Should same-sex couples in the U.S. be allowed to marry? Why or why not?
Introduction
Throughout his political career, President Obama has gone back and forth in his views on same-sex marriage. And it makes sense to some extent, given how loaded an issue it is in America, where 30 states have already passed their own amendments banning same-sex marriage.
But it took just 10 words from President Obama to end his career-long wrestling match with the issue. During a deceptively casual television interview on May 9, Obama simply said:
“I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.”
And with that, history was made: he became the first sitting American president to endorse same-sex marriage.
Do you think creative, funny internet memes could be considered artwork? If not, how you would categorize them? Describe one of your favorites and/or send us a link to it.
Introduction
All over the internet, "People are creating images and sharing them with strangers for the purpose of communicating their personal experiences." Art takes many forms, and PBS's new web video series, Idea Channel, poses an intriguing question in this recent episode about memes and art. The internet offers an opportunity to share individually-crafted punch lines and images on a global scale, but what do we call this act of creation? Art? Jokes? Procrastination fodder? Or all of the above? In contemporary art, successful works are not necessarily made by hand or even tangible—making a visual representation of an idea, whether it goes viral or not, is a creative act.
Would you consider eating insects? What if food resources were scarce?
Introduction
Ask your friends or neighbors what they think about insects and you'll probably hear that they're gross or a nuisance or even scary. But tasty? Not a likely response. Eating insects is not something you see everyday in the Bay Area, or even the U.S., however in four out of five nations insects are a source of food and protein. There are 1.1 million known species of insects and 1,700 of these are eaten by cultures around the world.
Should we be required to have health insurance? Why or why not? What could be beneficial or problematic in either case?
Intro
There is intense debate over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which President Obama signed into law on March 23, 2010, to put in place comprehensive health insurance reforms which will roll out over the next four years with most changes taking place by 2014. The law has been vehemently challenged and on March 29th this year, the Supreme Court finished hearing three days of arguments about the constitutionality of that law. One of the key issues at stake is what is termed the individual mandate.
The painting above seems to comment about ecological systems and the environment, but what do you think it is saying? Look at it closely and make connections between what you see, how it makes you feel, and what it makes you think about. There is no right or wrong answer.
Intro
Reading a piece of contemporary art is simple and fun, like solving a puzzle. All it takes is a bit of observation, attention to detail, and sensitivity to your own gut feelings and reactions. The best part about art is that it asks questions, but there is never one right answer. Art speaks to us as individuals, and our own personal histories inform our interpretations just as much as the artists’ intentions for the work.
Should you have the legal right to use force - even deadly force if it seems necessary - as self-defense in reaction to what you may perceive as a serious threat?
Introduction
On February 26, 2012, an unarmed 17-year-old African American male named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida by a 28-year-old volunteer community watch coordinator named George Zimmerman. Martin had been walking from a convenience store when he was spotted by Zimmerman, who contacted the local police department to reporting the youth's allegedly suspicious behavior. Shortly thereafter, there was a confrontation between the two that ended with Zimmerman fatally shooting Martin. When the police arrived on the scene, Zimmerman told them that he acted in self-defense. He was handcuffed and brought into custody, but the police did not actually formally arrest him, saying they didn't find sufficient evidence to contradict his assertion of self-defense, a claim supported by the state attorney's office.
Do you make it a regular practice to care for the environment? If so, what do you do?
Introduction
The first Earth Day celebration was held on April 20, 1970. Its founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson, developed the idea over a seven-year period after he realized that political leaders were not making environmental issues a priority. Senator Nelson began a massive grassroots effort among his colleagues and in local communities. Twenty million people participated in the first Earth Day. They became part of a change that continues today.
Is your digital footprint important? Does it matter what you reveal online? Why or why not?
Introduction
Very little remains private in the digital age. In this age of social media, students need to take care what they reveal online and remember that their online social identity is easy to access and hard to delete. Employers and hiring agents are increasingly checking potential employees’ online presence by looking at Facebook, Twitter and Google so that as young people enter the workforce, they need to be conscious of protecting themselves and setting boundaries between their social and professional lives.
Forty-five percent of employers reported in a CareerBuilder survey in 2009 that they use social networking sites to research job candidates. Job seekers need to be mindful of this when they post online and take care when sharing confidential information, especially about former employers. Employers reported that they have found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire the candidate.
As referenced on MindShift, KQED’s educational technology blog, in 2012 instead of asking for résumés, Union Square Ventures, the New York venture-capital firm—which has invested in Twitter, Foursquare, Zynga and other technology companies—asked applicants to send links representing their "Web presence," such as a Twitter account or Tumblr blog. And it seems this is going further. Employers Ask Job Seekers For Facebook Passwords (NPR, March 21, 2012).
So, is there anything on your Facebook page that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see?
Resource
The Educator's PLN segment on Digital Footprints - Your New First Impression - Nov. 9, 2009 Steve Johnson created this video after seeing a Harris Interactive poll showing how employers are increasingly using social networking sites to screen job candidates.
PBS Digital Nation segment Facebook Fiasco - July 29, 2009
Videos of a rowdy train ride Cam Skinner and friends took to a rock concert ended up online ... and the PTA got involved.
Check out how you appear online? Try Googling yourself. And then check out privacy settings.
Have you posted inappropriate photographs or information, references to drinking or using drugs, anything that reflects negatively on you e.g. made discriminatory comments and demonstrated poor judgment, or lies about qualifications?
Name a game you played as a kid that you could reference in an artwork. Do you remember distinct characters or colors? Which games were most significant for you?
Introduction
Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders (and Uncle Wiggly too) are classic board games that many of us remember playing as kids. Candy Land was designed by a woman from San Diego in 1945, and Chutes (or Snakes) and Ladders is an ancient Indian game. Today's definition of games more often brings to mind computer and video games, which are a popular subject among students, both inside and outside of school. Gaming and game design serve an entertainment purpose but can also be an engaging, educational tool. Check out a new episode of PBS Off Book that introduces video games as a personal, storytelling art form.
KQED SPARK segment on artist Thai Bui in Looking East - June 27, 2005
On the more physical, fine art side of the game world, KQED Spark-featured artist, Thai Bui, creates sculptures that are partly inspired by games he played as a child growing up in Vietnam. His extraordinary objects combine references to his experiences in both the United States and Vietnam, simultaneously communicating a witty humor and a sense of loss. Learn more about his work and hear him discuss how he made a sculpture using wet clay bowls he's throw on the ground to to create a sound -- the activity references a simple childhood game in which the participant that makes the loudest sound wins.
To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow
More than one out of five high school students in California drop out of school. Answer one or more of these questions: What do you think is the biggest reason why so many students don't make it to graduation? Do you know of someone who dropped out? What do you think was the cause?
Introduction
More than 20 percent of California high school students drop out of school before graduation, according to 2009 state education data. That's a lot of students! To get a sense of just how many, imagine sitting in your math class and counting out every fifth student sitting in class with you. In a class of 30, that would be six students.
Of course, 20 percent is just the average dropout rate in California. Some schools have a much lower rate, but for others, it's much, much higher. And in many cases, it's low-income areas with large minority student populations that have some of the highest dropout rates.
For instance, in 2009 more than one third of California's African American public high school students didn't graduate. That's far above the rate for any other ethnic group. Hispanics had the second highest rate, at 27 percent, according to the state's data.
The dropout rate differences between school districts also varied greatly. In Oakland, for instance, the dropout rate in 2009 was 40 percent, one of the highest in the state (up from 28 percent the previous year). But directly across the bridge in San Francisco, the rate was only 9 percent (down from 18 percent in 2008).
PBS NewsHour segment Oakland Program Aims to Pique Girls' Interest in Science, Tech Careers
As part of the NewsHour's American Graduate series, correspondent Spencer Michels reports on Techbridge, an after-school program based in Oakland, Calif., that shows hundreds of female students a path to pursuing careers in science and technology, while also trying to minimize the chances of them dropping out of school.
To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow
Do Now is a weekly activity for students to respond to current issues through the use KQED's award-winning online media resources and social media tools like Twitter.
