Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Out of Control Kids

Out of Control Kids

An increasingly high number of children are being labeled as "out of control." Once simple, discipline is now taking a new turn.  Dealing with new disorders can be hard on parents, teachers, and principals.  But how much is too much? And when it comes to discipline, how far is too far?  In the new recently, there have been reports of children being arrested, yes arrested!  Is that really necessary?  Well, you'll be the judge of that one today.  Check out the videos and links below.  After watching and reading, answer the discussion questions that follow.



















Another six-year old was arrested about a month before hand.  Click here to read the CBS News article about the arrest of the young girl in Georgia

Some of these are completely outrageous!   If you think that is bad, watch this next video.  Police arrested 3 9-year old girls and an 8- year old boy.



But wait....there's more!  Click here to read about kids your own age who were arrested for things as minor as dropping food in the cafeteria and not cleaning it up properly!


Discussion Questions: 

Answer the following questions thoroughly and completely.  Make sure that you proofread your answers BEFORE you submit your response.  (Errors will be counted.)
1. Do you feel that the arrests that were made in these cases were fair or not?  Explain Why or Why not.

2. How would you react if you were arrested or ticketed for a simple mistake made in school like burping or drawing on a desk? How would your parents react?

3. What would happen if our school began to operate in this manner? Would it help or hurt our school community?  What about the school district as a whole? Would it be better or worse?

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Bullying: A Harsh Reality

Everyday we are encountered with bullying. As students and adults, this is a problem that doesn't seem to go away. The new movie "Bully" is a documentary film that highlights the deeply rooted problems that victims of bullying suffer. We discussed bullying during our unit on persuasion, and watched many public service announcements geared towards raising awareness of the problem.

Watch the video trailer below for the movie "Bully" and leave your comments on the trailer. Feel free to discuss any emotions that you felt while watching the trailer. Then, answer the question: If you could give advice to a victim of bullying or to a bully, what would you say and why?

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Solving the Dilemma...Should teens be allowed to drive?

Teens driving is a scary thought...well to me anyway!  The facts show that Texas has the highest numbers of fatalities in the country related to teens behind the wheel.  Watch the video below, and discuss whether or not you think the new changes that are being implemented are necessary, fair, and realistic.