Lazy American Students
-Module-
Activity 1: Quickwrites
Quickwrite 1:
Write down your thoughts and feelings in
regards to the statement, “American
students are lazy.” Moreover, explain why
someone would write this statement.
Activity 1: Quickwrites
Quickwrite 2:
• Please write about the following quote,
“Studies show that American students know less
about math, science, and geography than peers
in many other industrialized countries.”
Activity 1: Quickwrites
Quickwrite 3:
How would you survey, or give an analysis,
of Corona High School’s students in
regards to laziness?
Activity 1: Quickwrites
Quickwrite 4:
Based on your overall knowledge of yourself and
your peers’ behavior, realistically explain what
types of jobs your peers may have in five years if
the behavior continues? Why do you think that?
Activity 2: Author Authenticity
Please look up the author of each article
and answer the following questions for
each article.
1. A.) Is the author credible? B.) Why or
why not?
2. A) Who is the publisher of the article?
B.) When was the article published?
Activity 3: Surveying the text
1. Look at the title and first paragraph for each
article. What do you think the article will be
about?
2. Explain your predictions
Activity 4: Vocabulary
1. For each article you need highlight words
that you do not know or completely
understand. Please look up each word and
write the synonym next to each word in the
margins.
Activity 5: Annotations
For each article, you need to annotate as you
read. Therefore, you should be highlighting
information that you feel is important and writing
in the margin why it is important. There should
be at least 2 annotations per paragraph.
Activity 6: Satire
1. Please write out the definition of satire
2. Where have you heard the word satire
before?
3. Please write out a definition of satire.
Activity 6: Satire
Think of how satire can apply to the world
around you. The next few slides are political
cartoons that depict teenagers and school.
Please respond to each political cartoon
question (The fourth political cartoon is printed
for you, so you can read it clearly).
Activity 6: Political Cartoon #1
Questions:
1.
A.) Explain what the
author is trying to
convey to his audience
through this artwork.
B.) How is the author
trying to persuade the
audience?
2.
Do you feel that this is
an accurate depiction
of high school seniors?
3.
A.) How has the artist
depicted these
people? B.) Are they
distorted in any way?
C.) Does the artist’s
portrayal of characters
cast them in a negative
or positive light?
Activity 6: Political Cartoon #2
Questions:
1. A.) How is the author
trying to persuade the
audience? B.) What call
of action is the author
wanting from the
audience?
2. What key person(s) are
targeted in the cartoon?
Activity 6: Political Cartoon #3
Questions:
1. What is the artist
depicting through his
artwork?
2. How is the author
trying to persuade
the audience?
3. A.) How has the
artist depicted these
people? B.) Are they
distorted in any
way? C.) Does the
artist’s portrayal of
characters cast them
in a negative or
positive light?
Amendment 1
• Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble,
and to petition the Government for a redress
of grievances." ~ The First Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution
Activity 6: Political Cartoon #4
(This one is printed for you)
Questions:
1. What is the artist
depicting through his
artwork?
2. How is the author
trying to persuade the
audience?
3. Please evaluate the way
the pictures get smaller
as it moves down. Why
do you think this artist
drew them this way?
4. A.) How has the artist
depicted these people?
B.) Are they distorted
in any way? C.) Does
the artist’s portrayal of
characters cast them in
a negative or positive
light?
Activity 6: Satire Questions
1. What is each Political Cartoon (satire) about?
2. What deep comment is each piece of satire
making about its subject?
3. How is humor incorporated into each piece?
4. What new perspective can we gain AND/OR
what can we learn by thinking about each piece?
Activity 7: Response
“The Manufactured Crisis…”
1. Who are Berliner and Biddle?
2. A.)Do you agree with Berliner and Biddle that American
education is not in crisis? B.)Explain and give examples.
3. Berliner and Biddle claim that the decline of student
achievement is a “myth.” Based on what you hear in
today’s society, what do you think?
4. Do some research. A.) Nationally and in California, what
are the percentages of high school drop outs and those
who do not graduate? B.)What is the college freshman
remediation rate? C.) What is the main complaint
amongst employers who hire teens? D.) How do
American students academically measure up with other
countries?
Activity 8: Response
“Comparing American Students’…”
1. Thompson feels that society should not compare other countries’
academic statistics to American academics. A.)What do you think?
B.) Explain with examples.
2. Thompson does not site any sources, except wikipedia, for her
research. Why is this fallible?
3. Thompson feels that “there is [not] a place for such an existence in the
American lifestyle.” A.)Explain what she means. B.) Do you agree or
disagree? Why?
4. According to Thompson, we need to help the American educational
system by “experimenting with various teaching styles and …utilizing
the time we already spend in school.” This is the very thing American
politicians have been experimenting with for years, making teachers
responsible for student achievement. A.) Do you think this strategy has
benefited the American educational system in any way? B.) What do
you suggest would help the American educational system produce
better educated students? Be specific.
Activity 9: Response
“My Lazy American Students” and “
Lazy American Students: After…”
1. Miller compares American students’ work ethic to
international students’ work ethic. A.) Do you
agree with Miller? B.) Explain with examples.
2. In Miller’s follow-up column, one can see that she
stirred much controversy, saying “that there is too
much texting in class, too much dozing off, too
much e-mail checking, too much flirting…”among
the American students, distracting him or her
from academics. A.) Why were people offended?
B.) Are you offended? C.) Based on your high
school classes, is there any truth to her column?
Give examples.
Activity 10: Response
“Lazy American Students?...”
1. Garey seems to be very offended by Kara
Miller’s article. List the reasons why Garey is
offended.
2. A.)Is Garey blowing things out of
proportion?” B.) Explain.
3. A.)What is Garey’s call to action? B.)Why is
she asking this of Miller?
Activity 11: Response
“Are American Students Lazy?”
1. Jaschik includes multiple comments by other professors,
from other schools, and the general public. A.) What are
the commonalities? B.) What are the differences? C.) How
do some of the comments make you feel?
2. Read paragraphs seven, eight, and twenty in Jaschik’s
article. A.) Do you think that high school students expect
to receive “good grades” without putting in the necessary
work? Explain. B.) What are “’Helicopter Parents?’” C.)Do
you see this parenting style in education today?
D.)Explain your opinion. E.) Do you agree or disagree with
American students not being able to handle criticism?
F.) Is high school and earlier the place where a student
learns respect for his or her teacher? Explain.
Activity 12: Response
Conclusion from:
“Pathways to Prosperity”
1. Please explain what “productive and
prosperous lives as adults” means.
2. Explain the “American Dream” and what
Harvard thinks is happening to the dream.
3. Do you agree with President Obama’s
statement in regards to everyone needing
more than a high school diploma to be
successful? Explain.
Activity 12: Response
Conclusion from:
“Pathways to Prosperity”
4. A.) What is it that other countries seem
to be doing better at, when it comes to
young students? Be specific. B.) What
does the American educational system
feel is best and how is the system set
up?
5. What is the most valuable piece of
information you learned from Harvard?
Activity 13: Essay
You need to write a hand-written rough draft as well
as a typed out essay in MLA formatting for the below
essay prompt. This essay, in its entirety, is due on
Monday, April 9th with the rest of the module.
Based on what you have learned through the
module, using your own knowledge and your own
experiences or reading, write a carefully constructed
essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies the ideas
presented throughout the module.
Module Due Date
The entire module and typed essay
are due when you return from
spring break, Monday, April 9th!
If you turn it in after April 9th, it will
be marked down a letter grade
each day it is late.