For Grades 9-12 THE WEEK OF Dec. 31, 2012

1. To Labor Unions, ‘Right-to-Work’ Is Very Wrong

The basic principle behind labor unions is that one individual employee has little clout with the boss, and workers are best represented when they negotiate as a group. But, to be effective, the unions argue, every employee must be a member, and pay dues to the union. Management interests support “right-to-work” laws that say no employee should be compelled to pay union dues. When Republicans control a state’s government, they often try to pass such legislation. That’s what has just happened in Michigan, although the labor movement has been a major force there for decades. While thousands demonstrated passionately outside the state Capitol in Lansing, the Republican-controlled legislature passed right-to-work legislation, and Republican Governor Rick Snyder signed it. Pro-labor forces are threatening to retaliate at the ballot box in the next election, and other residents are considering a ballot initiative to bring the issue before voters. Read all you can in the newspaper or online about the role of labor in American politics. Write a short editorial for the newspaper arguing whether you think right-to-work legislation is a good or a bad idea.

Common Core/National Standards: Citing textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

2. School Shootings Spur Gun Debate

The horror of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, has accelerated the debate over gun control. Incidents like this are blessedly rare, but there is always the possibility of one happening if a potential pathological killer snaps. What makes these cases worse today than in the past is the existence of weapons capable of killing dozens of people before the shooting ends. Efforts to control the availability of such weapons have been unsuccessful in recent years. Opponents of gun control argue that the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights supports Americans’ right to be armed. Gun-control advocates say this should not be taken literally, and certainly should not apply to assault weapons, which may be necessary for police and military use, but not for hunting or for self-defense. Three weeks after the Newtown shooting, the debate is heating up. Read whatever you can in your newspaper and online and list the pros and cons of controlling assault weapons. Discuss what the government should or should not do to limit access to such weapons.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; posing and responding to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text or issue under discussion.

3. ‘Culture of Violence’ a Factor?

One tragedy like the school shooting in Connecticut is one too many, of course. And despite all the publicity, such occurrences are actually rare. You’d never know it, however, from many movies, TV and video games. All your life, you’ve been fed a diet of mayhem, terror and rage on one screen or another. In the wake of the Newtown killings, many questions have been raised about easy access to weapons (particularly those designed for military use only). Other questions have been raised about the nation’s mental health system. Still others are focusing on whether a “culture of violence” in the U.S. may be a contributing factor. In the newspaper or online, find stories or opinion pieces about violence in entertainment. Use what you find on the subject to discuss whether you believe violent entertainment contributes to attitudes that can lead to real-life violence.

4. Minorities in the Majority?

In about three decades, the word “minority” may be meaningless in the United States. According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, that’s because no single group will constitute a racial or ethnic majority in the U.S. by 2043, the year when the share of non-Hispanic whites is expected to fall below 50 percent in the nation’s population. In 2060, nearly one in three Americans will be Hispanic (it’s one in six now); the black population will increase to 61.8 million (now 41.2 million); and the Asian-American population will double. These population changes were reflected in the voting in this year’s presidential election (non-whites voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama). In what other ways will these changes affect life in the United States? Find stories in the newspaper and online about members of current minority groups achieving success or influencing their communities. Write a paragraph detailing the achievements of one person.

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

5. A Scary Non-Movie

Hollywood’s Bad Boy has come to the aid of Hollywood’s Bad Girl. Despite his problems with the law and with his fans, Charlie Sheen apparently has enough money to help Lindsay Lohan, who seems to be in a financial bind after a series of legal skirmishes. She reportedly is so broke she can’t pay her $8,000 monthly rent, let alone a tax bill of nearly $234,000. Then Lohan reportedly received a $100,000 check from Sheen, with whom she co-starred in the film “Scary Movie 5.” With the newspaper or Internet, find stories about celebrities who having personal or professional problems. Pick one and draw a comic strip showing this celebrity trying to deal with or resolve his/her problems. Common Core/National Standard: Using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.