Race for the White House 2008
This link shows some background information on the candidates:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/This one has polls to show which candidates are most popular:
http://www.pollingreport.com/2008.htmHere are a couple links that compare the candidates' positions on issues:
http://www.selectsmart.com/president/2008/comparethem.htmlhttp://www.thebostonchannel.com/compare-candidates/index.html
extra credit opportunities
You may watch one of the following and write a one page summary and reaction for 10 points extra credit. Be sure to include a parent signature that says you watched the film. You may only do two of these, for a grand total of 2o extra credit points.
These 2 are documentaries and I don't know if Blockbuster carries them:
1- "Obsession: Radical Islam's War the West"
2- "The Iron Wall"
These ones might be easier to find-
1- El Norte (a story of immigration to the U.S.)
2- Munich (the story of what happened after 11 Israeli's were killed at the Munich Olympics)
3- Hotel Rwanda (about the genocide in Rwanda)
letter writing
Some of you have been asking about tips for writing a letter to congress or to other people. Listed below are some links that you definitely should read if writing a letter. Many of these same rules apply to writing people other than congress members.
How to write a letter to congress
Writing a letter to congressDo's and Don'ts of writing congressFollowing the directions and tips on the links above should be helpful, and please do take them seriously. Make sure that when you write you include an addressed envelope for me. Put your own return address on the upper left of the envelope. I'll provide the stamp.
Below is a sample that I found online that might give a good idea of the format. Notice the different headings depending on who you are writing.
For the Senate:
The Honorable ___________
U.S. Senate
Washington D.C., 20510
For the House of Representatives:
The Honorable ___________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington D.C., 20515
Dear Senator ___________: (or Dear Congressman/Congresswoman:)
I am writing to express my concern regarding the human rights abuses suffered by the individuals detained in the United States in connection with the investigations into the attacks of September 11, as documented in Human Rights Watch's report, "Presumption of Guilt: Human Rights Abuses of Post-September 11 Detainees."
I am deeply concerned that immigration charges were misused in order to circumvent legal restraints on the Department of Justice's power to detain and interrogate people. Human Rights Watch found that some post-September 11 detainees were held for prolonged periods of time without being charged, had their access to counsel impeded, were subjected to coercive interrogations, were incarcerated under restrictive conditions, including solitary confinement, and suffered physical and verbal abuse.
I urge you, as member of Congress who has a responsibility to oversee the Executive branch of our government, to ensure that the investigation and detention of persons suspected of having links to terrorism are conducted with full regard for the rights of all persons in the United States to be free of arbitrary detention, mistreatment in confinement, and violations of due process, including the right to counsel.
I am also troubled by the secrecy that surrounds the investigation. Secret arrests and secret hearings are incompatible with the core democratic values enshrined in the Constitution. Congress should exercise legislative and oversight authority to ensure that the necessary changes in current policies and practices are made.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. I look forward to your response.
Respectfully,
More citation help
Some of you have complained that your senior project materials (and the last link I gave you) does not sufficiently cover how to cite sources. To that end, I found some more detailed links to MLA citation help. Check them out.
http://www.easybib.com/reference/ has all the basic info for MLA sources
Since so many of you are websites, here's their page for
citing websiteshttp://www.easybib.com/reference/mla/website.php
MLA FORMAT
here is a link to the proper MLA citations for most sources (including websites).
http://www.liu.edu/CWIS/CWP/library/workshop/citmla.htmAnd here is the proper heading for your paper (all double spaced)
William Wallace (your name)
Mr. Vanderzee
CWP Final Paper
22 May 2007
Electric Cars: The Greatest Invention
U.S. Citizenship links
Your assignment has two parts, to be completed on a sheet of notebook paper.
1- Take this
Citizenship quizwrite down your score.
2- Read over the Citizenship requirements by following the link.
In a paragraph, summarize the citizenship requirements. Don't try to write them all. Did you already know many of these or do many of them surprise you?
Global Warming Links
Here is a web page that has a variety of information about global warming, including a link to 'An Inconvenient Truth's home page.
http://www.healthpolitics.org/archives.asp?previous=latest_on_globalwarming&spg=PPC&sky=hgygooglobal+warmingFor our debate you should use the interviews found on this PBS webpage. These people are speaking on both sides of the issue.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/warming/debate/ Select one article and focus on the strongest arguments for your side.
More project ideas
added Mon. pm 3/5more thoughts from Mr. VanderzeePeace Centers
Free Clinics
Retirement Homes
Rape/Abuse Crisis Centers
Animal Shelters
Public Transportation
added Mon. am 3/5-Cocoon House in Everett
-Habitat for Humanity (the org. that Jimmy Carter has been so active with which builds home with donated labor)
-Pilchuck Audubon (centered in Everett, which would allow students to study or work on habitat preservation and protection, growth management, doing bird counts, old growth forest preservation)
-Contacting the Snohomish County Democratic Party or Republican Party headquarters. You would do work with and/or for a candidate at any level or for any office.
-In the same tone, you could contact either Sen. Murray or Cantwell’s office, or either Rep. Rick Larson or Jay Inslee to do volunteer work for them.
-Come up with a cause relating to the homeless on the streets, or at a tent city, or in more traditional shelters, or even those who are at battered women’s shelters. Decide what you want to do or seek to provide (clothing, food, toys, etc.) You could then contact groups like Goodwill, Saint Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army, Everett Gospel Mission, etc. and see if they would partner with you in achieving your goal.
-Catholic Relief Services might also be able to use students to head up or assist with any number of community needs. I know they provide people to come in and clean homes of the elderly and/or ill, or do grocery shopping, or take them to the doctor or dentist.
-Something to spruce up a local park and then contact either the Snoh. Co. Park Dept. in Everett or the City of Lynnwood’s Park Dept. to learn what and how you could go about benefiting the community. This same basic approach could be used for merely a weekend clean-up of a park, playground, or beach.
-Initiate a tutoring, reading buddy, or whatever program with a local elementary school. This could just for you, or to organize a cadre of students who would do at a certain time once a week for perhaps the rest of the school year to work with students on reading or perhaps math. You would initiate this through the principal of a particular school.
-There exists in the City of Lynnwood such service clubs as Lions, Rotary, and Kiwanis. Lions focuses above all on getting hearing aids and eye glasses or surgery for those who need them but cannot afford things on their own. Each club has a specific area of concentration. For the Lions, you could lead a collection of used eye glasses.
-Fremont Abbey is a Seattle community arts project that has benefit concerts, art shows, etc. They are always in need of volunteers, and I’ve got contacts there if you're interested.
-International relief and development organizations have some local chapters. World Vision, Oxfam, etc.
-Northwest harvest is a great organization that collects food for food banks and gets it to needy people in our own communities. Contact them about the work they do and possibly volunteering.
-The YMCA website is a good place to look for many different ways to get involved, especially in working with kids. They have health programs, drug treatment, community development, and even international relief. Boys and Gilrs clubs also have some good resources.
