Reminder: Paper due Tuesday, April 7

Assignment:
In our first unit on American capitalism, we will study the philosophy behind this economic system and its effects on American society. We will, then, have a grasp on how wealth is distributed, and who controls its distribution.

You will write a formal essay on the topic. You must address the following questions:

· Who had what in our society?
· Who decides?
· Is that okay with you?

Deadline:
Your first draft of this Seminar Prep is due on Tuesday, April 07, in class.
This deadline is not flexible. If you would like credit for the first draft, you must come prepared with your paper in hand on the due date.

For other details see your assignment sheet!

STUDENTS WHO DO NOT COMPLETE A SEMINAR PREP PAPER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SEMINAR!!!

Due Monday 3/30

Read and annotate the reading on the United States Prison System. Also, write 2-3 discussion questions.

For Extra Credit:

Comment on what you read. Try to make connections to our essential questions. What role does race play in how wealth is distributed in America? How does prison labor connect?

Due Wednesday, March 25

Read and annotate the excerpt from Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Enrenreich. Make sure to write 2-3 discussion questions.

For extra credit:

Comment on the lives of the people that Enrenreich worked with. You may also comment on the working conditions they had. Finally, Enrenreich allotted herself $1,300 in start-up money before she began her life as a minimum wage earner. How did this set her apart from her co-workers, if st all?

You may also make connections to our essential questions.

Due by Monday 3/23

Complete reading the excerpt from Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol. Make sure you have read and annotated the entire excerpt. You must also write 2-3 discussion questions.

For extra credit respond to the following:

Our essential questions for this unit are:

• Who has what in American society?
• Who decides?
• Are you OK with that?

Based on your prior knowledge and what you read about public school education in Savage Inequalities, make connections to our essential questions. How does education fit into these questions? Which question do you think it connects best with?

You may also comment on what other students wrote.

Please only write your first name at the end of your response. No Last Names!

Next Article Summary Response Due Thursday, March 26

What is it?
So much is happening in the United States and around the globe it is hard to keep up! For this
reason, reading the newspaper is an essential component of this course. You are required to find
one article every two weeks in a city-wide, national, or international paper that addresses
domestic and global events affecting the economic trends we are discussing in class (example:
recession, employment/unemployment, inflation, the stock market, globalization, etc.).

How do I do it?
Choose an article that is interesting to you as you will be required to share what you
have found in class.

Once you have chosen your article you will:
• Staple/tape it into your journal
• Summarize the article: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How
• Explain the POV (if there is one)
• Make connections to the issues/trends/ideas we are discussing in class
• Write a reaction to the article (example: do you agree/disagree, predictions you have,
suggestions, etc.)
These articles will be presented and discussed by you in class!

Resources for articles:
The New York Times or www.nytimes.com
The Daily News or www.nydailynews.com
The New York Post or www.nypost.com
The Wall Street Journal or www.online.wsj.com/public/us

Some helpful news sources online include:
BBC News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/
Huffington Post at www.huffingtonpost.com
The Drudge Report at www.drudgereport.com
The Socialist Worker at http://socialistworker.org

These are merely suggestions. You may seek alternate news sources if you choose.