Category Archives: Uncategorized

December 17, 2013 · 6:30 am

Edward Snowden is on the move

Two huge developments in the Edward Snowden saga that you might like to check out.

Go here. A federal district judge ruled on Monday that the National Security Agency program that is systematically keeping records of all Americans’ phone calls most likely violates the Constitution, describing its technology as “almost Orwellian” and suggesting that James Madison would be “aghast” to learn that the government was encroaching on liberty in such a way.

Go here. National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden wrote in “an open letter to the Brazilian people” that he would be willing to help Brazil’s government investigate U.S. spying on its soil, but that he could do so only if granted political asylum. “I’ve expressed my willingness to assist where it’s appropriate and legal, but, unfortunately, the U.S. government has been working hard to limit my ability to do so. Until a country grants me permanent political asylum, the U.S. government will continue to interfere with my ability to speak out,” the letter added.

Go here. Spend a little time in D.C. and it isn’t long before you discover that even the busses are political.

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December 15, 2013 · 11:41 am

Nelson Mandela (1918 to 2013)

In Senior Current Issues we will spend this final week of 2013 looking closely at the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. We’ll use various documentary and news stories that will hopefully provide you the background of South African apartheid as well chronicle the life of the man. Mandela’s history is so intertwined with that of his country and the treatment of his people, that in order to understand his impact on the world you must educate yourself first to the world that he lived in.

That may be asking a lot in a single week; so ask questions, work together, listen and learn. This is a life that we should all be Awakened to; even if that awareness initiates upon his death.

Schedule for the week:
Monday 12/16 – Miracle Rising (27:00)
Tuesday 12/17 – Rachel Maddow (15:00) & Frontline Part 1
Wednesday 12/18 – Frontline Part II
Thursday 12/19 – Sixty Minutes (13:00) & Frontline Part III
Friday 12/20 – Frontline Part IV

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December 14, 2013 · 4:00 pm

South Africa Divestment Campaign

This assignment is due posted to Google Docs by 11:59 PM Saturday, December 21. This assignment is worth 50 points. 500 word minimum.

Divestment is an action in which a group of individuals in order to divest (sell) pull support from a business (s). The goal can vary, however in a political action sense, it is to ultimately punish bad behavior of an institution in order to change that institution’s behavior. The term “Divestment Campaign” was first used in the 1980s, most commonly in the United States, to refer to the use of a concerted economic boycott designed to pressure the government of South Africa into abolishing its policy of apartheid. Since then, divestment campaigns have focused on countries and companies for their policies.

For this assignment watch / listen to the three productions below. Like in our first assignment you’re free to move about in your google docs assessment. However, I do want you to concentrate on the Polaroid piece – it was central to the success of the divestment movement. What are your thoughts about the individuals involved and their influence on Polaroid.. Use the two follow up podcasts to talk about divestment historically in South Africa and divestment currently in regard to college campuses today.

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· 10:28 am

Apartheid in South Africa

Go here for the assignment – hard copy only…don’t Google docs this one. It is due by class period on Thursday. This assignment is worth fifty points.

Some of you have no knowledge of Apartheid in South Africa. It is nearly impossible to understand Nelson Mandela’s impact on the world, without a working comprehension of the practice. It is my goal with this assignment to provide you a brief introduction.

Apartheid is an Afrikaans’ word meaning “being apart” or “apart hood”. The Afrikaans language is an off-shoot of Dutch and was introduced into South Africa in colonial times. With roughly 7 million native speakers, or 13.5% of the population, it was along with English the focal language of white Europeans. It was also the language of apartheid and National Party which carried out apartheid. While African blacks were persecuted from colonial times, it wasn’t until 1948 when the National Party’s white minority (12% of the population) seized full control of the government that Apartheid was fully institutionalized practice within the country and the South African constitution. From then until 1994 the white minority in South Africa created – a separation between European whites and all other races.

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· 6:48 am

Mr. Wood’s Journal July 15, 2013 – Soweto and Klipton

This assignment is due posted to Google Docs by 11:59 PM Tuesday, December 17. This assignment is worth 50 points.

This one is easy guys…just read my journal entry for July 15, 2013. One of the assignments for our NEH tour this summer to South Africa was that we teachers would share the responsibility of providing personal journals for each of the thirty-five days that we traveled in South Africa. The assignment of the particular day for the particular teacher was done alphabetically for the first 24 days, and by volunteer the remainder of the trip. There were no guidelines provided for the individual journals, only that we cover the assigned day.

It just so happened that my assigned day was probably the most pivotal of the entire journey. We toured the Nelson Mandela museum in Johannesburg, spent time in Soweto on the streets and at the church where the Truth and Reconciliation hearings took place. We also visited Klipton. I want you to read my journal entry. I want you to respond. I want you to go find some link – any link – of any issue that is raised in the reading of my journal entry, and I want you to comment on that as well.

There is no specific requirement to this entry – other than 400 words. Talk about your feelings concerning my experience – what thoughts that raised in your mind, and comment on the link that you provided off of my journal entry. This is pretty much a free write, however I expect good grammar and well thought out ideas. So please proof it.