Suehaila Amen
Caroline Saleh
Fatmeh Reda
Current Events – In-class Activity
1. The three issues that we selected that would be of import for students to know include:
a. At the local/state level:
i. “Livonia school board votes to boost superindent’s pay by $50,000”, Channel 7 Action news, by Bill Proctor
b. At the national level: Appeals court wanting to keep the ruling on gays in the military
i. “Appeals court stays ruling on gays in military”, reters.com, by Peter Henderson
c. At the international level: French law that would raise minimum retirement age
i. “French Senate Approves Final Draft of Pension Reform Bill” NY Times, by Steve Erlanger
2. The article that we selected as something that could be passed out in class “French Senate Approves Final Draft of Pension Reform Bill” NY Times, by Steve Erlanger. [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/world/europe/27france.html?_r=1&ref=world]
Sample questions that could be asked about this article include:
1. What are some of the changed proposed within the law in terms of meeting pension requirements?
2. What were some types of opposition showed by the French people towards this bill?
3. Why do you think people would be opposed to this bill?
4. The quote included in the article “No, no to your bogus reform, yes, yes to revolution,” is reminiscent of what event in French history?
5. Sophie Frebillot, a student who was part of the protests, said: “[there are]tons of problems in society in general, and this movement against the pension reforms allows us to express that discontent, too.” In your opinion, do you feel protests are an effective form of showing discontent and seeking change?
6. The article mentioned that French society talks a lot about upholding a coherent identity. How do you think reform bill such as this might hinder this identity?
3. A political cartoon that we felt was very effective in showing the current political/economic scene is the following:
1. What do you think this cartoon represents in terms of joblessness and people dependent on government aid/assistance?
2. What do you think is a possible solution based on the cartoon?
3. What are some ways that the government can alleviate the weight/pressure on the government to assist the unemployed?