Current Event Topics

Procedure:

I have four signs posted in each corner of my room – Agree Strongly / Agree Somewhat / Disagree Strongly / Disagree Somewhat. I then read a “hot” topic from the examples below and have the students choose which corner of the room to go to based on what sign is posted there. Then I have the students in each corner discuss their position for about 2-3 minutes. I then ask each corner to select a spokesperson. We then go around the room and the spokesperson from each corner gives his/her opinion. We continue till everyone has voiced their opinion. I stress to the students that there is no right or wrong answers but that we need to look at all sides of the issues that face us today and then make our own decisions as where we stand on them.

Class Time: 50 minutes

TOPIC Examples:

  1. I believe that every individual has the opportunity and right to choose for himself/herself the method by which he/she will make a living and that those who lose their jobs are responsible to get new jobs without the help from the state or federal governments.
  1. Homeless people are there because they cannot hold down jobs because of their alcoholism and drug use.
  1. Homeless people should fend for themselves as far as where to live because it is their fault they are in that situation.
  1. Racial profiling is inherently wrong and should be illegal.
  1. Policemen use racial profiling and that is why there are more blacks and other minorities in prison.
  1. I agree with capital punishment.
  1. People convicted of murder and sentenced to death should be put to death right away and not kept in our prison system for years on end.
  1. The 2nd Amendment states that “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This amendment in our Constitution gives me the right to own guns to protect myself.
  1. AIDS is the #1 killer world-wide. The US government is supposed to protect our population from threats such as this and so I feel that everyone should have mandatory AIDS testing by the age of 14. Those that are carriers of the disease should have to register their status just as sex offenders and those who carry guns must register with state and local governments.
  1. The right to die is an individual choice. Those that are terminally ill should have the right to end their lives by letting doctors administer lethal injections upon the patient’s request.
  1. The freedom of speech and press is written in our constitution. I feel that I have the right as a citizen of the United States, to voice my opinion on any subject – with no limits on my speech – even within the school building that I am attending without getting in trouble.
  1. Vaccines and medical advances that aid human suffering and even death are made possible by the experimentation on animals. It is OK to experiment on animals, even if it means killing them in order to help with medicines for humans.
  1. Drugs and alcohol abuse are the #1 cause of death in teens ages 12-19. Because of this statistic, a school, which is responsible for the well-being of its students – should be legally capable of administering random drug and alcohol screenings.
  1. This country was founded on the principles of Christianity. Prayer in school should be allowed in schools.
  1. Men and women are dying in the War in Iraq and have been dying in wars throughout our history. If they are mature enough to join the service, they are definitely mature enough to drink at age 18.
  1. More than 400,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are from smoking-related illnesses. Smoking greatly increases your risks for lung cancer and many other cancers.

Smoking harms not just the smoker, but also family members, coworkers and others who breathe the smoker's cigarette smoke, called secondhand smoke.

Because our government is responsible for the health and well being of its citizens, smoking should be outlawed.

  1. Humans are the newcomers to lands that they expand into. Many times, existing habitat such as bears and deer compete with the humans in the territory that the humans are expanding into.

I believe that humans have the right to hunt these animals who may pose a safety hazard to humans.