Tuesday, October 28, 2014

THE GRISLY ALL AMERICAN APPEAL OF SERIAL KILLERS


“In trying to make sense of the darkest extremes of human behavior, the public turns murderers into myths and monsters”
By: Julie Beckoct
Level of Difficulty: ***
BEFORE YOU READ
·        · 8 Serial killers who were never caught http://www.the-line-up.com/8-serial-killers-who-were-never-caught/
Video: Serial killers and pop culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCyt3vw7MFU  
QUESTIONS
1.       The story of the killer clown proves that………………………………………………………………………………
2.       The reason of the far less prevalent cases of murders by serial killers are remembered even years later is the fact that …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3.       Dr. Scott Bon says people are endlessly fascinated by serial killers because they…………………….
4.       Do Marvel and Dave Corbone agree or disagree about the reason for the fascination with serial killers?
5.       What misguided opinion did the FBI disprove?
6.       The reasons why white male serial killers like Bundy, the Zodiac killer, the Green River killer and the like become famous are the facts that…………………………………………………………………….
7.       There is an element of racial bias in serial murder investigations because…………………………..
8.       The widely held erroneous belief about who exactly serial killers are is the fact that they are…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
9.       The link between the McDonald Triad and future violent behavior is non-existent / tenuous / valid / questionable.
10.   People prefer to think that serial killers are ………………………..rather than……………………………….
11.   Most serial killers are wrongly considered to be American because……………………………………….
12.   People’s growing insensitivity to violent crime has sparked the interest in…………………………….(Be specific and tweak the text)
13.   Why does the public lump real serial killers and fictional ones together?
14.   The reason for the emergence of the monster narrative is the fact that……………………………..
15.   When dealing with serial killers, the emphasis is on ………………….rather than………………………… This has lead to the line of fiction best described as ………………………………………………………………
16.   The idea that all people who enjoy graphic crime drama are just as bad as the villains is wrong because according to research, …………………………………………………………………………………..
17.   David Schmit believes people enjoy shows like Dexter because: mark true or false
·         The killers are more self centered
·         They want to go around murdering people
·         The killers  disregard social rules
·         The killers do whatever they want
·         They like the story line
18.   Now that you have studied the text carefully, decide where you would place the following subtitles:
·         A Popular Misconception Is Born
·         The Demise of the Serial Killer Cult
·         The Birth of the Monster Narrative
·         Why the Interest?
WRITING TASK
Use the text to write an essay explaining the reasons for the birth and growing popularity of the monster narrative.
THE GRISLY ALL AMERICAN APPEAL OF SERIAL KILLERS KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES
This topical text analyzes a widely popular genre on television and on screen and as such should appeal to students many of whom watch crime dramas. It should be interesting to see how objective they can be when looking at the issue.
1.       When it comes to serial killers, the myth is what matters
2.       Tales of domestic violence zoom in and out of news so frequently
3.       Are drawn to understanding the dark side and the dark side is part of the human condition
4.       They agree; both feel it is about the puzzle
5.       Serial killers are all men, all white, all evil geniuses or mentally ill
6.       Female serial killers tend to kill by less gory methods ; most serial killers tend to kill within their own race and white victims, especially white female victims, usually get wider media attention; serial killers who target minority victims are less likely to be caught.
7.       White neighborhoods are given priority over poor, black or Latino neighborhoods.
8.       Ordinary, white, male, middle class
9.       Questionable
10.   Deviant monsters; seemingly ordinary people
11.   The rates of violence in general and serial killer violence specifically are so much higher in the  US.
12.   Serial killers with extreme methods
13.   Because true crime shows often use fictional techniques to dramatize what they are showing and fictional shows draw upon real stories to give themselves authenticity.
14.   The media tends to paint serial killers as storybook villains.
15.   Conquering evil( or eliminating evil) ; understanding it; the monster hunt narrative
16.   Thrill watchers have high levels of adventure seeking but also high levels of empathy
17.   The second one is false, the rest are true
18.   A Popular Misconception Is Born: In the public imagination, serial killers tend to fit a certain stereotype
The Demise of the Serial Killer Cult: It’s been years since…
The Birth of the Monster Narrative: The serial killers who become famous are extreme…
Why the Interest? The public fascination with serial killers…


UNDERSTANDING STALIN


“Russian archives reveal that he was no madman, but a very smart and implacably rational ideologue”
By: Anne Applebaumoct
Level of difficulty: **

BEFORE YOU READ
·         How would you describe Stalin? A mad sociopath or ruthless, cold, calculating and single-minded?
·         Does he share certain qualities with other dictators?
·         Why do you think people follow such people so blindly?

NOW WATCH THE VIDEOS
Joseph Stalin: fighting the war http://www.biography.com/people/joseph-stalin-9491723/videos/joseph-stalin-fighting-the-war-2237394179

QUESTIONS
1.       The fact that Iosif Vissarionovich Djugashvili became the Stalin we know is incredible / to be expected.
2.       Many experts have tried to explain the transformation in the characters of people like Hitler and Stalin through…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3.       Why could Leon Trotsky have put about such damming views concerning Stalin?
4.       What misconception concerning Stalin the person did the archives prove to be wrong?
5.       Ingenuity and hard work helped Stalin create the Soviet Union but they weren’t the only factors. What else helped him with his mission?
6.       What advantage did Stalin the person possess that his two companions didn’t?
7.       Refer back to question three; what judgment concerning Stalin was proved to be wrong by Kotkin?
8.       How did the Bolshevik coup d’état benefit Stalin and his friends?
9.       The framework for all Stalin’s actions is stated to be ………………………which seemed to offer security.
10.   One of the reasons for Stalin’s terrible reputation was the fact that…………………………………
11.   According to Kotkin, Stalin wasn’t a psychopath or a sociopath; rather, he was………………………
12.   The “deep sense of certainty” provided by ideology was very comfortable because ……………………..could be explained away.
13.   Read the account of Stalin’s mission in Tsaritsyn. Which adjectives best describe Stalin’s behavior in this instance:
·         Single-minded and ruthless
·         Sadistic and ambitious
14.   What method first used in Tsaritsyn became Stalin’s regular fallback plan throughout his career?
15.   What does “it” refer to in the phrase “it resulted in Stalin’s complete political triumph”
16.   The warning offered in the conclusion is that:
·         Violent ideologies still exist
·         Violent ideologies still have their followers
·         Both of the above
·         None of the above (please explain)
17.   Look back at the text and try and place the subtitles listed below in their appropriate places.
·         Ideology Carried Too Far
·         The Truth
·         Psychological and Political Explanations
·         The Role of Ideology
·         Freud Was Wrong
·         And So Was Trotsky
WRITING TASK
Now that you have studied the text in detail, write a summary. Remember a good summary needs to be brief and to the point; longer isn’t always better. This summary task is challenging in another respect too: it requires massive reorganization of the information so think carefully and send in your summary if you believe it is good enough to post. Have fun.
UNDERSTANDING STALIN KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES
This text may look like a tired old topic about an infamous dictator we have read so much about but it is not. Through Stalin, the writer seeks to imagine the single minded attachment to an ideology, how this ideology takes hold and that it is an ever present danger. Question 17 and the writing task require special attention.
1.       Incredible
2.       Their subject’s upbringing / childhood
3.       To inspire the Trotskyites to remain faithful to the revolution
4.       That he was a lumpen bureaucrat
5.       With the help of a circle of equally dedicated men as well as thousands of fanatical secret policemen
6.       A mother who despite her background, was ambitious and energetic …
7.       That he was an unlettered man who…
8.       It brought them personal security, force and power they had never before known.
9.       Ideology
10.   All his policies required mass violence to implement
11.   A man shaped by rigid adherence to a puritanical doctrine
12.   Whatever went wrong
13.   The first
14.   Extralegal revolutionary methods
15.   The displacement, the imprisonment and eventually the orchestrated starvation of millions of people
16.   Both of the above
17.   Ideology Carried Too Far: “The ideology offered Stalin…”
The Truth: “Since the opening…”
Psychological and Political Explanations: “Under Freud’s influence…”
The Role of Ideology: “Year by year…”
Freud Was Wrong: “In an exceptionally ambitious biography, …”

And So Was Trotsky: “More important Kotkin notes…”

Monday, October 27, 2014

THE INTROVERTED FACE


By: James Hamblinoct
Level of difficulty: **

BEFORE YOU READ
·         How do we form first impressions of people?
·          How reliable are these first impressions?
·         What are the long term effects of these first impressions?

NOW WATCH THE VIDEOS
·         Even children judge your looks  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfHdYidooqk
·         Smile! Appearing happy can make you look more trustworthy - and a wider face can make you seem competent http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3130387/Smile-Happy-people-appear-trustworthy-wider-face-make-competent.html


QUESTIONS
1.       What widely held belief seems questionable according to the writer?
2.       The purpose of the text is to try and discover whether ……………………………………………………………..
3.       What is the function of the following sentence: “But it’s predictably not all that simple”?
·         To provide transition
·         To indicate the writer’s opinion
·         To indicate the main argument
·         To introduce doubt
·         All of the above
·         None of the above
4.       Olivola seems to be suggesting that we carry our first impressions too far / far enough / not far enough.
5.       The widespread face-ism observed in society has serious and far reaching consequences as ………
6.       Olivola states “Fortunately for researchers, most Americans don’t know who most congressional candidates are”. Why does he say this? Use your own words.
7.       In the case of CEO’S, the effects of social bias could be dealt with by……………………………………………
8.       In the case of elections, there seems to be a positive correlation between ………………………………
9.       What does that message in the sentence “We need a lot of strong evidence before putting that message out there” refer to?
10.   Olivola describes the belief that “mankind is capable of judging personality based on the face alone as ……………………………………….He goes on to say that it is not only the fact that such judgments are wrong that is dangerous; people are also ……………………..
WRITING TASK
Use the text to write about the effects of face-ism and how to deal with it.
THE INTROVERTED FACE KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES
This interesting text focuses on a popular bias we may not have all thought deeply about and draws attention to its consequences. The activity should lead to a good writing activity and plenty of discussion.
  1. That people can accurately guess a variety of personality traits and behavioral tendencies from portraits alone.
  2. The findings elucidate canny human intuition or absurd misguided bias
  3. All of the above
  4. Too far
  5. They have serious implications for how people are treated and their outcomes in life
  6. Possible answer: Their prejudices don’t affect their voting if they don’t know what the candidates look like
  7. Controlling for how the company was doing before they come on board versus after.
  8. Facial competence and lack of political knowledge
  9. The ability to draw accurate inferences from faces
  10. A judgmental illusion; inconsistent



Wednesday, October 22, 2014

HOW TO WRITE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS


The purpose when writing arguments is to defend your own views and refute the counter arguments. One way to do this is to take each counter argument and refute it individually. The rebuttal thus provided should ideally be accompanied by examples too. Below you will find the link to a wonderful video and short data commentary on the issue of government involvement in healthcare. Listen carefully and study the data and data commentary to come to grips with how the process works.
“What If America Had Canada's Healthcare System?
It would not be a socialist paradise.”

TELL THE STORY OF POCAHONTAS


We all know the Walt Disney film about Pocahontas but who was the real Indian princess and what was her true life story? Do your research and write an essay or a paragraph based on the notes you make.
Reading and writing skills: review a well structured lesson on Pocahontas:
·         “Who was Pocahontas?” https://learnzillion.com/lessonsets/888-who-was-pocahontas  You will need to create a free account to access this sight but it is a good idea to take the time to do it. When you have done so, view and listen carefully to all the video lectures on the topic; there are five in this case
Reading material to annotate:
·         “The real Pocahontas” http://pocahontas.morenus.org/  This website will lend itself to a comparison as well.
Videos to make notes on:
“Pocahontas”  http://www.biography.com/people/pocahontas-9443116

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

LINKS FROM “LEARNZILLION” WHICH WILL HELP WITH WRITING


About this site: the site contains video lessons on various aspects of writing.
Below you will find sets of video lessons created by experts on issues ranging from punctuation and subject verb agreement to coherence. View them at your leisure
·          “A collection of Write Along lessons created by Lauren Jarrell” https://learnzillion.com/lessonsets/821
·         A collection of Write Along lessons created by Michael Signal.
·         A collection of Write Along lessons created by Juaneuka Agyeman. https://learnzillion.com/lessonsets/876
·         A collection of Write Along lessons created by Kristi Steele.
·         A collection of Write Along lessons created by Katherine Learnard.
·         A collection of Write Along lessons created by Stephanie Clarke.
·         A collection of Write Along lessons created by Kathleen Bowski.



Monday, October 20, 2014

TELL THE STORY OF ‘EARTH’


Study the links below to find out more about our wonderful and amazing home, planet Earth, and write the story.
Familiarize yourself with the issue:
Reading material to annotate:
·         “The history of Earth” http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/history_of_the_earth
Documentary to watch and make notes on:

·         “The history of Earth” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQm6N60bneo

Thursday, October 16, 2014

TELL THE STORY OF THE PEASANTS’ REVOLT


The Peasants’ revolt of 1381, which took place during the 100 years war, was an unprecedented event with far reaching consequences. It followed the Black Death or the Plague and created some radical changes. Do your research and tell the story of this historic event.
Reading material to annotate:
·         “Peasants Revolt” http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/peasants_revolt.htm
·         “Peasants’ Revolt” http://www.britannia.com/history/articles/peasantsrevolt.html
Videos to watch and make notes on:
·         “The Causes of the peasants’ revolt of 1381” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8UKbOlE_YE
Documentary to watch and make notes on:

·         “The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6pZTBxNTMc

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF EPIDEMICS


The world has lived through numerous devastating epidemics from the Black Plaque to Spanish influenza; from AIDS to the current Ebola crisis. Each has wreaked havoc on populations but they have had equally serious economic and social effects. Write an essay in which you discuss these effects.
Refer to my second blog, The Essay Archive, for sample essays: https://theessayarchive.blogspot.com.tr/  
Your purpose:
To discuss the economic and social effects in general; not to discuss the Black Plaque, AIDS and Ebola separately
Structure
Deal with the effects in general – you will find many common points – but also give specific examples based on your research
Plan
It is suggested that you discuss the economic effects in one paragraph and the social effects in the next. Alternatively, you can match up economic and social effects but you will need to think carefully about the planning.
 
Reading material to annotate: Relatively simple
·         “The social and economic effects of the plague” http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/plague/effects/social.php
·         “The economic impact of HIV/AIDS” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_impact_of_HIV/AIDS
·         “The worst case scenario for Ebola” http://www.vox.com/2014/9/23/6832023/ebola-virus-global-health-panic This text comes with a video
Reading material to annotate: more challenging alternatives
·         “Economic impact of the Black Death” http://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-economic-impact-of-the-black-death/
·         “A look at the social effects of the Black death” http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homework-help/88775-social-effects-of-the-black-death/
·         “The economic impacts of HIV/AIDS” http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/ad696e/ad696e05.htm
Videos to watch and make notes on:
·         “The Black Death” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W1YZKbYDWw
·         “The impacts of HIV /AIDS on economic development in Southern Africa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4cOSkQz4Is
Documentaries to watch and make notes on:

·         “The Black Death”   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fAhOVFp54E

Monday, October 13, 2014

TELL THE STORY OF THE FIRST CONCENTRATION CAMPS


A concentration camp is described as a place where people are detained or confined without trial. Nazi Germany is accused of establishing the first concentration camps during the Holocaust but this isn’t strictly speaking true; another nation set a precedent. Do your research and find out how the first concentration camps were established.
Familiarize yourself with the issue:
·         “Concentration camps in the second Boer War” http://prezi.com/kgonylutlfrj/concentration-camps-in-the-second-boer-war/  
·         “Boer War concentration camps” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwA7JEK5eJc
·         “South African war: concentration camps” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TkjVrzoI-s
Reading material to annotate:
·         “The concentration camp” http://www.historywiz.com/didyouknow/concentrationcamp.htm

Thursday, October 9, 2014

WHAT HAPPENED TO FLIGHT MH17? GUIDED NARRATIVE


The tragic downing of Malaysia’s MH17 is still being investigated by the Dutch who have also taken on the harrowing task of identifying the victims. What exactly happened during that doomed flight and why did it happen? Use the links below, in the order suggested to write a guided narrative. Before you do so, make sure to carefully study a sample narrative to remind yourself of the structures and tenses used in such writing:
“Gunther, Christine and Otto: a love story” http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29521102
The following link will give you background information which you might want to use in your introduction:
“MH17 Malaysia plane crash in Ukraine: what we know”  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28357880
The following link will give you the events that took place up to the moment of the crash in chronological order; you will need to join them together using the narrative structures you have learnt to form a coherent paragraph – your first developmental paragraph:
 “MH17 crash: Dutch investigators’ first findings” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29122816
 The following link will give you information about the possible Russian link; this information could go into your second developmental paragraph:
·         “MH17 disaster: Russians controlled BUK missile system” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29109398
Last of all; write a restatement as a conclusion.

Congratulations: you have now written an essay!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

HOW CAN ONE DEVELOP POSITIVE TEACHER STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS?


Successful learning cannot take place if the teacher and the students are at logger heads. It is essential that the members of the team – the students and their teacher – get on well, like, understand and respect each other to ensure high achievement. So how can one develop positive teacher student relationships? Do your research and write an essay on the topic.
Suggestion:
Start with the PowerPoint presentation and then cover two of the texts and two of the videos. Do the rest of your research the following day to guarantee that what is learnt has staying power.
Familiarize yourself with the issue: PowerPoint presentation:
·         “Positive relationships foster my learning” http://prezi.com/kyulc8tirjd-/positive-relationships-foster-my-learning/ 
Reading material to annotate:
·         “Tips for developing positive teacher student relationships” http://teaching.about.com/od/Information-For-Teachers/a/Tips-For-Developing-Positive-Teacher-Student-Relationships.htm
·         “Making classroom discipline decisions for teachers” http://teaching.about.com/od/classroommanagement/a/Classroom-Discipline-Decisions.htm 
·         “Qualities of an effective teacher” http://teaching.about.com/od/pd/a/Qualities-Of-An-Effective-Teacher.htm 
Videos to watch and make notes on:
·         “Student teacher relationships as motivators v1” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YyPd_KAdQY
·         “Message to a teacher – care and compassion determine student outcomes” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WERHEEujpIs
·         “Principal Kafele  says ‘you can’t teach them if you don’t know them” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTCrhnGiWXI

·         “Message to a teacher – you  don’t have discipline problems … It’s bigger than that” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OW8TjY4ulU

     Refer to my second blog, The Essay Archive, for sample essays: https://theessayarchive.blogspot.com.tr/  

TELL THE STORY OF THE NOBEL PRIZE


The Nobel Prizes are awarded every year but what is the story of the Nobel Prize and how did it all start? Do your research and write the story.
Reading material to annotate:
·         “History of the Nobel Prizes” http://history1900s.about.com/od/medicaladvancesissues/a/nobelhistory.htm
·         “The Nobel Prize” http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1847407,00.html
·         “What’s up with that: how did the Nobel Prize become the biggest award on the planet?” http://www.wired.com/2014/10/whats-nobel-prize-become-biggest-award-planet/   
Videos to watch and make notes on:

·         “The Will – a slide show” http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=1335

Monday, October 6, 2014

IF SOMEONE SECRETLY CONTROLLED WHAT YOU SAY, WOULD ANYONE NOTICE?


By: Greg Miller
Published: Wired, September 29, 2014, http://www.wired.com/2014/09/cyranoid-experiment/  
Level of difficulty: **
BEFORE YOU READ
·         Do you determine who someone is by the way they look, or their personality and what they say?
·         Are these concepts separable or not?
·         Would you recognize and be able to pick out your loved ones no matter what?
QUESTIONS
1.       The 12 year old boy’s in depth knowledge about austerity measures and his love of Dostoevsky should have led the subjects ……………………………………………………………….
2.       What basic assumption does the research conducted by two psychologists at the London School of Economics challenge?
3.       Stanley Milgram’s experiment would never pass a modern ethical review because…………………………………………………………………………………(Use your own words)
4.       What is the similarity between cyronoids and Cyrano de Bergerac?
5.       In what respects were Milgram’s earlier test subjects cyronoids? With respect to the fact that…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6.       The writer says “The consequences would not be good”. What is he referring to? Be very precise.
7.       What does “That” refer to in the phrase “That was a huge surprise”. There are two answers; find both.
8.       What really scared the crowd in the exhibit around South Bank?
9.       Cyronoids are a good way to study human social interaction because they allow researchers to determine…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
10.   The subjects failed to suspect that something was wrong in two later experiments carried out by Cortie and Gillespie probably because ………………………………………………………………………………
11.   We have already entered the world of cyronoids in the 21st century because………………………..
12.   What does “It” refer to in the phrase “It’s a twist”?
WRITING TASK
In the last paragraph but one, Corti says “If you want to get really deep about it, we are all cyronoids. We all say things we hear other people say. Jon Steward is just an amalgam of ghost writers. The stuff I told you earlier about Milgram is based on what other people said at a conference. Where in all this are original thoughts?”. To what extent do you agree? Write an essay in which you state your opinions.
IF SOMEONE SECRETLY CONTROLLED WHAT YOU SAY, WOULD ANYONE NOTICE? KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES
This fascinating text opens up a whole can of worms about personality and individual character. It points to truisms we are hard put to disagree with but make us jolly uncomfortable never the less. Because of all this, it should go well. The bonus is that it really does lend itself to some wonderful questions and a challenging writing task.
  1. To suspect his words were not his own
  2. We can recognize some element in all of us that is a permanent part of our nature.
  3. Possible answer: It involved harming other people; OR it ,involved people bowing to authority and harming other people
  4. Neither of them spoke thoughts originating in their own nervous systems; OR, the words they speak originated in the mind of another person.
  5. They ceded control of their own behavior to the guy in the lab coat
  6. A world in which the thoughts of one person come out of another person’s mouth.
  7. The fact that even people who knew him didn’t catch on; OR, the fact that people who knew him couldn’t get passed the idea they were talking to him.
  8. The fact that cyronoids answered in unison
  9. Whether it’s what someone says or what they look like that matters more
  10. Our brains are wired to treat someone who looks and acts like a person as an individual person; OR, our brains didn’t evolve to deal with people speaking through the bodies of someone else.
  11. Identity replacement has become the norm for online interactions.
  12. Looking at whether people can tell when the person in front of them is being fed lines from a chat box.