Living and Leaving the Good Life 2010 - University...

Welcome Daily Indicator Religious Controversy Calendar Participation Title Page

Creators and Resources Story of Use (Doing Good) Table of Contents

Story of Use (Field Trip) Bibliography Rationale Story of Use (Debate)

Story of Use (Timeline) Blog Long News? Online Sharing

Welcome to my site

The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.

-Dietrich Bonheoffer

Learn how to live, and you’ll know how to die; learn how to die, and you’ll know how to live. -Morrie Schwartz

Living and Leaving the Good Life 2010

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Welcome Daily Indicator Religious Controversy Calendar Participation Blog

Long News? Online Sharing

Social: of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society.

Issue: a matter that is in dispute between two or more parties.

Biology: a branch of knowledge that deals with living organisms and vital processes. I love dictionaries. They solve SO many problems. “Oh, that’s what that means?!” - see if you can say those words to yourself once a week...it’s easy, just pick up a dictionary.

Get Ready:

The subject matter we will encounter in this classroom should be VERY interesting. We will have the opportunity to focus our attention on learning about issues each of interest and relevance. The breadth and diversity of topics available for exploration in this class is so large that I think each and every one of you will find yourselves moved to share your insights, opinions, experiences, and aspirations.

A Definition:

When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all. - E.O. Wilson

Social Issues in Biology 2010










Creators and Resources Story of Use (Doing Good) Table of Contents

Story of Use (Field Trip) Bibliography Rationale Story of Use (Debate)

Story of Use (Timeline) Blog Long News? Online Sharing

This module would not have been possible if it had not been for the open and collaborative teaching

environment I received from my cooperating teacher, Jenny Boldt. She helped me shape many of my

ideas throughout the semester, but at the same time, did what any good teacher lets a student do

every once in a while - she let me figure it out on my own. Thank you, Jenny!

I also need to thank Dorothy Paul-Petersen. There were a couple of ideas I wanted to try out during

this module; having high school kids listen to a 15 minute long radio program in class was one of them.

I really wondered whether or not to try out something like that, but she gave me the green light and it

worked out well. A couple of students commented that they really liked the experience, so for that, I

thank you, Dorothy!

The teams at This American Life, TED, BodyWorlds, NYT, WSJ, TIME, National Geographic, and Planet

Money need to be thanked for all of the great ideas and stories they make available to the public.

Without smart programming such as this, our nation would lack the robust, rich, and sometimes

controversial narrative we occasionally and so dangerously take for granted.

I’d also like to thank my family and friends for serving as sounding boards for many of the ideas I chose

to present in this class. Some might be surprised by this, but a special thanks needs to go to my

brother, Luke, for the helping shape some of the ways I delivered ideas to the class. He provided me a

very important “Other People’s View” by often playing my devil’s advocate. Thanks, Brother!

Creators and Resources







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Story of Use (Doing Good) Story of Use (Field Trip) Bibliography Rationale

Story of Use (Debate) Story of Use (Timeline) Blog Long News? Online Sharing

The decision to develop my module around the Death and Dying unit in Mrs. Boldt’s Social Issues in Biology class centered on my affinity for the subject. I’ve always had a fascination for the finality and mystery of death which borders on the macabre, yet at the same time I have a deep reverence for it which is rooted both in Christian and cross cultural traditions. When my grandfather died, I helped dig his grave with an old man in the community who is employed in his “retirement” as a grave-digger. The grave-digger, Fred, and I share the same middle name. This was an extremely gratifying experience that taught me much about the respect and celebration which accompanies the loss of a loved one. This experience and many others I have had with death through the expected, unexpected, justified, and unjustified loss of a variety of people near and not so near to me over the years left me with the feeling that I would learn even more about it by developing this unit for my students at Solon High School this spring.

To explain a little bit more about the title of my module...It wasn’t until near the end of the implementation of this module that Mrs. Boldt shared with me a quote from Morrie Schwartz’s book. “Learn how to live, and you’ll know how to die; learn how to die, and you’ll know how to live.” It kind of hit me then and there that this was the essence of the Big Idea I wanted to share with my students. So many of the issues that we approach in the Death and Dying unit; Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia, Capital Punishment are all inextricably linked to how people as individuals and as a society attempt to confront universal terms of life and death. I think that’s why I started out the unit with the Bostrom Computer Simulation concept. Before students could contemplate death, they had to confront what it meant to be alive in the first place. Life and Death are truly a chicken and egg scenario.

Mrs. Boldt and I agreed as well that the students needed a framework to set these new ideas and concepts upon, and this is where the CoRt Thinking Skills were incorporated. Throughout the unit they used the ideas we learned through this activity to initially frame their understandings of articles, discussions, and debates.While I put together a unit which my participating teacher and supervisor both said yielded a productive participatory environment, I feel like my skills as a teacher have plenty of room to improve when in comes to truly engaging each and every student constructively in content of this nature. I think the Big Ideas I brought to the classroom rang loud and clear for a majority of the students, but there were still a couple I let slip through the cracks. As internet technology is increasingly relied upon in the modern classroom, I felt it necessary to practice using this tool to organize myself and the daily activities of the classroom. The internet also became a platform for student feedback and communication which helped shape outlines for lesson planning I had created ahead of time. Students were able to track a blog, updated daily to keep them abreast with daily activities if they missed class. A calendar was made available to keep them aware of what to expect in the future, and my bell ringer activity, the Daily Indicator was recorded on line as well. A majority of class time was spent in large group discussion. Had the students not participated so effectively in this learning environment, I’m sure more small group activities would have been necessary to employ, but this group was uniquely comprised of empathetic, respectful, and mature individuals who were eager to share their perspectives and experiences on a variety of subjects. Assessment during this unit of study comprised 4 types.

1) Weekly “In the News Review” assignments required students to choose a current event article within a defined subject and answered a variety of questions to demonstrate their scientific literacy.

2) Weekly tests.3) Weekly online reflections about their classroom participation.4) A group project.

While students did work in smaller groups for a variety of classroom activities, these were not summatively assessed. However, small group activity was assessed formatively in order to determine how relevant content was to groups and individuals, as well as to schedule pacing.Overall, the experience met my expectations as to how difficult it would be for me to overcome my own weaknesses for long range planning, but using daily experiences in the classroom to plan for future lessons was extremely gratifying for me as a beginning teacher and I think the students appreciated the fact that their feedback was being heard.

Rationale and Description


















Today May 2010 Print

Week

Month

Agenda

Events shown in time zone: Central Time

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

25 26 27 28 29 30 May 1 Challenges of Doing GoodDoing Good Doing Good ProjectDoing Good ProjectField Trip

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Presentations Presentations

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31 Jun 1 2 3 4 5

Keep up with classroom events...









Class Participation

Please fill out this form each week. Your responses are plugged into a spreadsheet that allows me to read your comments. I'll try to make this a two way street by giving you feedback as well.

To get full credit for your weekly participation, you must fill this form out by Thursday for each of the previous weeks. One weekly participation grade (your lowest score) will be dropped at the end of the quarter, so if you forget - don't worry!

YOUR SUBMISSIONS ARE ONLY VISIBLE TO MR. PERKINS AND MRS. BOLDT!

* Required

Name *

Rate how well you respect others.Do you allow other's to talk? Do you put others down? Please don't throw things. You can't say thatyou can't play.

1 2 3 4 5

Never Always

Tell me how you show respect or how you've seen others show respect in the classroom. *1 or 2 sentences would be great.

How often do you contribute to discussions? *

1 2 3 4 5

Never Always

What could Mrs. Boldt, Mr. Perkins, classmates, or you do to help increase how often youshare your ideas? *

Are you a good listener? *Do you talk when others are talking?

1 2 3 4 5

Never Always

Class Participation https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=d...

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What could Mrs. Boldt, Mr. Perkins, classmates, or you do to increase your listening skills? *

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CLICK ON YOUR NAME TO OPEN A GOOGLE DOCUMENT ONLY YOU, MRS. BOLDT, AND MR. PERKINS CAN VIEW AND EDIT.

Collaborative Sharing

Example Names

Couldn’t share in class? Share here!











Today, 9:34 AMStem Cell Medical Breakthrough?Today, 9:31 AMGroup to censure physicians who play role in lethal injectionsThe mandate from the American Board of Anesthesiologists reflects its leaders’ belief that “we arehealers, not executioners,” board secretary Mark A. Rockoff said. Although the American MedicalAssociation has long opposed doctor involvement, the anesthesiologists’ group is the first to say itwill harshly penalize a health-care worker for abetting lethal injections. The loss of certification...Today, 9:30 AMMedical liability: A world of differenceOther countries could offer solutions to an ailing U.S. liability system. But experts warn that someideas may not translate. (American Medical News)Today, 9:29 AMSweden joins euthanasia brigadeSweden has officially joined the list of countries that allow euthanasia under certain circumstances.This comes after the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare conducted a review aimed atbioethics.com

Today, 7:19 AMTEDTalks : Esther Duflo: Social experiments to fight poverty - Esther Duflo (2010)Alleviating poverty is more guesswork than science, and lack of data on aid's impact raises questionsabout how to provide it. But Clark Medal-winner Esther Duflo says it's possible to know whichdevelopment efforts help and which hurt -- by testing solutions with randomized trials.April 30, 6:59 AMTEDTalks : Lies, damned lies and statistics (about TEDTalks) - Sebastian Wernicke (2010)In a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek analysis, Sebastian Wernicke turns the tools of statistical analysis onTEDTalks, to come up with a metric for creating "the optimum TEDTalk" based on user ratings.How do you rate it? "Jaw-dropping"? "Unconvincing"? Or just plain "Funny"?April 28, 2:34 PMTEDTalks : George Whitesides: Toward a science of simplicity - George Whitesides (2010)Simplicity: We know it when we see it -- but what is it, exactly? In this funny, philosophical talk,George Whitesides chisels out an answer.April 28, 6:09 AMTEDTalks : Roz Savage: Why I'm rowing across the Pacific - Roz Savage (2010)TEDTalks (hd)

RSS Feeds









http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bioethicscom/~3/KhPsdlaCC3g/

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bioethicscom/~3/QoiU2MtAZbA/

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bioethicscom/~3/Hluxdl6Eg28/

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/03/prsa0503.htm

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bioethicscom/~3/MnIhSzQMeGw/

http://bioethics.com/

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TedtalksHD/~3/AZYTB-FIiJE/847

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TedtalksHD/~3/9Vi4WAAz7dk/846

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TedtalksHD/~3/JJ3Mi7nst2Y/845

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TedtalksHD/~3/tYQi9Ceb3jk/844

http://www.ted.com/talks/browse




One student commented in a weekly reflection that sometimes I would cut the class off just

when they really started to talk about an issue. I had let them have an informal mini debate

previously, but saw quite a bit of polarization of viewpoints in the classroom over the death

penalty that I decided this would be as good a time as any to organize a more official debate. The

first debate divided the room evenly into two VERY large teams of about 12 students each. This

inevitably produced and environment where some students just didn’t participate. To avoid this I

broke the class up into 4 groups of about 6 students and had two debates occur – one after the

other.

I thought this was a rather affective grouping strategy because more students consistently

participated during debate preparation. Groups who were not actively debating then had the

chance to listen to the others argue their case so that they could patch up or poke holes in their

respective situation.

Students were required to turn in a copy of their notes where they recorded arguments for

both sides of the issue. This allowed me to hold them accountable for this information.

Story of Use: Death Penalty Debate



















The students had finished up a solid 3 weeks of heavy discussion about death, dying, assisted

suicide, and euthanasia, and were definitely showing signs of the need to do some work on their own.

They had also demonstrated a high degree of proficiency when it came to navigating the issues, science,

stakeholders, and other people’s opinions. Along with a desire to remove ourselves from the depressing

confines of yet more sad stories about loss, I felt we needed to move on to brighter topics – their own

aspirations and imaginations! One of the things we noticed during our encounters with these seemingly

morbid topics though, was that the people who were stirring the pot and trying to make change that

others were resistant to weren’t bad people, they were people who honestly believed they were doing

something good, it’s just that what they thought was doing good wasn’t what the rest of society

necessarily agreed with.

It was at this time that I introduced to them to a project I dreamed up: “Where the Motivation to do

Good Can Take You.” I introduced the topic with a couple of short video clips by para-‐olympian, Aimee

Mullins. The students were definitely impressed with her fortitude and ability to tell the story of her

own motivations, so I thought her words introduced this project well. She was an example of someone

who was doing new and imaginative things with prosthetics in ways that some didn’t thing was

appropriate or fair. Anyways, here storytelling techniques, really brought to life the process of taking an

idea and running with it, and I hoped it would inspire the students to do the same.

Except for the Time-‐line Project, and the Debate, I let students choose their own groups. After the

first two times, who they decided to work with no longer became a surprise, but it was easy for me to

moderate their work because I was able to quickly ascertain what type of guidance and attention each

group would need because I became accustomed to their group dynamic.

I really enjoyed working with their ideas and helping the develop them and work through

obstacles. Their work was top notch and completely relevant to them as individuals. I think they really

appreciated the time to work on their own terms for a little bit.

Story of Use: Doing Good



















A theme which had been loosely developing during the unit was that people who come up with

controversial technologies and concepts are often motivated to try to make this change in order to make

the world a better place for the next generation. To put a face to that idea, I thought it would be

important to actually see and visit with the next generation so I organized a field trip to Mrs. Hemann’s

1st grade classroom at the local elementary school. My students were assigned to bring a book that

they could read with a 1st grader in under 15 minutes.

i also organized this event to test out an idea I have always wanted to employ concerning multiage

classrooms. Personally, I think the whole thing went swimmingly, and that both classes enjoyed the

experience very much. There wasn’t a single face I didn’t see a smile on at least once that day. The

little kids benefited because my 10-12th graders brought along a list of questions to ask the students

about the book they read so that the little ones could practice learning about the different parts of the

story, and my students benefited from seeing little smiling faces and understood that their own

decisions about what type of world we want to live in will have an effect on those youngsters as they

grow up. I couldn’t have asked for a more simple and effective lesson that day.

Story of Use: Field Trip



















I implemented this activity a day after heavy lecturing. We had just studied many definitions of

death, and how this definition has changed with the introduction of modern technology. The

Terri Schiavo case really contextualized these concepts in the story of a woman’s life and death.

As a large group we had skimmed through the timeline of her story the day before as well.

To give them a chance to talk about their understanding of the story, I took the timeline

and cut it up into about 30 parts and made 5 copies for small groups of 5-6 individuals. I

decided to draw names randomly to create the groups this time as the discussion wasn’t as

personal and students would have a chance to work with someone new. They were challenged

to put the 30 parts in the correct chronological order and in the end, see which group got the

most correct. As they worked, I also had each student choose the two parts of the timeline they

thought were the most important to the story.

Students had about 20 minutes to work, as many components to the timeline were

sometimes 100 words long (half as long as what you have currently read on this page). In the

end, the a group with 12 of the parts in the correct order were the winners. The lowest was 8.

This was a difficult task, as there are seemingly repetitive events in this long, drawn out court

battle. We then tallied up the most important parts of the story and condensed the timeline

down to 13 parts. I put these parts together on a Word Document and made it available to them

via the blog. They then used this document as a study guide for, most importantly, the most

relevant parts of the story they identified with.

Story of Use Terri Schiavo Timeline


















Today we discussed classroom expectations and participation.Together we put some ideas together on the board. While the ideas weren’t really new to anyone...it was definitely important to get those ideas out there and written down. I understand the picture above is a bit “young” for you guys, but I chose it anyway because I think we can spend our WHOLE LIVES getting better at being respectful, discussing our ideas, listening.

As we dive into the topics on a deeper level, and really have the time to lay out our opinions on a variety of topics, I think each and every one of you will test yourselves on each of the skills of respect, discussion, and listening.

Make sure to visit the Participation section of the website to evaluate yourself EVERY week!

We also watched a short TED clip by Kirk Citron. He talked about an idea he has called “long news.” Check out the clip...it’s less than 4 minutes long. What do you think? What subjects would you add to the list?

IT TAKES PRACTICE Friday, April 2, 2010

Respect

Discuss

Listen

Expectations and Participation

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Today we’ll talk a bit about perspective...

Check out these websites:

Relativity of simultaneity.

Einstein’s train-and-platform thought experiment.

If you were gone today, the Big Idea that we learned was that people see things differently. Einstein’s train-and-platform experiment illustrates to us that physicists have difficulty agreeing on what is happening in the physical world. If physicists have so much trouble agreeing on these things, with all of the fancy measuring devices they have, then it must be even more difficult to agree on things centered on morality and ethics.

Then we’ll practice sharing our own perspectives and trying to see other people’s perspectives through a Blizzard Survival experiment.

Tomorrow we’ll ponder a question with a really crazy idea...which in recent years has become quite popular.

WORK TOGETHER Monday, April 5, 2010

Relativity - Why are we talking about physics?

Blizzard Survival Exercise

Team Building 2010

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Do we live in a computer simulation?

Read this: Bostrom Computer Simulation.pdf

Table Talk this idea with your neighbors...

Now, let’s add some structure to how we talk about it: CoRT Thinking

Use CoRT Thinking skills to frame your thoughts today as you share through your Google Doc.

DO WE LIVE IN A COMPUTER SIMULATION? Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Have you heard this argument before?

Essence of humanity... 2010

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Today we will use CoRT Thinking skills to reflect on two issues on a completely different scale.

Social Issues in Biology can occur on a personal level. This segment from Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life illustrates how some decisions can come down to just one or two people. Start at 6:15.

“Act One. Mother of Invention.Karen Sosnoski's one-year-old son, Anton, was born with what's known as Mosaic Down Syndrome, a rare condition where some of his cells have the extra chromosome that causes Down syndrome and other cells don't. So as he grows, he could end up having all the health risks and challenges of Downs syndrome...or just a few of them. Through a website, Karen found a kid with the same diagnosis, named Tim Colvin, who was doing really well...perhaps because his mother, Kristy, invented a surprising and unusual way to raise her son. When some people hear about what Kristy did, they're shocked. Karen went to talk to Kristy and Tim about how Tim was raised. (13 minutes) Song: "I Know Who I Am," Bunny Rugs” - www.thisamericanlife.org

They can also occur on a global level. David Keith talks about geo-engineering.

“Environmental scientist David Keith talks about a cheap, effective, shocking solution to climate change: What if we injected a huge cloud of particles into the atmosphere, to deflect sunlight and heat? As an emergency measure to slow a melting ice cap, it could work. Keith discusses why geo-engineering like this is a good idea, why it's a terrible one -- and who, despite the cost, might be tempted to use it. (Recorded September 2007 in New York City. Duration: 16:04.)”

- www.ted.com

Getting ready for this Friday’s test:

TOPICS:

• Classroom Participation• Team Building• Computer Simulation• CoRT Thinking Skills• Personal vs. Global Issues

WHO DO OUR DECISIONS HAVE AN EFFECT ON?Wednesday, April 7, 2010

What social issues have you encountered at a global level?

At a personal level?

Global vs. Personal 2010











Today’s test is over CoRT Thinking Skills and newspaper article analysis. Read a given article and use CoRT Thinking Skills to analyze it.

We will then play a “challenge” game called Corporate Box outside.

TESTS AND GAMES Friday, April 9, 2010

Sometimes an afternoon game in the sun is just what the doctor ordered.

Beautiful day for a game... 2010

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The words to this song ring true to the types of discussion we’ve begun to develop in class:

Speaking of Tongues: Speaking_of_Tongues.docx

We discussed in large and small groups the radio program and video we watched yesterday.

Notes for the week are linked here.

CoRT Thinking skills are linked here.

MICHAEL FRANTI Thursday, April 8, 2010

Thought to bring in some lyrics...bring in the lyrics to a song and share if you’d like.

Story in Song 2010

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First: A feel good video to start off the day...

Now, find a partner in the classroom - someone you are comfortable with. I know this sounds kind of strange, but I want you to spend 2 minutes just staring at them without talking. I know you’re going to want to giggle, but I want you to at least try...see if you can have that momentary feeling that comes along every once in a while that this person is actually

Check out this Student Guide to BodyWorlds.

Here is a YouTube video about the BodyWorlds Exhibitions as well...I saw this exhibit when I was visiting friends in Portland, OR:

Bioethics Review Assignment:

Find an article about “After Life Issues.” What do humans do to honor their dead? Try to be diverse in your exploration of this topic. Cultures have so many different practices, now and through history.

This is due on Thursday...we will group share and report back about the most interesting ideas you’ve found.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Monday, April 12, 2010

Have you ever looked at someone, like a brother or a sister and just realized how crazy it is that they’re sitting across from you? That they’re a flesh and blood individual as well?

Death and Dying 2010









First: A feel good video to start off the day...

Now, find a partner in the classroom - someone you are comfortable with. I know this sounds kind of strange, but I want you to spend 2 minutes just staring at them without talking. I know you’re going to want to giggle, but I want you to at least try...see if you can have that momentary feeling that comes along every once in a while that this person is actually

Check out this Student Guide to BodyWorlds.

Here is a YouTube video about the BodyWorlds Exhibitions as well...I saw this exhibit when I was visiting friends in Portland, OR:

Bioethics Review Assignment:

Find an article about “After Life Issues.” What do humans do to honor their dead? Try to be diverse in your exploration of this topic. Cultures have so many different practices, now and through history.

This is due on Thursday...we will group share and report back about the most interesting ideas you’ve found.

Next >< Previous



Here is the PowerPoint with the definitions: Death.

Link to the Terri Schiavo Timeline.

LOTS OF INFO TODAY - SORRY! Tuesday, April 13, 2010

What criteria define death?

Do the criteria change?

Who decides?

On who’s terms do you die?

Defining Death 2010

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Today we’ll explore the timeline of Terri Schiavo’s journey through the last 15 years of her life.

We’ll read a short bit from “Loving and Leaving the Good Life.” A story about Scott Nearing as he meets his fate on his own terms.

If listening to stories read aloud is something you enjoy, we can also begin reading excerpts from a book called “Fidelity” by Wendell Berry about a family who makes tough decisions when confronting the inevitable death of a family member.

Here is the compressed Timeline we have created: Schiavo_Timeline.docx

TERRI SCHIAVO Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A PEG tube is inserted into someone who can’t eat on their own.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy tube.

A long journey.... 2010









Today we’ll explore the timeline of Terri Schiavo’s journey through the last 15 years of her life.

We’ll read a short bit from “Loving and Leaving the Good Life.” A story about Scott Nearing as he meets his fate on his own terms.

If listening to stories read aloud is something you enjoy, we can also begin reading excerpts from a book called “Fidelity” by Wendell Berry about a family who makes tough decisions when confronting the inevitable death of a family member.

Here is the compressed Timeline we have created: Schiavo_Timeline.docx

Next >< Previous



We’ll watch a short clip from Million Dollar Baby each day of the week as we begin to explore euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Using the internet, and our collaborative Google Document, we jigsawed a number of questions about assisted suicide to begin our exploration of this topic.

DEFINING ASSISTED SUICIDE Thursday, April 15, 2010

What does this mean? Who chooses this end?

How does one go about doing this?

Legal ramifications?

Assisted Suicide 2010

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We are taking a test today...this one is a bit harder than the last, but I think you’ll do fine.

If you weren’t able to take the test, please re-schedule with me as soon as possible!

TEST? - MILLION DOLLAR BABY Friday, April 16, 2010

Ready for the... 2010

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Make sure to talk to a classmate about the issues discussed today, and maybe copy down their notes.

Here are the notes we put up on the board:

MINI DEBATE Monday, April 19, 2010

Our debate today was inspired first by reading this ARTICLE.

Assisted Suicide 2010









Make sure to talk to a classmate about the issues discussed today, and maybe copy down their notes.

Here are the notes we put up on the board:

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Today we read this ARTICLE in class.

Here are the notes we took about it on the board:

ROOM WITH A VIEW? Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Ludwig A. Minelli - Founder of Dignitas

Assisted suicide, a multinational business?

2010











Lets put all the big ideas together from the last few days to make sure that we’re all on the same track.

Here is a LINK to the website I’ve gathered the euthanasia and assisted suicide differences from.

Here is a LINK to a long article about palliative care/sedation. This article is a great example of the type of article I’d like you to find for your next In the News Review Assignment.

Here is a LINK to an article Abby Ashton found for us about making decisions about using a PEG tube near the end of life..

Here is a LINK to the article about the French woman who was denied a request to be euthanized after developing a tumor on her face which left her blind.

Here is a LINK to the article about the emergency room doctor who believes everyone should try to live as long as they possible can with the help of medical technology. It is called “Shock Me, Tube Me, Line Me.”

We’ve finished Million Dollar Baby.

REMEMBER! Participation survey is DUE tomorrow!

...FROM THE LAST FEW DAYS Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Assisted SuicideEuthanasiaLegalityMotivationPalliative Care

Lets identify the big ideas... 2010

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We’ll listen to two different 8 minute clips from This American Life. ONE is about a Governor who makes the final decision to execute criminals.

Host Ira Glass plays parts of a speech by George Ryan, former Governor of Illinois. When he was a state senator in 1977, Ryan was part of a successful coalition that voted to reinstate the death penalty in Illinois. Two decades later, he became governor and had to make the final decision in state capital cases — cases which he'd helped bring about 20 years earlier. He found that the death penalty looks a lot different when you're the one who bears final responsibility for whether someone lives or dies.

The OTHER is about a criminal himself who tries to make sure to get himself on death row...so that he can live.

Host Ira Glass interviews Joe Amrine, who was falsely accused of murder. Rather than avoid the death penalty, Amrine said everything he could think of on the witness stand to get the jury to give him a death sentence. He figured that would be better than life in prison. Since he would need media attention and free legal help to appeal his case, he calculated the only way he could get it was to sit on death row, because nobody pays attention to lifers. He nearly was executed, and lived on death row for seventeen years before being released. (8-1/2 minutes) Joe's story is a part of the McSweeney's Voice of Witness Project — Oral Histories of Victims of Contemporary Human Rights Abuses and Social Injustices. The volume on the wrongfully convicted and exonerated is out in October 2005, published by McSweeney's Books.

Here is a WEBSITE which breaks down the state by state laws about capital punishment in the United States.

Here is a good historical account of the death penalty in the U.S.

Here is a LINK to an essay with an argument FOR the death penalty.

Here is an ESSAY about whether or not the death penalty is a deterrent to committing crimes.

....THE DEATH PENALTY? Thursday, April 22, 2010

Point - The death penalty is the perfect deterrent to the most heinous crimes.

Counter Point - The death penalty is absolutely and utterly unethical.

For, or against... 2010

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We’ll watch two short clips from the movie Dancer in the Dark on YouTube. I think they capture the finality of life very well. I told you Selma was from Iceland...that’s where the actor who plays Selma is from. Selma’s character is actually from Czechoslovakia.

We have begun our research for a debate on the death penalty. We’ll have a predetermined amount of time to prepare on Monday, and then we’ll debate.

Remember to bring in your “In the News” reviews: DUE Monday.

YOU DECIDE Friday, April 23, 2010

Selma chose to kill Bill. He asked her to kill him because he was ashamed of himself. She was found guilty and sentenced to death.

Did she deserve to die?

Dancer in the Dark 2010

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We have been studying some very troubling subjects lately...these discussions weigh heavy on our hearts. How should we move forward?

Tomorrow I’d like to show you two short clips from TED.com again. These are two separate speeches by a woman named Aimee Mullins.

Here is her Bio from TED.com:

Aimee Mullins was born without fibular bones, and had both of her legs amputated below the knee when she was an infant. She learned to walk on prosthetics, then to run -- competing at the national and international level as a champion sprinter, and setting world records at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. At Georgetown, where she double-majored in history and diplomacy, she became the first double amputee to compete in NCAA Division 1 track and field.

After school, Mullins did some modeling -- including a legendary runway show for Alexander McQueen -- and then turned to acting, appearing as the Leopard Queen in Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle. In 2008 she was the official Ambassador for the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

She's a passionate advocate for a new kind of thinking about prosthetics, and recently mentioned to an interviewer that she's been looking closely at MIT's in-development powered robotic ankle, "which I fully plan on having."

MOVIN’ ON AFTER THE DEBATE Monday, April 26, 2010

The debate went really well...I think we should hand it to our mediators, Brandon and Ian. Thank you for doing a fine job this early afternoon!

Death Penalty Debate 2010

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People are different from each other. As we grow up, our culture teaches us how much to accept these differences. These are basically prejudices.

Here are the two videos of Aimee Mullins speaking. We watched a short part of the FIRST one to get her perspective on the current definition of the word “disability.”

The thesaurus might equate "disabled" with synonyms like "useless" and "mutilated," but ground-breaking runner Aimee Mullins is out to redefine the word. Defying these associations, she shows how adversity -- in her case, being born without shinbones -- actually opens the door for human potential.

Here is the SECOND video where she shows off her 12 pairs of legs.

Athlete, actor and activist Aimee Mullins talks about her prosthetic legs -- she's got a dozen amazing pairs -- and the superpowers they grant her: speed, beauty, an extra 6 inches of height ... Quite simply, she redefines what the body can be.

AIMEE MULLINS Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Aimee Mullins is breaking barriers of expectation, beauty, speed, and perception of human identity.

She asks us to reconsider how we talk about and define “disability.”

12 pairs of legs 2010

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Rubric for this project is linked, HERE.

We also read this ARTICLE before we began research for our projects today.

Think back to Aimee’s speech yesterday...

“...she talks about a doing a presentation for children, carrying a big bag of legs, and asking them "what kind of legs would you build me, if you wanted me to jump over a house?" They had loads of replies, and Mullins recalls one child suggesting that she get kangaroo legs, and another child asking, "Why wouldn't you want to fly?" MIT has "adults who think like that," she said. "I like collaborating with people who don't see boundaries, who are bringing the magic into everyday life. I never grew up thinking of myself as disabled. I'm the bionic woman!"

Aimee is trying to bring a good and better life to people who have met and will meet challenges similar to hers. What challenges might she face in advancing her cause? What challenges will you and your group face in advancing yours?

DOING GOOD PROJECT RUBRIC Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Doing good is often more difficult than it seems...

Let’s present... 2010

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Medical Marijuana?A pill for artificial tanning?Miracle cure for cancer?Help for the blind?Robotic prosthetics?Hallucinogenic therapy?Greener environment with green cars?Choosing the sex of your baby?

These are some interesting ideas...what kind of world will be in store for us tomorrow?

GROUP WORK Thursday, April 29, 2010

You are working in small groups to imagine a better world. What implications do your dreams have for others?

Striving to do good... 2010

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...A FUTURE OF POSSIBILITY Friday, April 30, 2010

The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Children... 2010

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http://abcnews.go.com/2020

http://www.aimeemullins.com/about.php

Berry, W., 1992. “Fidelity.” Pantheon Books, NY

Body Worlds, Student Guide. 2003

Center for Creative Leadership

http://www6.miami.edu/ethics/schiavo/timeline.htm

http://michaelfranti.com/

Nearing, H., 1992. “Loving and Leaving the Good Life.” Chelsea Green, NY

http://www.nytimes.com/

http://online.wsj.com/home-page

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~cp28/euth1.htm

http://www.simulation-argument.com/

http://www.ted.com/

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

http://www.youtube.com/

Volkman, A.G., 1960. “Thoreau On Man and Nature.” Peter Pauper Press

von Trier, Lars. 2000. “Dancer in the Dark.”

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