CURRENT EVENTS

TOPICS

Here are the topics we will be discussing in Current Events. It will be crucial for you to gather articles that contain information about BOTH sides of the topic (whether or not you agree with them).

The guide suggests 4 articles for each topic.  Make sure you have at least 2 articles that represent both sides of the issue. Some great resources are listed on the sidebar.  I would start a file folder as you read articles online and in newspapers/magazines.  The information inside the parenthesis are only ideas...

The issue will be presented to the students as a "Whether statement..." which they are all very used to from LTW.   I have highlighted the whether statements below.  This may help guide your search for articles:

• right to life general (abortion, euthanasia, right to life/death, living will/directives)

• right to life specific whether euthanasia should be legal in all states

• methods of education  (private, public, magnet/governor, boarding, charter, homeschool, common core) whether the federal government should mandate education standards

• federal healthcare (income inequality, age, legal rights, quality of care, government taxes, penalty of non-participation, welfare, life/death issues) whether the federal government should require all citizens to purchase health insurance

• technology in the classroom (tablets vs. textbooks) whether tablets should replace textbooks in the classroom

• gun control (Second Amendment, bans on gun ownership, gun violence) whether private gun ownership should be restricted

• gmo foods labeling (drought, pesticide, cold, pest tolerant, feed the world, gene transfer, allergens, unknown effects, safety testing, food labeling) whether the federal government should require GMO labeling

• women in the military (height, weight, physical fitness, standard of fitness) whether the USA should add women to the draft

• persecuted Christians (human rights issues, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Egypt, China, Cuba) Whether the US govt. should financially support countries that persecute Christians

• laws affecting children (labor, driving, voting, drinking ages)  whether the legal driving age should be 18

• federal minimum wage (Fair Labor Act, living wage, state minimum wage, full time/part time employees) whether the govt should raise the federal minimum wage 

• religious holiday displays (displays on public property) whether religious holiday displays should be allowed on govt property