The Making of a 104K-Square-Foot 'Giga-Mansion'

This May Be the Priciest Home Ever

(Skyline Development)

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mcclean-704015-homes-laguna.html

1) Which numbers in this article are most important for your understanding? How can we trust that this is being reported fairly?

2) Whose perspective is the represented in this article? Whose is left out? In what ways would the architect's goals differ from the neighbors'?

3) In what way is this connected to science? In what ways is this connected to the development "The Earth" in Dubai?

4) To what degree would this story be different if it was in Missouri? In Costa Rica? Yellowstone National Park?

5) What are the long-term effects of this story? To what degree does this story affect you? What are the basic assumptions about homes represented in this article?

Extension Activities:

1) Students can research the most expensive structures in the world and visually represent them in proportion on an infographic.

2) Students can research the wealthiest individuals of all time and rank the various impacts of their money in different realms (charity, education, politics, business, etc.)

AoK: Human Sciences

Wok: Ethihcs

That Moment When You Think You Won Powerball

NJ Workers Celebrate After Thinking They Won the Lottery


 (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)


http://abc7ny.com/news/video-nj-workers-ecstatic-after-thinking-they-won-the-powerball-(hint-they-didnt)/1156511/

1)  What evidence did the employees use to confirm their numbers?  In what ways might this experience strengthen their decision-making abilities for the future?  Weaken?

2)  Why might the manager's reaction be different than that of the dishwasher's or valet's?

3)  In what ways is this connected to the concept of celebrity?  To what degree is this connected to religion?

4)  How might this story be different if it was school employees?  Google employees?  In China?

5)  What are the underlying assumptions about money and work expressed in this article?  How important is money to you?  In what ways might a large lottery jackpot improve your life?  In what ways might it be a detriment?

Extension Activities:

1)  Student's can write a series of apology texts form the perspective of a person mentioned (or not) in the article (i.e. the sender of the wrong numbers, the valet)

2)  Students can calculate the odds of winning the Powerball Jackpot and compare it to other unlikely scenarios (i.e. Shark Attack, Vending machine serious injury, hole-in-one in golf)

AoK:  Math

WoK:  Reason

A Theory of Funny-Sounding Words

Why is Snunkoople funny?


Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images

http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2015/12/14/why_is_the_nonsense_word_snunkoople_funnier_than_the_equally_made_up_word.html

1)  What numbers are used as evidence in this piece?  Which numbers would be most helpful to dispute the findings?

2)  Why might a Chinese student feel differently about this than a Canadian?  In what ways would the publisher of Dr. Seuss' books think about this study?

3)  How is this connected to social media?  The news?  Harry Potter?  

4)  What if you found out your favorite pop star changed their name according to this principle?

5)  How might this be significant to a political campaign?  What is a long-term consequence in this topic?  What are some basic assumptions about humor?  To what degree does this story change the way you view your name?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can poll their peers and acquaintances about common "hated" words and chart their results.  They can then think of replacements for the most egregious words to suggest for future use.

2)  Students can chart the history of the word cool and its synonyms then predict future synonyms 1,5, 20 years out.

AoK:  Human Sciences

WoK:  Language

Nicki Minaj to Perform in Angola

Should Celebrities Appear for Leaders Known for Oppression and Brutality?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/world/nicki-minaj-concert-in-angola-draws-human-rights-complaint.html?pagewanted=all

1)  What evidence would sway your opinion one way or the other?  Does the amount of money make a difference?

2)  In what capacities might Beyonce think about this differently than Nicki?  Your sibling and the daughter of Dos Santos?

3)  In what ways is this connected to sports?  To Martin Skrelli and Bernie Sanders?  Schindler's List?

4)  Would you change your mind if you found out people in the country with your religious beliefs were being persecuted?  Hair color?  About North Korea?  Germany in 1942?  Mongolia in 1210?  

5)  To what degree does this affect you?  What is the short term consequence?  What are the underlying assumptions about pop stars that affect this story?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can chart the responses of their classmates and teachers on the amount of money they would take to perform in a similar situation and analyze their results.

2)  Students can write a series of 5 tweets to Nicki Minaj supporting or protesting her decision and predict the outcome of a fictitious back-and-forth with an online opponent.      

AoK:  Ethics

WoK:  Reason

Facebook to Introduce Features for Breakups

Facebook Will Erase Your Ex

http://www.dailydot.com/technology/facebook-break-up-features/

1)  What evidence does Facebook use to indicate the end of a relationship?  Which numbers would be most convincing that this is a valuable resource?  Whose opinion on this matter would give the most credence?    

2)  In what ways would a divorce lawyer and a marriage counselor differ in opinion?  Why might Mark Zuckerberg and an artist have different opinions?  Whose perspective is left out of this article?

3)  In what ways is this connected to health?  To what degree is this connected to geography?  How might we view connections between this update and Facebook's new logo redesign?    

4)  In what ways would this story be different if Facebook made you pay for this service?  How might this be different if it was paired with news that Facebook was acquiring an online dating website?  

5)  What assumptions does the article make about modern dating?  What are the short-term implications for psychology?  What are the long-term implications for Facebook's finances as a result of this issue?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can draw comparisons to this article and the Pope poem "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and design a Venn diagram showing contrasts and comparisons.  

2)  Students can write an advertisement for the new service.  

AoK:  Human Sciences
WoK:  Emotion, Ethics

Zebras Flee Philly Circus

Animals Run Through the Streets in One of America's Largest Cities

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/real-time/Zebras-escape-from-circus-roam-West-Philly-streets.html

1)  In what ways are tweets better evidence of current events than traditional media?  What is the relationship between truth and the number of followers a social media user has?

2)  In what ways might an animal rights activist view this positively?  A hunter?  Why might a police officer feel differently about this than a 9 year old?  

3)  In what ways is this connected sports?  How might this be connected to your daily commute to school?  In which class would this story be most appropriate to study?  

4)   How might this have been different if elephants had escaped?  Lions?  What might happen if circuses were banned?  

5)  What are some basic assumptions about circuses?  zoos?  Farms?  What might be the long-term consequences of this situation?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research the claims made in the film "Blackfish" about the treatment of orcas and write a defense of animal-focused attractions.

2)  Students can write a new section of the driver's handbook to include appropriate actions when wild animals are running through the streets.

AoK:  Human Sciences

WoK:  Imagination

Cheating Confirmed Through Stats

Freakonomics Author Devises Algorithm to Catch Cheaters

(AP Photo/Vietnam News Agency, Tran Le Lam)

 http://www.businessinsider.com/freakonomics-steven-levitt-cheating-study-2015-10

1)  In what ways can the use of statistics provide evidence for action?  What are the limits of statistical knowledge?  

2)  Why might the students' parents feel differently than the professor?  The same?  Why might a Chinese student feel differently than an American?  

3)  Is statistics math or science?  How is this connected to social relationships?  

4)  In what ways would this story be reported differently if the researcher was not well-known?  How might this be different   

5)  What are some basic assumptions about cheating in general and in academics specifically?  In which subject would cheating be most beneficial for you?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can write a satirical story making cheating in sports analogous to academic cheating.   

2)  Students can develop their own statistical models for cheating in a classroom of their choice.