Current Events
The following stories made up the current events portions of today’s classes:
- The Chinese government believes time is running out and efforts will soon shift from rescue to body recovery. Latest estimates place the growing death toll as high as 50,000; in some regions 80% of the populous was killed, including nearly 1,000 school children. The Chinese government has made an appeal for rescue equipment as it struggles to reach the most remote communities. Infrastructure and roads have been destroyed and apartment buildings have become piles of rubble. There is growing public anger over the workmanship involved in the construction and the emergency response measure of the government.
- A report by the U.K. government says the death toll in Burma could reach 200,000. This is higher than Red Cross estimates of 128,000 and twenty times higher than Burmese government estimates. The number of displaced and homeless is said to be 2 million and recent rains are making conditions desperate, as aid agencies warn of a second rash of deaths due to living conditions.
- Barak Obama has accused Bush of “cowboy diplomacy” after Bush said that people willing to talk with extremist leaders were similar to the people willing to deal with Hitler. Obama has referred to appeasement when dealing with Islamic extremists.
- John Edwards has announced that he will support Obama as the Democratic Presidential Candidate at the upcoming National Convention. Obama hopes that Edwards white working class supporters will support his campaign.
- The Canadian Auto Workers Union has reached a tentative agreement with GM. It is believed that details of the agreement are similar to the one recently reached with Ford. The agreement comes on the heels of last weeks announcement of 1,200 layoffs at the Windsor transmission plant. The union is still in negotiations with Chrysler.
- The US government has placed polar bears on their threatened species list. The report says that the bears will be extinct in the next 45 years if climate change and polar ice cap loss continues at its current rate. 2/3 of the world’s bears live in Canada, and environmental groups are criticizing the government for the lack of a Canadian response. Inuit leaders are upset at the potential loss of US sport hunters.
- Migrating frogs are moving through Bakersfield California. The migration will pass in a few days and the frogs will have moved to a new site.
Period One: History 30
Following the current events discussion the class went to room 105 for their final preparation day for World War Two presentations. Presentations will take place on Tuesday, May 20.
Period Two: History 20
Following current events the class completed the viewing of Saving Private Ryan. The viewing guide was then discussed in a whole class discussion. The class then moved on to look at the Holocaust that accompanied the Second World War, a reading and question package covering this was handed out. Accompanying notes were started and will be completed tomorrow.
Period Four: History 30
Following current events the class returned to room 105 for their final day to work on World War Two presentations. Presentations will take place on Tuesday, May 20.
Period Five: History 10
Following current events the class was given some time to prepare and then Italian Unification interviews were then conducted. The quality of the interviews varied greatly. All interviews were completed by the end of the period. German unification will begin tomorrow.
