MyPlace What might be my place in the 21st Century? Welcome Guest | Login or Register

What is your place in today’s world?

Introduction

Some questions seem easy to answer. Others are more complex than we might think. For example, “Where will the children play?” Since the 1970s many people have asked such questions. Sometimes the issues are the environment or how we treat people in foreign lands or our own less fortunate. In this activity you can work alone or with a partner to explore links on the Internet. Choose the links that are most interesting to you and then follow through on the suggestions. See what you really think and feel about these subjects. You can use this self-assessment rubric to guide you.

Broadband Options

1. Miniature Earth

1. Click on the language you want to read (English?).
2. Watch the movie, noting the facts that you find most disturbing?
3. How does your life compare with most of your other “villagers”?

2. Hiroshima Day BBs

1. Watch the video.
2. What did it make you feel? (do you want to learn more about Hiroshima?)
3. Why are there so many nuclear weapons? What do you think should be done?

3. The Merchants of Cool

1. Choose one of the six program segments to watch.
2. What is something that surprised you or that you didn’t know much about?
3. Does this knowledge make you think or feel any differently about what you might buy?

4. Nanotechnology - Expert Panel (streamed RealAudio)

1. Watch the video.
2. What was the most impressive thing you heard? (do you want to learn more about how nanotechnology works?)
3. What do you think would be the best thing to come from nanotechnology? Take a guess at what might be the worst aspect that people aren’t thinking about now?

Lower Bandwidth Options

5. Reef gone in 20 years if warming continues

1. Skim / read through the article.
2. What seems to you to be the most important sentence in this article? Why?
3. What do you think could or should be done?

6. Climate Change in today’s news - from Google News

1. Browse through today’s news reports on climate change and choose one that interests you most.
2. Skim / read the article looking for the most important ideas, facts or examples.
3. What was most interesting? Why was this important to you?

7. Bank staff refuse to train overseas replacements

1. Skim / read through the article.
2. What feelings did you have when you read it? Why?
3. How do you think outsourcing will affect you as either a worker or consumer?

8. Globalisation could lead to war

1. Skim / read through the article.
2. Do you agree or disagree that globalisation could lead to war? Why.
3. What do you think could or should be done to make things better?

9. Scratch! Media Cartoons

1. Browse through these recent political cartoons. Click on a few until you find one you like.
2. What is the subject of the cartoon? Would you agree with the opinion of the cartoonist?
3. How about making a quick cartoon of your own? If you need an idea for a topic, what about your answers to questions 1 - 4 above?

Look for Your Own!

Many sites have been added to a set of Del.icio.us Bookmarks. If you have the time, look through them.

Conclusion

It might seem a simple thing — “where will the children play?” — but maybe it means something more? What things are happening in the world today that threaten you, our children, and also your childhood and maybe even your future. You will be encouraged to learn more about some issue like one of those above and to take action. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section of this page.

Trackback this Post | Feed on comments to this Post