1. Bill of Rights Day

December 15 is Bill of Rights Day. The Bill of Rights is the name given to the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which were added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. As a class review the rights covered by the Bill of Rights. Then read about a constitutional rights issue in this week's newspapers. As a class discuss one issue and debate the merits of each viewpoint.

Core/National Standard: Explaining the meaning and origin of the ideas and core democratic values expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other foundational documents of the United States.

2. Holocaust Architect Condemned

The year was 1961. It had been 20 years since the United States entered World War II, but for the victims of the Holocaust, it felt like just yesterday. On December 15 of that year, many of those victims felt some relief when Adolf Eichmann, an architect of the Holocaust, was condemned to death by an Israeli war crimes tribunal. He was born in Solingren, Germany in 1908, and joined Hitler’s Nazi SS in 1932. The SS was responsible for policing and enforcing the anti-Semitic policies of the regime. More than 4 million people died at the hands of the SS in concentration camps and 3 million died elsewhere. In the newspaper find an article about racism, intolerance or discrimination. Or find an example online. Hold a mock trial for someone accused of a hate crime.

Core/National Standard: Propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions.

3. To Check or Not to Check

Lanya Omstead, a high school student applying for colleges, decided to check off the box for Caucasian rather than Asian on her college application because of perceived discrimination against Asians in the admissions process. Studies have shown that Asian Americans meet college admission standards far out of proportion to their representation in the U.S. population and need test scores hundreds of points higher than other ethnic groups, according to an Associated Press article. In pairs, find a story about a high school student achieving something. From what you find in the story, write a short essay emphasizing a quality that would make the student a strong candidate for college admission.

Core/National Standard: Writing informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

4. I’ve Been Had!

‘Tis the season for giving, but for some people, it’s the season for taking. There always seem to be people out there who take advantage of the generosity — and sometimes naiveté — of others. Avoiding holiday scams is easy if you know what to look for, according to a Yahoo News article. If you want extra work to help pay for holiday costs, you should beware of “work-from-home” jobs. These pitches often ask you for your Social Security number and money up front, and are often a scam. Tip No. 2: Don’t ever give money to a charity without first checking up on it. Tip No. 3: If you’re selling something on eBay or Craig’s list, beware of people sending you a cashier’s check for more than the asking price and telling you to send them the difference. Often these cashier checks are fake. Find an article about scams in the newspaper or online. As a class, discuss what people can do to avoid them — especially older Americans.

Core/National Standard: Engaging effectively in a range of collaboration discussions, building on others’ ideas.

5. Stopping Hazing

Hazing on high school and college campuses has gone from simple pranks in the past to psychologically damaging and even deadly actions. Hazing, taunting and taking advantage of new people on a team or organization isn’t new, but for some students it ends up very badly, for both victims and perpetrators. In Andover, Massachusetts, seven basketball players were kicked off their team and a summer basketball camp was closed down after police were called to investigate a case of hazing against two students. A drum major for the Florida A&M University, 26-year-old Robert Champion, died as the result of hazing last month, according to a Reuter’s news article. Find an article about hazing or bullying in your newspaper or online. Write a short essay on how hazing or bullying can be reduced or eliminated.

Core/National Standard: Writing informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.