EXTRA CREDIT: Hoop Dreams, 15 years later

Date assigned
Thursday, Oct. 17


Assignment
Read three articles about Hoop Dreams:

1) Hoop Dreams, 15 years later - link

2) The Great American Documentary - link

3) The death of Arthur's father - link

Then answer the following questions:

1) What is Hoop Dreams about?  How many different things is it about?

2) What issues does Hoop Dreams raise about American society?

3) How did Hoop Dreams change your perspective?  What did it make you think about that you haven’t considered before?  How did it change your thinking?

4) Of all the films we could have chosen to show you, why did we choose Hoop Dreams?

5) How could the lives of William, Arthur, and all of the other people in the film have been improved? 

6) Can poverty be eliminated?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

7) Discuss the idea of athletes as role models.  Why are athletes idolized?  Should athletes be idolized?  Why don’t teenagers have posters of scientists or writers or journalists on the walls of their bedrooms?

Due date
Thursday, Oct. 24

In class: Nigerian independence

In groups of 3, you are creating:

-Political organization

• Name of country
• Type of government
• National motto
• National symbol

-National map after independence

• Regional borders and names
• National capital city marked with a star
• 1,000 miles of roads (scale: Ibadan to Enugu is 250 miles)

-National flag

-National pledge of allegiance



Due at the end of the period on Monday, Oct. 14

Homework: Shell Oil in Nigeria

Date assigned
Monday, October 14


Assignment
Read the handouts about Shell's involvement with the oil industry in the Ogoni region of Nigeria (links here and here).  Write at least 1.5 pages on the following opinion questions:

1) Should the Shell Oil company have been punished for their actions in Nigeria?  Why or why not?

2) What should Shell Oil’s punishment have been?  Explain your answer.

3) What was the worst thing Shell did?  Explain your answer.

4) What responsibilities do international corporations have when they harvest natural resources in places like Nigeria?  Explain your answer.

5) What responsibilities do national governments have when they allow international corporations like Shell Oil to harvest natural resources in their country?  Explain your answer.

Photo essay:
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/06/nigeria-the-cost-of-oil/100082/

Wiwa vs. Shell Oil on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N10wAPhDJAM&feature=youtu.be&safe=active

Further readings:
http://ccrjustice.org/ourcases/current-cases/wiwa-v.-royal-dutch-petroleum
http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/cases_03-04/Ogoni/Ogoni_case_study.htm
http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/ogoni-people-struggle-shell-oil-nigeria-1990-1995


Due date
Read both articles by Thursday, October 17
Turn in margin notes and questions on Monday, October 21

In class: Nigerian spoke diagram

The slide notes introducing Africa and Nigeria can be found here.  The instructions for the Nigerian spoke diagram are on the last page - come see me to get the reading required to do the assignment.

Project: African film assignment

The culminating project for the Africa unit - due Tuesday, November 5 - can be found here.

Homework: 3 imperialism documents

Date assigned
Thursday, October 3


Assignment
Read and write margin notes for 3 documents from the era of imperialism:

- British Contract with an African King (link)
- Letter Opposing the English (link)
- In Favor of Imperialism (link)

Answer the questions attached to each of the documents (EXCEPT for question #3 on Letter Opposing the English).


Due date
Tuesday, October 8, beginning of class

Government shut down and debt ceiling readings

James Fallows
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/09/why-this-is-not-just-washington-breakdown-in-3-graphs-and-1-story/280099/?google_editors_picks=true

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/09/your-false-equivalence-guide-to-the-days-ahead/280062/

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/the-two-basic-facts-that-should-be-in-every-shutdown-story/280179/


Andrew Sullivan
http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/10/01/the-nullification-party/

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/09/27/how-to-think-about-obamacare/

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/09/26/the-gops-demands/


Ezra Klein
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/26/wonkbook-the-houses-debt-ceiling-bill-is-wow/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/dont-forget-what-the-shutdown-is-really-about/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/30/our-governing-crisis-in-one-sentence/


Thomas Friedman
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/opinion/friedman-our-democracy-is-at-stake.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0


Greg Sargent
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/09/26/the-morning-plum-the-gops-debt-limit-strategy-is-insane-people-should-say-so/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/09/30/our-current-governing-crisis-in-two-sentences/


Derek Thompson
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/here-are-the-gops-debt-ceiling-demands-and-they-are-insane/280012/


National Review (conservative news and opinions)
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360122/holding-firm-robert-costa

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/360092/ongoing-health-care-debate-yuval-levin