Spotlight on Sources:
Welcome to Renzulli Learning’s Spotlight on Sources, some of our most engaging resources to excite and inspire your students!
This week we are featuring a brand new series of resources from Thinkalong! The Thinkalong team is passionate about building media literacy and critical thinking skills alongside middle and high school aged learners. It's a free resource, requires no registration, and is based on compelling and timely current event questions. From Tricia George at Thinkalong, “We think your learners will LOVE it - and we have outreach specialists on staff to help you figure out how to implement! We're so grateful to Renzulli Learning for the opportunity to share this with you!”
Thinkalong.org
These resources are most appropriate for high ability fifth graders through high school students!
Thinkalong Activities
Education
Standardized tests, a fixture in American education, have been the source of increased anxiety for students, parents, and teachers. In particular, student performance on the SAT or ACT is widely seen as one of the most important factors in admission to competitive colleges. While proponents of testing say it is the best way to objectively measure students’ learning, critics argue that the tests are an inaccurate way to assess students’ achievement and potential. Are standardized tests good, bad, or all of the above? Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Are Standardized Tests Necessary to Measure Students’ Academic Abilities?
Education
During the last presidential administration, former First Lady Michelle Obama made her primary focus fighting childhood obesity thorough the implementation of healthier lunch options for public school kids. Mrs. Obama emphasized the value of proper nutrition and exercise, but her programs were not without her detractors – who argued that such programs were not appealing to students or cost-efficient for school administrators. President Trump has stated his intention to roll back these school lunch regulations for similar reasons. Should the government be involved in regulating school lunches? If not, who should decide what children in schools eat? Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Should the Government Require Healthy School Lunches?
Civics & Government
In 2010, the Supreme Court decided in the landmark case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission to deregulate campaign donations made by corporations and labor unions. This decision allowed these organizations to spend unlimited amounts on issue advertising and contributions to political organizations. Advocates of unregulated campaign spending argue that spending money on campaigns is protected under the Constitution as the right to exercise free speech. Opponents state that politicians are inevitably indebted to these large organizations when they accept donations, potentially leading to corruption and unethical behaviors within the government. Is unlimited spending by large political donors constitutional or does it impede fair and ethical politics? Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Civics & Government
In the 2016 election, only about 6 in 10 eligible voters cast ballots and turnout was especially low for voters under 30. Some countries, like Australia, increase voter turnout by making it mandatory. Prominent activists, academics, and lawmakers say that mandatory voting will strengthen our democracy, while others remark that the right to vote also includes the right not to vote. Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Science & Technology
From mapping the stars to exploring Pluto, space exploration has always fascinated us. Lately Mars has been the focus of several new exploration initiatives, with campaigns for colonization from the Mars One project, SpaceX, and several governments around the world. Technology has yet to be invented to build human colonies on Mars, but that doesn’t stop its allure. Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Science & Technology
Genetically modified foods have been a topic of controversy for years and while most would agree that GMOs have led to a greater amount of available crops, some would say that the benefit doesn’t outweigh the cost of foods engineered with pesticide intolerance. The U.S. recently passed a law requiring foods with genetically modified ingredients to be labelled. This policy falls in line with many European countries, but critics of the law say that genetically modified foods don’t have proven health risks and requiring them to be labeled will imply that they are dangerous. Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Art & Culture
Although human beings have existed on earth for a mere 200,000 years, our impact on the planet is extremely evident. In recent years, geologists have begun to argue that the changes made by humans are so significant that the current era should be labeled as a new epoch – the Anthropocene – meaning a time period in which human activity has been the dominant influence on culture and the environment. Should scientists be in agreement over labeling the current era the Anthropocene age? Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Art & Culture
Although human beings have existed on earth for a mere 200,000 years, our impact on the planet is extremely evident. In recent years, geologists have begun to argue that the changes made by humans are so significant that the current era should be labeled as a new epoch – the Anthropocene – meaning a time period in which human activity has been the dominant influence on culture and the environment. Should scientists be in agreement over labeling the current era the Anthropocene age? Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Art & Culture
Since Congress first designated in 1934, the United States has observed Columbus Day as a national holiday. In recent years, there has been a growing movement to instead celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day on the second Monday in October to acknowledge the consequences of colonialism on native populations in the U.S. and around the world. But some groups argue that Columbus Day, regardless of it's namesake's actions, represents a legacy of immigration and acceptance into America. Should we bid bon voyage to Columbus Day? Explore the resources provided, use the graphic organizers, and submit your Pro and Con Arguments!
Each week, we will send you teaching suggestions and a few examples of our best and most popular resources. For more ideas to infuse enrichment activities with your curriculum, please visit the Unit Supplements on the Teacher Site, under “Teach.” We can also link these enrichment resources to your regular curriculum if you send us a theme or topic.
Thanks for being a part of the Renzulli Learning family and we hope you find these resources helpful.
Your Renzulli Learning Team