The topic of Planned Parenthood and the debates surrounding it is not something that we would bring to the attention of elementary school students. Many teachers and parents would find that to be inappropriate and, as a group, we agreed. However, a similar topic that may be more age appropriate for the children would be the issues of health education in elementary schools. Along with band, choir, and home economics, one of the first classes to disappear with budget cuts is health class. Following close behind may even be physical education classes! Its sad to think that in the age of childhood obesity we are close to loosing one of the few chances children have to exercise during the school day or even the whole day! Schools are doing great in promoting health in terms of having the food group signs up in the cafeteria or serving healthy lunches, but it backfires when you take away opportunities to follow the healthy eating with exercise! Sure the kids have recess, but shouldn't they have more than just fifteen minutes or so a day? Some schools in the U.S. want to do away with recess all together. Here we are promoting the importance of exercise, but we're taking away their opportunity to do just that. Health class is just another way to build upon your basis of healthy eating. In many health classes children have the chance to learn other ways to be healthy and what is going on in their bodies that requires them to eat healthy.
Students could actively protest the loss of their recess, physical education class, and health class by doing research on the benefits of those classes and spreading the word that they may be lost for good. They could start a campaign and write letters to their principal and other school administrators. Students could also help their school promote the healthy habits by hanging up posters to remind their classmates the healthy habits they should follow.
Related Websites:
Too Much Sugar in Kids Diets, Healthy Recipes for Kids, Problem with Cutting Gym and Recess
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Stephanie's Taking Action!
To take action and show our support for Planned Parenthood we contacted the Boston division who then gave us cards and other materials to distribute at a gathering we will be having on Saturday February 18th 2012, where we will be raising awareness for Planned Parenthood. By filling out the card with your personal information you are agreeing that you too support Planned Parenthood, family planning, birth control and preventative care for women. At the same time you are also supplying Planned Parenthood with the information that will contribute to their database on demographics of people who support them. I can honestly say that I am excited to take part in something that will be able to support women's health.
Taking this type of action connects with my democratic views because I believe that everyone has the right to equality, and that the government should not have the final say in women's health. The government is saying that we all have individual rights, but yet many women cannot afford insurance so they go to places like Planned Parenthood where they can receive the same type of care as they would from a Primary Care doctor. By taking part in this gathering, signing this information card, and just spreading the word about all of the good things Planned Parenthood does for women I am making a difference, I am supporting women's health and women's rights.
Lastly, in regards to teaching about social justice issues I am all for it. I believe that teaching social justice issues can be so beneficial to the students because you are engaging them in a controversial topic, yet showing them that it is okay for them to have differences in their opinions. I do, however, believe that you may want to work on topics the students bring up because you really do not want one that is too advanced and current. In addition to this you want to be careful when you discuss these topics to try and stay open-mined. Remember that one person may take a strong opinion about one side of the issue, while another student takes on the same strong opinion but for the opposite side of the topic.
To me education is all about helping the students to see and learn new concepts. They can be something as simple as the alphabet to a subject that is as controversial as current events. I want my students to know and understand that you can learn just as much outside of the classroom as you can in it. I also believe that education is an instrument for the common good. The reason I feel this way is because when a student learns that they “get more bee’s with honey” inside the classroom, they will hopefully c continue to follow those morals outside the classroom. It is my hope that they will help an elderly person, a sibling, a parent etc. By learning through education how important it is to help others, and hopefully this will be something they then do for the rest of their lives.
As for the quote, “Struggle for social justice is central to our nation’s history…“Concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and holds a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies” I think that it really sends all of the reasons as to why we teach social studies, but also why we have to be careful because of the politics and morality within it.
Taking this type of action connects with my democratic views because I believe that everyone has the right to equality, and that the government should not have the final say in women's health. The government is saying that we all have individual rights, but yet many women cannot afford insurance so they go to places like Planned Parenthood where they can receive the same type of care as they would from a Primary Care doctor. By taking part in this gathering, signing this information card, and just spreading the word about all of the good things Planned Parenthood does for women I am making a difference, I am supporting women's health and women's rights.
Lastly, in regards to teaching about social justice issues I am all for it. I believe that teaching social justice issues can be so beneficial to the students because you are engaging them in a controversial topic, yet showing them that it is okay for them to have differences in their opinions. I do, however, believe that you may want to work on topics the students bring up because you really do not want one that is too advanced and current. In addition to this you want to be careful when you discuss these topics to try and stay open-mined. Remember that one person may take a strong opinion about one side of the issue, while another student takes on the same strong opinion but for the opposite side of the topic.
To me education is all about helping the students to see and learn new concepts. They can be something as simple as the alphabet to a subject that is as controversial as current events. I want my students to know and understand that you can learn just as much outside of the classroom as you can in it. I also believe that education is an instrument for the common good. The reason I feel this way is because when a student learns that they “get more bee’s with honey” inside the classroom, they will hopefully c continue to follow those morals outside the classroom. It is my hope that they will help an elderly person, a sibling, a parent etc. By learning through education how important it is to help others, and hopefully this will be something they then do for the rest of their lives.
As for the quote, “Struggle for social justice is central to our nation’s history…“Concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and holds a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies” I think that it really sends all of the reasons as to why we teach social studies, but also why we have to be careful because of the politics and morality within it.
Critical Attributes:
Using critical attributes is a teaching strategy that focuses the procedural knowledge. Everything has critical, or key, attributes and non-critical attributes. Keeping in mind the critical attributes help focus a teacher's lesson. The critical attributes for our blog would be:
The informational knowledge on our project about the Fight for Planned Parenthood is the facts, concepts, and generalizations that have to do with Planned Parenthood. For example, the fact that "the Planned Parenthood Federation of America will have to accept a cut in federal funding"(Source) and that "a controversial bill is moving through Congress that will drastically cut funding for Planned Parenthood"(Source) would count under informational knowledge.
The procedural knowledge would be the way we are implementing and reacting to the informational knowledge. For our project this would be the way we are protesting and spreading the word about the injustice against women's health and Planned Parenthood through this blog, our research, and our service learning project.
Breaking this concept up to teach as you read the blog:The way that you could break this concept up to teach it would be to break it into sections. These sections would include Planned Parenthood, the government, and the bills that relate to cutting Planned Parenthoods funding. If there is a chance to have a discussion about these concepts then you will probably begin to hear the different opinions and views people have based on their prior knowledge. Make sure you discuss these beliefs based on the different viewpoints that people have. Following this, hand out information or have them look up Planned Parenthood on the internet so that they can see it is not all about abortions. It is important to inform them that Planned Parenthood is all about women’s health. Furthermore, most of the women served by Planned Parenthood are poor and without means to get healthcare of any kind elsewhere. Be sure that when you are talking about Planned Parenthood you include facts about their services, such as how 86% of the care they provide relates to contraception, STD testing and treatment, and cancer screening. In other words, they make the women they service healthier. In fact, only 3% are abortion services, and the government does not pay for them to be performed. However, do not force your opinions onto anyone. It is important that everyone makes their own knowledgeable judgments. The key thing is to start with the facts, that way everyone has the same unbiased information.
Our Service Learning Project:
For our service learning project we will be raising awareness for Planned Parenthood and giving information out about their services and also handing out safe sex kits. We have been in close conduct with the Planned Parenthood in Boston, specifically their Outreach and Organizing Coordinator. We contacted her asking what we could do to help and in response she supplied us with safe sex kits, pamphlets, and support cards.
Planned Parenthood Massachusetts
Using critical attributes is a teaching strategy that focuses the procedural knowledge. Everything has critical, or key, attributes and non-critical attributes. Keeping in mind the critical attributes help focus a teacher's lesson. The critical attributes for our blog would be:
- The government is trying to cut the funding for planned parenthood, because of their views on birth control and abortion.
- Bills are being passed on both a federal and state level. If the bills pass on either level, Planned Parenthood looks to lose millions in funding, which in turn will effect what services will be offered to women.
The informational knowledge on our project about the Fight for Planned Parenthood is the facts, concepts, and generalizations that have to do with Planned Parenthood. For example, the fact that "the Planned Parenthood Federation of America will have to accept a cut in federal funding"(Source) and that "a controversial bill is moving through Congress that will drastically cut funding for Planned Parenthood"(Source) would count under informational knowledge.
The procedural knowledge would be the way we are implementing and reacting to the informational knowledge. For our project this would be the way we are protesting and spreading the word about the injustice against women's health and Planned Parenthood through this blog, our research, and our service learning project.
Breaking this concept up to teach as you read the blog:The way that you could break this concept up to teach it would be to break it into sections. These sections would include Planned Parenthood, the government, and the bills that relate to cutting Planned Parenthoods funding. If there is a chance to have a discussion about these concepts then you will probably begin to hear the different opinions and views people have based on their prior knowledge. Make sure you discuss these beliefs based on the different viewpoints that people have. Following this, hand out information or have them look up Planned Parenthood on the internet so that they can see it is not all about abortions. It is important to inform them that Planned Parenthood is all about women’s health. Furthermore, most of the women served by Planned Parenthood are poor and without means to get healthcare of any kind elsewhere. Be sure that when you are talking about Planned Parenthood you include facts about their services, such as how 86% of the care they provide relates to contraception, STD testing and treatment, and cancer screening. In other words, they make the women they service healthier. In fact, only 3% are abortion services, and the government does not pay for them to be performed. However, do not force your opinions onto anyone. It is important that everyone makes their own knowledgeable judgments. The key thing is to start with the facts, that way everyone has the same unbiased information.
Then, you will want to go on and discuss the problems that could be caused if the government cuts Planned Parenthoods funding. You really do not have to go to in depth with why they want to cut these funds, but you will want to share the effects of this funding cut. It is important to make sure your information is accurate, unbiased, and that you share the links you used so that if people want to check them out they can. Remember that not everyone will share the same opinion as you, but that is okay because there are two sides to this issue.
Once the students have become aware of the facts about what Planned Parenthood actually does, what the government is trying to do, and the effects this will have on Planned Parenthood and the public move onto talking about the Bills that the government is trying to be passed on both the federal and state level. You do not want to make this into a government bash session, but you do want to openly share any information that you have about Planned Parenthood.
Additionally, within our blog it is our goal to make sure that everyone is getting the facts. We want people to be able to see just how much Planned Parenthood does for women’s health and low income families. We also want people to be able to understand how devastating it will be for the public if the government cuts Planned Parenthoods funds. Nevertheless, we also want our blog to contribute to helping people make informed decisions about the effects on Planned Parenthood if the government cuts it’s funding.
Our Service Learning Project:
For our service learning project we will be raising awareness for Planned Parenthood and giving information out about their services and also handing out safe sex kits. We have been in close conduct with the Planned Parenthood in Boston, specifically their Outreach and Organizing Coordinator. We contacted her asking what we could do to help and in response she supplied us with safe sex kits, pamphlets, and support cards.
Planned Parenthood Massachusetts
Katie is taking action!
For this service learning project i have done whatever i can to get my voice heard. I believe it is very important for everyone to know about Planned Parenthood and all the great things they do for girls. When i began this project i knew that this was going to be fun but hard to get the information we needed. Amanda and myself drove to Somerville, Mass to the Planned Parenthood that is located there and they sent us to Boston. The Planned Parenthood that is in Boston is the main headquarters. When we walked in there, their was people yelling at us from outside and then when we walked in, there was security and medal detectors. That is when we realized how serious this matter is. We wanted to talk to someone, anyone but we couldnt all they could do was give us a piece of paper and had us fill it out. We filled the paper out and told them what we were doing and our questions and our concerns, handed it back to the women and then she said it could take up to two weeks for them to respond. After a week went by they called and they were super excited! We told them what we were doing and they said that was great and they wanted to help. They said to come in a week and pick up the safe sex kits, pamphlets and cards for people to fill out. We told them we are holding a dinner on Saturday the 18th and would love all those materials to hand out. They said they wanted to get as many of the cards filled out and then have us return them to see the people that are supporting them. It felt so good that we were doing something that is so important to girls these days! All women have a right to go to place like that in confident and not have to worry about the finacial aspect or what other people think.
I believe it is very important for social justice to be taught in the classroom. I think students should know about the current events that are going on in their community. It is their future that is at stake and should want to be educated about news and events. I know in some schools that have sex-ed classes, but i don't know if that is enough. I think that in schools they should give information about Planned Parenthood so if a girl does need help they know where they can go, if a parent or teacher is not someone they feel comfortable with. Spreading the word about the positive things planned parenthood would be a great way to let more people know and stand with Planned Parenthood.
I believe it is very important for social justice to be taught in the classroom. I think students should know about the current events that are going on in their community. It is their future that is at stake and should want to be educated about news and events. I know in some schools that have sex-ed classes, but i don't know if that is enough. I think that in schools they should give information about Planned Parenthood so if a girl does need help they know where they can go, if a parent or teacher is not someone they feel comfortable with. Spreading the word about the positive things planned parenthood would be a great way to let more people know and stand with Planned Parenthood.
Taking Action, Teaching Social Justice
I believe that social justice is an important, but risky topic to teach elementary school students. Some topics need to be handled with care based on the opinions of the community. Teachers need to give their students the facts of the topic and leave biases at the door, so that students may form their own informed decisions. Teachers also need to be sure to allow students to disagree in a safe environment where they will not feel attacked or cornered. However, in the right hands the topic of social justice can be an interactive and educational experience. Students can learn how to write letters to government officials and to spread the word of a particular case of interest. They will feel ownership of the project and assignments if they feel like they are making a difference.
“Struggle for social justice is central to our nation’s history…“Concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and holds a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies”
I feel as though this quote sums up exactly how I feel about social justice.
-Brooke
Crystal's Take Action!
C
By signing up through the card above I am acknowledging that I want to be informed of any issues that will affect PPH. In return I can show my support by helping them fight these battles in whichever way they present themselves. Meaning politically by sending letters out, volunteering or even protesting. I am already apart of a few other organizations where I volunteer my time throughout the year so it feels good to add another onto the list because I am acting on what I believe is good for our society and future generations.
This type of action connects with our society's democratic values because I am voicing my opinion through freedom of speech. I want to be informed if something or someone tries to change the help that PPH offers and therefore do my part to keep this organization up and running. :o) Keeping yourself and others educated on the current event issues is definitely a tool for the public good. Sadly it is not something that everyone takes advantage of so it up to those who are educated to help with awareness on these types of problems.
" Struggle for social justice is central to our nation's history....concerns about the common good and the rights of the individual, no matter how humble in social standing, transcends politics and holds a definitive place in the realms of morality, ethics and federal law, and therefore in the world of teaching social studies."
I absolutely agree with this quote. Children should be made aware and educated about the right's they hold as citizens but also the rights that every women and man hold regardless of their color of their skin, sexuality, age or gender. By allowing and advocating for the rights of every individual we are also making a better place for the common good as well. I believe social studies can be one of the easiest and trickiest areas to teach to children because not everyone will agree on certain issues. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. As teachers we need to teach strategies where children are able to voice these opinions in a safe environment while learning to respect the rights of others.
On another note below I am listing additional links that concern's women's rights when it comes to birth control and abortion that have been recently in the news. The first link is an article from the Huffington Post "the Virginia House passed the extreme “personhood” bill that could ban common forms of birth control, in-vitro fertilization, and abortion care with no exceptions for women in VA."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/fetal-personhood-virginia_n_1276824.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=personhood
This could do so much damage to women's rights if this were to be passed. But as long as we all stand up and voice our opinions I hope it does not pass just like last time.
The next link is concerning the recent decision made by President Barack Obama for extending benefits to cover birth control. These are the top craziest things being said about this decision:
http://www.womenarewatching.org/article/the-top-5-craziest-things-said-about-the-birth-control-benefit?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=5things
What I find to be a little ironic when it comes to this topic is that the people that are making decisions on women's behalf are all men!
~Crystal
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Taking Action.. and Thought on Teaching Social Justice
To do my part and "take action" towards supporting Planned Parenthood and what they do I signed an "I stand with Planned Parenthood" support card. Doing this made me feel like I was helping because when we received the support cards from Planned Parenthood they were really excited to give them to us and eager to get them back to see the demographics of who stands with and supports what they do. Seeing their excitement with our help and support has made me very excite to be supporting and raising awareness for such a great organization.
In regards to teaching social justice I think this is something that should be incorporated into classrooms even at an elementary level. I do believe education can be used as an instrument for the public good. I think both the students and community can learn and benefit from being taught social justice and participating in service learning projects. On our specific topic of Planned Parenthood, the awareness and the funding, I know that abstinence is suppose to be taught in school but I think information on Planned Parenthood and safe sex should also be giving and available to students in need.
-Amanda
In regards to teaching social justice I think this is something that should be incorporated into classrooms even at an elementary level. I do believe education can be used as an instrument for the public good. I think both the students and community can learn and benefit from being taught social justice and participating in service learning projects. On our specific topic of Planned Parenthood, the awareness and the funding, I know that abstinence is suppose to be taught in school but I think information on Planned Parenthood and safe sex should also be giving and available to students in need.
-Amanda
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