In A Galaxy Far, Far Away....

This past weekend, scientists from all over the world, marched to celebrate science and the role it plays in everyday lives. The goals of the marches and rallies were to emphasize that science upholds the common good and to call for evidence-based policy in the public's best interests.  A few months ago, I had the opportunity to see the movie Hidden Figures which tells the story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. 

I’ve always enjoyed learning about science, and particularly space.  My father had an amateur interest in astronomy and was always waking us up in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower, see a comet or otherwise gaze at some celestial body that was visible enough for us to see and enjoy. He did this so often, it motivated my sister to became an Earth Space science teacher.

Which is why I was amazed to find out a few months ago that NASA has discovered a single star that is home to 7 Earth-like planets!  I’m not imaginative enough to believe in aliens out to invade the world, but I do believe there could be life on other planets – even if “life” just means amoebas or vegetation. 

NASA budget has been the source of conflict over the years, with some saying we’re spending too much and others saying it’s not enough.  For fiscal year 2017, NASA’s budget is 18.5 billion. That might seem like a big number, but it’s actually just .4% of our $4.147 trillion budget.  To put in in perspective, the Department of Defense’s budget for the same fiscal year is $523.8 billion – or 12.6% of our federal budget.  NASA has launched no new flight crews since 2012, and we currently pay Russia to transport our crews to the International Space Station.

So, my question to you this week is, “Do you think we should fund NASA at a higher level and invest in space exploration, or is the money better spent right here at home?  What are the benefits of space exploration?”  You must answer both questions for full credit.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017.  May the force be with you!

P.S.  If you haven’t seen Hidden Figures yet, I highly recommend it. This visionary trio crossed all gender and racial lines to inspire future generations of scientists to dream big!

Earth Without Art Is Just "Eh"

Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22^nd. Earth Day began in 1970, following the 1962 publication of Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson.  Carson’s book raised awareness on our country’s use of pesticides and their pollution of the environment, and she is often credited as starting the modern environmental movement.  Earth Day originally started as a day of education about environmental issues, and has expanded ever since.  Since 1990, Earth Day has been celebrated globally, with 140 nations participating. This year the campaign is dedicated to an ambitious goal - to achieve global climate and environmental literacy by 2020.  This would mean that all citizens of the planet - including our own President, would understand climate change and it's unprecedented threat to our planet.

Those of you who know me, know that I like to live as environmentally-friendly as possible. I recycle, use re-usable bags and containers, and try to cook with as much local food as possible. Buying my first home opened up new ways of living more sustainably.  In addition to using compact fluorescent light bulbs inside the home, I have been able to install a photocell that harvests solar energy to run my outdoor lights. IPL came out to install low-flow shower and faucet aerators (which they do for free as part of the Energize Indiana Program). I've also been able to purchase 100% of my energy use in the home through locally sourced wind power.To me, it has become a lifestyle and I’m always looking for new ways to use less.

In a few weeks, we will be discussing climate change and its effects on the planet. I know there’s a lot of controversy around the issue, but quite frankly, it's not open to debate. This is one of the biggest issues your generation may have to face. So, this week I would like you to first take this Carbon Footprint Quiz:  http://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/footprint-calculator/   Make sure you take the detailed version.  At the end of the quiz, it will tell you how many planets we would need, if everyone lived like you.  Disappointingly, it said we would need 3-7 planets if everyone lived like me!  I guess I have more work to do than I thought.  For your post this week, I would like you to tell everyone your "score" or how many planets we would need if we were all living like you.  Then, I would like to know, What would you be willing to do to help lower your effects on the environment?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, April 26th 2017. 

Bombs Over Syria

During the first week of April, Syria turned a northern, rebel-held area into a toxic kill zone by using poison that possibly contained a nerve agent or other banned chemicals on their own people.  Numerous graphic videos posted online showed children and adults gasping, struggling to breathe, or lying motionless as rescue workers attempted to hose them off.  It is still unclear how many people perished in the attack, but some humanitarian groups estimate it was as high as 100.

The conflict in Syria is one of the most complicated in the Middle East.  One on side, you have the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, who is some cases is backed by Iran and Russia.  On the other side, you have the Syrian Rebels, somewhat backed by the United States.  Check out this short video that breaks down the history of the conflict in an easy-to-understand way, complete with color-coded graphics: https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t-s&p=history+of+syrian+conflict+video#id=1&vid=d228cf01f7e9c497e45a41f092ba7b18&action=click

Following the attack, the United States launched dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield, believed to have been used to carry out the chemical attack.  As the video above shows, the United States involvement in Syria has much greater implications for the United States’ security and relationships with the rest of the world.

Last week in class, we discussed how involved the United States should be with the rest of the world.  Many of you thought we should focus instead on the problems we have here at home, although most of us agreed that we can’t just let countries murder innocent people, if we’re able to stop it. So after viewing the video, my question to you this week is, “How involved should the United States become in Syria?”  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, April 19^th, 2017.  For all of you who celebrate – Have a happy and blessed Easter!

Choose Your Own Adventure!

I hope you all enjoyed a nice break.  It's always hard coming back to school after break. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and being surrounded by all the crazy, creative energy that is all of you. That being said, it's still hard to get back into the grind. So for our first blog post, I'll go easy on you.

This week we will start our study of the Constitution and the freedoms that make us uniquely American. You can order your own free copy of the United States Constitution from: http://www.constitutionfacts.com/index.cfm?section=bookstore&page=freeCopy.cfm

A good portion of this class will be spent discussing current events and political issues that affect our everyday lives. For this post, I would like you to tell me at least one issue that you are interested in studying. To help you out, you can look over the blog posts that we've had in the past several years to get an idea of the type of things we've covered. Many of the topics are pretty controversial and I do my best to not censor the information available to you.

So my question to you this week is, "What is one issue that you are interested in studying in this class?" Answers are due no later than Wednesday, April 12, 2017. I'm looking forward to a great quarter!

Your Thoughts and Feedback Are Appreciated!

Well another quarter has come and gone!  I have enjoyed getting to know all of you and hearing your opinions in class!  I wish all of you blessings and success in the future, and hope that you stay in touch.

So for our last blog post, I would like to get your thoughts and feedback on the class.  "What did you like or dislike about the class?  What could I do to make it better?"  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, March 22, 2017.  After that, the blog will be down until class resumes next quarter. I wish all of you a happy and safe Spring break!!

Differently Abled

This week, we are fortunate to have a guest blogger – Tim Vermande!  I would like to publicly thank him for his work and for being willing to share his experiences.  Once, when I was in high school, I was chosen to participate in a social experiment in which I was “blind” for a day.  I noticed immediately how many times my teachers asked if we could all “see” the examples on the board.  In between periods, it felt noisy, rushed and frankly a little scary as I tried to navigate my way through crowds of students trying to get to their next class.  It made me realize how much I take for granted, and it made me angry at how often others are denied rights or experiences simply because of ignorance and greed.  Which is why I’m so grateful to Tim, and happy that all of you will begin to think about these issues.  So without further ado….

Recently, CBS reported on perceived problem of “drive-by” ADA lawsuits. You can view this report at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-americans-with-disabilities-act-lawsuits-anderson-cooper/.

One thing that struck me in viewing this report is that was very “ableist.” This is a term that isn’t familiar to a lot of people. Ableism refers to a view, which may be subconscious, that “normal” is a standard for how the world works, and those outside of normal have “special needs.” If you’ve been in my World Civilization class, you may remember that when we cover the 1960’s, I talk about the interest in defining “normal” through testing (IQ tests, standardized tests in school, and the like) and a branch of pseudo-science known as eugenics. It also includes standards today of “perfect” bodies in the media, as well as expectations that lead to the “make-up tax” that hits women in many professions as they strive to meet an appearance standard.

While I enjoy this section, especially the responses such as “being normal is boring,” it’s a challenge to live in a world where plans and decisions are made without considering their impact on persons who live with one or more disabilities. It may be the exception that someone might set out to exclude people, but unconscious ableism causes well-intentioned people to make decisions that do cause exclusion.

My immediate response to reports such as this is to suggest that reporters and others should try a day in a wheelchair. One of the people in the CBS report who was interviewed was upset about repeated lawsuits over his parking. He complained that the space was within a few inches of the specification. When you’re getting into or out of a van, a few inches make quite a difference. Likewise, when a restroom door is an inch too narrow, you can’t get in. That’s a form of discrimination.

How would you feel if you couldn’t get into the restroom? Or into a place to eat? The ADA has been the law for 25+ years. Maybe, to think about my quiz question on the effects of laws, you could tell the police that the speed limit hasn’t been the law for long enough to follow it. How well do you think that would that work? There are lots of times where I’ve mentioned something that’s wrong about a place, and months later, it’s still wrong. How many warnings are you likely to get before a ticket? This is why lawsuits arise.

As my friend Lawrence Carter-Long states, “There is nothing special about a need other people get to take for granted. Denying someone something that other people get by default is discrimination. That's also what we should call it.”

To go further into today’s world, charter schools received public funding through vouchers. This is about to become more widespread. But charter schools don’t have to follow the ADA and other requirements for educating students with disabilities—even mobility-only impairments. How do you feel about this? As an alternative, can you share a time where you have experienced or witnessed discrimination?

Standing Rock - Part 2

You remember several months ago seeing your Facebook newsfeed filled with people who were “checking-in” at Standing Rock.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with what has been happening, people were “checking-in” to show support for the large-scale protest that has been protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).  The pipeline will transport 470,000 – 570,000 barrels of crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois, traveling through South Dakota and Iowa along the way.

 

Supporters, including President Trump, say the pipeline will not only transport large amounts of oil, but it will do so much more efficiently and safer than transport by tricks or trains.  Trump has cleared the way for the pipeline to be built, which was halted under President Obama. It underscores the new administration’s intent to spur infrastructure development and support the fossil fuel industry.

 

Opponents of the pipeline, which include environmental activists and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, say a spill would contaminate the Tribe’s main source of drinking water which is located downstream.  Their fears are not unfounded, as the original route for the pipeline was rejected because it passed by Bismarck, the North Dakota capitol, and government officials feared a spill could contaminate their drinking water.  Additionally, the pipeline crosses through areas of cultural importance including sacred burial grounds and spiritual places of the Sioux Tribe, some of which have already been destroyed by the construction. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested, pepper sprayed, hit with rubber bullets, and attacked by police dogs.

 

This week, we will discuss the concept of “eminent domain,” in which the government can take your property, if they pay you for it and use for the public good.  So my question to you this week is, “Do you think pipeline is a good idea?  Do protesters have a right to interfere with the pipeline project?  Does the Sioux Tribe have a right to maintain their sacred lands?”  You must answer all questions for full credit.  Answers are due no later than Wednesday, March 8th, 2017.

P.S.  March 8^th is also International Women’s Day –and the theme this year is “Be Bold For Change.”  I encourage you to help forge a better world - a more inclusive, gender equal world!