Group Project - Terrorism and the Middle East; HW for 2/16 and 2/21

DUE THURSDAY: Each group member must email me a source and either a summary of the information you will be using from it or its bias analysis by Thursday.  A REMINDER: in the “Resources” section, there’s a libguide devoted to you, and a whole section on the topic of terrorism.  GO USE YOUR AWESEOME LIBRARY.  All of the documentaries you’ve enjoyed so far came from the sites in that libguide; video is more than acceptable in your presentation (as long as you watch the time limit). 

Each group will create a 10 minute presentation on their subject and its relationship to global terrorism.  The presentation should have at least 12 slides or equivalent (you may certainly use some other presentation format besides Power Point) information – the time limit is more important.  At least half the slides must contain relevant visuals or other media.  As for subject matter, each group should cover:

1.      A brief history of the country or organization in question since World War II (more or less – the groups who start earlier or later know who they are).

a.       Regime(s): who was in charge, and what kind of government did they run? 

b.      Was/is it a theocracy? 

2.      A brief discussion of the country or organization’s relationship to the US. 

a.       Did/are we supporting it diplomatically?

b.      Financially?

c.       Militarily?

3.      Wars (this may be integrated into the brief history if you wish).

a.       What was the outcome?  Did the regime in charge strengthen, weaken, get overthrown…? 

b.      What other conflicts was the country or organization involved in, even if their military wasn’t directly involved?

4.      The current state of affairs. 

a.       What has happened in this country since 9/11?

b.      Has its relationship to the US changed with Obama’s presidency?  Any other events? 

IN ADDITION – each group will turn in a bibliography of its sources.  For each entry in the bibliography, the group must briefly evaluate the credibility and bias of the source.  Some extremely relevant questions: is the source particularly sympathetic to either Israel or Palestine?  Is the source a left- or right-leaning periodical? 

Rubric to follow.

This presentation will be given 2/21

Homework for 2-14

Your homework is to ask a family member or older friend about their experience on 9/11/2001.  We will be discussing those experiences - and yours - in class on Tuesday.  "Older" means anyone who was at least your age in 2001.  We will also watch the rest of the documentary together. 

The other part of your homework is to read this article.  For each of the theories and explanations, write some sort of response.  That response can be short – it can simply be a question (eg “What’s wahhabism?”) or a connection (“this sounds like what we discussed in class about globalization”) or a personal response (“this is what I heard caused 9/11”).  I’ve reproduced each argument below so that you can print or copy them and your responses. 

Plausible but flawed theories
A.    Poverty.
B.     Madrasas.
C.     The CIA.
D.    Weak and failing states.
E.     Saudi financiers.
F.     The Saudis in general.
G.    The clash of civilisations.
H.    Suicide terrorism, including 9/11, is a response to foreign occupation.
I.       We are in a clash with a totalitarian ideology, similar to communism.
J.      The death rattle of political Islam.

The most credible explanations
10. Radicalisation caused by the Afghan jihad.
9. A particular reading of Islamic texts.
8. Decline and stagnation in the middle east and the “humiliation” of the Islamic world.
7. The spread of communications technology.
6. Authoritarian middle east regimes helped incubate the militants.
5. The alienation of Muslim immigrants in the west.
4. US foreign policies in the middle east, in particular its support of Israel.
3. Bin Laden is an astute tactical leader and rational political actor fighting a deeply felt religious war against the west.
2. 9/11 was the collateral damage of a clash within Islam.
1. The 9/11 attacks were the fruit of Bin Laden’s flawed strategic reasoning.  

Homework for 2-7

Comment on another group’s articles and visuals.  You must: analyze the article or visual if it’s an opinion piece, and summarize the article or visual if it’s a news or informational piece.  Then, discuss what the article or information shows about immigration to the US.  Does the policy or incident show US diversity and the welcoming attitude of Emma Lazarus’ Statue of Liberty poem?  Or does it show a xenophobia reminiscent of the 19^th century ugliness discussed in Tuesday’s film?  Perhaps it shows something in between?  If the item regards another country's response to immigration, compare and contrast their policies or responses with those of the US, and describe which you think is more welcoming.  

Post your comment as a reply to the relevant posting from another group.  The post is due by midnight Monday, 2-6. 

ALSO! 

Your test is on Thursday, 2-9.  Remember that this test is open-note and open-book; you may bring whatever materials you find relevant to class with you.  I’ll be grading you on the thoroughness of your discussion, the appropriateness of your examples, and your ability to synthesize the ideas of this class with what is happening in the world.  Here is the question you need to prepare to write on:

Discuss the tensions of globalization in terms of economics and society; what are some of the consequences of the increased communication and transportation speeds of this period?  Who is benefiting, and who is not?  Discuss employment, wages, changes in the kind of job available (manufacturing vs. service or management), prices, and/or other aspect of the economy you find relevant.  Connect that discussion to changes in society – in the composition of the workforce (racially, linguistically, etc), national and international culture, the way people think, what people do with their time and habits, and/or their culture. 

You may start with an outline, but you must write the essay in class.  Let me know ASAP if you have questions. 

Group assignments

Linda, Cody, BJ, Dennis: find and summarize an article or visual regarding urbanization - the movement of people into cities.  Recall the part of the first movie about rural Chinese moving into urban areas; you may also research Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, or any other specific city or country experiencing rapid and difficult urbanization.  See assignment below (it's labeled with the date as always) and try to coordinate with your classmates if at all possible.

Janae, Aliana: you're researching the "ground zero mosque." 

Taylor, Willie: your articles regard the recent discussion in the US of a giant fence along the Mexican border.  The border near Tijuana may provide some interesting visuals.

Christina, Craig, Thais: each of you should pick a 1st world country that is experiencing immigration - my suggestions, again, are Britain, France, Canada, and Germany - and research some of their immigration laws.  The idea is to compare those laws and the numbers of immigrants they receive to those of the US. 

Samiah, Malerie, Ciarrah: you're researching language issues in the US, including but not limited to: mandating teaching (or not teaching) in other languages, particularly Spanish; putting ballots in other languages, and how many; or any other issues with language and public space.  An interesting question: does the US have an official language? 

Sarai, Tommy, Rodnee: you're researching the Arizona anti-immigration law and its consequences. 

Ashlee, Luda: your project is the Danish cartoon controversy. 

Griselda, Alla: your project is French ban of Muslim veils. 

HW for 2-2

Each group will find one article or one visual per person on the assigned subject.  They will post the articles or visuals as comments to this blog (put them on this thread); for each article or visual, the group will write a short summary so that we can understand the gist of the issue.  Feel free to utilize other resources to help you summarize the situation, but make sure you do so in your own words.  Group assignments will follow. 

Your article doesn't have to be a newspaper article per se.  For example, Craig is using the Canadian government immigration website as his source. 

The point of the assignment is to compare the immigration issues we experience here in the US with the experiences of other countries so that we can understand the issue of global immigration - as a whole - better. 

Homework for 1-31 UPDATED

Compare these three articles from Thomas Friedman, David Brooks, and Paul Krugman.  They are all about the issue of jobs in a globalized world; Friedman and Brooks both discuss an article from The Atlantic about manufacturing in America. Krugman refers to a Times article about why iPhones are manufactured in China instead of America.  For your purposes, answer the following questions:

1.       What’s the author’s main point about jobs and the future of the American economy? 

2.       What do the authors seem to agree and disagree about?

3.       What does each author propose America should focus on as a solution?  [This is the most important question, but you’ll have to answer the first two well to get this one right.]

4.       Which author do you agree with, and why?  If you don’t agree with any of them, what do you think we should focus on instead? 

POST your response online.  I will also accept this assignment written and in class, but question 4 in particular may invite a response from your classmates.

 (A sidenote: The Atlantic’s article is incredibly interesting and quite well-written, but very long and too detailed for us; HOWEVER, BJ and anybody else interested in cars or other manufacturing industries will be interested to read at least parts of it.  It also has some very interesting commentary on the interaction between social and economic forces in our society (that’s way less boring than it sounds, and it’s mostly at the beginning and end).  The New York Times article Krugman discusses is also fascinating.)

Homework for 1-26

So easy.  BUT YOU CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. 

List what you eat and drink between now and next class.  Itemize what each item costs.  Bring this list with you to class.  If you can, get an estimate from your family of what they spend in a week on food.  I’ll give you my own example from yesterday. 

1 Cliff bar: $1.25

Coffee (made at home): $1

1 Trader Joe’s cereal bar: $0.45

Salad from RTC cafeteria: $4.50

Grilled cheese sandwich (homemade): $0.75

Tomato soup: $0.75

2 Ninkasi IPAs and a half order of Cajun tots at the local pub: $11 (before tax and tip)

TOTAL: $19.70

PS: don't forget your notebook; I'll be collecting and grading it Thursday.

Homework for 1/19 - updated!

For your homework, read this article.  It refers (and links) to both “we are the 99 percent” and “we are the 53%” movements. 

For EACH website, answer the following questions and EMAIL them to me (I will certainly take this assignment in class).  You may want to print or take some notes on your answers; we will be discussing them in class on Thursday.  If you want to refer to any specific entry in the blogs, the word “photo” in red on the top right will take you to a permanent link that you can copy-paste into your email.  For our discussion, we may highlight certain entries, so if you email nothing else, email your favorite and least favorite. 

1.       Find an entry you like for some reason.  Why do you like it? 

a.      What is that particular author’s point? 

b.      Who is he/she targeting as an audience?

c.       Who is the target of his/her criticism? 

d.      What solutions do you think he/she is proposing?

e.      What are his/her core values?

2.      Now find an entry you dislike.  Why do you dislike it?

a.      What is that particular author’s point? 

b.      Who is he/she targeting as an audience?

c.       Who is the target of his/her criticism? 

d.      What solutions do you think he/she is proposing?

e.      What are his/her core values?

3.      What values do the “53%” seem to hold?

4.      What values do the “99%” seem to hold?  

SEE EXAMPLE IN COMMENTS 

NO CLASS 1/17

Make a snow fort or a snow cone, but don't come here!  Please be safe safe safe. 

Snow and attendance today

Crappy weather is crappy.  Remember to check schoolreport.org for school closure information; be aware that Renton School District and Renton Tech are distinct, and cancel classes separately. 

That being said, it may be dumping snow where you are and completely dry here.  You should use your discretion to decide whether it is safe for you to get to RTC.  I will use my discretion in class today to send you home early if necessary. 

There will be new homework for Thursday, 1/19, regardless of whether class is held today.

Homework for 1 -17

1.       Read some of your classmates’ article posts.  Comment on the article, your classmate’s summary of it, or both.  Some possible approaches: did you agree with the article?  Disagree?  Did it leave something important out?  Did it misrepresent something?  Should we distrust its source for some reason?  Feel free to go your own way.  If you’re discussing your classmate’s summary, it’s A-OK to point out relevant information that your classmate omitted or missed or misrepresented, but remember the class rules you all made regarding respect. 

2.       Read or watch some of your classmates’ visuals posts.  You may need to use their summaries to guide you on some pages (there are several that analyze a comic on a page that contains several comics).  Comment on one of your classmates’ chosen visuals.  Feel free to use the questions above (or your own!) to comment, or even to post other materials that might support or rebut (reply to or disagree with) your classmate’s post. 

Remember, it is great to comment on comments – continue the conversation.  This assignment is meant to be a class discussion in an online format, so substantive participation is expected. 

In-class library work

Post an article - and a summary thereof - relevant to our present discussions.  The article may be an opinion piece, a news article, a feature article, or similar.  It may be from a newspaper, a magazine, the online version of either one, or even a blog. 

Summarize the article; point out the information and opinions most relevant to the class discussions we've had, and point out how the information is useful to your classmates. 

Homework for 1/12

Find and analyze a visual.  It may be a political comic, a short film (no longer than 5 minutes or so), a poster, a political ad, or some other visual piece of art.  Analyze the symbols, imagery, and any verbal/textual components – tell me what the author or artist is trying to say with his or her artwork.  The art must be about globalization in some sense (you may use the subset of topics in the syllabus), and it must be contemporary (that means the last 10-15 years).  Below is a “worksheet” (I hate that word) that will help you wear your pants on this assignment (if you don’t know what I mean by “wear your pants,” ask in class).  You don’t have to answer every single question, and you certainly don’t have to number it, but I need to see the information in the italicized questions somewhere in your homework.  The other questions and the list in #7 should help you be thorough about the components of a work. 

Once you’re done, post the link where you found the work (as direct a link as possible; please check that it works) and your analysis.  If there’s some spectacular reason not to post it, you may email or turn in a handwritten version instead.  Due Thursday, 1/12, by class time. 

 Reading an Editorial Cartoon

1.       What is the cartoon’s title or caption?

2.       Who drew the cartoon?

3.       When and where was it published?

4.       What is familiar to you in this cartoon?

5.       What questions do you have about this cartoon?

6.       Editorial cartoonists combine pictures and words to communicate their opinions.

7.       What tools does the cartoonist use to make his or her point?

a.       __ Humor

b.      __ Caricature

c.       __ Symbols

d.      __ Stereotypes

e.      __ Speech balloons

f.        __ Labels

g.       __ Analogy to another historical or current event

h.      __ References to popular culture, art, literature, etc.

8.       List the important people and objects shown in the cartoon:

9.       Are symbols used? If so, what are they and what do they mean?

10.   Are stereotypes used? If so, what group is represented?

11.   Is anyone caricatured in the cartoon? If so, who?

12.   Briefly explain the message of the cartoon:

13.   What groups would agree /disagree with the cartoon’s message? Why?

14.   Do you think this cartoon is effective in its message?

© The Opper Project 2007

Homework for 1/10

Read these directions carefully – 3 parts – this will seem large because a) you’ve got 4 days, b) this assignment will guide much of the unit, c) due to registration’s mistake with the start date, we’re a day behind.  Still, you should spend a maximum of 3 hours on this.  Parts 1 and 2 are due by Monday at 7AM.  20 points – more typical assignments (like finding articles) are 10 points. 

1. Go read this article (look! the link is the words "this article!" colored, not underlined... cool!) - it's actually the prologue to Longitudes and Attitudes, a book by Thomas Friedman.  After reading, briefly summarize the article and define the following terms in your own words (you may integrate the definitions into your summary); then EMAIL that summary and set of definitions to me (smarushia@rtc.edu).  Some of the words are defined in a unique way within the article, or used to mean something more specific than the first dictionary definition; define the words as Friedman does or in the sense he means.

·         globalization (definitely wait til you've read the entire article to do this one)

·         integration

·         diffuse 

·         homogenize

·         state or nation-state

·         Supermarket

·         Super-empowered individual

* The end – the last few paragraphs – is the most interesting!

Bonus (5%):

·         derive

·         any other words you looked up to understand the article better

2.  Comment on the article in this post.  Do you disagree with any part of it?  Agree in particular with any points?  Have questions about anything he’s referring to?  Have something to add to his opinions here?  You may be brief as long as you are specific; this part of the assignment shall continue. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMENTING: click the link at the bottom of this post – “# comments” (the # will be an actual number – perhaps 0).  It will give you a text box to type your comments into (I suggest you type your comments in a word processor that will spell and grammar check, then copy and paste into the box).  Below this box it says “comment as” and has a drop menu.  You will have to sign in to an account that works with the website – there’s a list of acceptable ones in the drop menu, and the easiest of those is google.  You may have to open a new email account.  I suggest you get a gmail account, and that you use your real name to create a professional looking email address (see mine? smarushia@rtc.edu?  It’s a great example.  It would work just fine with numbers at the end, as long as those numbers weren’t 69 or 420). 

3. Remember also, if you haven’t already: a bound (not spiral) notebook, and your "getting to know you" questionnaire are both due Tuesday at the beginning of class as well.   

Comments

For those of you who were (correctly) in class today: I told you that you could post your homework here.  That wasn't possible until just now, but you should be able to hit the "comments" button below and successfully post.  Remember, that homework is:

1. your bound (not spiral) notebook
2. an article about your chosen subject posted on this thread
1. if necessary, an email account that you can use to post on this blog
3. your "getting to know you" activity