives on what's fair; on what should and should not be included in what the government provides; and who should pay what to support government services.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading &amp; Discussion&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>(20 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask students to read the piece below, then discuss it with the class. Questions might include:</p> <p>1.&nbsp;What are some ways we could help reduce the deficit?</p> <p>2.&nbsp;Which of these ways are Democrats arguing for?</p> <p>3.&nbsp;Which of these ways are Republicans arguing for?</p> <p>4.&nbsp;Explain the Buffett Rule.&nbsp;</p> <p>5.&nbsp;What is progressive (and regressive) taxation? Provide examples from the article.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading</h3> <h2>TAXES: Who pays what?</h2> <p>"Tax the rich!" is a demand voiced often by protesters involved in the "Occupy Wall Street" protest in New York City - and others like it around the country. The protesters believe that our whole society is suffering because of the growing disparity between rich and poor. They also charge that this disparity is undermining our democracy, because the very rich are able to use their money to get candidates elected who will vote in their interests. Meanwhile, Republicans are arguing that we should be cutting taxes further - and that all efforts to reduce our federal deficit should focus on cuts in public services and public workers' jobs, not increases in tax revenue.</p> <p>On September 8, 2011, President Obama proposed the "American Jobs Act," which includes some new spending on things like school repair, as well as $240 billion in tax cuts to small businesses and a temporary payroll tax cut. He proposed to pay for the plan with a combination of spending cuts to programs including Medicaid, Medicare, and the military<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(66, 66, 66); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">—</span>and by raising taxes for the very wealthy. (Taxes would be raised by closing some tax loopholes for the wealthy, increasing the capital gains tax, and allowing some of the Bush-era tax breaks for the rich to expire.)</p> <p>He proposed what he called "the Buffett Rule," after Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor. Buffett has pointed out repeatedly that the wealthiest Americans pay a smaller percentage of their earnings in federal taxes than middle- and low-income people. Buffett illustrates this by pointing to his secretary who pays a higher tax rate on earnings than he as a billionaire does.</p> <p>This happens because very rich Americans typically get most of their income not from wages, but from selling stocks and other financial maneuvers. And this income, called "capital gains," is taxed at only 15%. The top US tax rate on regular income is 35%.</p> <p>Republicans responded that the president was engaging in "class warfare" against the rich. "Veto threats, a massive tax hike, phantom savings and punting on entitlement reform is not a recipe for economic or job growth - or even meaningful deficit reduction," charged Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.</p> <p>So should the rich pay more in taxes? Or not? How fair is our tax system?</p> <p>Assessing who pays how much in taxes is actually no simple task. In general, our federal income taxes are progressive, meaning that rich people pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than poor people. But there are exceptions, including the capital gains tax, which enables many very wealthy people to pay less taxes on earnings. And there are many taxes besides federal, state, and local - including sales taxes, which are quite regressive (that is, low-income people must pay a much higher percentage of their income on sales taxes than high-income people).</p> <p>Class Discussion &amp; Chart Analysis (if time allows)</p> <p>Share the the attached&nbsp;<a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/taxcharts.pdf">CHARTS</a>&nbsp;with students and work together to interpret them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Closing</h4> <p><em>(2 minutes)</em></p> <p>Ask a few volunteers to share something they've learned from today's lesson.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Possible homework and further study:</h4> <h3>Small Group Work &amp; Gallery Walk&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>(30 minutes)</em><br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Consider following up on your reading and discussion of taxes with a further discussion of the controversy over President Obama's tax plan. You might assign the handout below as a homework assignment and follow up the next day with the activity below. Or give students time in the following day's class to read the handout before doing the activity.</p> <p>The handout includes quotes addressing taxation and President Obama's new proposal from different perspectives. After students have read the quotes, either at home or in class, ask them to break into small groups. Provide each group with chart paper and ask them to draw a line down the middle vertically to divide the paper in two. At the top of the first column write "for" and at the top of the second column write "against."</p> <p>Based on the quotes they've just read, and on their earlier reading and discussion, ask students in their small groups to come up with arguments for and against President Obama's millionaire tax proposal. List them in the appropriate column on their charts.</p> <p>When they've finished with their charts, ask students to post the charts around the room. Then ask students to walk around the room and quietly read other people's charts. This is known as a gallery walk.</p> <p>Then reconvene the whole class, and ask some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What did you notice about the various charts?&nbsp;</li> <li>Were there similarities/differences? Describe.</li> <li>What did you learn in this activity?</li> <li>Did you change your views in any way? How? Why?</li> <li>In some of the quotes, people mention "income redistribution." What does that term mean? What are your thoughts on income redistribution?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h3>Student Handout&nbsp;</h3> <h2>What people say about taxing the rich</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Quote Number One:</strong></p> <p>We are often reminded these days that the top 1% of earners in America pay about 40% of the nations federal income taxes - nearly double the share they paid in 1980. The latest to weigh in on this factoid is billionaire-mayor Mike Bloomberg, who disputed the Buffett doctrine and said that, "A very small percentage in this country pay a big chunk of the taxes."</p> <p>Republicans say the high share is due to our overly progressive tax structure and growing programs for the rest of the non-taxpaying Americans. Democrats, to the extent that they even concede the number, argue that it's because the rich now make all the money. Who's right?</p> <p>An article in the&nbsp;<em>Economist</em>&nbsp;states the answer quite simply: "In America the income share of the rich has grown faster than the[ir] share of taxes paid." ....</p> <p>In other words, the top 1% share of income grew nearly five times faster than their share of taxes. .... [So] when pundits and politicians talk about the rich paying "a big chunk," they should be clear that it's because the rich earn "an even bigger chunk."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>September 26, 2011&nbsp;<br> Why the Rich Pay 40% of Taxes<br> By Robert Frank<br> <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2011/09/26/why-the-rich-pay-40-of-taxes/">http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2011/09/26/why-the-rich-pay-40-of-taxes/</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Quote Number Two:</strong></p> <p>The wealthiest 1 percent of the taxpayers pay 34 percent of all federal income taxes. The top 50 percent pay 96 percent of the total bill. This means that the least wealthy 50 percent pay almost nothing. .... In the name of justice, the President, Congress and the American public should be demanding a tax cut that lowers the tax bill of the wealthy.</p> <p>But the opponents of tax cuts do not want justice. They want redistribution of wealth. They want to confiscate the income earned by the wealthy and give it to people who have not earned it. They want the rich - which includes the most productive people in society - to be the servants of the poor.</p> <p>April 15, 2002<br> A taxing question: Just what is fair? System puts unfair burden on wealthy<br> By Edwin A. Locke at&nbsp;<a href="http://articles.philly.com/">articles.philly.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Quote Number Three:</strong></p> <p>Ari Fleischer, the former Bush White House spokesman, once said "50 percent of the country gets benefits without paying for them."</p> <p>Actually, they pay lots of taxes - just not lots of federal income taxes. Data from the Tax Foundation show that in 2008, .... millions of .... poor [Americans] do not make enough to&nbsp;owe income taxes.</p> <p>But they still pay plenty of other taxes, including federal payroll taxes. Between gas taxes, sales taxes, utility taxes and other taxes, no one lives tax-free in America.</p> <p>When it comes to state and local taxes, the poor bear a heavier burden than the rich in every state except Vermont, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy calculated from official data.</p> <p>April 13, 2011&nbsp;<br> 9 Things The Rich Don't Want You To Know About Taxes<br> By David cay Johnston at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.3quarksdaily.com/">3quarksdaily.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Quote Number Four:</strong></p> <p>This proposal makes sure millionaires and billionaires share the responsibility for reducing the deficit. It would correct, for example, the fact that [multibillionaire] Warren Buffett's secretary currently pays taxes at a higher rate than he does.</p> <p>The other side is already saying it's "class warfare" - that's their rhetorical smokescreen for providing millionaires and billionaires special treatment.</p> <p>As the President said this morning, "This is not class warfare - it's math."</p> <p>The wealthiest Americans don't need further tax cuts and in many cases aren't even asking for them. Requiring that they pay their fair share is the only practical way forward."</p> <p>September 20, 2011<br> Jim Messina, President Obama's 2012 campaign manager, quoted in "Some Thoughts on Obama's Deficit Plan, Class Warfare, and Equal Protection" by Curt Bentley at&nbsp;UtahPoliticalSummary.com (no longer active)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Quote Number Five:</strong></p> <p>President Barack Obama is right. It is time for "fairness." It is time to ask some Americans to do more, contribute more, sacrifice more.</p> <p>But like most things Obama does, he has singled out the wrong group. The rich and business owners already pay far too much in taxes. They already sacrifice too much. They already share their wealth too much. The top 1 percent of income earners .... already pay 40 percent of the personal income taxes in America, more than the bottom 95 percent combined. ....</p> <p>Now is not the time to target, demonize, and punish them, it's time to reward them. It's time to stop class warfare and tell the truth. ....</p> <p>Yes, we need more "fairness." The problem is that Obama voters, those doing the most protesting and complaining, are the ones who need a refresher course in the definition of "fair." They want something for nothing. It's not just that they 'want' it, they 'expect and demand' it.</p> <p>It's no surprise when pollsters ask Obama's voters if others should pay higher taxes, they emphatically scream "YES!" Why not? It costs them nothing, and they get 100 percent of the benefits.</p> <p>So, Obama is right. Let's make the tax system fairer. Let's ask Obama's voters to sacrifice, contribute, and bear at least a little more of the load.</p> <p>September 26, 2011<br> Rich Already Pay More Than Their Share<br> By Wayne Allyn Root on<a href="http://newsmax.com/">&nbsp;Newsmax.com</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Quote Number Six:</strong></p> <p>"Nobody got rich in the US on his own, said Massachusetts Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren. "You built a factory out there? Good for you," she said. "But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police-forces and fire-forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory -- and hire someone to protect against this -- because of the work the rest of us did."</p> <p>Warren added, "Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea. God bless -- keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is, you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along."</p> <p>September 22, 2011<br> Elizabeth Warren quoted at Drudge.com<br> <a href="http://www.drudge.com/news/148576/elizabeth-warren-class-warfare">http://www.drudge.com/news/148576/elizabeth-warren-class-warfare</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.org by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/marieke-van-woerkom">Marieke van Woerkom</a>. We welcome your comments. Please email them to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-10-13T00:00:00-04:00" title="Thursday, October 13, 2011 - 00:00">October 13, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000 fionta 692 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org 'OCCUPY WALL STREET': A lesson for middle grades https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/occupy-wall-street-lesson-middle-grades <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>&#039;OCCUPY WALL STREET&#039;: A lesson for middle grades</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h3>'We are the 99%': &nbsp;Occupy Wall Street Protest<br> &nbsp;</h3> <p><strong>Objectives</strong></p> <ul> <li>Students will learn the meaning of 99% and do math problems calculating 99%</li> <li>Students will learn about the Occupy Wall Street Protest</li> <li>Students will learn about wealth and wealth disparity&nbsp;</li> <li>Students will learn what some of the protesters want and need and why they are angry</li> <li>Students will learn how to make an infographic</li> </ul> <p><strong>Materials</strong></p> <ul> <li>100 pieces of some object&nbsp;</li> <li>"I am the 99 percent" photo/statement handouts (attached)&nbsp;</li> <li>Examples of infographics printed out (you will need color printer) or available online if interactive</li> <li>Construction paper, markers, crayons</li> </ul> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <hr> <h4>Gathering</h4> <p>Many elementary schools celebrate the 100th Day of School by asking the students to bring in 100 of something (e.g. paper clips, pieces of pasta, dried beans, toothpicks, crayons) to illustrate what 100 looks and feels like. Prior to the lesson, ask students to bring in 100 of something. Or,&nbsp;you&nbsp;can bring in 100 of something. Lay it on the table and ask a student to come up and count it out loud. Then ask another student to come up and put 99% of it on one side of the table and 1% of it on the other side. This means 99 pieces will be on one side and 1 piece on the other.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Web:</h3> <h2>What is 99%?</h2> <p>Write 99% in big letters on board and ask: What is 99%? Draw a circle around the "99%" and create a semantic web asking: What words describe 99%? What does it mean? How much is it? How does it feel?</p> <p>Students may come up with words such as: majority, almost all, most, many, huge amount, nearly everything, etc. Then ask: What are some examples of something you would like 99% of? Can you think of examples of attributes that 99% of people (i.e. the majority) have? It may be difficult or impossible for them to think of examples. Then ask if there's anything they think 99% of people should have, feel, or need?</p> <p>To give students a feel for what 99% of a group of people represents, have them compute 99% of the population of your school (e.g. if your school has 2000 students, 99% of the school population is 1980). If they are not yet able to multiply large numbers, you can do it on the board and show them the answer. Show them how much 99% (1980) is and how much the other 1% is (20). Then take the population of your city/town, or of the United States (311,000,000) and have them compute 99% of that (answer is 307,890,000).</p> <p><strong>Then ask:</strong> How about 1%? Make a similar semantic web (next to the 99% web) of 1%, recording the students' responses to words describing it such as: very few, not very much, minority, small amount, etc.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Class discussion:</h3> <h2>Occupy Wall Street Protest</h2> <p><strong>Ask:</strong> Has anyone ever been to, participated in, or heard about a protest or demonstration? Define protest as "an expression or declaration of objection, disapproval, or dissent, often in opposition to something a person is powerless to prevent or avoid: a protest against increased taxation.. Give some examples from our history that the students may know about (Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington, Women's Suffrage Movement etc.). Ask: What was the protest about? What were the protesters trying to accomplish?</p> <p><strong>Then ask:</strong> Does anyone know about a protest that is going on right now? Have you heard of the "Occupy Wall Street"? (Or other "occupation" protests going on around the country?) Have students share what they know. Fill in the blanks with the background information below.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Background: Occupy Wall Street</strong></p> <p>Occupy Wall Street is a group of activists who want to change the way money, wealth, and income are distributed in the U.S. They want to change the fact that there is a very big difference between how much money and wealth rich and poor people have. A group of them came together in New York City on September 17, 2011, and began gathering in Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan near Wall Street. Several hundred stay overnight and sleep in sleeping bags. The original idea for the protest was for them to stay there and camp out for weeks or even months.</p> <p>Most of the demonstrators are in their teens or 20s, but there are many who are older. Many are students. Many don't have jobs. Others have jobs but have put their normal lives on hold to be part of the protest. At Zuccotti Park, there are information stations, a recycling center, a medical station, a media center where a gasoline generator powers computers. At the east end sits the library, labeled cardboard boxes brimming with donated books: nonfiction, fiction, poetry, legal. There is a lost and found.</p> <p>The protesters are concerned about many issues, and have varied points of view. But the main focus of the protest is about inequality in our country. The protesters say: "The one thing we all have in common is that we are the 99%, and that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%." The 1% refers to the "haves": people who run banks and insurance companies and those who are very rich and often pay less taxes than other people. The 99% refers to the "have-nots": everyone else.</p> <p>At this point, you may need to define the following words. First, elicit the meaning from them and then give them definition if necessary.</p> <p><em>Activist:</em>&nbsp;advocating or opposing a cause or issue vigorously, especially a political cause</p> <p><em>Greed:&nbsp;</em>excessive desire, especially for wealth or possessions</p> <p><em>Wealth:</em>&nbsp;a great quantity or store of money, valuable possessions, property, or other riches</p> <p><em>Income:&nbsp;</em>monetary payment received for goods or services</p> <p><em>Corruption:</em>&nbsp;dishonest practices such as bribery; lacking integrity</p> <p>Since the occupation began, protesters have marched to police headquarters because they didn't like the way the police were treating them. They had a march over the Brooklyn Bridge where hundreds of protesters were arrested (and released that night). People inspired by the protest in New York set up similar occupations in cities across the country including Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington, DC. Celebrities, government officials, and professors have been stopping by to talk with the protesters and support their cause.</p> <p>Part of the Occupy Wall Street protest is a website called "We are the 99%." On this website, people supporting the occupation post pictures of themselves and words explaining why they support the protest.</p> <p><strong>General mission statement of&nbsp;"We are the 99%"&nbsp;</strong><br> (Read aloud to students)</p> <p><em>We are the 99 percent. We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working long hours for little pay and no rights, if we're working at all. We are getting nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything. We are the 99 percent.</em></p> <p><strong>Ask:</strong>&nbsp;What do you think this statement means? Who is speaking? What are they saying? How are they feeling and how do you know? When the protesters say "1% is getting everything," what do they mean?</p> <p><strong>Ask:</strong> What does "wealth" mean? Explain that wealth consists of things that have financial value which people own or have such as land, houses/real estate, stocks, money in the bank, businesses, etc. Wealth is not the same as one's salary (the paycheck you bring home) but often people who have a high income also have a lot of wealth, and often those with low salaries have very little wealth. In fact people with low incomes are often in debt - they owe more than they own.</p> <p><strong>Ask:</strong>&nbsp;Do you think it's true that the top 1% have 99% of the wealth? Say: It's not true, but it is true that the 1% have a huge share of the wealth - more than at any time in our history. Here are some statistics. (As you are giving these numbers, draw a circle and fill in the stats to make a pie chart to show the disparity.)</p> <p style="margin-right: 32px; color: rgb(123, 46, 115); font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: -webkit-left; font-size: medium; "><img height="262" src="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/wealth%20pie%20chart.jpg" width="379" loading="lazy"></p> <p>The wealthiest 1% of the population now own over 44% of the financial wealth.&nbsp;<br> The next 4% own 29% of the wealth.<br> The next 5% own 11% of the wealth.<br> The next 10 % own 10% of the wealth.<br> The bottom 80% (i.e. most of the people) own 7% of the wealth.</p> <p>Illustrate these percentages using the beans (or whatever object you used in the gathering).</p> <p><strong>Say:</strong>&nbsp;The United States has the highest inequality of wealth in the industrialized world and the highest inequality of wealth in our nation's history. Ask: Why do you think this is the case? How do you feel about it?<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Small Group Activity:&nbsp;</h3> <h2>Make an Infographic</h2> <p>To help students understand the information better, they will work in small groups and create "infographics." Infographics are picture representations of information or data. They tend to be more interesting than regular number graphs and use pictures which illustrate their point. Sometimes they are interactive. You often see them in newspapers or online.</p> <p>Ask students if they have ever seen an infographic and have them explain. Show them a few examples of infographics. Here are a few samples or you could go online and find others. Ask:&nbsp;What is the difference between a regular number graph and an infographic?</p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/31/business/20080801-metrics-graphic.html">How Different Groups Spend their Time</a><br> <a href="https://visual.ly/community/infographic/transportation/cost-efficiency-transportation">The Cost Efficiency of Transportation</a><br> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html?exampleSessionId=1236775999591&amp;exampleUserLabel=nytimes">Immigrant Explorer</a><br> <a href="http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,1911060,00.html">Leading Causes of Death</a></p> <p>Divide students into small groups of 3-4. Distribute markers, crayons, and construction paper. Have them look at the numbers and pie chart you created to describe the wealth statistics. Have them discuss the numbers and what they mean and then brainstorm together ideas about how they can turn these numbers into infographics. Have students report back to the whole group after they have completed their infographics.</p> <p><strong>Ask students:</strong> Did making your infographic make you see the numbers in the chart differently? If so, how?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Small Group Activity:&nbsp;</h3> <h2>"I Am 99%" Photos and Statements</h2> <p>Remind students about overall statement by protesters:</p> <p><em>We are the 99 percent. We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working long hours for little pay and no rights, if we're working at all. We are getting nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything. We are the 99 percent.</em></p> <p><strong>Say:</strong> To learn more about how and why the protesters are upset about wealth inequality in our country, we are going to learn about some of the individual protesters - and people who support them. Many protest supporters have written statements about why they are protesting and they took photos of themselves with their statements.</p> <p>Explain that the students will be divided into groups of 3-4 and each group will get a photo and statement of one of the protesters. Groups will have 15 minutes to read the statement aloud and discuss the following questions. Decide how the group will report back to the whole class (either the whole group or one spokesperson will report).&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Questions for Groups:</strong></p> <p><strong>a.</strong> What's going on here?<br> <strong>b. </strong>What does this person need?<br> <strong>c.</strong> How is s/he feeling?<br> <strong>d.</strong> What are some solutions to address their problem/situation?<br> <strong>e.</strong> What would you ask her/him?</p> <p><strong>Possible Photos/Statements:</strong></p> <p>Below are 7 statements and photos from the website (as pdf). See the website for more possibilities:<a href="http://www.wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/">&nbsp;www.wearethe99percent.tumblr.com</a>)</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/99-1.pdf">Even with a relatively small amount of debt...</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/99-2.pdf">I work for minimum wage...</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/99-3.pdf">I am three years out of college...</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/99-4.pdf">Underpaid social services worker...</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/99-5.pdf">Working 67 hours a week...</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/99-6.pdf">I am a 14-year-old early college student...</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.teachablemoment.org/images/99-7.pdf">At 21 years old, I am...</a></li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After working in small groups, have each group come up to the front of the class and present their photo and statement, and their group's responses to the questions. Allow other students to ask questions of each group.</p> <p><strong>Large Group Discussion</strong></p> <p>As a class, create a list of all the issues addressed by the individual statements. This will likely include: healthcare, housing, jobs, student loans, etc. Ask: what do all of these issues have in common?</p> <p>Discuss: Why do you think these people wrote these statements, photographed themselves, and put them on a website? Is that effective? What else could they do? How did you feel after reading all of the statements?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Closing</h4> <p>Have every student think of one word or one phrase (2-4 words) describing the protesters. Write them on the board. If possible, make into a poem.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.org by Jinnie Spiegler. We welcome your comments. Please email them to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-10-06T09:53:54-04:00" title="Thursday, October 6, 2011 - 09:53">October 6, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:53:54 +0000 fionta 694 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org THE CRISIS OF JOBLESSNESS IN AMERICA https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/crisis-joblessness-america <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>THE CRISIS OF JOBLESSNESS IN AMERICA</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the teacher:</strong></p> <p>For nearly three years, Americans have been facing a serious economic challenge. In late 2007 and early 2008, the country's unemployment rate began to rise sharply. As of July 2011, 13.9 million Americans were unemployed. Chances are good that most of your students know someone who is out of work.</p> <p>But just how bad is the unemployment crisis? And what does it mean to be an unemployed person in America today?</p> <p>The lesson below includes two student readings, followed by questions for class discussion and an opinion continuum exercise (also called "social barometer"). The first reading provides students with some historical context for the current unemployment crisis and describes the human impact of joblessness. The second reading looks at how government policies and proposals might affect the unemployment crisis. This includes a discussion of the budget deals negotiated between Democrats and Republicans this summer, as well as President Obama's proposed jobs program. The questions that follow the readings encourage students to think critically about the issue of unemployment and the government's responses, and to relate them to their own experiences.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading 1:&nbsp;</h3> <h2>How Bad Is America's Unemployment Crisis?</h2> <p>Few things are more important in most peoples' lives than their jobs. We use jobs to measure everything from individual success to the overall health of our economy. The very high level of joblessness over the last several years is a clear indication that the country's economy is in crisis.</p> <p>The most widely cited statistic used to discuss joblessness is the unemployment rate. This measure takes the total number of unemployed people in the country and divides it by the total labor force. Over the past few decades, the unemployment rate in the United States has tended to fluctuate between 4 and 6 percent. The current unemployment rate is stuck at approximately 9 percent.</p> <p>The economic meltdown, which witnessed the collapse of a number of major financial institutions in 2008, caused a ripple effect that shook nearly all sectors of the economy. In late 2007, the unemployment rate, which had for the previous two years remained steady at around 4.5 percent, began to rise dramatically. By the end of 2008 the unemployment rate had reached 7.3 percent. It peaked in late 2009, reaching 10.1 percent in October of that year. Since then it has dropped slightly, but it remained around 9 percent through the first half of 2011.</p> <p>The line graph below shows what this means in terms of the total number of people who are out of work:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="https://www.teachablemoment.org/images/unemployment1.jpg"></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At the highest point of unemployment, 15.6 million people were without work in America. Currently, 13.9 million who want work cannot find jobs.</p> <p>For young people, finding a job is especially hard. People aged 16 to 24 (which of course includes many high school and college students and recent graduates) have a higher unemployment rate than the general population. Between the beginning of 2008 and July 2011, the unemployment rate within this age bracket rose from 14 percent to 18.1 percent. When general unemployment is high, businesses tend to hire older and more experienced workers for positions that had previously been considered "entry-level" - making it extra hard for younger people to be hired.</p> <p>Another telling statistic is the "average duration of unemployment." For much of the past 50 years, this number has fluctuated between 10 and 20 weeks. In the current economy it is taking people much longer, on average, for people to find work.The average length of time that people remain unemployed has skyrocketed since early 2008 to over 40 weeks - 10 months, on average - far above the norm since 1948:</p> <p><img src="https://www.teachablemoment.org/images/unemploymentlength.jpg"></p> <p>While statistics about joblessness provide insight into the state of the economy as a whole, they give little sense of the personal toll that unemployment takes on individuals. In many cases, the experience of being unemployed comes with great personal anguish. To open a window into this emotional dimension of unemployment, the&nbsp;<em>Washington Post&nbsp;</em>has featured the stories of several job seekers.</p> <p>Among them is Stephanie Dudgeon, 48, from Columbus, Ohio, who has shared her experience being unemployed in a series of blog posts. In a post from July 2011, she describes the anxiety she's been feeling:</p> <p>"Sometime in the spring, I began to notice job openings beginning to dwindle. I remember the gloomy spring day when I had a panic attack and a flood of horrifying scenarios began running through my mind. Said fears ranged from becoming homeless, to being unable to obtain basic medical care, to being unemployed forever. That was when persistent dread and amplified anxiety entered my daily existence."<br> (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/conversations/frustrated-in-columbus-ohio/2011/07/29/gIQAMR5khI_story.html">https://www.washingtonpost.com/conversations/frustrated-in-columbus-ohio/2011/07/29/gIQAMR5khI_story.html</a>)</p> <p>Dudgeon's fears are shared by many contributors to the&nbsp;<em>Washington Post&nbsp;</em>series, and no doubt by countless others who have struggled with unemployment during this economic downturn. The experience of being unemployed for nearly a full year leads many people to blame themselves for not finding a job. As Dudgeon goes on to note:</p> <p>"One of the more painful parts of being unemployed has been a growing feeling of failure. This weekend, my graduating high school class will be having a reunion. But I won't be there because I dreaded the prospect of being repeatedly asked, 'What do you do now?'"</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.</strong>&nbsp;What does unemployment rate measure? How is it calculated? How does unemployment in the past three years compare with historical trends?</p> <p><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp;What are some other ways to talk about issues of joblessness in this country? Do you think that the length of time that people spend looking for work is a relevant measure of the crisis? How does this measure provide different insights into the unemployment situation?</p> <p><strong>4.</strong>&nbsp;Do you know people who have been unemployed? If so, what has their experience been? Have you or your friends struggled to find jobs?</p> <p><strong>5.&nbsp;</strong>Do you think Stephanie Dudgeon's experiences are common? What are the advantages or disadvantages of personal stories as a way of understanding the issue, as compared to using statistics?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Student Reading 2:</h3> <h2>The Government Response On Jobs</h2> <p>As the country has struggled with joblessness, politicians in Washington DC have been debating about how government should respond. Conservatives argue that the most important thing the government can do is cut taxes. They argue that with the dollars they save on taxes, "job creators" - like entrepreneurs and corporations - will begin hiring again. And consumers will spend those extra dollars on goods and services, boosting the economy.</p> <p>While conservatives see "small government" as a positive, cutbacks in government funding have already caused steep cuts in social services. Many states facing budget deficits have responded by scaling back funding for higher education and early childhood programs, among other services, and cutting government employment, including police officers.</p> <p>This summer, Republicans resisted raising the country's debt ceiling (risking government default) unless Democrats agreed to a deal to dramatically cut government spending over time. The deal they agreed to, and President Obama signed, calls for $917 billion in spending cuts over the next decade in return for a two-stage increase in the debt ceiling. A 12-member congressional committee made up of six Republicans and six Democrats was charged with finding $1.5 trillion in further deficit reductions, which Congress must approve by December 23, 2011.</p> <p>Many economists argue that such cuts - especially at a time of economic distress - only exacerbate the problem, and drive unemployment higher. In fact, they maintain, increased government spending could reinvigorate the economy, which would in turn lead to higher revenues and a drop in the deficit. Economist and author Robert Reich, the Secretary of Labor during the first Clinton administration, wrote an article arguing that the government should spend more to spur the economy and stimulate job creation:</p> <blockquote> <p>The only way out of the vicious economic cycle is for government to adopt an expansionary fiscal policy - spending more in the short term in order to make up for the shortfall in consumer demand. This would create jobs, which will put money in peoples' pockets, which they'd then spend, thereby persuading employers to do more hiring. The consequential job growth will also help reduce the long-term ratio of debt to GDP. It's a win-win.</p> <p>This is not rocket science. And it's not difficult for government to do this - through a new WPA or Civilian Conservation Corps, an infrastructure bank, tax incentives for employers to hire, a two-year payroll tax holiday on the first $20K of income, and partial unemployment benefits for those who have lost part-time jobs.</p> <p>Yet the parallel universe called Washington is moving in exactly the opposite direction. Republicans are proposing to cut the budget deficit this year and next, which will result in more job losses. And Democrats, from the President on down, seem unable or unwilling to present a bold jobs plan to reverse the vicious cycle of unemployment. Instead, they're busily playing "I can cut the deficit more than you."<br> (<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/25-7">https://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/25-7</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>On September 8, 2011, President Obama stood before a joint session of Congress to propose a new bill designed to address the unemployment crisis. Called the "American Jobs Act," the bill includes $200 billion in spending on things such as school repair, transportation networks, and preventing teacher layoffs, as well as $240 billion in tax cuts to small businesses and a temporary payroll tax cut.</p> <p>The president later outlined a plan to reduce government spending in other areas, including cuts to Medicaid (a healthcare program for the poor), Medicare (for the elderly and disabled), and cuts in military spending. He also proposed raising revenue by raising taxes on the very wealthy.</p> <p>Republicans responded that the president was engaging in "class warfare" against the rich. "Veto threats, a massive tax hike, phantom savings and punting on entitlement reform is not a recipe for economic or job growth - or even meaningful deficit reduction," charged Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.</p> <p>However, the liberal tax analysis group Citizens for Tax Justice pointed out that Obama's plan would cut taxes overall, not raise them. In particular, the plan allows most of the huge tax cuts to the rich passed under the Bush administration to continue, costing the government some $3 trillion in lost revenues over the next ten years. (<a href="https://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/archive/2011/09/ctjs_statement_on_president_ob.php">https://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/archive/2011/09/ctjs_statement_on_president_ob.php</a>)</p> <p>In any event, it is unlikely that the president's bill will pass, considering the staunch opposition of Republicans in Congress to any new spending measures.&nbsp;Meanwhile, grassroots groups around the country representing the political spectrum from left to right are organizing for the reforms they believe will restore America's troubled economy.</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <p><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</p> <p><strong>2.</strong>&nbsp;What do conservatives advocate as a response to financial difficulties being faced at the state and federal levels? Why do some economists argue that this will make the situation worse?</p> <p><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp;What response has President Obama proposed? Do you think it will be effective?</p> <p><strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>Do you think that government should take an active role in fighting unemployment, or do you think that this should be left to the private sector?</p> <p><strong>5.&nbsp;</strong>What do you think average citizens can do to influence the policies in Washington?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Opinion Continuum</h3> <p>To introduce this activity, tell the students you'll say a statement (such as the ones listed below). Designate one corner of the room for "strongly agree," the opposite corner for "strongly disagree," and the middle for "not sure." Ask students to go to the appropriate place according to whether they agree with the statement, disagree, or aren't sure.</p> <p>Once students have taken their places, ask for volunteers from each location to explain their opinion. Encourage some dialogue among students with differing opinions. If students change their minds in the course of the discussion, they can change places.</p> <p><strong>1. </strong>A lot of people who are unemployed are just lazy. They're not trying hard enough.</p> <p><strong>2. </strong>The government should play a direct role in creating jobs, like it did during the Depression.</p> <p><strong>3.</strong> Small businesses create the most jobs, so government policy should focus on easing the burdens small businesses face.</p> <p><strong>4. </strong>The government needs to provide a social safety net for those who cannot find work.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.org by Mark Engler. Research assistance provided by Eric Augenbraun.We welcome your comments. Please email them to:<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-09-30T00:00:00-04:00" title="Friday, September 30, 2011 - 00:00">September 30, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000 fionta 695 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Death penalty: What is it? What do we think about it? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/death-penalty-what-it-what-do-we-think-about-it <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Death penalty: What is it? What do we think about it?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the teacher:</strong></p> <p>In late September 2011, the death penalty dominated news headlines. The stories mostly revolved around the case of Troy Davis, a 42-year old African American man who was convicted of killing a white off-duty police officer in Savannah, Georgia, over 20 years ago. Protests against the death penalty were held across the US and the debate over his guilt captured the attention of thousands internationally as well. Over the years Troy Davis's case has helped fuel the global movement to end the death penalty.</p> <p>After three earlier stays of execution, Troy Davis lost a clemency vote taken by the Georgia Parole Board on September 20, 2011. The following day, he was put to death by lethal injection. Two other men were executed that week as well, Lawrence Brewer and Derrick Mason. Their stories barely made the news, perhaps because their cases did not raise the level kind of doubt that Troy Davis' case has.</p> <p>For more information on the Troy Davis case, see the&nbsp;New York Times'&nbsp;<a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/troy_davis/index.html?scp=1-spot&amp;sq=troy%20davis&amp;st=cse">reference page</a>&nbsp;on the subject or visit the websites of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amnesty.org/">Amnesty International</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aclu.org/">American Civil Liberties Union</a>&nbsp;(both opposed to the death penalty). Please also see a previous&nbsp;<a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/death-penalty">TeachableMoment lesson</a>&nbsp;on the death penalty.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Objectives</h4> <p><strong>Students will:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Share what they've heard about the Troy Davis case in the news</li> <li>Share their associations with the "death penalty" and/or "capital punishment"</li> <li>Come up with a definition for the death penalty/capital punishment</li> <li>Share different perspectives and opinions on the death penalty</li> <li>Look at facts about the death penalty</li> </ul> <p><strong>Social and Emotional Skills:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Active listening to potentially opposing views</li> <li>Conflict resolution skills</li> <li>Critical thinking skills</li> </ul> <p><strong>Materials Needed:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Today's agenda on chart paper or on the board</li> <li>Chart paper, markers and tape</li> <li>Two Signs, one that reads "STRONGLY AGREE" and one that reads "STRONGLY DISAGREE"</li> <li>Internet connection to access homework assignment <p>&nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <hr> <h3>Gathering</h3> <p><em>(5 minutes)</em></p> <p>Explain that in today's class you'll be considering the death penalty. Ask students to share one thing they might have heard about the Troy Davis case in the news.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <p>Capital Punishment/Death Penalty Web</p> <p><em>(10 min)</em></p> <p>Ask students to brainstorm one-word associations with CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (also known as the DEATH PENALTY) and record their ideas graphically on a web chart.</p> <p>Making webs can stimulate creative thinking and allows for different voices and perspectives to be raised. Remember in a brainstorm there are no wrong or right answers and all (appropriate) responses should be charted.</p> <p>To make a web, write the core word or phrase, in this case CAPITAL PUNISHMENT and/or DEATH PENALTY in the center of the board, or on chart paper, and circle it. Chart student associations and connect them to the core idea by drawing lines or spokes radiating out from the center. Related ideas can be grouped together.</p> <p>Continue the brainstorm while energy is high. If you need to, you can prompt students by asking questions such as, What feelings do you associate with the death penalty? When you've finished charting, discuss the web by asking some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What do you notice about the web?</li> <li>Are there generalizations we might make about what's on the web?</li> </ul> <p>Next ask if anyone would like to come up with a definition for "capital punishment" and/or the "death penalty"?</p> <p><em><strong>Definition of "capital punishment" from legal-definitions.com:</strong><br> n. execution (death) for a capital offense. .....</em><br> Means of capital punishment used in the United States include lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, and firing squad. All capital offenses require automatic appeals, which means that approximately 2,500 men and women are presently on "death row" awaiting their appeals or death.</p> <p><em><strong>Definition of "capital offense" from legal-definitions.com:</strong><br> n. any criminal charge which is punishable by the death penalty, called "capital" since the defendant could lose his/her head (Latin for caput).</em><br> Crimes punishable by death vary from state to state and country to country. [In the U.S.] these offenses may include first degree murder (premeditated), murder with special circumstances...., and rape with additional bodily harm, and the federal crime of treason....</p> <p>Explain that in the U.S., 34 states have the death penalty and 16 do not.</p> <p>Tell students that in the next activity, you'll be exploring student opinions surrounding the death penalty through an activity called Social Barometer.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Social Barometer on the Death Penalty&nbsp;</h3> <p><em>(35 min)</em></p> <p>In this activity you will ask students to respond to a series of statements by placing themselves along a continuum that goes from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." Although people often think that things are either right or wrong, good or bad, there is frequently a range of opinions in between. Because we all have different experiences and often have been given different information, opinions tend to vary greatly.</p> <p>Post a sign saying "STRONGLY AGREE" at one end of the room and another saying "STRONGLY DISAGREE" at the other. Ask students to place themselves on the continuum between the two signs depending on the degree they agree or disagree with a statement you will read to them. Somewhere in the middle of the room is "neutral" or "don't know." Encourage the students to "take a stand" and not be in the middle of the room too often. Stress that you are asking for opinions; there are no wrong or right responses to the statements.</p> <p>After you've read a statement from the list below and the students have moved to points on the continuum that represents their opinion, pick a student to explain why s/he chose that spot. After the student has given an explanation, have him or her ask a student with a different rationale to explain the choice s/he made. Remember that there is often a range of explanations both within the AGREE and DISAGREE "camps" as well as between them. Also remind students that for the sake of time and keeping interest in the activity, they should avoid repeating reasons that have already been raised.</p> <p>For each of the statements, have several students provide a rationale for where they are standing. Once students have shared a range of opinions, ask if anyone, based on what they just heard, would like to change where they are standing. If students do change their position, you might want to ask them to explain what made them change their minds.</p> <p>When this process is complete, go on to another statement. Use as many of the statements as makes sense in the time you have available.</p> <p>Possible statements:</p> <ul> <li>People who commit crimes should be punished.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The death penalty is appropriate punishment for murder.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The death penalty is cruel and inhumane.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Getting rid of the death penalty is a good idea to ensure that we don't execute those who are innocent.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The death penalty provides a victim's family and friends with closure from many years of suffering and emotional strain.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The Biblical commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' should apply across the board for governments as well as individuals.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The death penalty deters or prevents future murders.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Society should not have to spend money year after year to keep a murderer incarcerated for life.<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <h3>Closing</h3> <p><em>(5 min)</em></p> <p>Returning to the web from earlier in the lesson, ask students if there are any other words they'd like to add.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Homework</h4> <p>Ask students to further consider the death penalty issue and/or the case of Troy Davis by assigning them to read/watch one of the following:</p> <p>Read the Death Penalty Information Center's Fact Sheet about the death penalty in the U.S. (<a href="http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/FactSheet.pdf">http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/FactSheet.pdf</a>)</p> <p>Watch the following video clip "I Am Troy Davis" by Davis's defenders at:<a href="http://troydaviseducation.wordpress.com/">http://troydaviseducation.wordpress.com/</a>&nbsp;or read the poem Appeal (below).</p> <p>Watch the trailer and (if students are really interested) a four-part video clip series (around 30 minutes total) by Amnesty International called "A Life in the Balance: Examining the Troy Davis Case":&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-troy-davis/watch-videos-examining-the-troy-davis-case">http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-troy-davis/watch-videos-examining-the-troy-davis-case</a></p> <p>Based on the information in these various materials, ask your students to discuss some or all of the following questions:</p> <p>Fact Sheet:</p> <ul> <li>Studying the Death Penalty Information Center Fact Sheet, what facts stood out for you about the death penalty in the United States?&nbsp;</li> <li>Was there anything that surprised you?</li> <li>What did the materials you studied say about the role of race in capital crimes?</li> <li>What did you learn about the death penalty as a deterrent to murder?</li> <li>What did the materials you studied say about the impact of capital punishment on prison staff/wardens? What are your thoughts about that?</li> </ul> <p>Troy Davis materials:</p> <ul> <li>What did you learn about the case of Troy Davis?</li> <li>Is there certainty about his innocence?&nbsp;</li> <li>Is there certainty about his guilt?</li> <li>Why do you think there has been so much attention paid to the case of Troy Davis?</li> <li>Do you think the other two men executed at the same time as Davis deserves to be in the news too? Why? Why not?</li> <li>What do you think about the statement "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind? (Mahatma Gandhi)</li> <li>What do you think about the statement "The level of civilization of a country can be measured by the way it treats its prisoners"? (Winston Churchill) <p>&nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <hr> <h2>Appeal</h2> <h3>- For Troy Davis on death row, Georgia (USA)</h3> <p>What can I say,<br> the man&nbsp;<br> will be killed, years ago<br> the state began preparations,<br> not the first time<br> knew what to do<br> took many a life<br> before him,<br> took doctors --&nbsp;<br> (until they refused)<br> to measure the dose<br> for lethal injection,<br> took Governors<br> (statesmen to explain the Why),<br> took willing guards<br> (many unwilling)<br> in too many prisons --<br> to make a captive<br> suitable for sacrifice</p> <p>What can I say<br> that has not been said,<br> argued in stately manners<br> at rally, legal briefs in courtrooms<br> before judges and executioners</p> <p>What can I say,&nbsp;<br> the lethal authority of System<br> makes facts into strangers,<br> kills men in warfare and execution,<br> starves families in ghetto-liberty</p> <p>What can I say,<br> How often silence is like a death -- not Death:<br> - Let the man live!<br> - Halt his sacrifice!</p> <p>(Laurence H. Ebersole, 10/24/08)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>This lesson was written for TeachableMoment.org by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/marieke-van-woerkom">Marieke van Woerkom</a>. We welcome your comments. Please email them to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org">lmcclure@morningsidecenter.org</a>.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2011-09-27T00:00:00-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - 00:00">September 27, 2011</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000 fionta 696 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org