Research Links and Critical Thinking Questions for November 2019 Issues

Oct 18, 2019

RESEARCH LINKS

Issue 1: E-Cigarettes
CDC: “Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with E-Cigarette Use, or Vaping”
H.R.4425 “Quell Underage Inhaling of Toxic Substances Act of 2019” or QUITS Act
ProCon.org: “Is Vaping with E-Cigarettes Safe?”
The Hill: “Trump Takes Heat from Right Over Vaping Crackdown”
The Verge: “Everything You Need to Know About the Vaping Health Crisis” 
FTC: “Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report for 2017” 

Issue 2: Vaccines
S.1619 VACCINES Act 
ProCon.org: “State Vaccination Exemptions: Medical, Religious and Philosophical”
CDC: “Global Measles Outbreaks”
Medscape: “Close Call – US Can Still Officially Claim Measles Eliminated”
Reuters: “Alarming Upsurge in Measles Has Devastating Impact, WHO Warns”
Vaccines.gov: “Vaccine Safety”

CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

Issue 1: E-Cigarettes

  1. Read the text of H.R.4425 or the “Quell Underage Inhaling of Toxic Substances Act of 2019” (link above). Is this bill the right solution to the problem of underage vaping? What alternative solution(s) might you propose?
  2. Do you agree that banning flavored e-cigarettes is the right thing to do? Why or why not?
  3. Compare and contrast the pro and con arguments in ProCon.org’s “Is Vaping with E-Cigarettes Safe?” article (link above). Where do you stand on vaping and why?
  4. How important is the issue of underage vaping in the U.S.? Do you think this country is doing enough to address the problem? Why or why not?
  5. Some conservative groups are critical of President Trump’s plan to ban flavored e-cigarettes. They say this is an overreach that will violate free-market principles. Do you agree or disagree with this criticism? Why?

Issue 2: Vaccines

  1. Currently, mandatory vaccine laws are left to the states to decide. Should there be a national law for vaccines? Why or why not?
  2. Check ProCon.org’s “State Vaccination Exemptions” page (link above) to see which kind of vaccine exemptions are allowed in your state. Do you agree or disagree with your state’s exemptions? Why?
  3. Which is more important for the issue of vaccines—individual rights or collective rights? Why?
  4. What are the risks associated with vaccines and do those risks outweigh the benefits? Why or why not?
  5. If vaccines are not mandatory, will the public health be endangered? Why or why not?

Trivia Answers for October 2019 Issues

Sep 18, 2019

Prescription Drug Prices

1. The We PAID Act of 2019 would:

a) Direct the National Academy of Medicine to complete a study on how to determine the reasonableness of drug prices.
b) Establish a Drug Affordability and Access Committee to determine a reasonable price for each drug.
c) Require proper disclosure of government support in the development of patented technology.
 d) All of the above

2. If passed, the We PAID Act would only seek to regulate future drugs on the market, which would apply to about ________ percent of prescription drugs.

a) 20 to 25
b) 40 to 40
c) 50

3. Prescription drug prices in the United States are some of the highest drug prices in the world.
a) True
b) False

4. According to a study from the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, every one of the 210 drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration from 2010 to 2016 was based on research funded by the _______________________.
.
a) Food and Drug Administration
b) National Institutes of Health
c) National Academy of Medicine

Alaska Drilling

1. Which Republican congressman co-sponsored H.R. 1146 along with Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) when it was introduced in the House in February?
a) Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
  b) Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
c) Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK)

2. Specifically, in which area of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would H.R. 1146 prohibit oil and gas drilling?
a) Wilderness Area
 b) 1002 Area
c) Arctic Village

3. Which U.S. president founded the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is a designation for certain protected areas managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?
a) President Theodore Roosevelt
b) President Richard Nixon
c) President John F. Kennedy

4. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge inhabits land which sits on __________billion barrels of oil.
a) 7.7 to 11.8
b) 20.3 to 25.4
c) 37.9 to 43.3

5. The 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a subsection of the area’s coastal plain.
a) True
b) False

Research Links and Critical Thinking Questions for October 2019 Issues

Sep 18, 2019

RESEARCH LINKS

Issue 1: Prescription Prices
S.2387 “We Protect American Investment in Drugs Act”
Vox: “The Bipartisan Senate Bill Aimed at Baking Big Pharma Lower Drug Prices”
Study: “Contribution of NIH Funding to New Drug Approvals 2010–2016”
The Hill Op-Ed: “Republicans Face Critical Test of Integrity on Drug Price Controls”
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Endorsement of We PAID Act
FactCheck.org: “Pinning Down Prescription Drug Prices”

Issue 2: Alaska Drilling
H.R.1146 “Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act”
NRDC: “U.S. House Passes Legislation to Protect Arctic Refuge in Historic Vote” 
Courthouse News: “House Approves Ban on Oil Drilling in Arctic Refuge”
Alaska Public Media: “Democrats on U.S. House Committee Move Anti-Drilling Bill” 
Natural Gas Intelligence: “House Passes Bills to Block Trump Offshore Drilling Plans”

CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

Issue 1: Prescription Prices

  1. Read the text of S.2387 or the “We Protect American Investment in Drugs Act” (link above). Is this bill the right solution to the problem of high prescription prices? What alternative solution(s) might you propose?
  2. Read the AARP endorsement of S.2387 (link above). How important is the issue of high prescription drug prices in the U.S.? Do you think this country is doing enough to address the problem? Why or why not?
  3. Read The Hill Op-Ed (link above), which offers a counter viewpoint to proponents of S.2387. How does the writer’s opinion agree or disagree with your own?
  4. Do you agree that price controls on prescription drugs are ultimately bad for American consumers? Why or why not?
  5. Compare and contrast the pro and con arguments on p. 3 of the newsletter. Where do you stand and why?

Issue 2: Alaksa Drilling
1.    Should the United States suspend oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge? Why or why not?
2.    Read the text of H.R.1146 “Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act” (link above). Is this bill the best solution to the problem of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge? What other solution(s) might you propose?
3.    Does the money that can be made from drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Refuge outweigh the importance of the environment? Why or why not?
4.    What alternatives (such as renewable energy, etc.) might you propose to the need for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge?
5.    Do you think the decision on whether to allow oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge should be made at the federal or state level? Why?

Trivia Answers for September 2019 Issues

Aug 16, 2019

DEBT CEILING

 

  1. The debt ceiling was first enacted in 1917 through the _________.

a) Glass-Steagall Act

         b) Second Liberty Bond Act

c) Federal Reserve Act

 

  1. When the debt limit is reached, the Treasury Department can use an accounting maneuver called ________ to avoid defaulting on the government’s obligations.

a) Involuntary conversions

b) Analytical procedures

         c) Extraordinary measures

 

  1. Which Democratic member of the House of Representatives sponsored H.R. 3877 or the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019?

a) Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX)

         b) Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY)

c) Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA)

 

  1. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal budget deficit is about $900 billion in 2019, and it will exceed ______ each year beginning in 2022.

a) $950 billion

         b) $1 trillion

c) $1.5 trillion

 

  1. Prior to establishing the debt ceiling, Congress had to approve each issuance of debt in a separate piece of legislation.

         a) True

b) False

 

REPARATIONS

  1. Under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, the U.S. government apologized for Japanese American internment during World War II and provided reparations of $20,000 to each survivor.

         a) True

b) False

 

  1. Aside from the U.S., other nations have also paid money to those who were historically wronged by their actions. Which of the countries below have paid reparations to certain groups of people?

a) Colombia

b) South Africa

c) Peru

         d) All of the above

 

  1. All of the states below, except one, has officially apologized for its involvement in the enslavement of Africans. Which state is the exception?

a) Alabama

         b) South Carolina

c) Virginia

d) Florida

 

  1. In H.R. 40, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) purports to establish a commission to consider __________for slavery.

a) National apology

b) Proposal for reparations

c) Affirmative action programs

         d) Both A and B

e) Both B and C

Research Links and Critical Thinking Questions for September 2019 Issues

Aug 16, 2019

RESEARCH LINKS

Issue 1: Debt Ceiling
Congress.gov: H.R.3877 “Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019”
Congressional Budget Office: “The 2019 Long-Term Budget Outlook”
Peter G. Peterson Foundation: “Debt Ceiling Update: What’s at Stake”
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: “Everything to Know About Debt Ceiling”
Bipartisan Policy Center: “The Debt Limit—What You Need to Know”
Investopedia.com: “Debt Ceiling”

Issue 2: Reparations
Congress.gov: H.R.40 Summary and Text
Constitutional Rights Foundation: “Reparations for Slavery Reading” 
The Atlantic: “The Case for Reparations”
Oxford University Press: “Postconflict Reparations”
Axios: “The World’s Long History of Reparations”
CNN: “People Are Talking About Reparations. But It’s a Complex and Thorny Issue.”

CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

Issue 1: Debt Ceiling

  1. What do you think about Congress’s decision to suspend the debt ceiling for two more years? What alternative solution(s) would you propose? Explain your reasoning.
  2. Read the Congressional Budget Office’s 2019 budget outlook (see link above). What is the long-term projection for the federal debt? How will this affect your future?
  3. When governments create budgets, they prioritize some programs over others (such as health care or defense). What types of trade-offs should be made, in your opinion, to reduce the national debt?
  4. How important is the issue of the national debt? Do you think this country is doing enough to address the problem? Why or why not?
  5. Looking at the “Buck Stops Here: What It Takes to Fund Our Nation” infographic, do you agree with the 2017 budget allocations? What would you change and why?

Issue 2: Reparations

  1. What are the arguments for and against reparations for slavery in the United States? Where do you stand, and why?
  2. Do you agree that some of the problems faced today by the African American community are the “legacy of slavery?” Why or why not?
  3. How are reparations for black slavery similar to, and different from, the reparations paid by the U.S. government to Japanese Americans interned in prison camps during World War II?
  4. What might a government program of reparations look like? How would you design it?
  5. Morally speaking, do you think a person can owe a debt based on the actions of previous generations? Why or why not?

SGAP Teacher Spotlight for October 2019 (Amber Hale, Evansville, IN)

Jun 18, 2019

SGAP Teacher

Vital Stats

Name: Amber Hale
Title: Social Studies Teacher
School Name: F.J. Reitz High School
City, State: Evansville, IN
Subject(s) Taught: Government and Economics
Grade(s)Taught: 12
No. of Years Teaching: 20

 

Although Amber Hale’s teaching career spans 20 years, this social studies teacher is in tune with today’s trends. She understands that technology is changing the way the education system works and embraces these changes. “Technology has greatly changed teaching for the better, and I believe it will continue to do so,” Hale says.

Hale uses the SGAP program to teach Government and Economics to her 12th grade students at F.J. Reitz High School, a public school in Evansville, Indiana. The school is a member of the third largest school district in the state—a district that places special emphasis on technology.

1:1 Technology Initiative

To ensure all students have the same access to technology and the tools they will in the 21st century, the district implemented a one-to-one initiative, providing all high school students their own take-home computer.

“Due to the one-to-one initiative, students can now research and find information that is current and relevant on a daily basis,” Hale says. “We can explore so much more material because it is at our fingertips. We use our Chromebooks every day.”

In addition to student devices, all classrooms are equipped with Activeboard and Activesound technology to support teaching and learning.

“Because our classroom is online, students have access to materials, video and links that I post, and they submit online as well,” Hale says. “This allows for more in-depth learning and instruction. This is also nice for when they have to miss class due to a field trip, etc.”

 

Timely and Timeless

Despite teaching in an environment supported by today’s technology, Hale’s approach to classroom management remains timeless. “As for classroom management, I try to use the Golden Rule,” she says. “I treat them with kindness and respect, and I expect it in return.”

She says her teaching philosophy centers on the principles of student empowerment. “Every child has different strengths and should be encouraged to explore them,” Hale says. “One day, they will be the ones handed the reigns to our great country. We need to prepare them to be educated decision makers and active citizens.”

 

Current and Future

As an educator who has used the SGAP program in her classes for several years, Hale believes in the power of engaging students in classroom discussions using current events. She says staying current on the news and current events is a tough but rewarding part of her job.

“It is imperative to always present multiple perspectives and let the kids discuss their ideas and opinions in an educated, controlled environment,” Hale says. “Trying to tie real life into my classroom is very important to me so that the students ‘buy in.’”

In the future, Hale hopes her students leave her classroom knowing that she genuinely cares about them and about the subjects she teaches.

“I had a veteran teacher tell me once, ‘The most important thing a child leaves your classroom with is their ego,’ and it has always stuck in my mind,” she says. “It does not do anyone any good to embarrass students or tear them down.” 

SGAP Teacher Spotlight for September 2019 (Erin Le Francois, Mammoth Lakes, CA)

May 14, 2019

Erin Le Francois

Vital Stats

Name: Erin Le Francois
Title: Department Head, Teacher
School Name: Mammoth High School
City, State: Mammoth Lakes, CA
Subject(s) Taught: American Gov’t, US History, AP US, AP Gov’t/Politics and AP Comparative Politics
Grade(s )Taught: 11/12
No. of Years Teaching: 26

Twenty-six years ago, Erin Le Francois began her career as an educator and—for the past 20 years—she’s used SGAP in her classroom. “A parent mentioned the SGAP program to me, and I signed up,” she says. “In my government classes, we discuss current events every Friday.”

Go Tell it on the Mountain

Today, Le Francois serves as a social studies teacher and department head at a four-year public high school in Mammoth Lakes, California. The mountain resort community is home to Mammoth Mountain, the West Coast’s largest ski area. Situated in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mammoth Lakes is about 164 miles south of Reno, Nevada, and 325 miles north of Los Angeles.

In her classes at Mammoth High School, Le Francois uses SGAP in a variety of ways. “Sometimes we just read the Student Forum newsletter topics and discuss,” she explains. “Sometimes we will use the discussion questions. Recently, we’ve been incorporating further in-depth study online with the resources provided.”

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

As an educator with more than two decades of teaching experience, Le Francois has learned to focus on the essentials in her approach to classroom management. “In my classes I have one rule: respect,” Le Francois says. “We build from there. As long as everyone is respectful, we can have open dialogue and trust.”

Respecting others is especially important in today’s polarized political climate. “Government has been interesting to teach these past few years,” Le Francois admits. “I always work to present an unbiased version of things, but for me this has gotten more challenging as I get older.”

The Way We Were

Technology has presented both challenges and opportunities to social studies teachers, Le Francois says. “Social media and media in general are changing so fast that I feel these will influence all teachers,” she adds. “Cell phones are another trend that has impacted teaching. Getting students to interact and discuss topical issues is always challenging.”

Le Francois says what she wants her students to remember most about her class is the importance of asking questions and thinking critically.

“I want students to remember to think before they make a snap judgement, that people are innocent until proven guilty,” she says. “I want them to remember to treat people equally and not rush to judge. Be kind, help others and give back to the community that raised you.”

Trivia Answers for May 2019 Issues

Apr 18, 2019

Green New Deal

1.   The primary climate-change goal of the Green New Deal is to reach net-zero greenhouse emissions in a decade. This means there would be no greenhouse gas emissions at all in 10 years.
a)  True
b)  False

2.    In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded in a report that in order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels—and thereby avoid many climate change impacts—the world would have to reach net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide by the year __________.
a)  2030
b)  2050
c)  2070

3.    Who introduced their own version of a “Green New Deal” and in what year?
a)  Hillary Clinton, 1999
b)  Barack Obama, 2010
 c)  Jill Stein, 2012

4.    What is the name of the youth-led organization that advocates for a Green New Deal in Congress?
a)  Youth for Environmental Action
 b)  Sunrise Movement
c)  Champions for Climate

 

Capitalism v. Socialism

1.  The Laffer Curve is the theory that lower tax rates boost economic growth.
 a)  True
b)  False

2.    In which of the following economic systems are factors of production owned by individuals?
a)  Capitalism
b)  Socialism
c)  Fascism
  d)  Both A and C

3.    Which is not a characteristic of capitalism?
a)  Free-market economy
 b)  Income equality
c)  Supply and demand
d)  Profit motive

4.    The mantra of which economic system is “From each according to his ability, to each according to his contribution?”
a)  Communism
 b)  Socialism
c)  Fascism

5.    In the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friederich Engels outlined the characteristics of communism, which did not include _________.
a) Abolition of property
b) Abolition of right of inheritance
     c) Abolition of command economy

Research Links and Critical Thinking Questions for May 2019 Issues

Apr 18, 2019

RESEARCH LINKS

Issue 1: Green New Deal
Congress.gov: H.Res.109 – Green New Deal (Text)
Fox News: “Green New Deal Would Cost Up to $93 Trillion Over 10 Years”
Vox.com: “The Green New Deal, Explained”
Heritage Foundation: “GND Would Barely Change Earth’s Temperature”
FactCheck.org: “The Facts on the ‘Green New Deal’”
NPR: “Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Releases Green New Deal Outline”

Issue 2: Capitalism vs. Socialism
Christian Science Monitor: “GND: Saving America or Turning It Socialist?”
American Center for Law & Justice: “Truth About Socialism & Green New Deal”
The Balance Small Business: “Differences Between Capitalism and Socialism”
Investopedia.com: “Capitalist vs. Socialist Economies: What’s the Difference?”
Corporate Finance Institute: “What Is Socialism vs. Capitalism?”
Roll Call: “The Capitalism vs. Socialism Debate”

CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

Issue 1: Green New Deal

  1. Read the text of the Green New Deal resolution (link above). Is the Green New Deal a step in the right direction or an example of government overreach?
  2. Why does the GND resolution include issues like jobs, health care and human rights? How do these issues connect to climate change?
  3. What crisis was Roosevelt’s New Deal responding to in the 1930s? What modern-day crisis is the Green New Deal responding to?
  4. What kind of a congressional proposal is the Green New Deal? If it was approved by Congress, what would happen?
  5. How important is the issue of climate change? Do you think this country is doing enough to address the problem?

Issue 2: Capitalism vs. Socialism

  1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of capitalism and socialism? Which economic system is more effective and why?
  2. Should property and the means of production (factories) be owned by businesses and individuals (capitalism) or the government (socialism)? Why?
  3. It is commonly argued that socialism is un-American. What are some arguments for and against this position?
  4. Should the government be involved in the economy? If so, to what extent?
  5. Who is responsible for a person’s well-being, the government or the individual?