Debate https://www.morningsidecenter.org/ en Trump, Clinton & Taxes https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/trump-clinton-taxes <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Trump, Clinton &amp; Taxes</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h3>Quiz<br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>The following quotations are from the two major party candidates for the presidency. Can you tell which ones are from Donald Trump and which are from Hillary Clinton?</p> <ol> <li>"Imagine your paycheck was 40 percent higher than it currently is. What could you do with 40 percent more wealth?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>"I am proposing an across-the-board income tax reduction--especially for middle income Americans."<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>"Right now, the wealthy pay too little and the middle class pays too much."<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>"The rich will pay their fair share."<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>It’s outrageous that multi-millionaires and billionaires are allowed to play by a different set of rules than hardworking families, especially when it comes to paying their fair share of taxes."<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>"I want to make sure the wealthy pay their fair share, which they have not been doing. I want the Buffett Rule to be in effect, where millionaires have to pay 30 percent tax rates instead of 10 percent to nothing in some cases."<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>"There will be people in the very upper echelons that won't be thrilled with this because we're taking away their deductions."<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>"Hardworking middle class families need a raise—not a tax increase."</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Answers:</em></p> <p>Trump: 1,2,4,7 &nbsp;<br> Clinton: 3,5,6,8</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>The candidates' plans</h3> <p>Discuss with students some of the tax proposals advanced by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. (Also see <a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/taxes-where-do-presidential-candidates-stand">this lesson</a>.)&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Hillary Clinton</strong> has proposed increasing taxes on the wealthy and large corporations to pay for investments (such as helping students pay for college tuition). Her proposals include:</p> <ul> <li>a 4% surcharge on incomes over $5 million</li> <li>ensuring that the wealthiest pay at least a 30% income tax</li> <li>closing tax loopholes that reward companies for shifting profits and jobs overseas</li> <li>limiting the ability of Wall Street money managers to count their income as "capital gains," which are taxed at a much lower rate</li> <li>providing tax relief for people who pay high health care costs or care for an ill or elderly family member</li> </ul> <p><strong>Donald Trump</strong> proposes to cut taxes for everyone. Wealthy people would see the largest cuts. While the average tax cut would be $5,100, those making over $3.7 million per year would see their taxes decrease by $1.3 million. Individuals earning $25,000 or less (couples, $50,000) would pay no taxes.&nbsp;</p> <p>Trump’s plan also includes:</p> <ul> <li>reducing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%</li> <li>closing some tax loopholes</li> <li>eliminating taxpayers' ability to claim deductions for each of their children as well as a "head of household" provision that lowers tax bills for many single parents</li> <li>providing a childcare tax credit &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Student Reading<br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>Taxes have been a recurring theme in the 2016 presidential campaign. Because wages have largely remained flat (or sometimes even fallen) over the last 50 years, many Americans have looked to tax cuts to help them get by. And politicians have been more than willing to promise tax reductions to get votes. Because nine out of ten Americans identify themselves as "middle class," Clinton and Trump and most other politicians are anxious to aim their statements on taxes at that group of voters.</p> <p>Taxes are a political issue. Congress makes changes to the tax law each and every year. Every tax provision and every change benefits (or hurts) some taxpayers more than others. Since wealth inequality has become a major national issue, taxes too are being examined as a vehicle to either increase or decrease the enormous (and growing) gap between the super wealthy and the rest of the population. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders named specific taxes on the wealthy to make college free and to pay for national health insurance.</p> <p>Let's take a little look at taxes and especially the taxes for those at the top of the economic ladder.</p> <p>The tax system is enormously complicated. (See <a href="http://teachablemoment.org/teachablemoment.org/high/taxes.">this lesson</a> on taxes for more.) People pay property taxes, payroll taxes, excise taxes, user fees, and sales taxes, as well as income taxes at the federal, state and local levels.</p> <p>For most of us, the federal income tax is the largest tax we pay. Officially, the federal income tax is progressive (or graduated) so that those earning the most pay the largest percentage of their income in taxes. The highest rates and the lowest rates, and the tax "brackets" in between have fluctuated since the tax was made permanent&nbsp; in 1913. From 1940 to the 1960s the highest official tax rate was between 80% and 94%. From the 1960s to 1980 the highest rate was around 70%. Since the 1990s the highest tax rate an individual&nbsp; pays has been between 30% and 40%.</p> <p>The highest tax rate for any income group is just that&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">-&nbsp;</span>the <em>highest </em>rate. The tax code provides a huge number of credits and exemptions that allow people to reduce their taxes. Those in the lowest income bracket often pay no federal income tax at all. Middle-class taxpayers can usually reduce their taxable income if they:</p> <ul> <li>support a child or parent</li> <li>pay a mortgage on a house</li> <li>have very high medical expenses</li> <li>give to charities</li> <li>pay college tuition</li> </ul> <p>In addition, there are tax <em>credits</em> which directly reduce one's taxes. Those in the middle class can take credits for:</p> <ul> <li>paying college tuition</li> <li>child care</li> <li>paying into retirement funds</li> </ul> <p><br> "You know, I made $46 million last year. It was a bad year for me. But I can still afford to pay more than my secretary, who has a higher tax rate than I do."<br> <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">-</span>Warren Buffett (the third richest person on the planet according to Forbes Magazine)</p> <p>Some tax rules help the wealthy disproportionately. The capital gains tax is one example. Income from investing in the stock market is taxed at 15-20%, while income from actually working is taxed at rates up to 40%. About 80% of stocks are owned by the wealthiest 10% of Americans and half of Americans own no stock at all. According to the non-profit group Citizens for Tax Justice, if capital gains were taxed as ordinary income, the U.S. Treasury would gain over $500 billion over the course of a decade.</p> <p>The New York Times recently revealed that Donald Trump claimed business losses of 915 <em>million</em> dollars in 1995. The tax law allows him to spread out that loss, allowing a billionaire such as Trump to pay no taxes at all &nbsp;for 18 years.</p> <p>Here are other ways wealthy people reduce their tax payments:</p> <ul> <li>the deduction for house mortgages can be used for mortgages up to a million dollars for not just for one home but a second home as well. (And for your yacht, if it has sleeping quarters...)</li> <li>the use of family "trusts" to avoid gift taxes and estate taxes</li> <li>storing money abroad in tax havens</li> <li>the ability to manipulate income to maximize lower-taxed compensation (dividends, stock options, etc.) and minimize income taxed at the higher rates</li> <li>the ability to max out on allowable retirement savings</li> <li>special provisions for financial managers (e.g. hedge fund managers) which allow their salaries to be considered (lower-taxed) capital gains</li> <li>setting up a foundation that then pays a salary to the donor or a member of the family</li> <li>using a company expense account for fine dining, company car, apartment or private jet. No taxes are paid by the person receiving these services or the business providing them.</li> </ul> <p>The tax code is over 74,000 pages long. It is full of loopholes and hidden special-interest provisions. With so much money at stake, you can understand why corporations and the very wealthy hire very expensive lawyers to maximize their tax savings.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>For Discussion</h3> <ol> <li>The top 1% pay about 45% of all federal income tax (about 27% of all federal taxes). Is it fair to require them to pay more in taxes?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Republican candidates often advocate simplifying the tax code: one flat tax, pay taxes on a postcard, abolish the IRS, etc. Would these proposals make the tax system any fairer?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>When all candidates say they want to help the middle class and the tax proposals are so complicated, how does one evaluate the&nbsp; parties' positions? (News publications/websites? Other media? Thinktanks? Google?...)<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>In 2012, candidate Mitt Romney (a multimillionaire) attracted attention when he disclosed that he paid only 14% in income taxes. Donald Trump says he pays the lowest taxes he can because he's "smart." Is it ethical for the super wealthy to take advantage of every tax loophole they can?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Some countries attempt to slow the concentration of wealth by taxing the wealth itself (instead of just income). Do you agree with this approach?<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <hr> <h3><br> Sources</h3> <p><a href="http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/latest-trump-tax-plan-adds-trillions-national-debt-clinton-plan-trims-deficits-taxing-wealthy">http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/latest-trump-tax-plan-adds-trillions-national-debt-clinton-plan-trims-deficits-taxing-wealthy</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Hillary_Clinton_Tax_Reform.htm">http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/Hillary_Clinton_Tax_Reform.htm</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2014/09/08/the-stock-gap-american-stock-holdings-at-18-year-low.html">http://www.cnbc.com/2014/09/08/the-stock-gap-american-stock-holdings-at-18-year-low.html</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/archive/federal_tax_issues/private_equity/">http://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/archive/federal_tax_issues/private_equity/</a></p> <p><a href="http://ctj.org/ctjreports/2012/03/policy_options_to_raise_revenue.php">http://ctj.org/ctjreports/2012/03/policy_options_to_raise_revenue.php</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/">http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.americansfortaxfairness.org/tax-fairness-briefing-booklet/fact-sheet-taxing-wealthy-americans/">http://www.americansfortaxfairness.org/tax-fairness-briefing-booklet/fact-sheet-taxing-wealthy-americans/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-loopholes-mainly-benefit-rich-2.aspx">http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/tax-loopholes-mainly-benefit-rich-2.aspx</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/09/19/stock_ownership_who_benefits_partner/">http://www.salon.com/2013/09/19/stock_ownership_who_benefits_partner/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanellis/2016/09/14/trump-child-care-tax-deduction-has-nothing-to-do-with-child-care/#28ec87afd90c">http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanellis/2016/09/14/trump-child-care-tax-deduction-has-nothing-to-do-with-child-care/#28ec87afd90c</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2016-10-16T13:10:38-04:00" title="Sunday, October 16, 2016 - 13:10">October 16, 2016</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sun, 16 Oct 2016 17:10:38 +0000 fionta 375 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Trump Tape: Teachable Moment on Sexism https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/trump-tape-teachable-moment-sexism <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Trump Tape: Teachable Moment on Sexism</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h3>To the Teacher:</h3> <p>The presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on October 9, 2016, raised some important but difficult issues about sexism and sexual assault.</p> <p>Many students either watched the debate or have heard about it.&nbsp; This creates a teachable moment - though a challenging one - in our classrooms. How can we use these events to increase students’ awareness of and sensitivity to sexism and sexual assault? How can we encourage students to stand up to it or speak out about it?</p> <p>Below are several activities to open up discussion in your classroom. In the first activity, students hear about and discuss the video and the debate. Then, students read and discuss excerpts from First Lady Michelle Obama's speech responding to the video. Students then share their thoughts and feelings in a "listening circle" and brainstorm ways we can increase our level of respect for each other.</p> <p>Before discussing this issue, you may find it helpful to review&nbsp;<a href="http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teaching-about-controversial-or-difficult-issues">these guidelines</a>&nbsp;for addressing difficult or controversial issues. This lesson does not include explicit language or detailed discussion of sexual assault.. However, be aware that some students may feel particularly sensitive about this issue. You may want to alert students to this before you begin the discussion.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div align="center">&nbsp;</div> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Introduction</strong></h3> <p><br> Ask students if they saw the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on Sunday, October 9, 2016.&nbsp; If students didn’t see the debate, did they hear about it?</p> <p>Tell students that one issue that came up in the debate was a video from 2005 in which Donald Trump made offensive comments about women. We’ll be discussing this issue today.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> The Debate</h3> <p>Read aloud or summarize the following information:</p> <p>On Sunday, October 9, 2016, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had their second televised debate.&nbsp;(A transcript is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/transcript-second-debate.html?_r=0">here</a>.)</p> <p>The debate opened with a question from a voter about whether the campaigns were setting a good example for the nation’s youth. This quickly turned into a discussion about a 2005 video of Trump that had recently been released by the Washington Post.</p> <p>The 3-minute tape was recorded while Trump and NBC host Billy Bush rode a bus to the set of Access Hollywood. In the video, Trump boasts about how, because he is a "star," he can grope and grab women whenever he likes. He disparages one woman that he "moved on," but who refused to have sex with him.</p> <p>The video touched off a firestorm of controversy. Dozens of Republican politicians formally renounced Trump.&nbsp; House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was "sickened" by Trump’s comments,&nbsp;and would no longer defend him.</p> <p>In the debate, moderator Anderson Cooper asked Trump about the video: "You described kissing women without consent, grabbing their genitals. That is sexual assault. You bragged that you have sexually assaulted women. Do you understand that?"</p> <p>Trump responded: "I didn’t say that at all. I don’t think you understood what was said. This was locker-room talk."</p> <p>Cooper pressed further: "Just for the record, though, are you saying that ... you did not actually kiss women without consent or grope women without consent?"&nbsp; Trump denied that he had done this, adding, "I have great respect for women. Nobody has more respect for women than I do."</p> <p>Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>Why do you think Anderson Cooper called Trump's actions "sexual assault"? Help students understand that sexual assault is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/ovw/sexual-assault">defined</a>&nbsp;as "any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient."</li> </ul> <p>In her response, Hillary Clinton said: "What we all saw and heard on Friday was Donald talking about women, what he thinks about women, what he does to women. ...&nbsp;We have seen him insult women. We’ve seen him rate women on their appearance, ranking them from one to ten. We’ve seen him embarrass women on TV and on Twitter. We saw him after the first debate spend nearly a week denigrating a former Miss Universe in the harshest, most personal terms."</p> <p>For many women, the controversy brought up memories of having been groped or assaulted themselves. On Twitter, author Kelly Oxford invited women to "tweet me your first assaults." Within several days over 27 million women had tweeted about their experiences, using the hashtag #notokay. The responses underscored how common these experiences are. An estimated&nbsp;<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/19/study-sexual-assaults-greatly-underreported-/3648197/">80%</a>&nbsp;of sexual assault incidents go unreported.</p> <p>Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>Why do you think the great majority of sexual assaults go unreported? (<a href="http://www.umd.edu/ocrsm/files/Why-Is-Sexual-Assault-Under-Reported.pdf">Reasons&nbsp;include</a>&nbsp;a victim's fear of retribution, shame, or worry that they will be blamed for the incident.)&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Meanwhile, professional athletes expressed anger at the idea that comments like Trump’s were commonplace in men's locker rooms: "Just for reference. I work in a locker room (every day)... that is not locker room talk. Just so you know..." tweeted Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley. He later tweeted, "If that's the talk you hear around you, then be the place where change begins. Regardless of this election let's be a better people."<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> Michelle Obama’s Response<br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>First Lady Michelle Obama spoke out against Trump’s behavior in a speech in Manchester, NH, less than a week after the tape was made public.&nbsp; Below are three segments from that speech.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ask volunteers to read the segments out loud. Pause after each to reflect on and discuss the questions that follow.</p> <p>(These segments are taken from <a href="https://www.npr.org/2016/10/13/497846667/transcript-michelle-obamas-speech-on-donald-trumps-alleged-treatment-of-women">this transcript</a>&nbsp;of the speech. You can&nbsp;view the tape&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ45VLgbe_E">here</a>.)</p> <h4><br> Segment 1:</h4> <p>"The fact is that in this election, we have a candidate for president of the United States who, over the course of his lifetime and the course of this campaign has said things about women that are so shocking. So demeaning... I simply will not repeat anything here today. And last week we saw this candidate actually bragging about sexually assaulting women. And I can't believe that I'm saying that....</p> <p>It would be dishonest and disingenuous for me to move on to the next thing like this was just a bad dream. This is not something we can ignore. It's not something we can sweep under the rug as just another disturbing footnote in a sad election season. Because this was not just a lewd conversation. This wasn't locker room banter. This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior ...."</p> <p>Invite students’ thoughts and feelings about this quote.&nbsp; Then ask some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>How does Michelle Obama refer to the kind of remarks that Trump made on the Access Hollywood bus?&nbsp;</li> <li>Do you think "bragging about sexually assaulting women" and "speaking about sexually predatory behavior" is an accurate description?&nbsp; Why or why not?&nbsp; Do you have better/more accurate language to describe this kind of behavior?</li> <li>How does Michelle Obama feel about ignoring such comments?&nbsp; What do you think about this?</li> </ul> <h4><br> Segment 2:</h4> <p>"I feel it so personally. And I'm sure that many of you do too. Particularly the women. The shameful comments about our bodies. The disrespect of our ambitions and intellect. The belief that you can do anything you want to a woman. It is cruel. It is frightening. And the truth is, it hurts. It hurts. It's like that sick sinking feeling you get when you're walking down the street minding your own business and some guy yells out vulgar words about your body. Or when you see that guy at work that stands just a little too close, stares just a little too long, you feel uncomfortable in your own skin."</p> <p>Invite students’ thoughts and feelings about this quote.&nbsp; Then ask the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What does Michelle Obama say about feeling this personally?</li> <li>Can you relate to the experiences and feelings that she describes?</li> </ul> <h4><br> Segment 3:</h4> <p>"This is disgraceful. It is intolerable. And it doesn't matter what party you belong to ... no woman deserves to be treated this way. None of us deserves this kind of abuse. And I know it's a campaign, but this isn't about politics. It's about basic human decency. It's about right and wrong. And we simply cannot endure this, or expose our children to this for any longer - not for another minute...&nbsp; And how is this affecting men and boys in this country? Because I can tell you that the men in my life do not talk about women like this. And I know my family is not unusual. And to dismiss this as every day locker room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere.... And like us, these men are worried about the impact this election is having on our boys, who are looking for role models of what it means to be a man."</p> <p>Invite students’ thoughts and feelings about this quote.&nbsp; Then ask some or all of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What does Michelle Obama say about exposing children to this kind of talk and behavior?&nbsp; What do you think and feel about this?</li> <li>What kind of role model does Michelle Obama think young people should have?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h3><br> Listening Circle</h3> <p><br> Listening circles give people a chance to say what they are thinking and feeling and can help engender mutual understanding and support.</p> <p>Ask students to seat themselves in a circle. Provide some guidelines: Each person will be invited to speak for up to two minutes about whatever is on their minds (in response to a prompt). When one person is speaking, the others should pay good attention but not comment. Participation is completely voluntary - anyone can pass if they choose.&nbsp; What people say in the circle should be kept confidential.&nbsp;</p> <p>Begin the first go round with this prompt:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What thoughts or feelings do you have about the controversy we’ve just heard about? Allow more than one go-round if students seem to have more to share.</li> </ul> <p>Next, ask students: &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Have you ever felt pressured to say disrespectful things, or things that could be considered sexist? What was your response and how did you feel?</li> <li>Imagine that you heard someone saying disrespectful or sexist things. &nbsp;What do you hope you might do or say in response?</li> <li>What positive change do you hope might happen as a result of this controversy?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <div align="center">&nbsp;</div> <h3>Brainstorm</h3> <p>Ask students to think about ways we or our friends have felt disrespected based on gender.</p> <p>What experiences have we had or heard about? Chart students' responses. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Ask students to break into small groups. Give each group a blank piece of chart paper and markers. Explain that their task is to brainstorm ideas for improving the way we treat each other. How can we increase the level of respect we have for each other and promote gender equity?</p> <p>Remind them of the rules of brainstorming:</p> <ul> <li>They will have a limited amount of time to come up with ideas: five minutes—you’ll time them.</li> <li>During that time they need to come up with at least five ideas (more would be even better).</li> <li>They shouldn’t discuss or criticize any ideas, though they can ask clarifying questions if they don’t understand</li> </ul> <p>When the five minutes is up, the recorder from each group presents their ideas.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> Closing</h3> <p><br> How do the students feel about the ideas they came up with? Ask for a couple of volunteers to share their thoughts with the group.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2016-10-11T16:15:03-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - 16:15">October 11, 2016</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 11 Oct 2016 20:15:03 +0000 fionta 376 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Talking with Students about the Presidential Debate https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/talking-students-about-presidential-debate <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Talking with Students about the Presidential Debate</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Did your students watch the presidential debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney on October 3? If not, see the <em>New York Times </em>for:</p> <ul class="rteindent1"> <li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/10/04/us/politics/100000001825246/denver-debate-highlights.html">Video highlights</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/03/us/politics/transcript-of-the-first-presidential-debate-in-denver.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0">Transcript</a>&nbsp;of the debate</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;<br> Get a discussion going with some or all of the questions below. (Or, ask students to pick a question that they will write about.) &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>What was your reaction to the presidential debate?</li> <li>Did your opinion of the two candidates change while watching the debate?&nbsp; Why or why not?</li> <li>Did either candidate say something that completely surprised you?</li> <li>Whose positions and points of views most closely match your own?&nbsp; Explain.</li> <li>Did your positions on any issues change as a result of the debate? If so, how?</li> <li>Who do you think "won" the debate and why?&nbsp; Do you think who "won" is the most important thing about a debate?</li> <li>Did you watch the debate with anyone?&nbsp; What was their reaction?</li> <li>Did anything in the debate inspire or excite you?</li> <li>What topics discussed at the debate are of most interest to young people, do you think?</li> <li>Did the moderator ask all the questions you most wanted answered? If not, what questions would you have added if you were moderator?</li> <li>If the election was held tomorrow and you could vote, who would you vote for and why?</li> <li>If you were writing a closing statement for either of the candidates, what would it be?</li> </ol> <p>For a fuller discussion of some major issues in the election, see our TeachableMoment lessons, including&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/womens-issues-2012-election">'WOMEN'S ISSUES' IN THE 2012 ELECTION</a></li> <li><a href="http://morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/2012-election-issues-democracy-citizens-united-case">DEMOCRACY &amp; THE CITIZENS UNITED CASE</a></li> <li><a href="http://morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/wealth-taxes-whats-fair">WEALTH &amp; TAXES: WHAT'S FAIR?</a><br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2012-10-04T09:31:08-04:00" title="Thursday, October 4, 2012 - 09:31">October 4, 2012</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:31:08 +0000 fionta 617 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org