Al Wilson’s NIE Tips 5.15.12

AMERICAN HISTORY:

 

Item #1  Search for information on the Tall Ships Challenge.  The ships departed Savannah, GA, on May 5th, and will stop at various ports on the eastern seaboard before arriving in Nova Scotia in July.

 

Item #2  See note on Baltimore under Newspaper In Education.

 

Item #3  Benedict Arnold’s heroism in the Revolutionary War is being celebrated in two places.  On May 10th, an exhibit opened at Saratoga National Historic Park.  The Saratoga exhibit is “Broken Trust–the Chequered Career of Benedict Arnold” runs through April 2013.

 

On Saturday, May 19th, his capture of Fort Ticonderoga is being re-staged.

 

Item #4  Major Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk is the only surviving member of the crew of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August of 1945.  He will visit the Dayton Air Show July 7th and 8th.

 

ART:

 

The 1895 painting of “The Scream” sold for $119, 922, 500.00

 

DRIVERS’ EDUCATION:

 

Item #1  Teenage drivers are more at risk when other teenagers are in the car.  They are more at risk with friends in the car than when driving alone or with an adult.  This from a study conducted by the AAA between 2007 – 2010.

 

Item #2  There were 32,310 traffic fatalities in 2011; the lowest number since records started being kept in 1949.  On average, this is how many deaths per month? per week? per day?

Month  2,693

Week      621

Day            89

 

Item #3  Text messaging while driving will be illegal in Alabama after August 1st.

 

Item #4 The AAA reports that the days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are the most dangerous for teen drivers.  The have been dubbed, “The 100 Deadliest Days.”

 

ECOLOGY and HEALTH:

 

Item #1  The Wyoming governor pressured the EPA to postpone an announcement that fracking might be contaminating groundwater.  The EPA is being pressured by the White House to release the report.  Isn’t politics wonderful?

 

Item #2  A poll out of Stanford University shows that over the past two years public support for “green energy” is dropping.  There may be global warming, but people are not believing the hype of what is causing it.  Al Gore has ended up with a lot of “mud on his face,” and the scandal within the “green” industry is making people mad.

 

Item #3  A motorcycle stored in a large container has washed up on a Canadian island from the tsunami in Japan.  The bike was traced to its owner through the licenses plate.

 

EDUCATION:

 

Item #1  This subject has been discussed before, but the director of the New Jersey Advanced Manufacturing Talent Network sounds the alarm.  Manufacturing is increasing in the United States, but companies are having trouble finding qualified workers.  The director says, “The situation calls for educators and employers to get creative.”

 

Item #2  Schools are attempting to improve on their lackluster scores in science education.  New curriculum is being backed by:  National Science Teachers Association;  the National Research Council; the National Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); and the school standards group Achieve.

The goal is to get students and families talking about science and technology careers as they did with the launch of Sputnik in 1957.

 

Item #3  See notes on Olympic Torch under World History.  What is a parabolic mirror?  How does a parabolic mirror or parabolic dish work?

 

ENGINEERING:

 

A newspaper story discussed the achievements of a disadvantaged boy who finally graduated from college with a degree in aerospace engineering.  What could your students do with a degree in aerospace engineering, Mr. Meyers?

 

ENGLISH:

 

Item #1 You probably saw the picture of high school students posing for a group picture on a boat dock in Wisconsin before going to the prom.  They were wet, but made it to the prom.  Clever caption on the picture:  “Too much pier pressure”

 

But the cutline stated:  “None were hurt, and they all made it to the dance.”

 

Item #2  “ali” is the Latin root for “other”.  English words with this root:  alias, alibi, alien.  In Latin, alibi means “somewhere else”.

 

Item #3  Hard and soft “C”.  Some people spell accesssory as assessory.  This is because with the double “C”, the first is hard and the second soft; as in accident and access.   A soft “C” sounds “S” causing confusion to think accessory is spelled “assessory” as in assessment.

 

GOVERNMENT:

 

Item #1  On May 2nd, Newt Gingrich dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Mitt Romney.  On May 7th, Rick Santorium did the same thing.  Of the beginning eight (8) candidates, only Ron Paul is still in.  What influence will Gingrich, Santorium, Paul and the other have in shaping the Republican platform?

Romney will have to concede something for their support.

 

Item #2  The battle over how to keep college students’ loan rates low continues in the U.S. Congress.  The battle is how to pay for keeping the loan rates low.  Republicans want to cut about $6 billion from preventative healthcare.  Democrats want to increase taxes.

 

Item #3  On Thursday, May 10, House Republicans passed a bill to make cuts in domestic spending and to spare the military of $55 billion in cuts.  However, it is predicted that this measure is DOA in the Senate.

 

Item #4  At least 2,600 pharmacies across the nation have filed fraudulent Medicare claims costing taxpayers an estimated $5.6 billion.  The IRS is giving fraudulent refunds to illegal immigrants costing taxpayers over $4 billion a year.

 

If this money could be saved, there would be no problem keeping rural post offices open to serve people.

 

HEALTH:

 

Item #1  The 13th annual report by Save The Children foundation says the United States is the 25th best place in the world to be a mother.  Norway was the leading country, and the survey considered 165 countries.

 

Item #2  It is predicted that by 2030, 42% of adults in America will be obese.  This research came from Duke University.  Discuss diet and exercise to avoid this problem.

 

Item #3  A newspaper carried a story about “Doctor Laughter”, who is a 74-year-old dapper gentleman who is humorous and artistic.  He visits hospitals daily to draw get-well cards and to make patients laugh.  He says laughter is good medicine, and quotes Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like medicine, and a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

 

Item #4  At least 600 researchers from around the world are gathering for a conference on Alzheimer’s.  The goal is to find a cure by 2025.  See if there is any information at:  National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institute of Health.

 

Item #5  Some hospitals in the nation are now using ultraviolet-C light to “scrub” and kill bacteria and viruses in rooms by damaging their DNA.  We have known about ultraviolet light for a century.  UVC rays are blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere, but UVB rays get through and this is what causes tanning and sun burns.

 

MATH:

 

Item #1  Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, capacity 43,840, has sold out for 233 straight games for the Phillies.  What is the total number of fans that have seen the games in this consecutive streak?

Answer:  10,214,720.  Speaking of the Phillies recalls the sign outside of a restaurant with no customers advertising “Filly Cheesesteak Sandwiches”.  The caption stated: Spelling does count.

 

Item #2  A state lottery reported that one person won $28,000,000; 14 people won $3.040.00; 1,013 people won $62.00; and 22,257 people won $3.00.  What was the total payout?  Answer:  $28,172,137.00.

 

METEOROLOGY:

 

The city of Hattiesburg, MS, has built 11 severe-weather shelters, and they are scattered about the city to be use by city workers and emergency personnel.

Each shelter is 15′ X 15′.  How many square feet in each shelter?

Answer:  225 sq. ft.

 

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION:

 

There are articles, statements and facts reported in the newspaper that students will not understand.  Use these articles to develop curiosity, make the students do research to enrich their education.

 

Examples:  When Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers hit four home runs in one game in Baltimore, fans tweeted to the newspaper:

 

“Tonight we’ve all been treated to a verse from the book of Joshua, chapter 4.”

“Baltimore Harbor hasn’t seen a bombing like this since the Battle of 1812.”

 

What do these statements mean?

 

VOCABULARY:

 

ominous, inexorably, flatulence, peckish, dormant, languish, animosity, provenance, hyperbolic, crux, seminal, eclectic, austerity, mantra, opulent, scythe, anathema

 

WORLD HISTORY:

 

Item #1  On Wednesday, May 9th, the Russians held a Victory Day parade in Moscow to commemorate the 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany.

 

Item #2  There are many sites and museums related to the Holocaust, so make a note of another.

Dallas Holocaust Museum or dallasholocaustmuseum,org

 

Item #3  The Olympic Torch was lit in Greece on Thursday, May 10, for its journey to London for the summer games.  The torch was lit with the rays of the sun on a parabolic mirror.  The torch will be flown to England and will be part of a 70-day relay around the UK.

 

Item #4  The fighting is Syria is damaging archaeological treasures.  Krak des Chevaliers, one of the world’s best preserved castles, held off Muslim warrior Saladin nearly 900 years ago.  Damascus claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.

 

 

 

Al Wilson’s NIE Tips 5.1.12 (Happy May Day!)

AMERICAN HISTORY:

 

Item #1  Mark your calendar.  In the fall, Ken Burns will air a documentary on the Dust Bowl.

 

Item #2  Efforts are underway to try to keep federal funding for the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area.  It was built in 1845 to harness the power of the Savannah River, and is the only industrial canal in America still in use for its original purpose.  Will the National Park Service stop funding on September 30th?

 

Item #3  The ashes of a Civil War veteran were found in storage and given a proper burial.  The article stated he was a survivor of the dreaded Andersonville prison camp in Georgia.  What was Andersonville?

 

Item #4  Could be in the vocabulary section, but what is the meaning of manumit?

 

Item #5  For 110 years, the number of soldiers killed in the Civil War was considered to be 618,222.  360,222 in the North; 258,000 in the South. Now David Hacker of Binghamton University is giving a figure of 750,000.

 

The old figure is the work of William F. Fox and Thomas Leonard Livermore.  In 1889, Fox wrote “Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865″  In 1900, Livermore wrote, “Numbers and Losses in the Civil War in America, 1861-65″

 

Item #6  In Virginia, Civil War re-enactors will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Williamsburg on Saturday, May 5th.

 

Item #7  The work of the Secret Service is not so secret anymore, but know that the Secret Service was formed to chase counterfeiters at the end of the Civil War.

 

BIOLOGY:

 

Violence in the lives of children can age their DNA 5 to 10 years.  Smoking, radiation and stress can shorten the telomeres on chromosomes causing the aging.  Stop stress in schools by reducing the bullying going on.

 

CHEMISTRY:

 

The city allowing the fracking and the company doing the fracking dispute the findings of home owners who did their own testing.  The home owners say the drilling of wells is emitting too much benzene, a known carcinogen, into the air.

 

The company did admit that they were detecting hydrocarbons in the air such as benzene, xylene and ethylbenzene, but did not exceed state exposure levels.  Also, some say fracking dust is a health problem.  The dust is high in silica content causing lung problems.

 

DRIVERS’ EDUCATION:

 

Item #1  On Tuesday, April 24, nearly 800 teen met at a summit in Wisconsin to discuss the dangers of texting while driving.  You might conduct your own summit at your high school.

 

Item #2  In Texas, a billboard contains this message:

     textdrivecrash  Hey You—hang up and drive.

 

Item #3  Women are more likely than men to have pedal misapplication crashes, or mistaking the gas pedal for the brake.  However, men drivers are more likely to be in an accident, and three times more likely than females to be killed.

 

ECOLOGY and politics:

 

In 1987, the Congress of the United States passed a law allowing nuclear waste to be deposited beneath Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.  Nevada lawmakers are fighting this ruling, so nothing is happening.  South Carolina and Washington state are suing to end the stalemate, and the case will be heard on May 2nd.  Thirty-six states are holding waste waiting to be disposed.

 

With Senator Harry Reid from Nevada, it’s a good guess that the court will rule in favor of Nevada and the waste will be transported to the West Texas site where the owner has strong political connections, too, and plans to make a lot of money off the contract. 

 

EDUCATION:

 

Item #1  What do you think about the “Common Core” curriculum?  This voluntary national curriculum was quickly signed onto in 2009 by all states except Arkansas, Nebraska, Texas and Virginia.  Now, South Carolina is fighting “Common Core” because they fear too much federal intrusion. 

 

Item #2  Griffith Public Schools in Indiana expelled three eighth grade girls because they were joking on Facebook as to which classmates they would like to kill.  The ACLU is suing the district saying the district violated the girls’ First Amendment rights.  The school district says the girls violated school policy.  What do you think?

 

Item #3  This week, Texas lawmakers are trying to figure out what to do with undisciplined students.  They are discussing if alternative-education is working and how it can be improved.  Any suggestions from your school for the Texas lawmakers on what to do with undisciplined students?

 

ENGLISH:

 

Olympic ads are out now on various food products saying they will make you faster, higher, stronger.  What form of an adjective are these three words?

 

GOVERNMENT:

 

Item #1 Medicare will be broke by 2024. Social Security broke by 2033, three years earlier than anticipated.  If companies were run like our government, they would be bankrupt immediately.

 

Item #2  An example of Item #1.  The post office is losing tons of money.  One recommendation to save money is stop Saturday deliveries.  Congress would like to do this, but said, “That is not a good thing to bring up in an election year.”  Henry Kissinger said of politics, “Do the right thing and create chaos, do the wrong thing and create tranquility.”

 

The Senate wants to give the post office an $11 billion cash infusion.  How will the House act on this bill?  

 

HEALTH:

 

Item #1  Research and have someone report on Huntington’s disease.  This disease runs in families.  Would you want to know if you inherited this fatal disease?  A North Carolina daughter wanted to know.  Her brother did not want to know.

 

Item #2  A family of five was found dead in a Maryland home.  Carbon Monoxide is suspected in their deaths.  Discuss how to protect your home against carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

Item #3  The American Lung Association has issued a report on air quality.  Go to:  www.lung.org, click on State of the Air, click on Download report.  page 14 will tell you the 25 worst cities in the U.S.  California sure isn’t doing well.

 

Item #4  A reliance on prescription painkillers is causing a sharp increase in addiction in newborns.  The number tripled between 2000 and 2009, with the cost for treating neonatal abstinence syndrome going from $39,400 to $53,000.  Babies were in the hospital for an average of 16 days, and 78% covered by Medicaid.  Another case of responsible people having to be responsible for the irresponsible mothers.

 

Item #5  Mark your calendar to watch “The Weight of the Nation”, an HBO documentary on obesity May 14, at 8 p.m. eastern time.  Type II diabetes in children is increasing due to obesity, and this problem is very hard to treat in children.  There have been only 3,600 cases reported in the U.S., but this disease was unheard of in children before the 1990s.

 

MATH:

 

Item #1  A $11.6 million contract has been awarded to repave a 16-mile section of I-15 north of the Grand Canyon.  What will be the average cost per mile?

Answer:  $725,000.00 a mile

 

Item #2  A $135 million contract has been awarded to widen to six lanes a 23-mile section of I-40 between Little Rock and Conway, AR.  What will be the average cost per mile?

Answer:  $5,896,565.00 per mile 

 

Item #3  A state lottery reported that 16 people won $2,582.00, 1,020 people won $60.00; and 22,522 people won $3.00.  What was the total payout?

Answer:  $170,078.00

 

SOCIOLOGY:

 

Item #1  So much inflamed news about Trayvon Martin, but THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER reports there is little news about black-on-black violence.  Since 2005, 80% of the murders in Cincinnati have been black-on-black, up from 75% in 2000-2004.  Across the United States, there were 4,000 plus black-on-black murders.  Where is the news?

 

How much hypocrisy?  On April 17, in Spring, TX, 20 miles north of Houston, a white mother was shot point-blank seven(7) times by a black woman outside a doctor’s office, and her 3-day-old baby taken.  The baby was found safe that night.

Where are the inflaming news stories?

 

Item #2  With a health twist, too.  Women live longer than men.  In 1965, the difference in longevity was six years.  But in the last 20 years men have been closing the gap; for several reasons, but mainly due to less smoking.  The report says men are smoking less, and women are smoking more.

 

Since 1975, lung cancer rates in men have halved and doubled in women.  If the rate of increase continues, by about 2030 men and women are both expected to have an average life expectancy of 87 years.

 

With people living longer, this is causing problems for insurance companies selling long-term nursing home care plans.  Some are increasing premiums to exorbitant rates and some are canceling policies.  Parents and older people might want to do some research.

 

Item #3  According to the 2010 census, 10% of the marriages in the United States are now interracial.

 

Item #4  Police tie domestic violence to economy.  A police chief said, “When stresses in the home increase because of unemployment domestic violence increases.”  A good subject of discussion.

 

TECHNOLOGY:

 

Police in a few cities are implementing ShotSpotter.  A gunshot detection technology that can pinpoint the location of shots fired.

 

VOCABULARY:

 

The Oxford English Dictionary contains over 170,000 words.  The average high school graduate has a vocabulary of about 10,000 words.  The average college graduate has a vocabulary of about 20,000.

 

Everyone has a reading vocabulary (the largest), a listening vocabulary (next largest), and a speaking vocabulary (the smallest).

 

hypoxia, mettle, medal, metal, anomaly, consternation, paucity, dearth, neophyte, antidote, loath, rookery, plagiarism, incendiary, salacious, macabre, insolvency, erudite

 

WORLD GEOGRAPHY:

 

Norway, Estonia, South Sudan, Croatia, Wales, Antarctic, France, Portugal, Panama, Malaysia, Myanmar, Central African Republic, Belgium, Nigeria

 

WORLD HISTORY:

 

A statue of Ramesses II has been moved from downtown to the campus of the University of Memphis.  What does Ramesses have to do with Memphis?  Why is the sports complex in Memphis a pyramid?

 

###

Al Wilson’s NIE Tips 4.23.12

AMERICAN HISTORY:

 

Item #1  A gun barrel from the battleship Missouri has arrived at Cape Henlopen State Park with the help of Fort Miles Historical Association.  Find information at www.fortmilesha.org

 

Item #2  Discovery is headed to the National Air and Space Museum.  Discovery is the longest serving orbiter in NASA’s fleet.  It completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles.

 

Orbiter Atlantis will be in a museum in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center, and Endeavour will retire in Los Angeles.

 

Item #3  The week of April 22 – 29, is National Park Week. See:  www.nationalparks.org to see and discuss where you might like to visit.  How many national parks have your students visited?

 

CHARACTER EDUCATION and/or MANNERS:

 

NFL fans ejected for drunkenness and disorderly conduct may have to take a 4-hour online course on proper conduct to get back into the stadium.  The Bills, Browns, Colts, Falcons, Giants, Jets, Packers and Patriots are asking ejected fans to take the course which educates them on the NFL’s Fan Code of Conduct policy.  Good idea, bad idea?

www.FanConductClass.com

 

ECOLOGY, ENERGY and ECONOMICS:

 

Item #1  A new route has been proposed for the Keystone XL pipeline to transport oil from Canada to the Gulf coast.

The new route will mitigate environmental dangers to the Sand Hills of Nebraska and the Ogallala aquifer.  The Ogallala aquifer supplies water to eight states.  Mark your calendar!!! President Obama will approve the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline a few weeks before the November election.

 

Item #2  Balls from the tsunami in Japan has reached Middleton Island in Alaska.  NOAA said other debris from Japan has been found, but these volley and soccer balls can be traced directly to schools in Japan and can be returned.

 

ECONOMICS and lack of EDUCATION:

 

Due to higher wages, shipping costs and the need for faster deliveries, many manufacturers are returning to the United States from China, but the returning companies are having trouble finding skilled workers.  It is estimated that 80% of the tool and die making companies in the U.S. are needing one to five workers.

 

Another report stated that a high school degree was needed for a fork lift driver in a warehouse, and the job required the ability to do simple math calculations.  They had trouble finding workers.  Most could not read a ruler down to

1/16th of an inch.  A five state study reported on the educational ills of the nation.  Search for information from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

 

EDUCATION:

 

Item #1  Annie Clark, 7, a girl born without hands has won a Zaner-Bloser penmanship award.  This is an award Zaner-Bloser created for children with disabilities.

 

Item #2  Ted Nugent said, “Metaphors needn’t be explained to educated people.”  What is a metaphor?  Discuss.

 

ENGLISH:

 

Item #1  One “Dear Abby” column provided a chance to review rules for adding the “ing” suffix.  sorting, logging, filling, mailing, receiving, shopping, performing, leaving, paying, pointing, including, donating, posting, laying.  Have students write the root word.

 

Item #2  Speaking of root words.  “dict” is from Latin meaning–to speak.

Examples of English words from this root.  verdict, dictionary, benediction, contradict, dictator, edict

 

Item #3  A man living in an area with lead contaminated soil said, “I’ve got a couple of kids that don’t like to do nothing but roll around in the dirt.”

 

Item #4  English teachers may be interested in this book:  “The Story of English in 100 Words” by David Crystal.

Students may be interest in “Chomp” by Carl Hiaasen.  Have any of the students read “Hoot”, or “Flush”, or “Scat”?

 

GEOLOGY:

 

Item #1  The Popocatepeti volcano is hissing and spewing in Mexico.  The locals call it “El Popo”.  Is anything cataclysmic going to happen?  On Saturday, it was spewing lava, ash and steam.

 

Item #2  A sixfold increase in earthquakes across the central United States has caused stiffer rules for disposal wells.  Links between disposal wells and earthquakes in Arkansas, Ohio and other states are the cause for the new rules.

 

GOVERNMENT:

 

Item #1  Jeff Neely, who hosted the lavish General Services Administration party in Las Vegas, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights when asked about the party.  Last week, we discussed Google using their Fifth Amendment rights.

 

Item #2  The state of Georgia passed a law requiring people requesting welfare to pass a drug test.  Republicans passed the law, Democrats don’t like the law, and it will be challenged with lawsuits when it goes into effect on July 1st.  What do you think about the law?  Are too many people living in the world of the “Little Red Hen”?  They want to eat the bread, but don’t want to work for it.

 

Item #3  The nine scariest words in the English language.  “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

 

Item #4  “Stolen Valor”  Is lying about serving in the military and heroism a crime?  How will the Supreme Court rule on this issue.  Should lying be protected under a First Amendment right?  Some say lying and allowed to get away with it cheapens the value of medals and honors people actually won.

 

But since he is a conservative and a guns rights activist, it seems Ted Nugent has no First Amendment rights to say what he says and “to speak his piece”.

 

Item #5  How will the Supreme Court rule on admission standards in colleges when reviewing affirmative action in higher education?  Do admission standards violate civil and constitutional rights?

 

HEALTH:

 

Item #1  A tough new strain of hand, foot & mouth virus is hitting daycare centers across the United States.  Coxsackie A6, a variant of A16, was identified in Alabama last month and is in Northern California now.  Usually affects toddlers, but the oldest victim was 69.  No known treatment. 

 

Item #2  The Obama administration is going to cut all funding to states to monitor contamination on beaches, and this is drawing criticism.  Each year 3.5 million people become somewhat ill from splashing in waters containing harmful bacteria.

You may find information from:  National Resources Defense Council, or NOAA, or EPA.

 

Item #3  Should the Food and Drug Administration outlaw the use of antibiotics in farm animals in the United States?

Some say this practice breeds antibiotic-resistant germs in animals that can be deadly to humans, or superbugs.

Bacteria mutates when passing between species.  Bacteria in chickens can take on a different form when passed on to humans.  Find information at:  National Pork Producers Council, and at Institute of Medicine.

 

Item #4  A headline states:  “Vaccination debate is splitting many states.”  Should parents enrolling their children in school be allowed to have a “philosophical exemption”?  The arguments get sticky when you begin considering individual choice versus the public benefit if immunizations.  Twenty states allow some form of philosophical exemption.  One state that allows the exemptions is seeing an outbreak of pertussis, or whooping cough.

 

MATH:

 

Item #1  A state lottery reported that 25 people won $1,449.00; 1,336 people won $40.00; and 25,753 people won $3.00.

What was the total payout?  Answer:  $166.924.00

 

Item #2  It is estimated that of the 198,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel, 88% are 75-years-old or older.  How many are over 75?

Answer:  174,240

 

Item #3 When and how much should calculators be used in math classes?  This is a discussion people who write math standards are having.  California and Florida have strong standards.  Business groups in Texas say the new standards are not strict enough and need to be made more demanding if students are going to compete in the business and workforce world.

 

Item #4  Attendance at sporting events is declining, and there are several reasons and theories.  The average for

these years.

                                  2007          2011

NFL                           68,702       67,394

MLB                          32,770       30,334

College Football      46,962       46,074     Division I

College Basketball    5,327          5,025     Division I

NCAA Tournament  19,914       19,186

 

Simply subtract to calculate the amount decrease or calculate the percentage of decrease.  Answers:

NFL -1.9%; MLB -7.4%; College football -1.9%; College basketball -5.7%; NCAA Tournament -3.7%

When Cameron Indoor Arena at Duke for basketball, and Bristol Motor Speedway for NASCAR are not selling out, you know there is reason for big concern.

 

TECHNOLOGY:

 

Is your computer infected?  Hackers have run an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers world wide.  Go to www.dcwg.org to see if you are infected.  If so, fix the problem or after July 9, you will not be able to log onto the Internet.

 

VOCABULARY:

 

impervious, pragmatic, apathetic, expiate, superfluous, incoherent, brook (verb), stoic, vilified, formidable, desolate, demure, indiscretion, talisman, adulation, andrologist

 

WORLD GEOGRAPHY:

 

Locate:  Spain, Falkland Islands, Colombia, Israel, Belgium, Aruba, India, Yemen, Bahrain, Myanmar

 

WORLD HISTORY:

 

The Shoah Names Recovery Project in Israel is racing the clock to collect accounts of Holocaust survivors while they are still alive or too old to tell their stories.  The Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Survivors in Israel helps needy survivors.

 

In the United States, history teachers might like to make note of the: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

 

Al Wilson’s NIE Tips 4.17.12

AMERICAN HISTORY:

 

Item #1  Fort Curtis, a replica of a Union fort, will be dedicated in Helena, AR, on May 11th.  They hope to attract Civil War buffs on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

 

Item #2  The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Association is wanting volunteers to remove garlic mustard, an invasive weed, from areas along the canal.  What was the original purpose of the C&O Canal?  See:  Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park.  Was this the forerunner of the C&O Railroad?

 

Item #3  The National Park Service is considering making the Butterfield Overland Trail part of the National Historic Trail.  The Butterfield Stage ran from St. Louis to Memphis to San Francisco.  You have seen this in old western movies.

 

Item #4  Ground was broken Monday, April 16, on a Rosie the Riveter park in West Virginia.  This is a tribute to the women who served on the home front during World War II.  Can anyone find a poster or picture of Rosie the Riveter?

 

BIOLOGY:

 

Scientists have zeroed in on genes that play a role in intelligence and memory.  They have found one gene that correlated with overall brain size, and another that correlated with the rate the hippocampus shrinks with age.  The study has been published in the journal NATURE GENETICS

 

CHARACTER EDUCATION:

 

Bobby Petrino has been fired as football coach at the University of Arkansas.  Should he have been fired?  He misled his bosses about riding alone when he had a motorcycle accident.  He had a female employee with him.  “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

 

Speaking of Arkansas, should Bill Clinton have been fired?

 

One newspaper article discussed the acts and statements of Joe Paterno, Ozzie Guillen, Bobby Petrino and Tiger Woods.  Do you want to discuss them?

 

DRIVERS’ EDUCATION:

 

Item #1  State Farm Insurance reports that the number of teens texting and driving is still alarming.  In 2011, 43% of drivers 16 and 17 said they have never texted while driving.  This is the same percentage from 2010.  Students are not getting the message.

 

Item #2  Citing liability laws, companies are not allowing their drivers to use cell phones while driving.  This even applies when a person is using their personal car for company business.

 

ENGLISH:

 

Item #1  A panhandler on the streets of Detroit said, “I know I don’t look good, but the city don’t look good either.”

 

Item #2  Creative writing:  Let the boys be creative and write a prom proposal.  For example, one boy knew the girl he wanted to invite was a fan of Pinterest, so he built her a pin board or a “promterest”.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE:

 

Many say the 1949 play “Death of a Salesman” is as relevant today as it was in 1949.  Want to read the play and put it into perspective of today’s economy?

 

ENVIRONMENT:

 

Drought conditions are spreading across the United States.  The drought in Texas last year cost the beef industry billions.  You might find updated information at:  United States Drought Monitor or from the Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, MD.

 

GEOLOGY:

 

Item #1  An 8.6 magnitude earthquake was reported in Indonesia, but no serious damage or threat of a tsunami from it as the friction in the earth was horizontal, not vertical.

 

Item #2  A study by the U.S. Geological Survey links earthquakes to wastewater disposal wells.  The USGS reported that for three decades until 2000, there was an average of 21 seismic events across the nation’s midsection a year.  That jumped to 50 in 2009; 87 in 2010; and 134 in 2011.

 

GOVERNMENT:

 

Has the Senate voted yet on the “Buffett rule”?  The House may vote Thursday on a 20% deduction for businesses.

Neutral economists say neither bill will do much for the economy.

 

HEALTH:

 

Item #1  So much in the news lately about autism.  Do obese mothers contribute to the problem?  Why is autism becoming more prevalent?  The number of 8-year-olds diagnosed with autism:  In 2002, 1 in 150; 2004, 1 in 125; 2006, 1 in 110; 2008, 1 in 88.  Source:  CDC.

 

Is the increase due to better brain imaging, stem cell science, gene sequencing and computing?  One doctor said, “Understanding autism is not like putting together one puzzle but a dozen, whose pieces are mixed together in one box.”

 

Item #2  The birthrate for teens is the lowest in history in every state except for Mississippi.  Why do you think Mississippi is an exception?

 

Item #3  A drug company has developed the drug Amyvid that may help researchers detect amyloid plaques during a PET scan of the brain.  Amyloid plaques are believed to be the underlying cause leading to the progression of Alzheimer’s.

 

Item #4  Teenagers are getting high on synthetic marijuana and “bath salts”.  They are chewing or snorting the bath salt.  The number of calls to poison control centers soared in 2011 to 6,138; up from 304 in 2010.  The drug comes in powder or crystal form and resembles traditional bath salts.

 

MATH:

 

Item #1  “How important is a marriage proposal on bended knee?”  This question was asked of 1,165 engaged or married women.  48% said essential; 44% said preferable, but not mandatory; 8% said corny and outdated.  How many women responded in each group?  Show these percentages with a circle graph.  Maybe this should have been called “Math and Matrimony.”

 

Item #2  Bobby Petrino’s contract at Arkansas called for him to make $24.92 million over seven years.  What would be his average salary per year?

Answer:  $3,560,000

 

Item #3  Use the precipitation information on your weather page for a decimal lesson once or twice a week, or as often as you want.  For example in one city, precipitation for the year is 17.96 inches.  Normal precipitation for the year is 9.59 inches.  How many inches above normal is this?  Answer:  8.37 inches.

 

Do not allow the students to say, “8 point 37 inches.”  Make them always say, “8 and 37 one-hundredths inches.” 

 

ORNITHOLOGY:

 

Can you FORUM students in Fargo tell us if Miracle, a peregrine falcon, has found a mate yet?  Has Dakota Ace shown up yet, or does she have another suitor?

 

SOCIOLOGY:

 

More children are being born out of wedlock as marriages are being delayed and there is more cohabitation.  The rate for the first child born out of wedlock is 80% for blacks; 53% for Hispanics; 34% for whites; and 13% for Asians.

 

Is there a values lesson here?  Is there an entitlement lesson here?

Source:  National Center for Health

 

TECHNOLOGY:

 

It was revealed in 2010 by Google that the cars they were using to map streets were also sweeping up personal information from home wireless networks.  Google has been fined by the FCC for blocking an inquiry even after Google invoked their Fifth Amendment rights.

 

Earlier controversies were over information users willingly gave, but this is different.  The collected information included complete e-mails, instant messages, chat sessions, conversations between lovers, and Web addresses revealing sexual orientation that could be linked to specific street addresses.

 

Of course, the more Google and Facebook know about their users, the more valuable and attractive they are to their advertisers, and this is where they get their income.

 

VOCABULARY:

 

callow, gloam, disparage, exonerate, phenology, draconian, palpable, insidious, alopecia, conundrum, provocative, provocateurs, avenge

 

WORLD HISTORY:

 

Last week we discussed that a dinner menu from the Titanic may bring $25,000 at auction.  The menu actually brought $31,250.00, and an original ticket brought $56,250.00.

Al Wilson’s NIE Tips 4.10.12

AMERICAN HISTORY:

 

Item #1  With some glitches, the U.S. census of 1940 is now online.  1940census.archives.gov   You may do research at: ancestry.com/1940   For other information, just look at: ancestry.com

 

Item #2  The anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s death 147 years ago will be observed in Springfield, IL, on April 14, at the Lincoln Tomb State Historical Site.

Search for more information at:  Loyal Legion and at Sons of Union Veterans.

 

Item #3  A debate is going on as to what form the tribute to Dwight D. Eisenhower will take in Washington, D.C.  The family wants something depicting his WW II and presidential years, and objected to the architect’s depiction of him as a barefoot country boy from Abilene, KS.  The article mentioned nothing about him conceiving the idea for our Interstate highway system.

 

Item #4  One of the 66-foot guns from the battleship Missouri is going to be displayed at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware

 

DRIVERS’ EDUCATION:

 

Tucson, AZ, has outlawed texting while driving within the city limits.  Fines of $100 to $250 will be imposed.

 

ECOLOGY:

 

Item #1  Albuquerque, NM, is already imposing water restriction through October.  Students should be aware of water shortage issues in this country.  It’s going to become a big problem within the next 20-30 years.

 

Item #2  Bennington College in Vermont will hold a week of discussions on the quantity and quality of water.  “The Water Dialogues” will be held April 16-21.

 

Item #3  Young people are not visiting our national parks. and this may impact funding in the future.  A 2010 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that people 8 to 18 spend an average of 7 1/2 hours a day on digital media.

 

EDUCATION:

 

Item #1  A children’s museum opened in Rochester, MN, on April 6th.  There is also a museum in St. Paul.

See:  http://mcm.org  or http://rochester.mcm.org

 

Item #2  Jonesborough, TN, the state’s oldest town, markets itself as “Historic Jonesborough”, but is going to start calling itself the “Storytelling Capital of the World.”

 

ENGLISH:

 

Item #1  A news story after Kentucky won the national basketball championship provided this opportunity to review the skill of adding the “ed” suffix with these words.  jumped, screamed, sprayed, passed, waved, arrested, spilled, rented, mobbed, greeted, raised, surprised, gripped, shouted, scored, suffered.

 

Item #2  Tiger Woods said, “I didn’t hit the ball very good.”

 

Item #3  “A job is not to dye for.”  Many women go gray.

 

GOVERNMENT:

 

Item #1  The Supreme Court ruled 5 – 4 that jailers can perform invasive strip searches on people jailed for even minor crimes.  The majority said in jails security trumps privacy.  Good reason to study the 4th Amendment.  It is interesting to watch the rulings and opinions of the conservative vs. liberal judges.

 

Item #2  U.S. House of Representative members are having to live with new budget regulations, and the liberal members of Congress are finding it difficult to do.  Of the 10 members living within their budget, 8 of them were Republican.  Of the 10 members spending more than their budget, all 10 were Democrats.  More information from the Sunlight Foundation or at www.Legistorm.com

 

Item #3  A headline read:  “Free” health care screenings vary widely in cost.

Isn’t this an oxymoron?  But it makes the point.  There is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

Item #4  President Obama is taking on the Supreme Court regarding over turning the health care bill.  Other presidents have challenged the Supreme Court before, but many legal scholars say this is a new level of disrespect to the Court.

 

HEALTH:

 

Item #1  At least 90 people have been sickened in 19 states from a salmonella outbreak that may be linked to sushi.

 

Item #2  Be careful with the Easter fowl.  Last year 68 people caught salmonella from handling baby chicks and ducklings.

 

Item #3  Scientists have discovered two gene variants that may play a role in obesity.  However, they say, “Obesity is a complex interplay among biological, behavioral, cultural, environmental and economic factors.”

 

MATH:

 

A state lottery reported that 13 people won $3,213.00; 1,122 people won $55.00; and 24,019 people won $3.00.  What was the total payout?

Answer:  $175,536.00

 

METEOROLOGY:

 

Are you ready?  Do you remember Greensburg, KS; Joplin, MO; Tuscaloosa, AL?

It is now confirmed that 16 tornadoes were in a 50 mile radius of Dallas, TX, last week.  Much damage to many areas, but no deaths.  Are you prepared for a disaster?

 

MUSIC:

 

Item #1  Who do the students think will be voted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame this weekend?  Some of the winners have been announced now.

 

Item #2  What is fugue?

 

VOCABULARY:

 

intrinsic, crescendo, opulent, aplomb, renaissance, columbarium, coalesce, travails, feckless, quell, hyperbole, antipathy

 

WORLD GEOGRAPHY:

 

Locate:  Falkland Islands, France, Greece, Finland, Argentina, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, Israel, Scotland, Haiti, South Africa, North Korea, Bosnia

 

WORLD HISTORY:

 

See:  www.rmstitanic.net  to see where there are Titanic exhibits around the United States.

 

Items recovered from the Titanic will be auctioned on April 15th.  Look for information about the price some items will bring.  It is estimated that a dinner menu will bring $25,000.

 

Al Wilson’s NIE Tips 4.02.12

CHEMISTRY:

 

Item #1  A new culprit has been identified in the honey bee die-off.  The chemicals are known as neonicotinoids.

 

Item #2  Several state governors and state officials toured a plant in Nebraska that treats its meat with ammonium hydroxide or “pink slime”.  What does ammonium hydroxide do?  It kills E. coli.

 

DRIVERS’ EDUCATION:

 

A driver, near Loveland, CO, is suspected of talking on his cell phone drifted onto the shoulder and killed two men and injured a teenage boy.

 

ECOLOGY:

 

More than 90 schools, including Brown and Harvard, are banning or shunning plastic water bottles.  Good idea, bad idea?

 

EDUCATION:

 

See:  “Lessons Worth Sharing” at www.education.ted.com  or you can search for TED-Ed

 

GOVERNMENT:

 

England is planning an electronic surveillance network that could monitor any phone message sent my anyone anytime.  How much protection?  How much privacy?

 

In the U.S., the New York Times reported that 70% of citizens are worried about privacy when using their smartphones for health information.

 

HEALTH:

 

Item #1  Henry Ford started a hospital in the early 1900s, and in 1914 he railed against cigarettes in a series of pamphlets called “The Little White Slaver.”  Ford believed the human body was nothing more than an engine that would never perform properly if running on improper fuels.  To advance his cause, he worked with Dr. John Harvey Kellogg of Battle Creek, MI.

 

In 1900 the average life span was 53 years.  It is 78 years today.

 

Point of discussion:  Plan your diet.  What are the proper fuels for your body?

 

Item #2  A study by the CDC says one in 88 children in the U.S. is affected by autism or Asperger’s syndrome.  What is causing it?  More widespread and better diagnosis?

 

MATH:

 

Item #1  A state lottery reported that 19 people won $2,588.00; 44 people won $1,656.00; and 33,682 people won $3.00.  What was the total payout?

Answer:  $223,082.00

 

Item #2  An auction for Whitney Houston memorabilia was held Saturday.  One group of 13 items brought $80,187.00.  What was the average price of each item?

Answer:  $6,168.23

 

Item #3  Isolation cells in a California are a windowless 7.6 by 11.6 ft. cell.  How many square feet are in a cell floor?  Answer:  88.16 sq. ft.

 

Item #4  The NASCAR race at Martinsville on Sunday was 500 laps.  The track is .526 miles long.  How many miles long was the Martinsville race?

Answer:  263 miles

 

METEOROLOGY:

 

Starting this week, the Weather Bureau is going to be more specific with a new kind of tornado warning.  Studies conducted in Tuscaloosa, AL, and Joplin, MO, found that people were not paying enough attention to the warnings. 

 

VOCABULARY:

 

reticent, abhorrent, esoteric, fratricide, foibles, permeate, emblematic, beleaguered, accentuate, ascend, formidable

 

WORLD GEOGRAPHY:

 

Locate:  Japan, Gaza Strip, Syria, Thailand, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Korea, France, Mali, Myanmar