Sunday, January 11, 2009

Final Project Reflection and Presentation Questions


Due Date: Thursday, January 22 2009.


The Human Rights Issue Trailer Project was intended to motivate you to research a modern or historical international human rights violation while simultaneously learning new creative tools for expressing your ideas. Because this course emphasized government and politics, it is important that your final reflection and presentation illustrate the acquisition of knowledge about your nation of focus and it’s government. For your presentation, each member of your production team must write an individual reflection including responses to ALL of these questions. They may be posted on the blog, but you are responsible for being prepared to answer any of them directly during your presentation on the day of our final. This portion of the project must be completed independently from the rest of your group. It will count as a 100 point exam. Notes for EACH of the questions should be a minimum of 150 words and may not exceed 250 words. (This paragraph is 157 words.)


Final Presentations: C block 1/20, F block 1/23. G block - 1/22
REFLECTION QUESTIONS/ TALKING POINTS (20 points each)



1. Sunmarize the human rights issue selected for your project. Why did your group select this issue/ event? Explain why it is particularly important in the nation(s) your group emphasized in the trailer.


2. Describe the current political system and structure of government in your nation(s) of study. Compare the government of your nation with that of the United States and at least one other nation that we have studied in class this term (India, Great Britain, Ireland, Iran, Nigeria.)


3. What are some major issues in this nation that contribute to the problem profiled in your trailer? Reference cultural, economic, political and geo-political factors in your response.


4. How does the current administration in your nation of study feel about the problem you profiled in the trailer? What are they doing to alleviate, resolve or escalate/ reinforce this problem?


5. What do you think will be the state of affairs regarding this issue five years from now in your nation(s) of study? What would it take to drastically alleviate or eliminate this problem by 2014? Who should be responsible for these improvements? (Consider funding, resources, education, technology and leadership in your response.)


Additional questions for consideration – may be asked of the group during presentation (no points, but will be evaluated during oral presentation on day of screening):


Overall, what did you learn through completing this project? What questions do you still have about the topic and/ or nation that you studied.


Evaluate the finished product. What do you think worked? What could be improved? If given a “do over” what would you change about the project?How does the finished product compare with the vision for the project your group had when planning the story board?


Evaluate your effectiveness in achieving your creative vision.If this film were produced in full, who would be your target audience? What would they learn and/ or be inclined to do as a result of seeing your film?


Discuss the creative elements of your project (visual, text, “found footage”, audio). What were your sources and inspirations for selecting these pieces. How do you think they contributed to the overall effect of the trailer?


If you saw this trailer, would you go see the film? Why or why not.What advice would you give to students who take on this assignment in the future?

Monday, December 29, 2008

Human rights violations in modern-day India


Review India's country profile at:


http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2007/06/india_street_chlinks.html
Select one of the human rights topics to investigate below. Read and or/ view sources on PBS'

Frontline website.

Summarize the issue being sure to explain why it is a human rights issue. Explain how India's government is responding to this crisis and evaluate the role and effectiveness of Parlaiment in managing this issue. Propose your own action plan for resolving this problem.



Education, poverty and the "digital divide"/ access to technology
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/india/


Due Wednsday, January 7. Minimum 250 words. Remember that all video elements must be submitted by Tuesday January 6 for in-school editing.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

How Risky Is India: Analyzing international investments in a time of financial and security crisis


1. Read "How Risky is India", an article from the December 4 issue of Businees Weekly at:
http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_50/b4112024094731.htm?chan=rss_topDiscussed_ssi_5. 

2. Summarize the article and explain how it reflects the structure of politics in India as well as the nation's relationship with Britain and the United States. 

3.  Mehul Srivastava and Nandini Lakshman (the authors) tell us that "Only in 2001, when a stable government focused on the economy with a brand message "India Shining" did things (economically speaking) take off." They then ask the reader "Which India will prevail- the India that nurtures global industries and rising affluence or the India of stalled hopes and endemic violence?"  Answer this question with regard for the information presented in the article. 

****If you need further help understanding the recent attacks in Mumbai and the conflict in Kashmir, check out the research and background links at : 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7754438.stm


Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Film Trailer Study

In order to help you think through the format of your Political Issue Documentary or Feature trailer project, you and your Production Team are asked to view and analyze at least SIX trailers from the links below. You must view at least two documentary and two feature trailers. These should be a mix of ametur and professionally produced films.

Features (trailers available for view in large format at www.spout.com/films):
City of God - street children in Brazil
Paradise Now- suiscide bombing
Maria Full of Grace- drug trafficking
Osama- women's rights in Afghanistan
Bread and Roses- immigrant worker rights/ labor organizing USA
The Last King of Scotland - dictatorship of Idi Amin in Uganda
Human Trafficking - self explanitory


Documentaries:
God Grew Tired of Us: children of war in Sudan: http://www.spout.com/films/God_Grew_Tired_of_Us/261762/921795/trailers.aspx

Sicko: Health care in US and Canada
http://www.spout.com/films/Sicko/284216/35687/trailers.aspx

Inheritance - an American woman comes to terms with the Nazi roots of her family's wealth: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/inheritance/index.html

Various POV doucmentaries are available for view at: http://www.pbs.org/pov/filmarchive.php

Several SHORT documentaries concerning global human rights issues are available for view at:www.mediathatmattersfest.org

Rights on the Line - Immigrant Rights:
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/7/rights_on_the_line_vigilantes_at_the_border/index.php?fs=about

Bread: Poverty in Guatemala:
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/bread/

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Detailed study of a political or human rights issue in your nation of study


Map shown measures human rights restraints in nations around the world. Blue nations have the least restraints, red have the most.

Your final blog assignment for the second marking period is also the culminating project for this grading period. You will need to summarize three articles on a political and/or human rights issue in a nation of your choice in a historical or modern context. The issue or event you select will ultimately shape the film/documentary trailer you will be working on next marking period, so be sure you are genuinely interested in the topic.


The articles selected for this assignment must reflect international perspectives (they must be from the media of at least TWO different nations.)


Note: if you haven't completed the first part of this project, please select a nation and move forward with this assignment anyway. I'll be happy to help you chose one - just ask!


Some topics you might like to research include:

Effects and events of specific wars in your nation of study

Race based conflict and discrimination

Women’s suffrage/ voting rights

Universal suffrage/ voting rights

Impact of specific leaders and/ or dictators

Gender parity (difference) and/or discrimination

Labor issues, strikes, and unions

Genocide

Imperial rule and colonialism

Indigenous/ native rights

Terrorism

Health crises

Human trafficking (may be labor or sex work related)

Pollution, water and waste management

Poverty

Industrialization

Child rights issues (soldiers, labor, slavery, orphan crises, health crises, education and infanticide (killing of unwanted babies) are some issues you might chose to focus on)


For the purposes of this assignment you must:


  • Locate and summarize three articles on the (1) issue you have chosen as it specifically relates to the issue/event you chose. Be sure to explain when and where this event had/is having the greatest impact, who is most directly affected by it.

  • Explain how this event relates to the political system in place (or systems in conflict) of your nation of study

  • Summarize the role of leaders in managing this issue. Evaluate his/her/ their role in relationship to this issue.

  • Explain how this problem/event relates to the government case studies we’ve covered in class thus far (U.S., Iran, UK)

  • Cite your three internet or printed articles in MLA format( http://www.easybib.com/ ) will format citations for you in MLA if you have the necessary information.

This assignment must meet a minimum of 600 words. It must be typed and may be either emailed to me, posted to the blog or submitted on paper.This will count as TWO blogs and follow the generic blog rubric that appears on the right side of this page under “blog rubric”.


Due: Wednesday December 3 before class.


5 bonus points will be added if you submit by Monday December 1.



OPTIONAL Extra Credit Assigment:Write a film synopsis and review of any of the following films:


In the Name of the Father


The Madness of King George


The Queen


Braveheart


Michael Collins


Directions:
1. Summarize the plot.
2. Explain what it reveals about the political history of the nations it relates to.
3. Draw connections between the film and the information you learned in one of our recent units. 4. Conclude by evaluating the film and stating whether or not you would recommend it to other Government students.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Prime Minister Politics 101

Last week many of you posed questions about why British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been replaced as head of Parlaiment by PM Gordon Brown. Here's your chance to find out and learn more about the legislative process in the United Kingdom.

Directions:

1. Read:

A) “Tony Blair to Resign in a Year”
ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=2405434&page=1

AND

One of the following articles and explore one of it’s hyperlinked sources (may be text, video, image or audio files):

B) Blair “My political journey is over” 5/10/07
CNN News
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/10/blair.announcement/index.html

OR



C) “British Prime Minister Announces His Resignation”
MTV News
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1559212/20070510/index.jhtml

2. Summarize the articles, emphasizing the primary reasons UK Prime Minister Tony Blair voluntarily resigned in 2007s. Explain what these sources tell you about the role of the Prime Minister, his/her relationship with the Parliament and the role of political parties in the UK Parliament.

3. Answer one or more of the following questions:

  • How does Blair’s resignation compare to the US Presidential resignations we’ve learned about in class (Nixon, Clinton and Jackson)?
  • What does this say about the differences in the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States?
  • Based on your knowledge and the articles, why did MP's and Britons believe Brown's policies would better serve the interests of the UK?

Your post must be a minimum of 250 words.

Be sure to comment or question a peer's response.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

The Royal Crown in the modern world


This week we will be exploring the roles and responsiblities of the British Parliment. As discussed Friday, the leader of Parliment is the Prime Minister, and it is he or she who is essentially the exectuive leader of Great Britain. The Queen, however, remains the Head of State of the United kingdom and over a dozen independent commonwealths. Your blog this weekend asks you to analyze the changing and contested role of the British Monarchy in the modern world.


Directions: Actively read the articles below:

How the Commonwealth sees the Queen:












The Queen admits monarchy must evolve to survive:









2. Summarize each article providing insight on what powers and influence the Queen has on British politics and culture.



3. Based on the articles, how has the Queen's political and cultural role and influence changed in recent history? Refer to at least three nations and multiple perspectives in your response.


Blog due Tuesday, November 11 (Veterans day- no class)

250 word minimum.

You may post, email, or print your response