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Ethnodrama Current Event:

A.     The current event I would like to stress would be the discussion of race and identity in the U.S.  The NPR article, “All Mixed Up: What Do We Call People Of Multiple Backgrounds” by Leah Donnella, discusses the multiple shared vocabulary words to describe multiracial children.  http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/08/25/455470334/all-mixed-up-what-do-we-call-people-of-multiple-backgrounds

B.     The interviewees would consist of: Parents, Siblings, and Extended Family Members.  In the descriptions of multiple racial backgrounds of students,  a student’s perspective of multiracial children starts at home.  Race and identity is the foundation of self-worth, self-identity, and racial identity.  The creation of an Ethnodrama would begin in the family room during early breakfast on a Sunday morning right before church.  Students would interview grandparents, uncles/aunts, cousins, siblings, and parents.  It would best to engage in all levels of education, age/gender and social economic status (SES).  With data process and “abstract ideas in ways more effective than written text” (p.1), students can better understanding of race and identity coming from family.

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Cristina Canales                      a. I would like to explore the climate changes within Earth’s
atmosphere as well as the increasing carbon dioxide levels’ consequences on the
world’s species.  The article
from the Science Daily Website, “Future
increase in plant photosynthesis revealed by seasonal carbon dioxide cycle,” discusses the concerning
effects on global plant photosynthesis due to the doubling carbon dioxide
concentration.  In seventh grade life science, the standards focus on the study of life; therefore, the
inquiry based lessons revolve around characteristics of living things and
living things themselves. Plants have an entire chapter dedicated to understanding
their structures and functions, classification organization, and plant’s cellular
structures. The study is current and
relevant to standards addressed in the NGSS for grade seven.

                           

b. The link to the article discussed above: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003112208.htm

In order to gather a deeper
understanding on the topic of climate, I would have my students begin by
interviewing a scientist from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), as the scientists from this organization assess both the available
scientific information on climate change and the environmental and
socio-economic impacts of climate changes to formulate response strategies.  Another beneficial interviewee would be Nikolass
J. van der Merwe, author of the article, “Carbon Isotopes, Photosynthesis, and Archaeology:
Different pathways of photosynthesis cause characteristic changes in carbon
isotope ratios that make possible the study of prehistoric human diets,”
published in the American Scientist
Vol.70.  The interviewee
would have so much input on photosynthesis, as in his article he discusses
three types of photosynthesis that occur within plants.  The last interviewee would be an
environmental scientist that would be able to present further information
regarding the effects of increasing levels of carbon dioxide on the planet and its
living things.  The current event is
great for the use of an ethnodrama; students can explore story writing to
create plays, dramas, and monologues that reflect the climate changes and the
affects it is having on the world and its living things.  Students could dramatize acting from the
point of view of Planet Earth, the plants, or the people that use the resources
provided by Earth and its plants. 
Students would incorporate academic vocabulary and creativity to
illustrate a very serious environmental issue that affects all living things.  Other current issues students could explores
related to the NGSS and climate changes are “As oceans warm, coral reef fish
might prefer to move rather than adapt due to warmer temperatures brought about
by global climate change,” “Largest ever analysis of respiration reveals
insight into climate change,” “A common marine crustacean has shown researchers
that it's all set to beat climate change -- the males will get more attractive
to the females, with a resulting population explosion.”

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Cristina Canales                      a. I would like to explore the climate changes within Earth’s
atmosphere as well as the increasing carbon dioxide levels’ consequences on the
world’s species.  The article
from the Science Daily Website, “Future
increase in plant photosynthesis revealed by seasonal carbon dioxide cycle,” discusses the concerning
effects on global plant photosynthesis due to the doubling carbon dioxide
concentration.  In seventh grade life science, the standards focus on the study of life; therefore, the
inquiry based lessons revolve around characteristics of living things and
living things themselves. Plants have an entire chapter dedicated to understanding
their structures and functions, classification organization, and plant’s cellular
structures. The study is current and
relevant to standards addressed in the NGSS for grade seven.

                           

b. The link to the article discussed above: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003112208.htm

In order to gather a deeper
understanding on the topic of climate, I would have my students begin by
interviewing a scientist from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), as the scientists from this organization assess both the available
scientific information on climate change and the environmental and
socio-economic impacts of climate changes to formulate response strategies.  Another beneficial interviewee would be Nikolass
J. van der Merwe, author of the article, “Carbon Isotopes, Photosynthesis, and Archaeology:
Different pathways of photosynthesis cause characteristic changes in carbon
isotope ratios that make possible the study of prehistoric human diets,”
published in the American Scientist
Vol.70.  The interviewee
would have so much input on photosynthesis, as in his article he discusses
three types of photosynthesis that occur within plants.  The last interviewee would be an
environmental scientist that would be able to present further information
regarding the effects of increasing levels of carbon dioxide on the planet and its
living things.  The current event is
great for the use of an ethnodrama; students can explore story writing to
create plays, dramas, and monologues that reflect the climate changes and the
affects it is having on the world and its living things.  Students could dramatize acting from the
point of view of Planet Earth, the plants, or the people that use the resources
provided by Earth and its plants. 
Students would incorporate academic vocabulary and creativity to
illustrate a very serious environmental issue that affects all living things.  Other current issues students could explores
related to the NGSS and climate changes are “As oceans warm, coral reef fish
might prefer to move rather than adapt due to warmer temperatures brought about
by global climate change,” “Largest ever analysis of respiration reveals
insight into climate change,” “A common marine crustacean has shown researchers
that it's all set to beat climate change -- the males will get more attractive
to the females, with a resulting population explosion.”

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Norma Padilla    Ethnodrama  Current  Event 

 

A.   
The  current event that  I 
would  like to  explore with my students is  immigration.  This 
week’s  “Essential Question”  for our  language arts program 
is “Why  do people  immigrate to new  places?”.  I  found
an  article  in NEWSELA that talks about the  difficulties 
that  US born  students 
have  to endure  when 
they  immigrate to  Mexico. The 
article  notes that attending  Mexican schools is difficult for those
students. The article  was  originally 
published  by Los  Angeles 
Times and  adapted  by 
Newsela  on  9/21/16. The 
title of the  article is “Mexican schools
are not easy for students born in the U.S. “. 

B.   
Link: newsela.com/articles/us-mexico-schools/?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=web
(https://newselamedia.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/us-mexico-schools-21859-True.pdf)

 

For this topic students  could 
interview one of their classmates. We have a new student that just
arrived to the  United  States 
from  Honduras. He is  currently 
going  through the process of  adapting to 
a new place.   There are other newcomers in our school that  could also be interviewed.  Students could also interview their parents.
Some parents  also immigrated at a  young age and 
had to experience  adapting to US
schools.  Students could also interview
teachers or other school employees that  have experienced adapting to  a new school in a  new country.  

 

I would  like to explore  this 
event  because it’s a theme in our
language arts  program.  In addition, immigration is a relevant event for
my  students  since most 
of them are  first generation
to  be 
born in the  United States.  I would like for  my students to  interview 
their classmate in  order to  make the 
topic  more  relevant to 
them.   I 
think  they are more likely
to  develop a sense of  empathy if 
they  interview people they know
and  care about.  

 

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Norma Padilla    Ethnodrama  Current  Event 

 

A.   
The  current event that  I 
would  like to  explore with my students is  immigration.  This 
week’s  “Essential Question”  for our  language arts program 
is “Why  do people  immigrate to new  places?”.  I  found
an  article  in NEWSELA that talks about the  difficulties 
that  US born  students 
have  to endure  when 
they  immigrate to  Mexico. The 
article  notes that attending  Mexican schools is difficult for those
students. The article  was  originally 
published  by Los  Angeles 
Times and  adapted  by 
Newsela  on  9/21/16. The 
title of the  article is “Mexican schools
are not easy for students born in the U.S. “. 

B.   
Link: newsela.com/articles/us-mexico-schools/?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=web
(https://newselamedia.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/us-mexico-schools-21859-True.pdf)

 

For this topic students  could 
interview one of their classmates. We have a new student that just
arrived to the  United  States 
from  Honduras. He is  currently 
going  through the process of  adapting to 
a new place.   There are other newcomers in our school that  could also be interviewed.  Students could also interview their parents.
Some parents  also immigrated at a  young age and 
had to experience  adapting to US
schools.  Students could also interview
teachers or other school employees that  have experienced adapting to  a new school in a  new country.  

 

I would  like to explore  this 
event  because it’s a theme in our
language arts  program.  In addition, immigration is a relevant event for
my  students  since most 
of them are  first generation
to  be 
born in the  United States.  I would like for  my students to  interview 
their classmate in  order to  make the 
topic  more  relevant to 
them.   I 
think  they are more likely
to  develop a sense of  empathy if 
they  interview people they know
and  care about.  

 

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A. The current event that I would highlight in my classroom is about the protesters in El Cajon, regarding the police officer shooting a Black male. Some of the themes that can be discussed after reading the article can be: equality vs. inequality, minority groups and social justice and explore the stance of being a protester. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/crime-courts-fire/sd-me-olango-folo-20161003-story.html
B. My students can interview three people from the following groups: Police Officers, City Council Members, Neighbors and family member. Some of the questions that can be asked are: 1) What do you think about the shooting in El Cajon? 2) Do you believe in protesting for social change? list reasons. 3) What are some ways to prevent this type of violence? 4) How do you think the Protesters in El Cajon feel? How would you feel? 5)  How do you think that people from conflicting groups can better communicate to avoid acts of violence?
The reason I would explore this event, is because there have been many reoccurring shootings toward minority groups. To be more specific, African Americans. There is a website called black lives matter, where people have blogged about instilling change to prevent acts of violence. Students can think of times when maybe they have experienced violence and unjust moments in life. Creating an ethnodrama would be incredibly powerful for students to learn more about social justice and character development. Students can view both sides of the story and come up with problem solving that does not include violence.

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a. The article chosen is: Dental Infection Outbreak at Anaheim Clinic now at 22 Children. Featured in the The Orange County Register, a local newspaper.

b. The link to the article is: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/children-730323-agency-infection.html.

Because I am writing this post with preschoolers in mind, it is acceptable to make the parents of my students to do the interviews and perform the ethnodrama for our little ones. The parents could interview the school nurse, our program coordinator, a classroom teacher, and a pediatric dental hygienist. The insight these people can give them in how the disease propagated, the implications of that type of infections when transmitted to young children, what type of preventive measures can be taken, can make the difference in the ways parents react to the news and in oral care in general. As Guillen stated "ethnodrama is not just an accurate representation of data (Barone, 2002) but a translation of findings within the narrative or poetic clarity; its primary purpose is to tell a story and tell it well" (p. 1), which in this particular case, it can make more sense to preschool age children. Parents and school personnel can emphasize the importance of oral hygiene, dentist visits, and how transmittable diseases are spread.

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Pediatric dental infections contracted at an Anaheim clinic increased to 22 on Tuesday, as Children's Dental Group said most of the 500 children who underwent root canals there have been examined for signs of illness.

The Orange County Health Care Agency said among the 22 patients, ages 3 to 9, six remain hospitalized. The children all underwent baby tooth root canals, or pulpotomies, at the East Lincoln Avenue office between April 6 and July 28, the agency said.

On Tuesday, Sam Gruenbaum, CEO of the company that owns the clinic, said the parents of all patients who underwent the procedure since April 1 have been contacted by phone and letter about the outbreak.

"We've asked all of them to come in for an examination as a precautionary matter, even if they didn't have any symptoms or problems, and the majority have already been in for their exams," Gruenbaum said in a written response to questions. "We've also posted a bulletin on our website, and we plan to continue our outreach by phone and mail until we've done everything we can to make sure everyone is taken care of."

Three children have tested positive for mycobacterial infection and the 19 others are considered probable.

Andrea Hanigan, a spokeswoman for Children's Hospital of Orange County, said the hospital has evaluated 38 children for potential infection.

Testing of the clinic's water system, which has been shut down, found mycobacterium, which can contaminate a water supply when found in large numbers or is a particularly virulent strain.

To learn more about the outbreak, the county's Health Care Agency has information for parents in English and Spanish at ochealthinfo.com/dentaloutbreak.

Contact the writer: cperkes@scng.com 714-796-3686

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Dental infection outbreak at Anaheim clinic now at 22 children

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Pediatric dental infections contracted at an Anaheim clinic increased to 22 on Tuesday, as Children's Dental Group said most of the 500 children who underwent root canals there have been examined for signs of illness. The Orange County Health Care Agency said among the 22 patients, ages 3 to 9, six remain hospitalized.

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A. The current event I would like to highlight would be the Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to Sauvage, Stoddart and Feringa for their work with "molecular machines".
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/05/world/nobel-prize-2016-chemistry-molecular-machines/index.html
B.  The interviewees would be:   One of the members of the selection panel so that they could tell us why the contributions of this team have an impact in chemistry; the winners, themselves,so that they could tell us about their motivations, and the parents or family members of the winners so that we could get information about what the laureates' aspirations and personalities were like as children.  I bet we would find many qualities in these Nobel laureates that our own students could relate to!  In this way the students could imagine themselves as future leaders in their eventual chosen fields.  Exploring this current event through an ethnodrama in two acts (act one would feature the Nobel laureates as children contemplating their potential in science class, and act two would involve the laureates working in their labs this week and finding out about the award) would  place the children in the laureates' shoes and allow them to ponder their OWN possibilities for the future!  Additionally, the idea of molecular machines sounds like a topic that would utterly ENGAGE my students!

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A. I would highlight industrialized agriculture through this article. It makes visible what, for many Americans, is the previously un-imagined scale of modern industrialized agriculture. The photographer uses aerial photography and short videos to help imagine what our current food infrastructure looks like.
B. I would have the students interview the photographer, the farmer, a parent and the animals shown in some of the photos. I would explore this topic through ethnodrama because it's actually a series of events that occur daily beneath most people's radars. Many current events receive news media attention, but something this integral to our daily lives becomes invisible. Because it is invisible, it is also highly contentious and value-laden. Using ethnodrama will help decode reactions to this, and also help students contend with the varying and highly politicized information they encounter regarding food in various settings (school, home, public restaurants, media, etc). I would have the students interview both the photographer and the farmer to see to what degree their perspectives match (or don't). I would also have students interview their parents so that they can balance the information they receive against their family's values, which are often transmitted implicitly through food-related activities (family dinner, packed lunch, etc). Finally, I would have the kids interview the animals pictured as a practice in empathy. Although, the students wouldn't get verbal responses, it would prompt them to look closely for cues about how the animals are responding to the situation at hand, which offers a more holistic perspective about "the impact" of farming at this scale. If each person interviewed offers a perspective on solutions, the ethnodrama would be a valuable way to imagine how those solutions look for all of those parties.

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Our industrialized food system nourishes more people, at lower cost, than any comparable system in history. It also exerts a terrifyingly massive influence on our health and our environment. Photographer George Steinmetz spent nearly a year traveling the country to capture that system, in all its scope, grandeur and dizzying scale. His photographs are all the more remarkable for the fact that so few large food producers are willing to open themselves to this sort of public view.

Cranberry cultivation began in Massachusetts, and it still brings to mind quaint images of New England. But the bogs that farmers have created in Wisconsin can be more efficient - they're both flatter and neatly rectangular, making them easier for machines to fertilize, irrigate and harvest.

Lifts tip trucks to pour out their cranberry hauls. Ocean Spray, a cooperative owned by more than 700 growers, is the largest processor of cranberries on earth - last year, this facility alone took in 1.5 million barrels, nearly 13 percent of the entire global cranberry crop.

During its busiest season, Gary's Gobblers might have up to 60,000 turkeys living on five acres of its 160-acre facility. The worker seen here is spraying an antibacterial solution into the turkey pens to prevent disease.

Newborn females arrive from local dairies and spend their first 180 days at Calf Source - first in one of 4,896 hutches, like the ones seen here, and then in larger group pens. Trucks pass down each of 72 rows, dispensing water and milk. After a transfer to Heifer Source, another facility owned by the Milk Source company, the cows are inseminated and then returned - seven months pregnant, and just under 2 years old - to the dairies they came from.

Grimmway is one of the largest carrot growers in the world. In this part of the Malaga facility, whole carrots are washed, sized and cut into two-inch "baby" pieces before passing through color sorters - where 360-degree high-speed cameras and sensors spot defective carrots and air jets push them off the line for use in juices or cattle feed.

This Salt Lake City store is, by square footage, the largest Costco Warehouse location on the planet - combining the chain's usual "warehouse club" offerings with an expanded selection of goods from Costco Business Centers. In an average week, more than 25,000 Costco members will visit the store.

Taylor Farms doesn't grow vegetables - it processes them, taking produce from some 200 farms and and preparing products consumed by one in three Americans. This entire facility follows the lettuce-growing season, moving 1,400 tons of machinery from Salinas, Calif., to Yuma, Ariz., in November, then back again in April. Each move only interrupts processing - like the washing lines seen here - for 56 hours.

By World War II, the J.R. Simplot Company had become the nation's largest shipper of fresh potatoes; by 2005, it was said to be the source of more than half of all McDonald's French fries. This 750-acre feedlot resulted from a realization by its billionaire owner, John Richard Simplot, that he could also use the waste products of his potato operation to fatten cattle.

The product being harvested here, Artisan Lettuce, requires seeding a variety of greens in each row - scheduling them all to come to maturity simultaneously - so they can be packaged in the field and sold as a salad-ready assortment.

(Left) Throughout the day, employees at the plant do a series of ergonomic stretches to prevent injuries. (Right) Cuts of meat are hand-trimmed by some of the plant's 175 employees.

The hills of the Palouse region, stretching along the border between Idaho and Washington, have some of the most productive wheat-growing conditions in the country, with average yields that can run over 100 bushels per acre. Landowners are reluctant to sell, but they increasingly lease their fields to neighboring family farms. The wheat seen here is planted in rows perpendicular to slopes of up to 45 degrees, and it is harvested with specially modified combines.

(Above) At 376 feet, with a net more than half a mile long, the Alaska Ocean is the largest "catcher-processor" vessel in the United States fleet. (Below) On a given day, the ship's facilities might process Alaska pollock or Pacific whiting into 60,000 pounds of fishmeal and 125,000 pounds of frozen fish - to appear in fish burgers, fish sticks and surimi, a minced fish product used to make foods like imitation crab sticks.

The two rotating carousels of this milking parlor operate 22 hours a day, milking 7,900 cows three times each. Rosendale Dairy, like Calf Source and Heifer Source, is owned by Milk Source.

Fair Oaks Farms is both a working farm and an educational tourist attraction, with a Pig Adventure area showing visitors the seven-month cycle, from birth to sale, of a pig. Here, sows are penned on their sides when nursing, while piglets spend the majority of each day feeding and growing rapidly.

The "baby greens" harvester used at Earthbound Farm, with its self-sterilizing blade and air-jet collecting mechanism, can harvest 10,000 pounds of lettuce per hour using a crew of only 12 - something that once would have taken a 40-person crew all day. Four workers advance on foot, checking for debris and scaring away pests before the machine arrives. Harvesting begins before dawn and concludes before midday, to keep the greens cooler.
George Steinmetz is a photographer who specializes in aerial photography. He has published several books of his photographs, including "New York Air," a documentation of all five boroughs of New York City from above.

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The Dizzying Grandeur of 21st-Century Agriculture (Published 2016)

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Our industrialized food system nourishes more people, at lower cost, than any comparable system in history. It also exerts a terrifyingly massive influence on our health and our environment. Photographer George Steinmetz spent nearly a year traveling the country to capture that system, in all its scope, grandeur and dizzying scale.

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A. The current event I would like to cover in my class would be the recent addition 7 bee species to the endangered species list.  We could also discuss endangered species and pollution.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/bees-endangered-list/
B. The people that we could interview for this ethnodrama could be beekeepers, entomologists, farmers and representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Bee species are declining at an alarming rate. We could create an ethnodrama to document what is being done to save these bee populations. Bee serve a very profound purpose and we can use this time to discuss what bees do and why we need them. We could explore how our environment would change if we didn't have bees. We could use these interviews as a time to as why bees are becoming endangered? Current events surrounding our environment are very important to bring into the classroom. Students can learn at a young age how their decisions can positively or negatively impact the environment. I chose for the students to interview entomologists
because they study insects. They could provide a great deal of information about bees and their job. We could interview farmers to ask if they use bee pollinators. If not, what do they use? Do they use  pesticides that are harmful to bees? Through these questions we can paint a picture of how the natural role of bees in changing. We could interview representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife services to see why they added these 7 bees to the list.

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a.     The article that I would choose would be about the current elections and presidential candidates. Many of my students are very misinformed about the information being portrayed in the news and I believe that this would be a great way to give students the correct information. I would choose the article from NEWSELA, Clinton and Trump argue over their different visions for the U.S. https://newsela.com/articles/first-presidential-debate/id/22174/

b.     Students could interview a Political Science Teacher from a University because they will be able to analyze the results of the debate and these people. They could also interview the Speech teacher from our elementary school to help understand the proper ways of a delivered speech and the techniques used. Lastly, they could interview various adults to get their perspectives and facts.

c.      Like I said above, I believe that an ethnodrama about the current elections and the debate would allow students to understand the stances of each of these people. They can also really understand what these people believe in, as well as get actual facts to support their beliefs.

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In the news, we see the upcoming elections featured every day and the candidates closely watched.  In the last debate, Hillary Clinton brought up the Donald Trump controversy over body shaming of women, particularly Alicia Machado, a former Miss Universe.  This is of particular interest for women often struggle to define themselves and tell their own stories or even create their own stories.

I would have high school girls and young adult women read the article below and others on similar issues.  I would like to see these young women make strides to empower themselves and not fall into the body shaming or role playing that society often wants them to conform to.
Chappel and Faltis cite Barone and Eisner that "we live through stories and tell those stories as a central way of knowing the world" (pg. 82).  Allowing this group of women to begin and form their own stories with the encouragement of their teachers and peers can give them confidence and strength and empowerment.
I would have these young women 14-22 talk to different generations of women or girls.  It would be interesting to see what a young girl in elementary understood about herself, her body, and her role in the world.  Another group they could talk to would be their grandmother and mother's generation.  These women are often in charge of passing along gender roles or duties, and it would be interesting to see if the sample group of women would challenge this generation and how.  Finally, a third group to talk to would be a history or sociology or psychology teacher at their high school or college.  What perspective can these educators give these young women on how tradition and culture have shaped the roles and looks of women.
Having these women create and ethnodrama of where they are to where they can go would help them visualize and actively participate in the constructing of their story. Addressing ideas like body shaming, hurt women and leave a scar. Women embrace these negatives and carry them for a long time, but given the opportunity to refute them or turn them around through story telling makes the lesson true.

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HAVERFORD, Pa. - The teenager leaned into the microphone, pausing for a beat. She had a question for Hillary Clinton, about her high school and Donald J. Trump.

"At my school, body image is a really big issue for girls my age," began the girl, Brennan Leach, 15, who had a red bow in her hair. "I see with my own eyes the damage Donald Trump does when he talks about women and how they look."

How, she asked, could Mrs. Clinton help girls understand "that they are so much more than just what they look like?"

Briefly, Mrs. Clinton appeared ready to rocket out of her seat.

"Thank you!" the candidate shouted, as the crowd cheered Brennan. "Thank you!"

Mrs. Clinton had been holding forth on Tuesday in a Haverford community center gymnasium, beside her daughter, Chelsea, and the actress Elizabeth Banks, for a town hall - a "FAMILY TOWN HALL," according to the blue block letters behind her onstage - speaking to a largely female crowd in the kind of Philadelphia suburb that could decide this critical state.

Brennan's question was the first of the day and, for Mrs. Clinton, the most potent.

Since last week's debate, Mrs. Clinton has brought attention to Mr. Trump's history of making disparaging remarks about the appearance of women, particularly his comments about the weight of the 1996 Miss Universe, Alicia Machado. Even before the debate, Mrs. Clinton's team had released an evocative ad that featured girls looking anxiously in their mirrors, scored to a selection of Trump insults.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton said she was "so proud" of Brennan for asking the question. Mr. Trump, she agreed, "has taken this concern to a new level of difficulty and meanness."

She reminded the room that "young women begin to get influenced at earlier and earlier ages" by social expectations of body image.

"My opponent insulted Miss Universe!" she said, to laughs. "How do you get more acclaimed than that? But it wasn't good enough."

She went on.

"We can't take any of this seriously anymore," she said, her voice building. "We need to laugh at it. We need to refute it. We need to ignore it. And we need to stand up to it."

She spoke of the "many young women online who are being bullied."

Some were hurting themselves, she said. It had to stop.

"We're not all going to end up being Miss Universe, I hate to tell you," she continued, wrapping up. "So let's be the best we can be. Let's be proud of who we are."

Throughout the afternoon, the forum, which included many parents and their children, seemed to play to Mrs. Clinton's strengths. While she can at times appear less comfortable at rollicking rallies, her campaign has long believed that more intimate interactions with voters suit her well.

Fielding sympathetic questions from supporters, Mrs. Clinton brandished her range.

She was wonky, true to form, engaging attendees in a less than catchy call-and-response exercise: "Do you have an interest rate on your student debt that is 8 percent or higher?" she said, asking for a show of hands.

She was sympathetic, responding to a mother who said she had lost a son to gun violence, and then another to suicide after his sibling's death.

"Thank you for being so brave," Mrs. Clinton said.

And she was playful, smiling as a middle school questioner said she had won a recent mock presidential debate while arguing Mrs. Clinton's side. "Thanks for winning," Mrs. Clinton replied. "That makes us 2 and 0."

All the while, Chelsea Clinton sat at the ready, eager to chime in to trumpet her mother's credentials.

"I wish that people really understood that 'Stronger Together,' that putting families and children first, isn't rhetorical for my mom," Ms. Clinton said at one point, reciting her mother's campaign slogan. "It's what I've watched her do my whole life."

She was not the only daughter in the room talking up a parent.

After the event, Brennan said that her father, a state senator, had helped her form the question that had so excited Mrs. Clinton. (The Clinton campaign said questions had not been vetted.)

Brennan said she had lost a friend to suicide last year. Mr. Trump's candidacy, Brennan said, has heightened her concerns at school.

"It's really hard for me throughout school to see the pain Donald Trump inflicts on my friends," she said, citing examples of bullying, "especially at such an insecure time as middle school and high school."

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Hillary Clinton to Girl's Question on Body Image: 'Let's Be Proud of Who We Are.'

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HAVERFORD, Pa. - The teenager leaned into the microphone, pausing for a beat. She had a question for Hillary Clinton, about her high school and Donald J. Trump. "At my school, body image is a really big issue for girls my age," began the girl, Brennan Leach, 15, who had a red bow in her hair.

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a.     I would have sixth grade students read the article titled
“ Name change sought for Devils Tower monument”, which explains the quest of the Native American tribes in the Wyoming area to rename a monument they believe is offensive.  The article explains the belief that the name is an incorrect translation of  the Sioux language, and that this monument is sacred to 26  tribes in the area, and is still used in tribal ceremonies.   Name change sought for Devils Tower monument.    Chief Arvol Looking Horse’s ( spiritual leader of the Great Sioux Nation) mission is to receive permission from President Obama before the new administration takes over. The local Republican Party is trying to block the attempt by bringing a measure to the floor of  U.S. House of Representatives to retain the name.   This situation is a rich example of the dominion that the U.S. government had over native peoples, and an example of  Native Americans  honoring and “taking back” there culture. The author also cites the example of Mt. McKinley name change back to Denali.
b.Students could develop questions, after close reads of the article, to ask a parent or family member, a community member, and a local Native American tribe member.   These differing view points would be a launching point to develop an “ethnodrama” and/or an opinion piece where student have to take a stand and/or weigh in on this controversy.

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a.    I would like to expose 6-12 grade students to school shootings through an ethnodrama. There have been many in the past, but the current one in the news is from South Carolina with a 14 year old charged with murder and attempted murder.

b.    Here is a link to the most current article: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/09/30/townville-school-shooting/91324002/.

Three people that students could interview about the event are: the local police, a friend of the shooter, and teachers at the school where the shooting occured. I wanted to explore this event because as teachers, we could all identify with this issue. Recently, the local police department did a presentation on active shooter response training. As teachers, we were told to do away with what we were taught in the past about active shooters and instead use the ALICE acronym (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate.) As you can imagine, many of our teachers were emotional. I think the issue is a very sensitive subject but students and teachers need to be educated for a likely event.

The local police would be a great interview because they have know how to react to such a volatile event. We were given great tips from the presentation at our school. For example, when evacuating from the school, try to find a backyard that students can enter. Shooters are not likely to go into a backyard. Also, never come back to the school until the event is over.  The next person to be interviewed would be a friend of the shooter. I would like to expose the students into the minds of the shooter and I think a friend of the shooter would have a great perspective on how the shooter’s mental and emotional state was at the time. Last, I would interview the teachers at the school. I would want the students to see how different teachers reacted and what helped in the event the most. Some teachers at the presentation wanted a more structured plan in the case of a shooter. But, the police could not provide a structured plan since ultimately you are trying to save your students’ lives and yours so a structured plan is not possible. You are trying to survive at any costs.

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ANDERSON, S.C. - A 14-year-old South Carolina boy was charged as juvenile with murder and attempted murder Friday, two days after he was accused of opening fire on a kindergarten class heading outside for recess.

One of the victims, 6-year-old Jacob Hall, was on life support Friday night at Greenville Health System Children's Hospital, about 35 miles away.

The hearing in the family division of South Carolina's 10th Judicial Circuit Court did not address whether the prosecution will move to try the teen as an adult. USA TODAY does not normally name juveniles charged with a crime unless they face charges in adult court.

The boy's father, Jeffrey Osborne, 47, was found dead at around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday at his home, shortly before news of the shooting at Townville Elementary School surfaced.
Firefighter subdued gunman, calls teachers 'true heroes'
The suspect's mother, Tiffney Osborne, cried throughout the hearing and declined to speak to publicly afterward. Her son, who was brought into the courtroom in a yellow jumpsuit and was wearing no restraints, showed no emotion in his first court appearance and has returned to a juvenile facility in Greenville, S.C.

"We have never had something so serious involving school children," Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper, speaking through tears, said before the hearing.

In court, Frank Eppes of Greenville, lawyer for the teen, said the 14-year-old previously had given a statement to police and warned law-enforcement officers that the teen should not be asked to give a statement without his lawyer present. No details of what happened before or during the shootings were disclosed in the hearing.

Prosecutors had asked that the hearing be closed but a lawyer for the Anderson Independent Mail, The Greenville News and other news organizations attended the proceedings to ensure that the public had access. The 10th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office said South Carolina law allows prosecutors to seal court records in the case because it involves a juvenile.

Another hearing is expected in the next 40 days, Eppes said.

Whether multiple 911 calls placed during the shootings will be made public will be decided next week, said Lt. Sheila Cole of the Anderson County Sheriff's Office.

While two of the victims, a first-grade teacher and 6-year-old student, were wounded Wednesday and have been treated and released, the bullet that hit Jacob in the leg found his femoral artery.
Child heard alleged gunman say 'I hate my life'
Jacob's family said late Thursday that the 6-year-old had sustained a major brain injury because of the amount of blood he had lost.

"Jacob is in very critical condition, and we are hanging on every second," according to their statement. A family friend started a GoFundMe page for the family that has raised more than $125,000 in a day.

The shootings began when the 14-year-old's grandparents received a cryptic cellphone call from their grandson, authorities have said. They couldn't understand him, so they went next door to check on him, finding Jeffrey Osborne's body but no sign of the teen.
Community rallies around S.C. school shooting victims
The 14-year-old who is too young to have a driver's license had taken a pickup truck and driven it about 3 miles to the school, crashing it into the playground fence, authorities said. Once there, he aimed at a door opening to let students out for recess.

Though shot in the shoulder, teacher Meghan Hollingsworth "was with-it enough" to close the door, lock it and barricade the students, said Superintendent Joanne Avery of Anderson County District 4 schools. Another teacher was able to get students already on the playground safely inside even though the teen had shot at them.

Jacob was revived twice in the moments after the shooting, according to state Rep. Alan Clemmons, a Myrtle Beach Republican who said he is a friend of the family.
South Carolina has history of school shootings
Gerald Gambrell, one of Jacob's brothers, spoke quietly and held back emotions while he talked about his little brother, who he said always wears a smile.

"He's a wonderful kid. He doesn't deserve any of this at all. No child in this world deserves this," he said. "We're waiting and hoping for a miracle."
Contributing: Nathaniel Cary, The Greenville (S.C.) News; The Associated Press. Follow Nikie Mayo and Mike Ellis on Twitter: @NikieMayo and @MikeEllis_AIM Related: Police: Teen shooter killed dad before school rampage

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Victim of S.C. school shooting clinging to life

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ANDERSON, S.C. - A 14-year-old South Carolina boy was charged as juvenile with murder and attempted murder Friday, two days after he was accused of opening fire on a kindergarten class heading outside for recess. One of the victims, 6-year-old Jacob Hall, was on life support Friday night at Greenville Health System Children's Hospital, about 35 miles away.

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 Mike Wineland

                               I would like to introduce young
children to the concept of environmental pollution, and the ever increasing
relationship between convenience and poisons. 
Many items in a child’s life are created with profit margins competing
with safety concerns, and the economic disparity between race and culture in
the U.S. has created a situation in which marginalized groups are at particular
risk.  I have used lead test kits with
Pre-K students to show hidden toxins in toys, and I would like to expand this
concept to include community hazards. 
Currently, a shigellosis outbreak in Flint Michigan is likely caused by
changes in personal hygiene practices due to lead contaminated drinking water. 

http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/10/flint-residents-hit-with-bacterial-illness-as-water-crisis-continues/  I would pose “what if” questions to the
children, and listen to their ideas. 
What if our air was poisonous? 
What if our water was dangerous to drink?  What could we do?  This could be directly related to the poor
air quality days when I need to use an inhaler, and at times use a nebulizer
for specific students.

People to
interview could include:                                            

1 - An environmental
scientist to discuss environmental pollution, infrastructure pollution, and the
long-term negative results of short term economic goals.  Mining waste affecting farm communities
downstream is a serious local issue in Colorado. 

2 - A Historian
to discuss the use of lead for water pipes and water collection systems in
ancient civilizations, and medieval water collection.  Address the irony of wealthy self pollution
due to ignorance in the past, versus the current situation of the poor
victimized by wealthy indifference.                                  

3 - A person or
persons who suffered medical issues due to environmental toxicity - this could
include lung damage from asbestos, heavy metal poisoning from electronics
welding etc., farm pesticide damage, and hearing loss from employment.  

Hearing damage is
particularly interesting, since legal safety consideration require employers to
offer hearing protection as a choice, then creating a work dynamic in which
wearing hearing protection with negatively affect your job performance.  For example, the decibel level in the
Colorado auto emissions testing facility is well into the danger zone, but
workers cannot hear/interact with consumers while wearing ear protection, so
many of them do not use hearing protection at all.  I think creating a play with the children to
demonstrate one or more of these issues would be fun and beneficial.  Children could explore the balance between
immediate need and long-term risks, especially with water accessibility. 

# data[].attributes.subject
 Mike Wineland

                               I would like to introduce young
children to the concept of environmental pollution, and the ever increasing
relationship between convenience and poisons. 
Many items in a child’s life are created with profit margins competing
with safety concerns, and the economic disparity between race and culture in
the U.S. has created a situation in which marginalized groups are at particular
risk.  I have used lead test kits with
Pre-K students to show hidden toxins in toys, and I would like to expand this
concept to include community hazards. 
Currently, a shigellosis outbreak in Flint Michigan is likely caused by
changes in personal hygiene practices due to lead contaminated drinking water. 

http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/10/flint-residents-hit-with-bacterial-illness-as-water-crisis-continues/  I would pose “what if” questions to the
children, and listen to their ideas. 
What if our air was poisonous? 
What if our water was dangerous to drink?  What could we do?  This could be directly related to the poor
air quality days when I need to use an inhaler, and at times use a nebulizer
for specific students.

People to
interview could include:                                            

1 - An environmental
scientist to discuss environmental pollution, infrastructure pollution, and the
long-term negative results of short term economic goals.  Mining waste affecting farm communities
downstream is a serious local issue in Colorado. 

2 - A Historian
to discuss the use of lead for water pipes and water collection systems in
ancient civilizations, and medieval water collection.  Address the irony of wealthy self pollution
due to ignorance in the past, versus the current situation of the poor
victimized by wealthy indifference.                                  

3 - A person or
persons who suffered medical issues due to environmental toxicity - this could
include lung damage from asbestos, heavy metal poisoning from electronics
welding etc., farm pesticide damage, and hearing loss from employment.  

Hearing damage is
particularly interesting, since legal safety consideration require employers to
offer hearing protection as a choice, then creating a work dynamic in which
wearing hearing protection with negatively affect your job performance.  For example, the decibel level in the
Colorado auto emissions testing facility is well into the danger zone, but
workers cannot hear/interact with consumers while wearing ear protection, so
many of them do not use hearing protection at all.  I think creating a play with the children to
demonstrate one or more of these issues would be fun and beneficial.  Children could explore the balance between
immediate need and long-term risks, especially with water accessibility. 

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a.  I selected an article about immigrant students who are born in the U.S. but move back to Mexico and struggle to adapt there.  I chose this article because this phenomenon happens very often among our migrant families.  Many of the youth I work with who have not completed high school spent years going back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico with their families and struggle with their ability to make the adjustment necessary to do well in school while negotiating fluctuating cultural expectations and language switching.  I think this would resonate with our students.

https://newsela.com/articles/us-mexico-schools/id/21860/

b. Three types of people students could interview would be a person who has had to move back to Mexico and who has struggled with the change.  They could also interview a representative of CABE-California Association for Bilingual Education.  They have many member educators and experts on issues of biliteracy and binationality  who can speak to the issue and can talk about what is being done to support students in these situations.  They could also speak to a representative of the local Mexican Consulate who may be able to talk about resources for students once they return to Mexico.

I would also want students tointerview a parent to gain insight into why families make these decisions to move.  On the outset, it might seem like overlooking what is in the best interest of their child but there may be sound economic reasons for these types of decisions that need to be appreciated.

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a. The news article, “As Mazy grows up, her parents toggle between supporters and protectors,” focuses on a student’s gender identity and her experiences in the school environment. (https://newsela.com/articles/mazy-trans-identity/id/22285/)

b. Three people whom my 10th grade students can interview are students in the LGBTQ Equality Club, a parent from our school, and a school administrator or teacher. The article presents the perspectives of Mazy, a student in elementary school who was born a boy but identifies as a girl, the student’s parents, and a school administrator. Mazy came out to her classmates and teacher on the last day of second grade and experienced positivity. However, she is currently homeschooled because she started to be bullied the next school year. At first her parents were hesitant of their child’s choice to come out as they grappled with her identity, but overall they supported and protected her. According to Mazy’s mom, the school administrators communicated support; however, it seems the school environment was not supportive as Mazy was bullied by her peers.

c. The timely topic of gender identity, especially involving students, should be highlighted in a classroom in order to create and maintain an inclusive school environment that models equality and acceptance among all students. Gillen (2013) quotes O’Neill: “…performative pieces expose contested and multiple versions of reality, and the unheard voices and experiences of individuals who may consider themselves powerless” (2). By performing the “unheard voices” of fellow students who might feel a lack of belonging at school, students take the time to understand and experience another person’s feelings thereby creating empathy and unity. Through the ethnodrama lesson, students will build relationships with their LGBTQ peers as they have conversations together through the interviews. This lesson can also build awareness off campus through the students’ interviews with parents. The parent interviews would hopefully bring awareness and then understanding and acceptance that regardless of how a student identifies oneself, parents would understand their common goal of wanting to protect and support their child. Lastly, interviewing school administrators can bring awareness and then policy change to ensure that all students are treated equally and should feel comfortable going to school every day. At the end of the ethnodrama lesson in the article, Gillen (2013) includes Angie’s response: “…that’s her to a ‘T”…you’ve really gotten inside my head (14). An ethnodrama lesson centered around the gender identity topic can help LGBTQ students feel recognized and valued because their peers as well as they, themselves, are voicing their solutions to create a more inclusive school environment.

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A. I wish I taught an older grade level so I could discuss recent election issues. I teach first grade so it would be tough to discuss some of the pressing issues. Like others have mentioned, Newsela offers great resources for such topics.
B. https://support.newsela.com/hc/en-us/articles/213226683-Election-Issues-Gender-Equality-and-Income-Inequality
This article discusses gender and income inequality. People students could interview include: 1. local politicians such a the mayor or city council members. This person might provide a look at the issue with some knowledge from being in politics. 2. A professor from a local college who teaches political science, economics, or liberal studies. A professor would provide the students with information about the topics hopefully using research. 3. A family member or community friend.This person would provide the students with first hand information from someone who might experience the issues first hand.
I think an ethnodrama could help students to gather information to inform their peers of the topics. Students would be able learn more about the topics while meeting new people in the community. These topics are very important as the students in the classroom will be able to vote one day and should be able to understand the topics. It will also provide students the ability to learn about people who are affected by such laws put in place by our elected officials. Students should be able to learn about these topics and an ethnodrama would be one way in which students can explore the topics in a different way than  paper and pencil way.

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1. A current event that I could create an ethnodrama about with my students is about the stance that famous people, in particular NBA players, are taking to protest the recent events that are happening with police officers and the shootings.

2. Students could interview:

a. An athlete they know and ask them how they would help. As students interview an athlete they’ll be able to get a different point of view of how the issue of racial tension affects them. They can also ask them if they’ve had any confrontations about racial inequalities within their sports community.
b. Their parents and ask them about their point of view on the events and how famous people can help in any way. Not only will parents be able to provide their own point of view, but they can also contribute and words of wisdom as to how they can resolve this without any violence.
c. A police officer in their community and ask how they feel about this event. Police officers will have a different point of view from the two previously mentioned because the issue is also affecting them directly. They can ask if the recent events have caused any tensions between their community and officers on duty?

I would explore this event because as the racial issues continue to be on the rise, students need to know that we can all take stance and have an opinion on something that can also affect us. Interviewing people with different points of view will allow them to see the opposing viewpoints and students will learn that everyone has a story to tell. A story that is related in how the events are occurring but different as to how they affect everyone. Students can then choose which interviews to act out that represent the data they’ve gathered from their interviews.

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Newsela - NBA and players working to improve their cities following shootings

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a. Scholastic News Online: "Going the Distance"
b. My article is about the Paralympic Games. I chose this current event because the Olympics were such a large part of our news for awhile, I thought that it would be a good opportunity to discuss the Paralympic Games. I would have my students interview: An athlete that participated in the games, a coach, and a spectator who has a disability. I want my students to reflect on what it means for those with disabilities to compete and be represented by their country. I would have my students ask them about how they have been treated/or how they've observed someone being treated with a disability throughout their lives or other people's lives. I would have them ask what it means to participate/coach/ and watch the Paralympic Games. An ethnodrama would give my students the opportunity to reflect on what those with disabilities experience and how they are represented in our country.

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Teachers' #1 Choice for Current, On-Level Nonfiction

Over 6 million students read Scholastic News every week! See why so many teachers rely on this exceptional magazine to engage their students, build nonfiction-reading skills, and increase content-area knowledge.

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Teachers' #1 Choice for Current, On-Level Nonfiction Over 6 million students read Scholastic News every week! See why so many teachers rely on this exceptional magazine to engage their students, build nonfiction-reading skills, and increase content-area knowledge.

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a. In my classroom, I like to used NEWSELA.COM for leveled news articles. The article that I could use for an ethnodrama is about inequality of women titled "On their special day, women still are not considered equal with men".
b. I would have my students interview: (1) a women under the age of 30 (2) a women over the age of 40 (3) a man.
I would want my students to interview these people to get their opinion on the way women are treated. I think my students can learn from the different generational point of views. I would explore this issue through ethnodrama because the students could 'walk a mile in someone else's shoes'. They can learn about how different women have been treated and if they have seen inequality in their lives. The ethondrama can help open the student's eyes to the inequalities around them and to think critically about how they can make a difference to improve the problem.
https://newsela.com/articles/womens-day/id/15621/

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Newsela | We celebrate women but they don't make equal pay, have adequate rights

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a. The current event I would choose to create an ethnodrama on would be the protest I have seen in the sports world as well as other places that revolve around the injustices towards people of color.
b. 1. a military veteran. 2. person of color. 3. a police officer.I would want to interview a military veteran because a lot of the talk and the comments that have been made about the protest in the sports world have been about how disrespectful their protest is towards our military. A person of color would provide great examples of discrimination they have suffered and also what kind of changes they would like to see. Lastly I would want to interview a police officer to provide the other side. Possibly explain what goes through their head in certain situations and thank them for their services because no matter what we believe we are safer with them than without them. I think that recreating something to due with racism can be very powerful. Some children might not know what it is but maybe they themselves have experienced it. I believe that through conversation we can grow to be more excepting of others.

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This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn't hold back Tuesday when he was asked by CNN about the first presidential debate.

"To me, it was embarrassing to watch," he told reporters in a locker room interview. "Both are proven liars and it almost seems like they're trying to debate who's less racist."

Kaepernick's decision this NFL season to kneel during the national anthem to raise awareness about racial issues landed him on the cover of TIME Magazine last week. His protest has inspired a growing number of other athletes to join him. The protests, and a new series of police shootings of black men, have helped reignite a national conversation on race.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said Kaepernick's silent demonstration is "a terrible thing."

"Maybe he should find a country that works better for him, let him try, it won't happen," Trump told a conservative Seattle radio talk show last month.

When CNN's Dan Simon asked about those comments Tuesday, Kaepernick said they are "ignorant," and called out Trump's campaign slogan.

"He always says, 'Make America great again.' Well, America has never been great for people of color and that's something that needs to be addressed. Let's make America great for the first time."

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Colin Kaepernick: 'Let's Make America Great for the First Time'

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick didn't hold back Tuesday when he was asked by CNN about the first presidential debate. "To me, it was embarrassing to watch," he told reporters in a locker room interview. "Both are proven liars and it almost seems like they're trying to debate who's less racist."

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Renee Williams                        A. One resource I like to use with my 5th graders is NEWSELA.  The current event that I would create an enthdrama about with my students has to do with the protesting that has been taking place due to the violence in Charlotte, North Carolina recently, when a black man was shot and killed by a police officer.                        B. After discussing this article with my students, the people they would want to interview were:                                            1. The police officer who shot the victim.                                  2. A family member of the victim                                         3. A witness                               I chose this article because these shootings have been prevalent in the news and I wanted to know how my students felt about what has been going on.  I got a lot of insight about how they were feeling, some expressed their fear of police officers now and some expressed the injustice of the matter.  We talked about why they chose those particular people to be interviewed and they wanted to interview the police officer to ask why he shot the victim, a family member to see what type of person the victim was and a witness to get the true story. Storytelling can help expose the dominant racial forces that materialize through lived experiences (Delgado, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). They allow readers to be inserted into the lived realities of those most affected by a racialized society and expose the ridiculousness, irrationality, and dire implications of racism (Dickinson, 2012).  

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Renee Williams                        A. One resource I like to use with my 5th graders is NEWSELA.  The current event that I would create an enthdrama about with my students has to do with the protesting that has been taking place due to the violence in Charlotte, North Carolina recently, when a black man was shot and killed by a police officer.                        B. After discussing this article with my students, the people they would want to interview were:                                            1. The police officer who shot the victim.                                  2. A family member of the victim                                         3. A witness                               I chose this article because these shootings have been prevalent in the news and I wanted to know how my students felt about what has been going on.  I got a lot of insight about how they were feeling, some expressed their fear of police officers now and some expressed the injustice of the matter.  We talked about why they chose those particular people to be interviewed and they wanted to interview the police officer to ask why he shot the victim, a family member to see what type of person the victim was and a witness to get the true story. Storytelling can help expose the dominant racial forces that materialize through lived experiences (Delgado, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). They allow readers to be inserted into the lived realities of those most affected by a racialized society and expose the ridiculousness, irrationality, and dire implications of racism (Dickinson, 2012).  

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https://newsela.com/articles/charlotte-protests/id/21990/

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a. The current event that I found was an article from Scholastic News Online entitled: Turning Trash Into Art
b. We could interview:
1. Family Members
2. Veterinarians
3. Environmentalists
4. Marine Biologists
I chose this article/event because it tied art together with an issue that I find to be very important, which is protecting our environment from pollution. This was also sparked by the fact that in my neighborhood, of predominantly Latino people, I have noticed that many times adults and their children throw their trash into our streets. I would like for young people and their families to understand the impact that they can make on the environment (whether it be positive or negative). Students can interview their family members about their knowledge of the issue of plastic waste, in terms of how long it stays on our planet, how much of it is in our oceans, and how it affects the ocean ecosystem. Students would interview professionals in order to find more information as to what they can do to educate others, and help to solve the issue of plastic waste in our oceans. As Gillen (2013) discusses in her article, ethnodrama is a way to represent data through a narrative-driven approach. Students can use the data that they find from their family interviews in order to drive their ethnodrama's script, in which they will show their family members and the community the importance of taking pride in our neighborhoods and ways we can positively affect our earth. Also, this could turn into a community-based arts project where they can find their own ways to create art out of trash.

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a. The plastic plague: can our oceans be saved from environmental ruin?

b. I chose this current event because there are so many lessons that can be taught revolving around this article, such as learning about ecosystems, endangered species, habitats, pollution, and many more topics! I think this would be an appropriate event to explore through ethnodrama because it really encourages students to be creative. Students can interview marine biologists, environmental scientists, veterinarians, and maybe even take a trip to an aquarium where they can learn more about these animals and oceans. An ethnodrama is also appropriate because, as Gillen (2013) discusses in her article, it allows a representation of data that can then be translated into an artwork that tells a story. This story can have the power to enact change. After students complete their interviews and gather their data, they could create their own stories about a “plastic ocean”. This article, although not focused on a specific group of people, also relates to the topic of environmental justice issues, as discussed in the Dickinson article.

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Story highlights

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has become the stuff of legend. This hotspot of marine waste, created by the spiral currents of the North Pacific Gyre, has been described as a floating trash island the size of Russia.

But when filmmaker Jo Ruxton visited the location, she found clear blue water, and a deep-rooted problem.

"If you were diving, it looked like you had just jumped out of a plane," says Ruxton. "But our nets were coming up completely choked with plastic pieces."

The pieces were small enough to mingle with plankton, the tiny organisms at the base of the food web that support many fish and whale species. Researchers have found 750,000 microplastic pieces per square kilometer in the Garbage Patch, and the marine life is riddled with them.

"This was much more insidious than a huge mountain of trash which could be physically removed," says Ruxton. "You can't remove all the tiny pieces."

Rising tide

Ruxton visited the site while producing the film "A Plastic Ocean," in association with NGO Plastic Oceans, which documents the impact of half a century of rampant plastic pollution.

Around eight million tons of plastic enter the marine environment each year, and the figure is set to rise. The Ellen Macarthur Foundation estimates that 311 million tons of plastic were produced in 2014, which will double within 20 years, and projects that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.

Plastic is a remarkably durable material, with a potential lifespan of centuries. It does not biodegrade, but photodegrades under sunlight, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces, which attract toxins and heavy metals as they travel on the tides. Plastic is pulled together in the powerful, circling currents of gyres, but it is also found in Arctic ice, washing up on remote islands, and infesting tourist destinations.

Ruxton's crew visited dozens of locations without escaping the plastic plague. They found it covering the Mediterranean Sea bed, the shorelines of Bermuda, and Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, a World Heritage site that has been severely affected.

"We kept coming across dead chicks," Ruxton recalls of Howe Island. "We opened 10 of their stomachs which were so full of plastic they were swollen ... These birds were dying of starvation with their stomachs bulging full."

But the most disturbing find was on the South Pacific island of Tuvalu.

Health impact

Tuvalu was once a pristine beauty spot. But the island lacks the infrastructure to dispose of the plastic it imports, which has become a serious hazard for the local population.

"People were just throwing plastic outside," says Ruxton. "They were drowning in the stuff, and trying to burn it. There was a constant pall of black smoke, and people were always exposed to the gases that come out when you burn plastic, including two very scary ones that have been linked to cancer, dioxins and furans."

From a group of 30 islanders featured in the film, five had cancer and two have died in the last 18 months, Ruxton says. She is raising funds to research the health impact of burning plastic.

The team is also studying the effects of ingesting seaborne plastic through a partnership with toxicology specialists at London's Brunel University. Studies have shown a quarter of food fish sold at markets in California and Indonesia contain plastic, and although this has not yet resulted in public health warnings, tests have shown ingestion can cause tumors in lab animals.

Californian oceanographer Captain Charles J. Moore, who first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and studies the impact of seaborne plastic, feels the "jury is still out" on the effects of ingestion on human health. But he believes our exposure is rapidly increasing, particularly through the spread of microplastics.

"Plastic is in the air we breathe, it's become part of the soil and the animal kingdom," says Moore. "We're becoming plastic people."

Counting the cost

Moore believes we do not fully comprehend the damage caused by plastic pollution, largely as the gyres where it collects have been ignored.

"The gyres are 40% of the world ocean - one third of the planet," says Moore. "But these areas are not part of any exclusive economic zone, they are not used for the shipment of goods, they are not harvested for marine resources, and their welfare is no one's concern ... I'm convinced we haven't scraped the surface of the damage being done."

From his own research, the volume of plastic has tripled in the gyres since the turn of the century, and plastic is disproportionately consumed by fish at the bottom of food chains, leading to rapid and deadly proliferation.

"It is impossible to quantify death in the ocean as weak and dying creatures are so rapidly consumed," says Moore. He believes U.N. estimates that plastic kills around one million sea creatures a year far understate the impact.

The U.N.'s Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Protection (GESAMP) has conducted several recent studies of plastic pollution and found far-reaching effects.

"If we don't do anything, we will see certain species disappear," says GESAMP Chairman Peter Kershaw, citing the toll of entanglement and ingestion on endangered seals and whales. "In wider ecosystems, (plastic) certainly has an impact on sensitive habitats, including coral reefs."

Kershaw also highlights the economic impact. Plastic causes $13 billion of damage to the marine environment each year according the UN, which affects the fishing, shipping and tourism industries.

Getting a grip

The issue of plastic pollution has gained traction over the past decade, which has seen research increase, and the launch of major initiatives such as the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, bringing together policymakers, conservationists and business interests to pursue solutions.

Kershaw believes the key is to end the culture of disposable plastic, and implement closed loop systems for the material to be reused, which would reduce the demand for new production. Around 80% of plastic waste in the oceans originates on land, and recycling rates are poor, with just 9% of plastic in the U.S. recycled, according to the EPA.

"We're suffering from a linear approach," he says. "We need to design waste out of the system."

Kershaw adds that incentive schemes have proved effective. Charging consumer

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waste management and remediation services

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The plastic plague: Can our oceans be saved from environmental ruin? | CNN

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has become the stuff of legend. This hotspot of marine waste, created by the spiral currents of the North Pacific Gyre, has been described as a floating trash island the size of Russia. But when filmmaker Jo Ruxton visited the location, she found clear blue water, and a deep-rooted problem.

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a.  In our local news lately there have been stories about teachers and schools in San Diego County deciding to do away with homework.

b.  We could interview:
1. Students who agree and disagree with the decision.
2.  Teachers who do give homework and those that do not.
3.  Parents of elementary, middle, and high school students.
I chose this event because I thing there are strong opinions on either side. At my school site we have one grade level that has decided to not give any homework to their students. The subjects for the interview provide different viewpoints both for and against homework. The students and parents are directly affected and their point of view is valid. Teachers also have their own perspective in this issue. The article by Gillen and Bhattacharya did point out that the researchers interpretation is somewhat subjective based on what they include as evidence. I believe that gathering perspectives from both sides of the issue is important.

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When it comes to homework, how much is enough?

One local school is rethinking homework---by not assigning any.

At Design39Campus in the Poway Unified School District, there is a "homework is different policy," according to the principal Joe Erpelding, who also calls it a home connect policy.

The school adheres to HELO, home extended learning opportunities.

"We want you to go outside and play, we want you to read, we want you to expand your vocabulary, go to the grocery store with your mom and help her keep a budget and learn your math facts," Hilary Duggan told her fourth and fifth grade students.

The students are encouraged to read at home, and to choose a "passion project," something they like doing.

"When you have ownership over your learning, you have complete engagement in what you're learning, and that what we want to facilitate," Erpelding said.

"I like to write things, it doesn't matter what it is," a student told NBC 7.

"I like to learn about new things, especially about animals," another student said.

One student said there was enough time in school to learn the material, making homework unnecessary.

In Texas, a teacher's sent note to parents telling them she was eliminating homework for her second grade class went viral.

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Local School Skips Homework Assignments for Students

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When it comes to homework, how much is enough?

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a.     Identify a current event that you could create an ethnodrama about with your students.

b.     On your Padlet post, include a link to the current event news source, a list of at least three types of people you think students could interview about the event, and an explanation of why you would explore this event through ethnodrama and why these people.