Welcome to Contemporary Issues, Spring Semester of 2009. Notes, assignments, and information about Mr. Szczepkowski's Period A and Period C classes will be posted here. Wed 1/21-Intro to class, go over course expectations, discussion of Extinct in America list. Receive HW reading packet on finances of the Bush Era.Receive weekly news quiz #1, due on Friday. Thur 1/22-Discussion of the Finances of the Bush era article. Fri 1/23-News Quiz #1 due in class. Discussion in-class of the article on Federal Finances and Budget. Mon 1/26-News assgn #1, 5 news topics. Tues 1/27-Discussion of news assgn #1, receive news quiz #2, due friday. Wed 1/28-News Assgn #2, Researching the Obama Cabinet. Thur 1/29-Collecting notebooks, news assgn #1 and #2. Discussion of Obama Cabinet and Gov. Blagojevich Impeachment. Fri 1/30-Collecting News quiz #2. Discussion of Blago impeachment and Obama Economic Stimulus Plan. Mon 2/2-Pass back news quiz #2. Begin new unit on Islamic Fundamentalism. Begin viewing DVD: The Road to 9/11. Tues 2/3-Finish DVD: The Road to 9/11. Discussion of questions and topics from the DVD. Wed 2/4-CRC, news assignment #3. Two articles on Terrorism from the last 2 years. Thur 2/5-Discussion of news assignment #3. Fri 2/6-CRC, news assignment #4, US and Iran topic, 1 article. Mon 2/9-Discussion of News Assgn #2 (Terrorism) and News Assgn #3 (Iran) notebooks collected in class. Tues 2/10-News Quiz #4 passed out, due on Friday 2/13. Notebooks passed back. 3rd Quarter Project explained, groups and topics selected in class. Wed 2/11-Working in the computer lab on Quarter Projects. Thur 2/12-DVD: The Secret History of Credit Cards Fri 2/13-finish DVD and discussion of the topic. News quiz due in class. Tues 2/17-DVD: Caught Cheating Wed 2/18-CRC news assignment: 2 articles on academic cheating and integrity. Thur 2/19-CRC, Quarter Project day. Fri 2/20-News Quiz due, News assignment due in notebook. Discussion of academic cheating and integrity. Mon 2/23-Pass back notebooks and news quizzes. Cheating discussion continued. Evaluating the Regina Honor Code in class. Comedic look at cheating movie clip watched. Tues 2/24-News Quizzes passed out, due on Monday. Begin the topic of Global Warming. Begin watching, "An Inconvenient Truth". Wed 2/25-Working in the CRC, News Assignment on Global Warming. 1 article within the last 2 years. Thur 2/26-Finishing the DVD, "An Inconvenient Truth". Discussion and critique of film. Fri 2/27-No Class, juniors have an in-house field trip, viewing Schindler's List for Theology. Mon 3/2-News Quizzes and News Assignments due in class. The remainder of the period, we will be working on our Quarter Projects. Tues 3/3-Most of the class will be on the English field trip, class work TBA. Wed 3/4-Discussion of Inconvenient Truth. Thur 3/5-CRC:Bullying News Assgn. Fri 3/7-No class. Mon 3/9-CRC: Quarter Project Day Tues 3/10-Video on Bullying and Social Cruelty Wed 3/11-Discussion of bullying video, news assgn's and bullying at Regina, including cyber-bullying. Thur 3/12-Intervention video on Excessive gambling and excessive shopping. Fri 3/13-CRC: Quarter Project Day. Mon 3/16-CRC: Quarter Project day. Tues 3/17-Quarter project presentations in class. Wed 3/18-Quarter project presentations in class. Thur 3/19-Quarter project presentations in class. Fri 3/20-Quarter project presentations in class. (End of 3rd Quarter) Mon 3/23-DVD: The Biggest Losers: College Athletic Scholarships material. Tues 3/24-Finish DVD, discussion of topic and its applications. Wed 3/25-Critical Analysis of topic of Illegal Immigration, discussion of article. Thur 3/26-CRC, news assignment #1 of 4th Quarter on Illegal Immigration. Fri 3/27-DVD: Wal-Mart, Is it good for America? news Quiz #1 due today. Mon 3/30-No School Tues 3/31-CRC: News assignment on problems with Wal-mart Wed 4/1-Finish Wal-mart DVD and discussion of topic. Notebooks due with first 2 news assignments. Thur 4/2-DVD: Online social networking sites and internet dangers. Fri 4/3-Discussion of DVD and its topics. Mon 4/6-Wed 4/8-Film in class: truman show. no assignment. Have a great Spring Break and a Joyous Easter! Mon 4/20-Cook County issues, Pt.1, Editorial discussion of Stroger govt. Tues 4/21-Receive news quiz #3, due on Friday. Cook County issues, Pt.2 Wed 4/22-News Assgn: Cook County scandals and issues. Thur 4/23-Receive 4th Quarter Projects and discuss assgn. News Assgn due in class, discussion of articles. Fri 4/24-News Quizzes due. Mon 4/27-CRC, Space news assgn #4 Tues 4/28-Continue Space Exploration DVD. Wed 4/29-Topics due for 4th Q Project. Continue Space DVD. Thur 4/30-Discussion of Space DVD, topics and issues regarding the topic. NB's due in class. Fri 5/1-News Quiz due in class. Workiing in the CRC on the Quarter Project. Mon 5/4-Working in the CRC on the Quarter Project. Tues 5/5-Thur 5/7-Film on mental illness: "A Beautiful Mind" Fri 5/8-News Quizzes due. Quarter Project work. Mon 5/11-Discussion of schizophrenia and other mental disorders, Notebooks collected. News Quizzes passed back. Tues 5/12-Working in the CRC on Quarter Projects. Wed 5/13-Senior 4th Quarter Project Presentations. Thur 5/14-Period A, short class. Period C will not meet. Fri 5/15-CRC, News Assgn. No news quiz this week. -Mr. Szczepkowski