Week 8 October 17, 2012- You do NOT have to write the questions unless you ask me 

1. Week 8October 17, 2012- You do NOT have to write the questions unless you ask me • Describe the format of last night's presidential debate. How was it different from the first debate? How do you think this debate format impacted the way the candidates delivered their messages? • Did you watch last night's debate? If so, who do you think won? If not, why didn't you watch? • Who is Hillary Clinton? What did she say about who should be held accountable for security at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya? How did a group of Senate Republicans respond to her statement? What are your thoughts about her statement? • What feat was Chuck Yeager the first to accomplish? Why did he say this accomplishment was significant for the U.S.?

2. Week 1111/7/12: Answer all parts of each question. This week, you will have to answer 3 out of the 4 questions. When you are done read quietly. • What were the results of yesterday's presidential election? Did anything about the outcome surprise you? Explain. Did you make any predictions about the presidential election? If so, were you right? • Which party won the most seats in the House of Representatives? Which party won the most in the Senate? Why is control of each of these chambers of Congress important? What does the term "balance of power" mean? • What is the name of the top office in state government? How many of these offices were up for election last night? Can you think of any responsibilities of state governments? Why do you think that state elections are important? • Do you think that it's important to vote? Why or why not? What do you think are some reasons why some people choose not to vote? In your opinion, are any of these good reasons? Explain.

3. 11/28/12: Answer all parts of each question. This week, you will have to answer 3of the 4 questions. When you are done read quietly. • What move by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy has led to protests in his country? What have Morsy and his critics said about this move? What do you think will happen in Egypt? • What country is Mexico's biggest trading partner? What goods do you think these two countries exchange? What do you think they could do to strengthen their relationship? What issues do you think might create tension between them? Explain. • According to the program: What is the "fiscal cliff"? What is the deadline for Congress and President Obama to come up with a deal on the fiscal cliff? What might be involved in such a deal? What might happen if a deal isn't reached by the deadline? Do you think the fiscal cliff could have an impact on your family or community? Explain. • What are some things made of plastic? What are the benefits of using this material? What are the potential ecological drawbacks of using plastic? How do the people in the report reuse plastic? What might be the pros and cons of reusing plastic in this manner?

4. Week 5December 12, 2012 Answer all 4 questions. Answer ALL parts of each question in complete sentences. • What do you know about the civil war in Syria? What has been the historical importance of Aleppo, Syria? How has the fighting there affected the city? What might it mean to be a World Heritage Site? Why do you think that Aleppo was designated as a World Heritage Site? • How has life changed for the Panetta family since the storm Sandy? What does Ryan Panetta say about his situation? What resources do you think students might need when transitioning to a new school after a natural disaster? • According to the program, what is different about new images of Earth? What could be learned from looking at night images of Earth? What do you think your region might look like when viewed in this way? • How are dogs that were trained to find bombs in Afghanistan now being used by police in Washington, D.C.? What characteristics might be important for a bomb-sniffing dog? Do you think these dogs would make good family pets? Why or why not?