Prank Caller Reaches UK Prime Minister

Prank Caller Reaches UK Prime Minister

(AP Photo/Peter Macdiarmid, Pool)
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30977267

1)  What evidence would be compelling for a task force devising a policy for greater phone security?  Why would a Head of State need security for communications?  What evidence might be David Cameron have had that made him hang up?

2)  Why might PM Cameron's family have a different perspective on this issue than the Obamas?  Similar?  How is my own experience limited in this story?  How is it related? 

3)  How is this connected to hacking?  How is this connected to the NSA scandal?  How is this connected to science?  Twitter?

4)  What if the PM gave out his personal phone number to the public?  Would this story have been reported 25 years ago?

5)  Why is this story significant?  Why might this be remembered 10 years form now?  

Extension Activities:
1)  Students can research the "Phreaking" incident and chart it's significance to modern communications.

2)  Students can develop a spectrum of acceptable pranks and carry out a benign joke at school.

Secret Service Blunders

Secret Service Blunders

 (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/us/series-of-secret-service-blunders-eased-way-for-white-house-intruder.html?smid=tw-share

By:   MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT

1)  What is an appropriate punishment for the security guards at fault?  Who else might be responsible?  How do you know?  Why does a president need so much protection?  Does President Obama deserve more than predecessor or successor?  Why or why not?

2)  How might the Secret Service have a different viewpoint than the Department of Homeland Security on the steps to prevent these types of incidents?  How do you think President Obama's family members feel about this incident?

3)  Has this ever happened before?  In other countries?  Who else deserves police protection?  Celebrities? Their children? Why might Alex form Target?  Who should pay?

4)  How could this story have been different?  What would happen if the Secret Service had a new oath?  What if a member of the Secret Service is not a supporter of the President's policies?

5)  What are the long term effects of this report?  Can anyone be protected all the time?  What would you give up for constant police protection?


Extension Activities:

1)  Students can trace the development of the Secret Service as an organization and outline how methods of protection and responsibility have changed.

2)  Students can create a myths vs facts about the lives of the President's children and imagine how they might feel under constant protection.

West Virginia Elects Nation's Youngest Lawmaker

West Virginia Elects Nation's Youngest Lawmaker 

 (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/11/04/west-virginia-elects-americas-youngest-state-lawmaker/
By:  Kris Maher

1)  What is an appropriate age for making laws?  What advantages (if any) did she have over her opponents? Disadvantages?

2)  Why might young people feel differently about this than older?  Who should feel more pressure to act now, teenagers or senior citizens?    

3)  To what degree can this situation be compared to the business world?  How is politics like sports?  Have 18 year-olds always had access to the job of law making?  

4)  What if she were 17?  21?  What if this was in your state?  What should happen if she quits college to become a full-time legislator?  What if she was a Democrat?  Libertarian?  Could this happen in other countries?  

5)  To which state other than her own is this most relevant?  What are the long-term impacts on her district?  The country?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can analyse the trends in age representation for their state's legislature over the last 20 years.

2)  Students can highlight instances of young lawmakers in the country/world and compare their similarities.

3)  Students can outline the key moments in American legislation that affected young people the most.

China furious after saxophonist appears to back Hong Kong protesters

Kenny G Annoys Both Sides in Hong Kong Protests

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/22/china-furious-kenny-g-hong-kong-protests
by:  Jonathan Kaiman, Emma Graham-Harrison

1)  How do I know what's true and false in this article?  What more information do I need to know to make a valid opinion on this subject?  Is Kenny G's original tweet or follow-up statement more representative of his true feelings about the protests?  How can he please both the protesters and his fans?          

2)  How might a protester in Hong Kong and a protester in Ferguson, MO view this situation similarly?  Differently?  Can someone be against the protests and still be a fan of Kenny G?  Why might Kenny G's relatives and the children of a prominent Chinese government official have differing opinions?

3)  How is this connected to other protests?  Tienanmen Square?  Have other artists had similar situations?  How is this connected to science?  How is a selfie like a protest?  Like a saxophone?    

4)  What if another star had taken a selfie in the same place? Katy Perry?  Paul McCartney?  Jackie Chan?  Would you have taken a selfie in the same spot?    

5)  How is this important?  Should the opinions of musicians matter in political matters?  Other artists?  Who is affected by this?  Whose perspective is most important?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can choose an artist and give them advice on playing a private concert for a known/suspected human rights abuser (i.e. Beyonce playing for Mumar Qaddafi).

2)  Students can write a letter of apology on behalf of Kenny G to the HK protesters/Chinese government/fans.

3)  Students can write a "Do's and Don't's" guidebook regarding selfie etiquette in certain situations like protests, celebrations, funerals and other gatherings.

The Science of Judging a Politician's Looks

How you judge politicians' attractiveness, according to science

(Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

http://theweek.com/article/index/270482/how-you-judge-politicians-attractiveness-according-to-science

1)  What evidence is outlined in the article?  Can you notice any immediate flaws in the experiment?  What are the limits of personal opinions regarding attractiveness?  Is there universal beauty in human attractiveness?

2)  What other factors might give someone a biased opinion of attractiveness?  To what degree can people of different political parties find companionship?  In what ways might men and women political figures be judged similarly?      

3)  What other idioms or sayings are there regarding beauty? Do opposites attract? How do they apply to politics?   Can this be related to other areas?  The media?  Sports?  Education?

4)  What would happen if there were only radio debates during elections?  What would happen if everyone believed this information?  Would past election results have changed?  Future?

5)  What is the larger impact of party affiliation and perceptions of attractiveness?  What are the best positive implications of this experiment for future voters?  Why is this news?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can study the famed televised Kennedy/Nixon debates and write a letter of advice to each politician regarding their appearance for another debate.
2)  Students can create fictional eHarmony profiles for famous historical figures.
3)  Students can study the golden ratio and describe
4)  Students can compare and contrast the way attractiveness is demonstrated in nature in their own regions' ecosystem with others around the world?