Across Iran, Anger Lies Behind Face of Calm

A medical school professor recently picked up a green marker to write notes on a white board for his students, and then with a smile chose another color, saying he might otherwise be arrested for using green, the color of the political opposition.
The vanguard of the new political elite is now the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which oversees Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and has extended its control over the economy and the machinery of state. It has improved its ability to control the street, to monitor electronic communications and keep tabs on university campuses, and its alumni head the government’s security organs. » The full New York Times article - By Will Yong and Michael Slackman - Published: June 11, 2010

AFP/File

The security services made clear in the days leading to the anniversary that anyone taking to the streets would be dealt with harshly. On Friday, people in Tehran reported receiving a threatening text message on their cellphones.
“Dear citizen, you have been tricked by the foreign media and you are working on their behalf,” the message read. “If you do this again, you will be dealt with according to Islamic law."
The people are more aware than before, but they stay quiet on fear of death,” said an 80-year-old woman as she sat in her kitchen frying onions for a rice dish. “They have killed so many of the young and the well intentioned. Even the shah did not kill like this. They rule the people at the tip of a spear, but the people don’t want them anymore.” » The full New York Times article - By Will Yong and Michael Slackman - Published: June 11, 2010

Thailand

Thailand's martial law will continue for another three months, Abhisit's military-backed government decided

"The government's use of terrorism charges to go after Red Shirt leaders, as well as Thaksin, is inappropriate for what was mostly a peaceful political movement that did not target civilians," said the Belgium-based International Crisis Group on July 5.
The emergency decree, described by the ICG as “draconian,” conveniently also "grants officials immunity from prosecution," the ICG said. » The full Asia Sentinel article - By Richard S. Ehrlich - July 8, 2010

---

‣ Would Abhisit's party, which hasn't won a nationwide poll since 1992, be in power if their "yellow shirted" supporters had not hijacked the airports and held them hostage for 8 days in 2008 stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers?

Ousting Abhisit May Not End Protests Over 'Autocratic Rulers'

The current constitution, written after the 2006 coup, set up a Senate in which almost half the members are appointed. It also offered amnesty for generals such as Army Chief Anupong Paojinda, who helped oust Thaksin and (was) calling for parliament to be dissolved.
"Abhisit may resign or dissolve parliament, but that doesn't necessarily get us anywhere," said Prudhisan Jumbala, a lecturer at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "Nobody can implement the rule of law without the cooperation of society, and neither side trusts the authority of the state."
The conflict underpins a split within Thailand's 67 million people over the extent to which the country's leaders should be elected. » The full Bloomberg article - By Daniel Ten Kate.

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Similarities and differences between Iran and Thailand - Go to this ESL Compare and Contrast Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Second Draft of History -
  Overview | Students draft entries about a recent historical event for a history textbook using two specific sources of information. They then compare their entries and examine the differences. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words -
  Overview | Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.

Saturday March 27th -
The protesters accuse Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of taking power through illegitimate means with the support of the military and are demanding he dissolve Parliament and call new elections, which he has repeatedly rejected. Abhisit has been sleeping and working from an army base since the protests started March 12.
"It is not our aim today to use violence. We'll be visiting these soldiers as friends," said another protest leader, Veera Muksikapong. "They would know that we come in good will." - The full AP article » By Kinan Suchaovanich.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words -
  Overview | Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fighting Fire with Satire -
  Overview | Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of “fake news,” and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fishing for Red Herrings -
  Overview | Students examine the tendency for the public and media to focus on microcosmic, “red herring” issues, then create ways to “sell” large, important issues to the public. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Developing Internet Search Skills -
  Overview | Do Internet search engines point us to the information that we need or confuse us with irrelevant or questionable information? How can Internet users improve their searches to find reliable information? are some ways to perform effective searches? In this lesson, students conduct Web searches on open-ended questions, and draw on their experiences to develop guides to searching effectively and finding reliable information online. Go to this ESL Lesson.

Nebraska-based Buffett has built a vast army of US followers who admire his flair for picking successful investments and acquisitions. His fortune is estimated at $37bn (£22.5bn), ranking second only to Bill Gates's $40bn on Forbes magazine's annual ranking of the world's richest people.
Buffett said the credit crunch served as a reminder of the need to teach children about money: "What better time to help educate our kids about financial responsibility." From this Guardina article » By Andrew Clark.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Preparing an Annual Budget -
  Overview: Students play a game to determine if they know the costs of common items. As consumers, they then develop their own personal finance budgets to determine how they might reduce their personal spending.Go to this Economy and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Understanding Credit Cards and Credit Card Debt -
  Overview: Students examine and learn the basics about credit cards and credit card debt, then create an informational brochure for young students. Go to this Economy and ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Promoting Awareness of Modern Addictions -
  Objectives: Students will: consider their understanding of addiction, brainstorm and research ’modern ’addictions, such as food, shopping, the Internet, and video games, create public service announcements promoting awareness of different modern addictions and resources available to help. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trial Case - "I really want to play!"

What are the causes and effects of statements:

China’s justice minister

gave a speech saying lawyers should above all obey the Communist Party and help foster a harmonious society. To improve discipline, the minister said, all law firms in China would be sent party liaisons to “guide their work.” The full New York Times article » By Andrew Jacobs.

Wicha Mahakhun, a former Thai judge and (military coup sponsored) constitution drafter, stated:

"People, especially academics who want to see the constitution lead to genuine democracy, are naïve. We all know elections are evil. Even HM the King places trust in the judges; would you condemn them?" From the article: Charter drafter pans 'evil' elections - The Nation.

Giles Ungpakorn, (who left Thailand and is now in exile in the UK after the current government filed les mageste charges against him) was a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University said:

The whole (Thai) justice system should be overhauled, from the police to judges to bureaucrats. He advocates trials by jury and elections for judges to increase public accountability.
"The constitution (sponsored by the military) has a problem right from the start," he said. "Giving power to unelected civil servants who tend to be very conservative is a step backwards." - The Asian Sentinel article - By Daniel Ten Kate  

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Cause and Effect Paragraphs -

  Sometimes, assigned topics on the written portion of the TOEFL ask you to explain the reasons or causes of something. Other topics will ask you to discuss the results or effects of some cause.
  Have students write a news story that fits the cartoon and explain why it fits. From this article » By F. Walters.
  Go to this ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.

Where will new, real sources of growth come from? Not from Wall Street, probably. Nor, obviously, from Detroit. Nor from Silicon Valley, at least not by itself. Well before the housing bubble burst, the big productivity gains brought about by the 1990s technology boom seemed to be petering out.
So for the first time in more than 70 years, the epicenter of the U.S. economy can be placed in Washington. And Washington won't merely be given the task of pulling the economy out of the immediate crisis. It will also have to figure out how to put it on a more sustainable path - to help it achieve fast, broadly shared growth and do so without the benefit of a bubble. Obama said as much in his inauguration speech when he pledged to overhaul Washington's approach to education, health care, science and infrastructure, all in an effort to "lay a new foundation for growth." Read this New York Times article » By David Leonhardt

The mourners lashed out at the prosecutors and the conservative media who had relentlessly pursued accusations of corruption for the past year, after Mr. Roh had left office. Most also accused the sitting president, Mr. Lee, of guiding or at least encouraging the investigations. In Mr. Roh’s native village, Bongha, his supporters trampled a funeral wreath sent by the president.

“It has become a bad political habit for presidents in South Korea to try to gain support by punishing the former president,” said Kang Won-taek, a politics professor at Seoul’s Soongsil University. “What happened to Roh Moo-hyun shows that it is time to break this habit.”
But political experts, and even many average Koreans, say that their nation’s struggle to shed its authoritarian past was never finished, and that investigation of Mr. Roh highlighted at least two other legacies: a powerful presidency and a justice system with few checks and balances, especially on its prosecutors. The full article » By Martin Fackler

Judging the judges - Compare and Contrast the experiences of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Thailand's treatment of Thaksin Shinawatra and his suppporters -

Thailand - 8/12/2008 - The former prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, skipped a court appearance Monday and announced he was seeking refuge in London, leaving behind more than $2 billion frozen by the generals who ousted him from power two years ago.
He said that in Thailand he had been the victim of a “political assassination” and said that his enemies had used dictatorial powers to persecute his family. “My family and I were continually treated unfairly, without justice or truth,” he said. in this New York Times article » By Jane Perlez (IHT)

Editors Note - 6/6/2009: Thailand's "normal" rule of law has been overthrown and rewritten 17 times, on average every two and a half years, since the country became a constitutional monarchy 75 years ago.
The current military and court installed government of Abhisit Vejjajiva has ordered prosecutors to pursue cases against Thaksin supporters who claimed he had seized power illegally and he should call a new election.
But no prosecutions have been filed against the group, which helped Abhisit take power, by hijacking both Thailand's international airports stranding over 300,000 tourists for weeks in December last year.

Abhisit claims his actions show “This is to signal to the world that our country has returned to normal,” Abhisit told reporters in Bangkok. “We will maintain the nation’s peace and order by using existing laws.”
More about the credibility of » Thailand's military constitution.)

A Learning Foundation Lesson - Compare and Contrast justice in South Korea and Thailand - Go to this ESL Law and Society Lesson.

It is based on this » New York Times article - By Keith Bradsher

Most people in Taiwan have seen the image of former President Chen holding his handcuffed wrists above his head last November and shouting “political persecution” when he was arrested on corruption charges.
So a scene in a skit last month performed in front of more than 200 of the island’s judges and prosecutors — some involved in deciding Mr. Chen’s fate in his coming trial — came as a surprise. A prosecutor acting in the skit held her wrists together over her head and yelled, “judicial persecution.”
Taiwan does not have jury trials which would allow the accused to choose whether judges, who are appointed by the government, or ordinary people, selected as a jury, should decide their guilt or innocence.
Chen Shui-bian has asked the court drop the charges against him citing the behaviour of the prosecutors and judges shows they have already decided his guilt and he will not be given a fair trial.
» "Judging the Judges" - Simplified Mock Trial Fact Sheet.

• The Learning Foundation - "Judging the Judges" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson.

• Related story:

Japan, after a lapse of 60 years, is planning to bring back a jury system -
The return to citizen participation represents a bold commitment to have ordinary Japanese take greater responsibility in running the country. If a jury is sufficiently unhappy with the government's case or the government's conduct, it can simply refuse to convict. This possibility puts powerful pressure on the state to behave properly and ultimately leads to better governance. For this reason, a jury is one of the most important protections of a democracy. The full article - By Robert E. Precht - The New York Times

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the Youth Court System by Engaging in a Mock Trial -
Overview: Students learn about youth courts and explore the system further by engaging in a mock youth court trial. Go to this Law and Society Lesson

How many of us remember that in 1917, Congress passed an "Espionage Act" that gave broad powers to local postmen to decide what newspapers, magazines and other literature Americans were allowed to read, or that any number of such publications were effectively banned in that way? Read this New York Times "Letter from America" - By Richard Bernstein

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fighting Fire with Satire -
Overview: Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of “fake news,” and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating Political Cartoons that Show and Tell -
Overview: Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. They then create their own original artwork to submit to an appropriate publication. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson

Editor | Fifty years since the "Cultural Revolution" and China is still recovering from the damage, while Thailand is copying the mistakes.
Vindictive and biased courts, a malicious self serving media, a threatening military in the background, and a street gang that's above the law, led to Abhisit's artificially installed government and foreshadow the chaos that followed Mao's revenge.

"The movement, which Mao had asserted would ensure permanent revolution, was in fact launched mainly to purge his political rivals... after his introduction of the catastrophic Great Leap Forward in 1959.The widespread chaos resulting from this triggered a famine in which 28 million people starved to death." - Go to the article - Times Online UK Pictured is Did"

Wang Guangmei and her husband Liu Shaoqi before his fall from grace and her public humiliation by Mao's Red Guards... In 1966 he was stripped of the presidency, and the following year both were consigned to jail where he was to die, and from which she was not to emerge until 1978... She died on October 13, 2006, aged 85.

"The Constitution Tribunal is illegitimate and the case is completely political,” said legal expert Kanin Boonsuwan, who helped draft the 1997 (Thai) Constitution. “Judicial powers have gone too far already; the judges are abusing their power and independence. This is not only about dissolution, but the future of democracy in Thailand."
Many legal experts see the dissolution case as a sham. Indeed, many wonder how a body created by those who overthrew Thaksin has any right to terminate political parties for allegedly attempting to overthrow democracy. And especially to do so for violating a constitution the junta leaders discarded? - The Rise of Thailand’s Third Branch - By Daniel Ten Kate - The Asian Sentenel

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Compare and Contrast -
  Mao's use of power with that in Thailand being used against deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and anyone associated with him. Go to this ESL, Law and Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Military Coups Around the World -
  Students will consider military coups and their aftermaths, research famous coups... illustrating those events, and write letters from the perspectives of ousted leaders examined during class. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

Dead zones occur when excess nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, enter coastal waters and help fertilise blooms of algae, a process called eutrophication. Major nutrient sources include fertilisers and the burning of fossil fuels.

The result is an increase of nutrients in the water - usually nitrogen or phosphorus - that triggers a frenzy of action from microscopic organisms.

First phytoplankton take up the nutrients and produce organic matter than eventually sinks to the bottom and dies. There bacteria consume the organic matter and use up the oxygen as they do so. Article link - Telegraph.co.uk News.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating a Classroom Ocean Exhibit to Increase Awareness of Marine Health and Sustainability -
Overview: Students brainstorm topics related to the health of our world's oceans. They then create presentations about specific issues affecting oceans for display in a classroom exhibit. They then write letters of invitation to guests to view the exhibit. Go to this Science and ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring Natural and Human Threats on Fresh Water and Marine Ecosystems
Overview: Students examine various fresh water and marine ecosystems, researching the aquatic life they support, threats from nature and humans, and preservation efforts. Go to this Science Lesson.

Kelly Jo Dowd learned she had cancer when her daughter, Dakoda, was 9.
"My hope for Dakoda is that she grows up and does something that she genuinely loves from her heart," Kelly Jo said. "I want her to be a good person, a good strong woman, which I know she is going to be."
Kelly Jo's eyes watered. It was time to go. As she began to slide out of the restaurant booth, Dakoda clutched her hand and helped her to her feet.
"She's the only person I can talk to about some things," Dakoda said. "I tell her everything." The Article »

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Writing Articles About Adults Who Have Made a Difference in the Life of a Child -
Overview: In this lesson, each student will consider a special adult who plays a significant role in his or her life. Through peer interviews students reflect on their feelings about this important person, then write newspaper articles sharing their discoveries. Go to this ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Discussing Strategies for Coping with Emotional Stress. -
Overview: Students reflect on the increase in self-injuring, specifically "cutting," among teens and then participate in a written discussion to identify and discuss healthy methods of coping with emotional stress. Finally, they conduct further research and write a mock dialogue. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Life You Save...
Overview: Students identify common warning signs of depression that, if not addressed, could lead to suicidal behavior. They then write skits and create booklets in which they document appropriate suicide prevention techniques. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

Judging the judges - Compare and Contrast the Rule of Law in Thailand and Pakistan:

Thailand - Update: The former prime minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, skipped a court appearance Monday and announced he was seeking refuge in London, leaving behind more than $2 billion frozen by the generals who ousted him from power two years ago.
He said that in Thailand he had been the victim of a “political assassination” and said that his enemies had used dictatorial powers to persecute his family. “My family and I were continually treated unfairly, without justice or truth,” he said. in this New York Times article » - By Thomas Fuller
Looking Back - In the most bizarre case, a junta-appointed court dissolved Thai Rak Thai for trying to gain power through unconstitutional means even as it upheld administrative orders from the generals who tore up the constitution when they took power. The decision essentially gave legal legitimacy to coups.
Many political analysts in Thailand accepted the court decisions at the time under the belief that they would be one-off measures to get the country through the political crisis. But then the military-appointed assembly took another step by permanently changing the constitution and the law to reflect the dubious legal interpretations. Read the Asian Sentinel Article » - By Daniel Ten Kate

Pakistan - Zardari's sudden revival is a reminder of how Pakistan has veered between military rule and civilian governments that have been dogged by allegations of corruption, and how those cases can be prosecuted — or wiped away — depending on the political wind. Read Article » By Jane Perlez (IHT)

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Using these examples Compare and Contrast the rule of Law in Thailand and Pakistan - Go to this ESL Law and Society Lesson.

Related - Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trial lesson Plans:
• "It's my country/I can do what I want!"
• "The 18th Thai constitution?" - What makes a law good?
• "Making Patriots in Thailand"
• "Only One Way to Think"

Now new research suggests a link between that initial reaction to smoking and a specific gene variant that has also been linked to a greater likelihood for becoming addicted to nicotine.
Findings could have implications for the discovery of new, targeted therapies that are much more effective than current treatments for smoking cessation.
Ovide Pomerleau, PhD, of the University of Michigan says such treatment could be a reality within a few years.
"Things are moving really fast in this field,"he says. "We are making new discoveries all the time." Read this Web Med Article » By Salynn Boyles

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Evaluating the Changing Perceptions of Cigarette Smoking -
Overview: Students learn about the changing public perception of cigarettes over the century. They design a survey on people's views on cigarette smoking for homework. Go to this Health and Science Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating Anti-Smoking Ad Campaigns Geared Towards Kids -
In this lesson, students explore the many causes and effects of cigarette smoking in order to create anti-smoking campaigns geared towards other students. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

The Institute of Medicine recently noted that you can meet your body’s need for liquids in many ways, including drinking coffee and tea (with or without caffeine) and eating fruits and vegetables with a high water content. Two clues that you may need to drink more are thirst and the color of your urine, which should be clear like, well, water.

If you are physically very active, especially in hot weather, repeatedly sipping cold water is helpful. But beyond two quarts, you may need to also replace the salts lost in sweat — for example, by drinking a diluted sports drink or eating foods with salt and potassium. More about health myths in this Article » By Jane E. Brody - New York Times

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Finding Evidence to Support or Refute Commonly-Accepted Scientific Claims -
Overview: Students investigate commonly-accepted scientific claims and gather evidence that supports or refutes them. They synthesize their learning by writing their own "Really?" columns modeled after those found in The New York Times’s weekly Science Times section. Go to this Health and Science Lesson.

From The Buddha's teachings ... every action that one performs in the present moment — whether by body, speech, or mind itself — eventually bears fruit according to its skillfulness: act in unskillful and harmful ways and unhappiness is bound to follow; act skillfully and happiness will ultimately ensue.13 As long as one remains ignorant of this principle, one is doomed to an aimless existence: happy one moment, in despair the next; enjoying one lifetime in heaven, the next in hell.

• World Wise School Lesson - Students will recognize that their classmates hold a variety of opinions. - This activity is designed to illustrate the variety of perspectives and opinions represented in the class. It will help students understand that perceptions are influenced by personal experience and taste as well as cultural background.  Go to Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

• Compare and Contrast - Ask students if the Buddha and Socrates thought the same or different? -
Writing help from TOEFL- Prep Writing Practice Site Lesson - More about Comparison and Contrast.

• WWS - World Wise School Lesson - Students will recognize that a single observation can be misleading -
Young children often make assumptions and judgments about people based on quick impressions. For example, a little girl noticing a house with peeling paint and an unkempt yard told her aunt, "I bet the people who live in that house are ugly." The girl had somehow learned to make assumptions about people she had never met based on her perception of their possessions. Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

(AFP)
Wicha Mahakhun, a former Thai judge and (military coup sponsored) constitution drafter, stated:

"People, especially academics who want to see the constitution lead to genuine democracy, are naïve. We all know elections are evil. Even HM the King places trust in the judges; would you condemn them?" From the article: Charter drafter pans 'evil' elections - The Nation.

Giles Ungpakorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University charges:

"The drafters will claim they are following the policies of the palace, but it's much more complicated than that, .... Moreover, the monarchy is just one institution. There are 65 million other people in Thailand who deserve an equal say in how the country is run."
"The (18th Thai Constitution) has a problem right from the start,... Giving power to unelected civil servants who tend to be very conservative is a step backwards." From the article: The Rise of Thailand’s Third Branch - By Daniel Ten Kate   - The Asia Sentinel.

Expand as an ESL lesson by asking students to compare and contrast the current Thai constitution with Burma's:Burma’s Junta Seeks to Legitimize Its Rule - By Brian McCartan - The Asian Sentinel

• WWS - World Wise School- Is That a Fact? -
Overview: Understanding the difference between fact and opinion is critical to our ability to examine our reactions to events and people. Stereotypes and prejudices are often based on opinions that are perceived as facts. Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Educating Youth on Voting and the Electoral Process -
Overview: Students create voter education campaigns to raise awareness of and interest in the government for future voters. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.

Related - The Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trial cases and Lesson Plans:
• "It's my country/I can do what I want!"
• "Making Patriots in Thailand"
• "Only One Way to Think"
• "Freezing Bus Fares" - Appealing a lower court opinion.
• "The 18th Thai constitution?" - What makes a law good lesson plan.

Of all the supporters behind the two presumptive nominees for president this year, none are quite as intriguing as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - a Republican who has thrown his support behind John McCain - and his wife, Maria Shriver - a Democrat who is a vocal backer of Barack Obama.
The four Schwarzenegger children - who range in age from 10 to 18 - have already taken sides, though only one of them, Katherine, is old enough to vote. She, too, favors Obama.
"I think there are great benefits to having kids grow up understanding that we do not live in a one-party system," Shriver said. "That there are two ways at looking at an issue. To be patient and to compromise, those are good lessons not just in politics but for life. I grew up believing there was only one way to think. There isn't, she said.
Read Article » By Jennifer Steinhauer - New York Times

• New York Times - Learning Network - Telling Our Own Versions of the Story of the United States of America -
Overview: Students consider both internal and external views of the United States. They then create a project that tells about their vision of the past, present and future of the U.S. by pairing their own written statements with photographs. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama told reporters that if Bin Laden were found during his watch, he would bring him to justice in a way that wouldn't allow the terrorist mastermind to become a martyr... "and to assure that the United States government is abiding by basic conventions that would strengthen our hand in the broader battle against terrorism," he said. Read this UK Press article »

Making a Case - Compare and Contrast: Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Investigating the Charges Against Saddam Hussein -
Overview: Students share opinions about human rights. They then research the specific charges in the case against Saddam Hussein, and propose an argument for or against the accused. Go to this Law and Society lesson.

Youk Chhang was 14 when the Khmer Rouge seized power, and like many teenagers, he was forced into hard labor in the fields, with food and death his twin obsessions.
"There were all those people my age, just little kids, naive, innocent."
Read Article » By Seth Mydans - International Herald Tribune

"They're us, and we are them," Youk Chhang said in an interview in his small office in Phnom Penh where photographs of both victims and killers hang on the walls. "They are the evil side of us. Crimes are committed by human beings, by people just like me."

• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Killing Fields
Documenting Ethnic Division and Ethnic Cleansing Throughout Modern History
Overview: Students learn about ethnic divisions in the West African nation of Ivory Coast and research instances of ethnic cleansing in many nations throughout history. Students then create global history textbook entries that explore, compare and contrast these historic examples. The Killing Fields Go to Law and Society Lesson.

The problem was that the location of (63-year-old Brooke Zepp's) cancerous tumor was so deep that (surgeons) would not be able to get to it to remove it without damaging organs.
The organs, including her small intestine, liver, spleen, pancreas, as well as parts of her large intestine, were outside of her body for about an hour-and-a-half and were kept chilled.
Zepp is now recovering and is doing quite well, as the surgery was a success. Read Article »

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Doctor's Dilemma -
Overview: Students consider the bioethical dilemmas faced by doctors and write case studies about relevant issues within a particular medical decision. Go to this Health and Science Lesson.

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Compare and Contrast the Florida case to the New York Times "Doctor's Dilema case" - Go to this ESL and Health Lesson.

Bacteria are by far the most active ice nuclei in nature," said Brent C. Christner, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Louisiana State University.
Christner and colleagues sampled snow from Antarctica, France, Montana and Canada's Yukon and found that as much as 85% of the nuclei were bacteria, he said. The bacteria finding was most common in France, followed by Montana and the Yukon, and was even present in Antarctica.
The most common bacteria found were Pseudomonas syringae, which can cause disease in several types of plants including tomatoes and beans. Read this LA Times Article »From the Associated Press

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating a Book of Seasonal Riddles -
Overview: Students use descriptive language to write riddles on their favorite seasonal subjects; they then illustrate the "answers" to their riddles using the medium of their choice, and compile both riddles and illustrations to create a book. Go to this Science and ESL Lesson.

Giles Ungpakorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said the whole justice system should be overhauled, from the police to judges to bureaucrats. He advocates trials by jury and elections for judges to increase public accountability.
"The constitution (under construction) has a problem right from the start," he said. "Giving power to unelected civil servants who tend to be very conservative is a step backwards." - The Asian Sentinel article - By Daniel Ten Kate  

• Looking Back: Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, one of the country's leading constitutional lawyers, (said) the practice of coups in Thailand is a bad habit that needs to end. "If we didn't have this coup the Thai people could have learned more about democracy and politics and about how to develop," - Quote from: News Analysis: Democracy, Thai style - Ban the politicians - By Thomas Fuller International Herald Tribune Published: October 6, 2006

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Compare and Contrast the above statements and stories. - Go to this ESL and Law Lessson.

• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws - Go to the Law and Society Lesson: "The Thai Constitution(s)"

Thailand’s military-appointed legislature this week proposed — and then abruptly withdrew — two bills that would have made it illegal to criticize the king’s senior advisors.
Many saw the bills — supported by military men, judges and, surprisingly, some journalists — as expressly designed to protect Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, a former army chief and prime minister that analysts and critics alike suspect of masterminding the September 2006 overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra in a military coup. The full Asian Sentinel article - By Daniel Ten Kate

Related Lessons: • The New York Times - Learning Network - Fight for Your Rights
Overview: Students will create role-plays based on recent situations (like the above Thai story) involving free speech at Columbia University and then write informed fictional letters to the editor.   Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Writing Challenging Questions for Today's World Leaders
Overview: Students learn about Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial invitation to speak at Columbia University. They then work in pairs to research and write provocative interview questions to ask other contentious world leaders (like those in the above Thai story) for class presentations.   Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

On successive stops (today), she dresses a suppurating sore on the remaining foot of a genteel amputee; instructs a psychotherapist with a hip replacement to elevate his leg; and bluntly greets a "frequent flyer," a repeat patient with diabetes: "What’s with this box of doughnuts?” (The next week, the patient’s blood sugar levels were so elevated that Ms. Purdie immediately sent her to the hospital.) After each visit she hunkers down in her car, typing notes on her patients’ conditions for insurance companies, ear soldered to her cellphone. Read the article » Go to this Health, Science and ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Identifying the Key Issues Concerning Home- and Hospital-Based Health Care
Students share opinions about where patients might be treated for a range of ailments. They then investigate the key issues related to home- and hospital-based health care and write a reflection paper. Click on the pictures to go to the Lesson.

"Tiger was the motivated one, and Earl and Tida were great at providing an environment of unconditional love, an environment where he could excel." said Rudy Duran, Woods's golf instructor from 5 to 10. - Read Article » Bringing up Tiger to be himself By Damon Hack - The New York Times

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining the Attributes and Historical Realities That Create Heroes Overview: Students will generate a list of the common attributes of heroes, and analyze a specific hero within his or her historical and cultural context. Go to this Life's Lesson.

Click on Tamarine's picture for her story from - BBC Sports and Esther's picture for her story from The New York Times - Snapshot

• The New York Times - News Snapshot:"On the Ball" Overview: News Snapshot Helps students with the basic set of questions answered by journalists when relaying the news-- who, what, where, when, why and how. Ask students to use their knowledge of current events, the pictures and the quotation as clues to answer the questions on the page.

• Related Lesson The New York Times - Learning Network - Racing for Equality - Go to this Building Society lesson.

• Related Lesson: The Learning Foundation - "What to Teach" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.

"In the Quiet Land, no one can say

when the soldiers are coming to carry them away.

The Chinese want a road; the French want the oil;

the Thais take the timber; and SLORC takes the spoils...
In the Quiet Land....

In the Quiet Land, no one can hear
what is silenced by murder

and covered up with fear.

But, despite what is forced, freedom's a sound

that liars can't fake and no shouting can drown."
From In The Quiet Land By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Understanding the Quest to Protect Human Rights.
Overview: Students explore the concept of human rights by developing and defending their own "Bills of Human Rights" and by writing a reflective essay that compares their notions of human rights and the protection of them...  Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

Although the findings do not change the relationship of Homo erectus as a direct ancestor of Homo sapiens, scientists said, the surprisingly diminutive erectus skull implies that this species was not as humanlike as once thought. Article source: A pair of fossils shakes up the human family tree By John Noble Wilford - International Herald Tribune

 "Creation or Evolution?" by David Ross
• World Wise School - Learning to identify and modify generalizations. This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people... Go to this Lesson Worksheet.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Investigating and Discussing Darwinism ... (Explaining Life’s Complexities)
Overview: Students learn about theories of ’intelligent design’ in evolutionary science...  Go to this Science Lesson.  

• The New York Times - Snapshot Teachers Page:Working It Out

TODAY'S QUESTIONS WHO do you know who regularly goes to a gym to exercise or take classes?
For WHAT reasons are exercise and a healthy diet important for children?
WHERE do you get exercise?
WHEN and how often do you exercise?
WHY are some parents sending their teenagers and even younger children to gyms tailored just for kids their age?

News Snapshot   Ask students to use their knowledge of current events, the picture and the quotation as clues to answer the questions on the page.
Overview: News Snapshot helps students with the basic set of questions answered by journalists when relaying the news-- who, what, where, when, why and how. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Analyzing the Substance and Credibility of Newspapers
Students share opinions about the factors that influence their decisions about which newspapers to read. They then analyze the tone, content and perspective of major newspapers and rank them based on personal criteria. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.

• Related Thai stories - Rumor Nation - The Asian Sentinel and "But rumours sell." - The Bangkok Post
• The Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trials
- The Case of Slanted News
- "News vs Gossip"

"The drafters will claim they are following the policies of the palace, but it's much more complicated than that," Giles Ungpakorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said. "Moreover, the monarchy is just one institution. There are 65 million other people in Thailand who deserve an equal say in how the country is run."
Giles said the whole justice system should be overhauled, from the police to judges to bureaucrats. He advocates trials by jury and elections for judges to increase public accountability.

"The constitution (under construction) has a problem right from the start," he said. "Giving power to unelected civil servants who tend to be very conservative is a step backwards." The full article - Daniel Ten Kate   - The Asia Sentinel

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Compare and Contrast the above statements - Go to this ESL Law and Society Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Educating (Thai) Youth on Voting and the Electoral Process
Overview: Students create voter education campaigns to raise awareness of and interest in the government for future voters.  Go to this Building Society Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Assessing the Findings of the National Intelligence Estimate on Terrorism after 9/11
Overview: Students share opinions about the meaning of feeling safe in the continuing aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. They then read and summarize findings of the Office of National Intelligence concerning the potential threat to the United States from Al Qaeda and read news reports and opinions in order to re-address the notion of safety. Go to this Building Society Lesson.

’'It is the beginning of a new, courageous life," she said. ’Relationships today depend not only on education or wealth alone. It is wise to have a blood test done before marriage.’ Dikshya was infected by her husband, an injecting drug user, and wants every girl not to take marriage for granted.- By Manish Gautam Chitwan, Nepal (Asia Media Forum)

• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Look at 'Beauty' Around the World
Overview: students examine and compare notions of beauty in cultures around the world and explore the connection between what is deemed 'beautiful' and cultural history.   Go to this Life's Lessons.

When Shawnta Taylor approached her father, she told him who she was and started to embrace him, but he pulled back.
"Baby, don't hug me," he told her, "I'm dirty."
"Daddy, don't do that. I came too far for you to turn away from me," she said, pulling him close.
Soon afterward Mr. Taylor checked himself into a rehabilitation center and began the road back that led to his first trip to his hometown in more than two decades. The full story - By Sean D. Hamill - New York Times

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Writing Human Interest Stories for the School Newspaper
Overview: Students share opinions about inspirational or noteworthy stories they have heard. They then investigate sources and prepare interview questions for human interest stories they will write and submit to the school newspaper for publication. Go to this Life and ESL Lesson.

The wildcat DNA closest to that of house cats came from 15 individuals collected in the deserts of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, based on analysis of their mitochondrial DNA, a type that is passed down through the female line. Since the oldest archaeological site with a cat burial is about 9,500 years old, the geneticists suggest that the founders of the five lineages lived around this time and were the first cats to be domesticated.

Wheat, rye and barley had been domesticated in the Near East by 10,000 years ago, so it seems likely that the granaries of early Neolithic villages harbored mice and rats, and that the settlers welcomed the cats' help in controlling them. The full article
Nicholas Wade - NYT

• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Taming of the Few
Overview: Students consider the cultural, historical, and social implications of domesticating animals as pets. They then create informative posters of various animals, illustrating their histories as pets. Go to this Science Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Learning About Carnivores in Their Natural Habitats
Overview: Students research different species of meat-eating animals in their natural environments to create a "Carnival of Carnivores" exhibit for their classroom. Go to this Science Lesson.

BANGKOK — Thailand's ailing democracy faced more uncertainty
Thursday after a constitutional court shut down the political party of
former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and barred him and 110
other party executives from politics for five years.

"I think the polarization we have seen is going to deepen,"
"Now we have not just the disenfranchisement of Thai Rak Thai executives but also the vast majority of the electorate. Their party has been taken away. There is a gaping hole now."
"What we could be seeing very soon, I fear," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, "is an emerging military dictatorship." - Quotes from: Thailand facing uncertainty after court ruling - By Seth Mydans International Herald Tribune Published: May 31,2007.

Looking Back - October 6, 2006
Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, one of the country's leading constitutional lawyers, (said) the practice of coups in Thailand is a bad habit that needs to end. "If we didn't have this coup the Thai people could have learned more about democracy and politics and about how to develop," - Quote from: News Analysis: Democracy, Thai style - Ban the politicians - By Thomas Fuller International Herald Tribune Published: October 6, 2006

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Go to the Lesson: Compare and Contrast the above statements and stories.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Military Coups Around the World -
  Students will consider military coups and their aftermaths, research famous coups... illustrating those events, and write letters from the perspectives of ousted leaders examined during class. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

The main Buddha in the Bamiyan valley, 240 kilometers northwest of the Afghan capital Kabul, before total destruction by the Taliban. - The Book, the Word and the Sword By: John Heathcote

• The New York Times - Learning Network  Creating Political Cartoons (and actions with a message) that Show and Tell
Overview: Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons (and other acts) particularly in light of the Danish caricatures of Muhammad that have incited violence around the world. Go to this Media Lesson
• Extend the lesson by having students read the account of the Buddha icon destruction in: The Book, the Word and the Sword By John Heathcote then: Compare and Contrast similarities and differences of these events.  

"It's amazing when you are speaking to a group of people and you can look out at them. Some of them are on the edges of their seats, some of them are looking very uncomfortable, but they are all paying attention and I know they are all thinking. I am glad that my story does that. " Read more about Mark Sterner's school visits.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Raising Awareness About the Risks of Driving While Intoxicated
Overview: Students simulate the effects of alcohol on their vision and motor skills. Then, after doing additional research on the dangers of driving while intoxicated, students create an educational activity that might convince a particular target audience not to use alcohol and/or drink and drive. Go to this Building Society Lesson