Liberty and Justice for All: December 11, 2014

Today in class, we continued our discussion of identity and society.  We looked at how one man's identity played into how he interacted with other people, and the decisions he had to make.  Then some classes watched a few news clips about recent events that concern identity and society, while others will begin that process tomorrow.

IF YOU WERE NOT HERE TODAY:

Watch this video.

Write a one-paragraph response to this question:

After watching this video, were you surprised by the decision Jesus Colon made when he was on the subway?  Why do you think he made this decision?  What issues did he have to consider while he was making his choice?  At the very end of the video, what does he decide he's going to do differently next time?  Why do you think he changes his mind?      

HOMEWORK:  For homework, per 1, 2, 5, and 6 students need to complete ONE of the prompts in a response writing paragraph.  The prompts are at the end of this post.

• Write a strong topic sentence
• Do not use "I think" or "I believe" statements
• CAPITALIZE WORDS CORRECTLY, PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!

Per 7 will do this over the weekend.

ALL CLASSES:  If you must take or are choosing to take the Rev War test again, remember, this grade WILL REPLACE your original grade, whether it is higher or lower!!!

• With teacher permission, you only need to retake sections on which you scored poorly
• Use your current test to study for tomorrow's test - same content, different setup
• Review the info on the Quizlet links 

Quizlet - People

Quizlet - Key Terms

Quizlet - Turning Points

HOMEWORK PROMPTS - CHOOSE ONE

Questions for further reflection:

Is it right for people in the public eye, like entertainers and athletes, to use their status to promote a point of view?  Is it acceptable for them to do so in the context of their jobs? 

I’ve told you before that life is not fair, and I will continue to tell you this:  Life is not always fair.  At what point, however, does unfairness become injustice?  What is the difference between these two terms?  If a situation is unjust, whose job is it to fix that – the government’s, the affected group’s, or the individual’s?

After listening, reading, and watching the information presented in class today, what has changed in our society over time, and what has not? 

Have you ever experienced a time when you were judged based on your identity in society (as a child/teenager, male, female, athletic/nonathletic, etc.)?  Did you benefit from this judgment, or were you hurt by it?  How did it make you feel?  Would you want this treatment to continue or not? 

Are we close to or far from creating a country where “all men are created equal” and we have “liberty and justice for all”?  If you think we are close, how have we gotten closer to those ideals over time?  If we are far from that ideal, what do we need to do to close this gap?