Adult Time for Kid Crimes?

For this week's debate, we're going to tackle an issue near and dear to many of you: juvenile delinquency. Specifically, we'll be reading about the policy of “automatic declination.”

Check it out....

"Automatic declination.” It is little known outside the justice system and sends roughly 200 Washington teenagers a year into adult courts and — potentially — adult penitentiaries. As the term indicates, it happens automatically, without a hearing or any debate.

The idea is simple: Here is a list of crimes. Commit one of these and, if you are 16 or 17, you go straight to adult superior court, not juvenile court.

A prosecutor can decide to send the offender to juvenile court, but can’t be compelled by a judge or defender. “Prosecutors have the power of God,” one critic says.

The law was originally designed to punish the worst of the worst, but in practice that’s often not the case. Race, the strength of a defense attorney, the mood of a prosecutor and sheer luck can play a major role in deciding who is treated as a juvenile and who is not.

I know, heavy stuff right? So here's the plan: read this article and take detailed notes. It's a confusing read and if you don't keep all the twists and turns straight on some notebook paper, you're going to have a tough time sorting all our. One suggestion might be to do a "word-web" type chart. Either way, notes will be collected and graded. After we've all had a chance to read the article and go over our notes as a group, we'll split into two like we did last week and debate the following proposition, Oxford style:

"The practice of automatic declination, and the sentencing of juveniles as adults for anything other than the most serious of crimes (murder, rape, armed robbery) is counter productive and unnecessarily destructive. This practice should be stopped immediately. "

Good luck and get to work.....

-Ned-

Skyward Password Link

https://www2.nerdc.wa-k12.net/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wwval01s71/seplog01.w

First Thursday Throwdown Debate

Here's the link to the Upfront Magazine article. After reading the article and building your basic arguments, spend some time exploring some other links related to the subject. While you're doing this, please take some time to think about what makes a persuasive argument....here are some hints.

Oil Spill - Deepwater Horizons

I know that you have all been watching the oil spill situation with some interest so i thought that i'd do a little research. What i found was interesting indeed. Here is the link to a BBC article that shows this spill in comparison to other devastating oil spills of history. On the top, is a map of all of the large spills, then this one. If you don't want to go to the site, i can tell you that this one isn't even in the top 50 biggest oil spills. Here is a list of all of the spills on the map.

1. Ixtoc 1: 476,000 tonnes Bay of Campeche, Gulf of Mexico

2. Atlantic Empress: 287,000 tonnes Off Tobago, West Indies

3. Nowruz Oil Field: 272, 000 tonnes Persian Gulf

4. ABT Summer: 260,000 tonnes 700 nautical miles off Angola

5. Castillo de Bellver: 252,000 tonnes Off Saldanha Bay, South Africa

6. Amoco Cadiz: 223,000 tonnes off Brittany, France

7. Haven: 144,000 tonnes Genoa, Italy

8. Odyssey: 132,000 tonnes 700 nautical miles off Nova Scotia, Canada

9. Torrey Canyon: 119,000 tonnes Scilly Isles, UK

10. Sea Star: 115,000 tonnes Gulf of Oman

Exxon Valdez: 37,000 tonnes Prince William Sound, Alaska, US

Deepwater Horizon: 7,000 to 10,000 tonnes Gulf of Mexico

(BBC, 2010, Elena Egawhary)

Has Pay-Rod gone too far?

OK so after reading a FOX Sports article on Alex Rodriguez, a Baseball player for the New York Yankees, about all of his desrespect to the game. so read the article and let me know what you guys think.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Alex-Rodriguez-does-not-respect-the-game-of-baseball-042810?gt1=39002

Thursday Debate

Here's the proposition:
Arizona Senate Bill 1070 is an appropriate and legal response to the illegal immigration issue along the Mexican border.

Here are some resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_SB1070

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/topics/view/meme/Immigration-Reform-452/

You have 30 minutes to research: Debate @ 8:45 n Chris' room.

Citing Sources / In-Text Parenthetical References

In addition to in-text parenthetical references, please include an MLA bibliography/works cited page.


http://www.noodletools.com/helpdesk/index.php?article=53&action=kb

http://citationmachine.net/index2.php?start=&reqstyleid=1#

Example Essay (Correctly Formatted!)

http://www.telecollege.dcccd.edu/library/Module5/Sample.htm

Example Essays and Support Materials: MUST READ

Sophomores/Freshman:

http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/CBAs/HighSchool/HSHistory-CulturalInteractions-SampleMaterials.pdf
http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/CBAs/HighSchool/HSHistory-CulturalInteractions-SupportMaterials.pdf

Juniors:

http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/CBAs/HighSchool/HSHistory-CausesofConflict-SampleResponses.pdf
http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/CBAs/HighSchool/HSHistory-CausesofConflict-SupportMaterials.pdf

Seniors:

http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/CBAs/HighSchool/HSEcon-GovtRevandResponsibility-SampleResponses.pdf
http://www.k12.wa.us/SocialStudies/CBAs/HighSchool/HSEcon-GovtRevandResponsibility-SupportMaterials.pdf

CBA Links for Sophmores

CBA Links for Sophomores working on the "Cultural Interactions" of Mexican Americans

http://www.pbs.org/itvs/beyondtheborder/immigration.html
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/mexico704/
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/mexico/
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2009/09/california_the.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration
http://cis.org/zogbypoll-effectsofamnesty
http://article.nationalreview.com/278412/fix-mexico/jonah-goldberg
http://townhall.com/columnists/JonahGoldberg/2006/04/12/first_things_first_fix_mexico
http://www.migrationinformation.org/usfocus/display.cfm?ID=208
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States

*Note* Please use the REFERENCES section at the the bottom of the Wikipedia article....it's full of research and CBA gold!

New! Better! Links!

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/mexico/
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/mexico/links.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/31/MNGJ66TO9J1.DTL

CBA Links fo Juniors

"Causes of Conflict" Links for Those Studying the Ugandan Civil War/Lord's Resistance Army

Primary Sources

Use the "References" and "External Links" at the bottom of the following Wikipedia Articles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Resistance_Army
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/about/history/
http://www.c-r.org/our-work/accord/northern-uganda/contents.php


Secondary Sources


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Resistance_Army
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/about/history/

CBA Links For Seniors

For Seniors Working on The "Government Revenue and Responsibility" CBA

Primary Sources

http://www.sdc.wa.gov/issues/budget/visualizing/

Very Clear Breakdown of the Governor's Plan!!!!

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget/default.asp
http://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget10/highlights/default.asp
http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/
http://senaterepublicans.wa.gov/
http://www.sdc.wa.gov/
http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/
http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/default.asp


http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4598474607840034104

Secondary Sources

http://www.spokesman.com/tags/2010-washington-legislature/
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011680454_apwataxes.html?prmid=related_stories_section
http://www.wa-democrats.org/index.php?page=news&sub=2&topic=19
http://www.wsrp.org/


State Rep Links:

Democrats
http://www.sdc.wa.gov/senators/brown/
http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/ormsby/index.asp

Republicans
http://senaterepublicans.wa.gov/mccaslin/index.htm
http://hrc.leg.wa.gov/members/larry-crouse/

Thor's Day Debate

The debate this Thor's day will be the last item in our China themed... Err... Theme...

The debate will be:

SHOULD THE U.S. USE TRADE BARRIERS TO END CHINA'S HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES?

This is the link to the Debatapedia article that will give you SOME of the information that you need:

Here's the link.

You must also do some research on your own.

If you do not do research then you will be hanged.

And remember: If you are the main attraction of a hanging then you wont be able to participate in the debate. You will only avoid hanging by posting a brief summary of your opinion on the blog. If you cannot post on the blog you will be hanged.

That is all.

Google Lit Trip Resources

http://thewalkerschool.wikispaces.com/Screencasts

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1125866

Other than that, you're all smart kids.  If you have a question, use the internet!

Money = Free Speech?

Hey gang, here's the debate topic for tomorrow. You know the drill. Spend an hour or so going over the arguments for both sides by following this link to Debatepedia.

And here's the proposition we'll be debating:

"Corporations have a right to free speech and should be allowed to spend freely in elections."

Believe it or note, this is a very interesting topic with far reaching implications. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.....

-Ned-

The White Man's Burden

Here are the on-line resources for Monday's assignment on British Attitudes towards India. Remember, the assignment is to write a "reaction poem" to Rudyard Kipling's poem, The White Man's Burden.

-Ned-

Winds of Trade - Creative Writing Assignment

After watching episode 3 from The Story Of India, I would like you to complete the creative writing assignment we discussed in class.

Both of your letters are due by the end of school on Friday.

Resources for both letters can be found here.

Gays in the Military?

Yeah, that's right. It's our first debate topic of the second semester!

So, what do you think, should the military officially end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy?"

Read up ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. We do not want this to turn into a blatant display of homophobia, so do your research. Be objective!

Oh yeah, you need to post your opinion on the blog.

Guess What?!?!

North Korea is even weirder than you thought!

free thing

hey for my project i made a podcast on nuclear energy  and radiation sickness, so if any one wants it i have it in a mp3 format!

Shooting An Elephant

Many of you are familiar with the author George Orwell from his most famous novel, 1984. What you may not be familiar with, however, is some of his earlier work on the nature of colonialism and freedom.

Orwell, who's real name was Eric Blair, was born in 1903 in Motihari, Bengal, in the then British colony of India, where his father, Richard, worked for the Opium Department of the Civil Service. After returning to England for his education, Eric joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. He resigned and returned to England in 1928 having grown to hate imperialism.

The short story you are now going to read, "Shooting an Elephant," is his attempt the put that hatred in metaphorical terms. With that in mind, please read the story by following this link.

Once you've finished reading, please complete the accompanying packet. It's due tomorrow morning.

Good luck and welcome to the Indian Sub-Continent, our academic home for the next several weeks. Good Times!

-Ned-