1. Funding Your Future

Four states across the nation had significant education funding propositions on their ballots last week. Most significant were those in Arizona and California. Arizona’s Proposition 204 asked voters to approve a permanent 1-cent per dollar sales tax with a portion of the money going to fund public education. California had two proposals on the ballot – 30 and 38 – that looked at different ways to increase taxes to support public schools. Search your newspaper and the Internet to find out how these propositions fared. As a class, discuss how public schools should be funded and how they could be improved. Write an opinion essay on the topic.

Common Core/National Standard: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

2. Spread the Love

There are almost 3 million people serving in the U.S. military, and there are millions of other Americans who love and support them. November is Military Family Appreciation Month, a time to honor those who stay behind while their loved ones serve. They are mothers and fathers who take care of the children while their spouses are on active duty in war zones. Search the newspaper for families who have loved ones serving in the military. Encourage your friends to write letters of support to the families to thank them for their loved ones’ service to our country.

Common Core/National Standard: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

3. Popular vs. Electoral

When Democrat Barack Obama won re-election as president last week, the race was too close to call for much of election night. For long periods, Republican Mitt Romney led the popular vote, and at one point both candidates had 162 electoral votes. What’s the difference between the popular vote and the electoral vote? The electoral vote was a compromise between having the U.S. Congress choose a president and a direct vote by the people. Each state gets one electoral vote per representative in the U.S. House and one electoral vote for each U.S. senator. When you cast your popular vote, you essentially are voting for your party’s electoral voters, who will then cast the official votes for president. States with larger populations have more electoral votes and carry more weight in elections. Because of that, a person actually can win the popular vote and not the electoral vote and the presidency. Search your newspaper and the Internet for stories about the Electoral College. As a class, debate if this is a fair way to elect a president. Common Core/National Standard: Propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas.

4. Is It Honorable?

How many times in a week do you turn your head and look at someone of the opposite gender? We’re not talking about gawking, staring or ogling — just taking a quick look, no harm intended. In the South Asian nation of Pakistan, harm befell a 15-year-old girl when her parents caught her turning her head to look at a boy riding by on a motorcycle. Her mother threw acid on her daughter and killed her for “dishonoring” her family. This girl isn’t the only one to face such a fate. According to a report from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, at least 943 women have been killed in that country in the name of honor. With the newspaper and Internet, find articles about honor killings. Discuss how you think families justify killing their own relatives. Write an analysis and opinion essay on the topic, including discussion of what the punishment should be for such killings. Share your essay with classmates.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

5. Sandy Recovery Efforts

This week, communities on the nation’s East Coast continue to clean up from the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. The powerful storm destroyed homes and businesses, left millions without power, closed schools, halted public transportation and caused widespread food shortages. Economists are saying the damage from the storm could cost upwards of $50 billion. Last year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave out more than $10 billion in aid to states hit by disasters. Insurance companies also paid out millions in claims for damages from these disasters. During the presidential campaign, the role of the federal government in giving financial relief to states came under attack. As a class, debate whether the federal government should be involved, and how much. Use your newspaper and the Internet to do research to support your arguments.

Common Core/National Standard: Propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate a current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas.