SUSIE’S CURRENT EVENTS October 1, 2013 THE BASICS Topic
Gun Legislation
Quotes “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.” – Plato (428-348 BCE), Greek philosopher “Banning guns addresses a fundamental right of all Americans to feel safe.” – Senator Diane Feinstein, gun owner with concealed carry permit “I don’t believe anybody has the right to own any kind of a firearm. I believe in order to obtain a permit to own a firearm, that a person should undergo an exhaustive criminal background check. In addition, an applicant should give up his right to privacy and submit his medical records for review to see if the person has ever had a problem with alcohol, drugs or mental illness…the Constitution doesn’t count!” – John Silber, American academician and former candidate for political office “We protect aspirin bottles in this country better than we protect guns from accidents by children.” – Gloria Estefan, singer “The federal government may not disarm individual citizens without some unusually strong justification.” – Laurence H. Tribe, professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School
Articles “Obama calls for nation shocked by gun tragedies to ‘change’” http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/09/obama-calls-for-nation-shocked-by-gun-tragedies-to-change.html
“Chicago park shooting that hurt 13 renews focus on gun violence” http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-chicago-shooting-20130921,0,7538935.story
“10 guns found in schools last week” http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/09/25/2673921/10-guns-found-in-schools-this-week/
“Children and Guns – the Hidden Toll” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/children-and-guns-the-hidden-toll.html?emc=eta1&_r=1&
“Gun Control? We don't have the votes, says Reid” http://www.examiner.com/article/gun-control-we-don-t-have-the-votes-says-reid
Questions to Consider • What does gun control mean? What does gun registration mean? • Why is the right to own guns so important to Americans? • What are the best arguments for some kind of gun legislation? What are the best arguments against gun legislation? • What do the words of the Second Amendment mean? What is the history of this amendment? Why was it so important to the Framers? How has it been interpreted by the Supreme Court? • Would gun violence be decreased if more guns were in the hands of “good guys”? Should school personnel be required to possess guns? www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/arming_teachers.html
• What rules govern a responsible gun owner? • What are the rules about guns in Oregon? • Is there a way to protect citizens without depriving them of their rights? Where is the line between security and liberty? • What are the gun laws in other countries? http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/internatgun.html
THE EXTRAS Pre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading • • •
Opinion: Anti gun control http://www.delmarvoanow.com/article/20130923/OPINION/309230041/Point-CounterPoint-Can-gunlaws-effective-? Opinion: Pro gun control http://billmoyers.com/content/take-a-stand-against-gun-violence/
Lesson Plan: Gun Control (lesson plan accessible to all, video requires membership) http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/teacherCenter/lessonPlans/pdf/912_SocialStudies_GunControl. pdf
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Lesson Plan: Educator Guide: The Battle over Gun Control
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Lesson Plan: Gun Control in America: Student Discussion Guide
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Lesson Plan: Teaching about Guns and Gun Control
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Lesson Plan: Student Reading: Four views of the second amendment
http://blogs.kqed.org/lowdown/2013/05/13/gun-control-an-educator-produced-lesson-plan/ http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/gun-control-america-discussion-guide.shtml http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/publiced/conversations/constitution/Teaching.aut hcheckdam.pdf http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/guns-and-constitution-3-lessons-highschool-students
What’s the connection? Constitution nd • 2 Amendment
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/second_amendment
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“James Madison and the Problem of Factions”
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The Pros and Cons of Interest Groups
http://jared.realizingresonance.com/2011/07/14/james-madison-and-the-problem-of-factions http://www.sparknotes.com/us-government-and-politics/american-government/interestgroups/section5.rhtml
Oregon • “Where each state stands on gun-control legislation”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/14/state-by-state-gun-report/1834361/
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“Oregon Supreme Court finds Portland law prohibiting loaded guns in public places constitutional” http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/08/oregon_supreme_court_finds_por.html
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“Portland’s illegal gun hotspot exclusions target African Americans predominantly” http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/09/portlands_illegal_gun_hotspot.html
Updates and Other top stories! • “Americans Brace for Government Shutdown Oct. 1”
http://www.voanews.com/content/americans-brace-for-government-shutdown/1759548.html
• “Obamacare 101: What happens starting Oct. 1?”
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/2013/0928/Obamacare-101-What-happens-starting-Oct.-1-video
• “PERS, taxes, and GMO: ‘grand bargain’ on shaky ground (2013 special session)” http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/pers_taxes_and_gmo_whats_at_st.html
• “A quick list of what is changing with the Oregonian Media Group: Readers guide”
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian-media-group/index.ssf/2013/09/a_quick_list_of_what_is_changi.html
Oregon State Social Science Standards/CCSS 8.14. Explain the rights and responsibilities of citizens. 8.21. Analyze important political and ethical values such as freedom, democracy, equality, and justice embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. 8.26. Examine a controversial event, issue, or problem from more than one perspective. HS.24. Analyze and critique the impact of constitutional amendments. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events. HS.34. Explain the responsibilities of citizens. HS.60. Analyze an event, issue, problem, or phenomenon from varied or opposing perspectives. 6-8.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. 6-8.RH.8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text. 9-10.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. 11-12.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
NEW! We the People Lesson Connections Middle School, Level 2 • Unit 4, Lesson 22: How does the US Supreme Court determine the meaning of the words in the Constitution? • Unit 6, Lesson 29: What are the rights and responsibilities of citizenship? High School, Level 3 • Unit 4, Lesson 22: How does Congress perform its function in the American Constitutional System? • Unit 4, Lesson 25: What is the role of the Supreme Court in the American Constitutional System? • Unit 4, Lesson 26: How does American federalism work?
