CONTEMPORARY ISSUES – JOURNAL ENTRIES
Spring 2009
Journal Entries (JE) must be a minimum of 3 lines of writing in complete sentences (unless otherwise specified), and are worth up to 3 points for each entry. Since you are given in-class time to work on these each day, they
will only be accepted for up to one week after their due dates.
3rd Quarter
In progress – not yet collected
Collected 4/03/09 – Will NOT be accepted after 4/08/09
3/30: Is illegal immigration a problem in the U.S. today? Why or why not?
3/31: You are in school to learn. But do you think that there is anything teachers could or should learn from students?
4/2: Yesterday was the day that reportedly the Conficker worm was to be released. Why do you think that people write computer worms and viruses? What should be their punishment if caught?
4/3: Do you think that Americans focus more on preserving diversity or abolishing individuality?
Collected 3/27/09 – Will NOT be accepted after 4/03/09
3/19: Do you think that most people make an effort to understand people of different ethnic backgrounds? Why or why not?
3/20: Should schools make rules to accommodate people’s religious beliefs? Why or why not?
3/23: In Glenn Beck’s “Exposed: The Extremist Agenda,” Brigitte Gabriel said that political correctness is a disease that is killing the West. Do you agree? Why or why not?
3/24: Why do you think some leaders or groups use terror as a tactic of achieving their goals?
3/25: How would you feel about a camera in your car recording what you do while driving & providing your parents and insurance company with statistics such as speed?
3/26: Do you think that single-gender classrooms would foster increased student achievement and higher overall grades? Why or why not?
3/27: Do you think that students should be paid for good attendance or good grades in school? Why or why not?
Collected 3/11/09 – Will NOT be accepted after 3/18/09
2/17: Many of you have voted that the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan are major issues in the U.S. today. Brainstorm some ideas as to what we should do in regards to resolving this matter?
2/19: The United States have been accused of having some of the most biased news media in the world. Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
2/20: Yesterday, we began our survey of bias news media. With the value placed on freedom of speech in this country, is there anything that can be done to prevent bias?
2/23: Students are being jailed in PA for criticizing school officials on the internet. Should students be held accountable for such “crimes”? Why is so controversial?
2/24: President Obama gives his first State of the Union address today. Will you watch it? What do you think will be on the list of items to be addressed this evening?
2/25: Concerning President Obama’s speech last night, many are calling it a ‘Pep Talk” for the nation. What do you think about the President’s speech? Was it a pep talk? Explain.
2/27: President Obama has just released his plan to pull the troops out of Iraq by August 31, 2010 to mixed reviews in Congress. What do you think are some of the concerns being felt by those politicians?
3/2: Pres. Obama announced that he intends to remove all troops from Iraq by Aug. 31, 2010. (1) How might you feel about this announcement if you were a citizen of Iraq? (2) A citizen of a neighboring country? Explain.
3/3: Do you think people can learn from the mistakes of others, or do people need to make their own mistakes in order to learn? Explain.
3/4: If you purchased a new car today, how long would you expect to drive it? Why?
3/5: Do you think that our society focuses more on protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens or the rights of criminals? Explain your answer.
3/6: A new casino is under construction in South St. Louis County. Identify at least one positive and one negative effect of the casino to the area.
3/9: Do you think that people typically react appropriately to bad weather sirens? Why or why not?
3/10: Some states do not have helmet laws for motorcycle riders. Missouri is considering dropping its helmet law. Do you think that it should remain a law to wear a helmet? Why or why not?
3/11: How do you feel about the use of traffic cameras at intersections to issue tickets? Why?
Collected 2/12/09 – Will NOT be accepted after 2/20/09
2/9: We surveyed 3 news programs last week – 5 p.m. news on St. Louis channels 5 (KSDK), 4 (KMOV), and 2 (FOX). Which one of these programs did you like the best, and why?
2/11: Do you think that elderly drivers should have to pass driving tests? If so, why, at what age, and how often? If not, why not?
2/12: Across the country this weekend, we are celebrating Lincoln’s birthday. Why is this former President celebrated still today?
Collected 2/06/09 – Will NOT be accepted after 2/12/09
2/2: If you had to vote as to whether or not to pass Pres. Obama’s stimulus plan, what questions would you want answered first?
2/3: Since the media can choose the content of its reports, do you think that some news stories could be considered propaganda? Why or why not?
2/4: Pres. Obama has pledged to cap business executives’ pay. In light of the recession in our economy, would you be willing to accept a pay cap on minimum wage? Why or why not?
2/5: List 3 news stories that were covered in class yesterday that you found to be interesting.
2/6: Former Presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney said today that the man who won the presidency, Barack Obama, “is off to a rocky start.” What problems is Romney referring to in regards to this statement?
Collected 1/23/09 – Will NOT be accepted after 2/6/09
1/21: In your opinion, what are some of the expectations of Pres. Obama’s administration?
1/22: The Oscar nominations were released today, among the nominees are Heath Ledger and Brad Pitt. In your opinion, why are people so obsessed with Hollywood and celebrities?
1/23: Where do you think the line should be drawn in interrogation techniques? What is ok or not ok? Why?
Collected 1/16/09 – Will NOT be accepted after 1/23/09
1/7: Why do you think some people make New Year’s resolutions? Did you make any?
1/8: Do you think that Rod Blagojevich has already been tried and convicted by the media or public? Why or why not?
1/14: Why do you think that so much attention is being paid to the type of dog Barack Obama will give to his children in the White House?
1/15: If someone at your bank made an error and your money was accidentally transferred to someone else’s account, would you continue to bank at that institution? Why or why not?