Thai protesters have returned home, but reconciliation efforts have fallen flat:

In Bangkok, nearly 500 kilometers, or 300 miles, to the southeast, a sense of normalcy has covered over the wounds of the red shirts’ long occupation of the city center, which ended on May 19 with a military assault in which about 90 people died.
(In the provinces), home to many who protested in Bangkok in April and May, critics of the government have retreated into silence.
In a prison interview here, Natthayot Phajuang, a red shirt leader who is serving a six-month sentence, said the continuing detentions were making it difficult to find common ground.
“If he wants people in the country to love each other in harmony again,” he said of Mr. Abhisit, “he shouldn’t use prison to separate us.” » The full New York Times article - By Seth Mydans - Published: August 31, 2010

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• Would prime minister Abhisit's party, which hasn't won a nationwide poll since 1992, be in power if their "yellow shirted" supporters had not hijacked the airports and held them hostage for 8 days in 2008 stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers?

• None of the yellow shirts have been convicted for shutting down the airport, including Kasit Piromya, the current foreign minister who took part and reportedly said the protest was “a lot of fun.” » The full New York Times article. - By Thomas Fuller.
• Abhisit's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban says (the 8 day) blockade of the two airports last year “caused no damage to aviation” so charges are baseless. » The full Bangkok Post article..

• Is Thai law biased? Thai Supreme Court rulings are based on the military created constitution.

Thailand's army-backed government is now wielding overwhelming surveillance, imprisonment, censorship and other "state of emergency" powers across much of this Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation. The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, commonly known as the Red Shirts, acknowledge that they have been strangled and are struggling to stay alive. Thousands of cameras are to be installed all over Bangkok, making it probably the most heavily surveilled city in Asia.
"The government's use of terrorism charges to go after Red Shirt leaders, as well as Thaksin, is inappropriate for what was mostly a peaceful political movement that did not target civilians," said the Belgium-based International Crisis Group on July 5.
The emergency decree, described by the ICG as “draconian,” conveniently also" grants officials immunity from prosecution," the ICG said. » The full Asia Sentinel article - By Richard S. Ehrlich - July 8, 2010

• WWS - World Wise School - The Blind Men and the Elephant -
  Overview | Students will develop sensitivity to others' points of view.
  - Students will understand the importance of having as much information as possible before coming to conclusions. Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.
• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws: "Is the Thai Constitution credible?" -
  Go to this Building a Healthy Society and Law Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. Go to this Building a Healthy Society and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Military Coups Around the World -
  Overview | Students consider military coups and their aftermaths, research famous coups... illustrating those events, and write letters from the perspectives of ousted leaders examined during class. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

Thailand's martial law:

"The government's use of terrorism charges to go after Red Shirt leaders, as well as Thaksin, is inappropriate for what was mostly a peaceful political movement that did not target civilians," said the Belgium-based International Crisis Group on July 5.
The emergency decree, described by the ICG as “draconian,” conveniently also "grants officials immunity from prosecution," the ICG said. » The full Asia Sentinel article - By Richard S. Ehrlich - July 8, 2010

Image source By Barry Blitt.

• Looking back: Certainly, the Feb. 26 guilty verdict "will not heal the deeply polarised Thai politics," Jakrapob Penkair, former Minister of the Prime Minister's Office and one of the leading figures of the red-shirted National United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said in an exclusive interview earlier this week.

  To Jakrapob, "the verdict was simply a continuation, and in many ways, a completion of the 2006 coup. It is the first and foremost reason why the verdict will not heal anything in Thailand."
  "A military takeover has been treated as a legitimate source of legal authority," Jakrapob said. "One does not even have to hear the rest of the case to understand what was actually going on."
  Jakrapob raised one important point: why do the courts recognize the (legality) of the military coup of 2006 as well as the legitimacy of the current government, which was not elected? These are conditions fiercely in conflict with democratic tradition. The full Asian Sentinel article » By Pavin Chachavalpongpun

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Military Coups Around the World -
  Students will consider military coups and their aftermaths, research famous coups... illustrating those events, and write letters from the perspectives of ousted leaders examined during class. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws: "Is the Thai Constitution credible?" -
  Go to this Building a Healthy Society and Law Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.

The drug trade has flourished….with the number of drug-related cases rising by 63 percent in the two years after the 2006 military coup to 150,000 cases in 2008, the latest full year for which figures are available.
“Our country is going to rank at the top of Southeast Asia — in drugs, teenage pregnancy and violence,” said Sompong Jitradub, a lecturer in education at Chulalongkorn University and one of Thailand’s leading educationalists.
Thailand's scores are well behind those of Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, which have successfully made the transition from poverty to prosperity. Since 2007, student performance in Thailand’s so-called O-Net national exams has fallen steadily in all five core subjects: Thai, math, science, social studies and English. » From this New York Times article - By Thomas Fuller - Published: August 24, 2010

Thailand's answer: martial law will continue for another three months, Abhisit's military-backed government decided

Thailand's army-backed government is now wielding overwhelming surveillance, imprisonment, censorship and other "state of emergency" powers across much of this Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation. The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, commonly known as the Red Shirts, acknowledge that they have been strangled and are struggling to stay alive. Thousands of cameras are to be installed all over Bangkok, making it probably the most heavily surveilled city in Asia.
"The government's use of terrorism charges to go after Red Shirt leaders, as well as Thaksin, is inappropriate for what was mostly a peaceful political movement that did not target civilians," said the Belgium-based International Crisis Group on July 5.
The emergency decree, described by the ICG as “draconian,” conveniently also "grants officials immunity from prosecution," the ICG said. » The full Asia Sentinel article - By Richard S. Ehrlich - July 8, 2010

Looking back:

Would Abhisit's party, which hasn't won a nationwide poll since 1992, be in power if their "yellow shirted" supporters had not hijacked the airports and held them hostage for 8 days in 2008 stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers?
None of the "yellow shirts" have been convicted for shutting down the airports, nor have inquiries been made to identify and take action against their financial backers. The cable station they use was not closed nor have any of their print publications been banned, whereas persistent and vengeful government attacks have blocked or closed down communications of those that oppose the current government.

BBC News, Bangkok -

The government continues to demonise the red-shirts as "terrorists", or mere followers of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Prof Thitinan Pongsudhirak believes it is too late for Mr Abhisit. "He had his chance last year and has not been able to get the job done. In fact he has further alienated the reds," the political scientist from Chulalongkorn University said.
Those fearful of further violence argue that Thai society is more divided now than it was two months ago, because the protests lasted so long, and the denouement was so violent. » The full BBC article - By Vaudine England.

• The Learning Foundation - Who chooses the way a country is governed? -
  "It's my country - I can do what I want!" - A Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.
• The Learning Foundation - Making Good Laws: "Is the Thai Constitution credible?" -
  Go to this Building a Healthy Society and Law Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Action -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.

The so-called Red Shirts urged their supporters in provincial areas to confront the security forces, and many of them began setting up roadblocks outside Bangkok to prevent police reinforcements from entering the city.
The Red Shirts consist mainly of rural supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and pro-democracy activists who opposed the military coup that ousted him in 2006. They believe Abhisit's government is illegitimate because it came to power under military pressure through a parliamentary vote after disputed court rulings ousted two elected pro-Thaksin governments. » The full Associated Press article -

Background:
Red-shirted protesters on Sunday said they were on the street because their voices had been squelched by the coup and two court decisions that removed prime ministers that represented their interests. One former prime minister, the late Samak Sundaravej, an ally of Mr. Thaksin, was removed from office two years ago because he received income from a cooking show, which judges ruled violated the Constitution.
But some of the protesters, who are largely from Thailand’s rural hinterland, also said they were trying to prove a point by blocking such an economically important part of Bangkok: 15 months ago, their archrivals, the generally more well-heeled protesters known as the yellow shirts, blockaded Bangkok’s two international airports for a week, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers. None of the yellow shirts have been convicted for shutting down the airport, including Kasit Piromya, the current foreign minister who took part and reportedly said the protest was “a lot of fun.” The full New York Times article » By Thomas Fuller.

• The Learning Foundation - The military created (18th) Thai constitution -

  When is the law biased?
  • Wicha Mahakhun, a former Thai judge and (military coup sponsored) constitution drafter, stated:
    "People, especially academics who want to see the constitution lead to genuine democracy, are naïve. We all know elections are evil. Even HM the King places trust in the judges; would you condemn them?" From the article: Charter drafter pans 'evil' elections - The Nation.

  • Thai Supreme Court rulings have used the military created constitution.
  • Would Abhisit's government be in power if their "yellow shirted" supporters had not hijacked the airports in 2008?
    Abhisit's Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban says (the 8 day) blockade of the two airports last year “caused no damage to aviation” so charges are baseless. » The full Bangkok Post article..
    Suthep gave the order authorizing the attack by the military April 10th on red shirted protesters who are calling to cancel parliament and hold new elections. The attacks led to 26 killed and over a 1,000 injured.

  Lesson Overview | Students consider what makes a law good. Go to the Updated Law and Society Lesson - Is the (18th) Thai Constitution credible?

• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.

MEMO FROM BANGKOK
The main target of the protesters’ ire seems to be the system: the perception that bureaucrats and the military serve the elite at the expense of the poor.
The haves in Thailand have a lot — the country has one of the most inequitable income distributions in Asia, a wider gap between rich and poor than in China, Malaysia, the Philippines or Vietnam, according to a World Bank report.
The once deeply ingrained cultural mores that discouraged displays of anger, that prized politeness and justified the entitlements of the royalty and the elite have been eroded by technology and mobility.

The prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, rarely visits the northeastern part of the country because his aides fear a hostile reception. (Mr. Abhisit has been ensconced in a military barracks in Bangkok for much of the past two weeks.) Another group of protesters, the “yellow shirts,” who helped precipitate Mr. Thaksin’s ouster with their own demonstrations, held the country hostage by shutting down the airport for a week in late 2008, a protest that stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers. The full New York Times article » By Thomas Fuller.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - The Political is Personal -
  Overview | Students explore their own personal political philosophies by identifying events, people and experiences that have helped shape their beliefs and writing an essay. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.

April 10 (Reuters) - A Thai protest leader called on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament immediately and leave the country as troops and protesters seeking fresh elections clashed in the capital, Bangkok.
"We are changing our demand from dissolving parliament in 15 days to dissolving parliamment immediately," protest leader Veera Musikapong told the "red shirt" demonstrators.
"And we call for Abhisit to leave the country immediately." The full Reuters article.

Background:

Red-shirted protesters on Sunday said they were on the street because their voices had been squelched by the coup and two court decisions that removed prime ministers that represented their interests. One former prime minister, the late Samak Sundaravej, an ally of Mr. Thaksin, was removed from office two years ago because he received income from a cooking show, which judges ruled violated the Constitution.
But some of the protesters, who are largely from Thailand’s rural hinterland, also said they were trying to prove a point by blocking such an economically important part of Bangkok: 15 months ago, their archrivals, the generally more well-heeled protesters known as the yellow shirts, blockaded Bangkok’s two international airports for a week, stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers. None of the yellow shirts have been convicted for shutting down the airport, including Kasit Piromya, the current foreign minister who took part and reportedly said the protest was “a lot of fun.” The full New York Times article » By Thomas Fuller.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words -
  Overview | Students will explore the power of images through political cartoons. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fighting Fire with Satire -
  Overview | Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of “fake news,” and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Fishing for Red Herrings -
  Overview | Students examine the tendency for the public and media to focus on microcosmic, “red herring” issues, then create ways to “sell” large, important issues to the public. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - "Is the Thai Constitution credible?"-

  Anti-government demonstrators broke into the country's parliament building Wednesday, keeping a promise to intensify protests unless Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolves parliament.
  On Tuesday, Abhisit spoke on television saying the rallies violated the constitution. The full CNNN article » By Kocha Olarn, CNN

  Overview | Students consider what makes a law good. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

Obama's State of the Union Address -- “I campaigned on the promise of change; ‘change we can believe in,’ the slogan went,” he said toward the end of the address. “And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren’t sure if they still believe we can change — or that I can deliver it.
“But, remember this,” he went on. “I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I can do it alone. Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That’s just how it is.”
To those who said his ideas have been too ambitious, he said: “I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold?” » read this New York Times News Analysis By Peter Baker.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - History in the Making -
  Overview | Students explore the social history of the United States to better understand why the election of Barack Obama is historic from a variety of perspectives. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Democracy in Actions -
  Overview | Students consider words that reflect their knowledge and opinions about democracy. They then work in groups to research countries that have recently transitioned to democratic forms of government. Their learning is further enhanced by reflecting on what has transpired in these countries to date. Go to this Building Society and Law Lesson.

Singapore (Reuters) – June 6, 2010 -
The international community needs to start providing more economic and social assistance to Afghanistan to ensure the nation can function on its own, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Ivanov, said on Sunday.
"One thing is clear, a lot should be done in just starting very primitive social economic life in Afghanistan. If we don't do that, any military presence will be in vain," Ivanov told the Shangri-La Dialogue. » The full Reuters article - By Harry Suhartono and Nopporn Wong-Anan.

In our Posts - 2009 - Jurm was tormented by warlords in the 1990s, and though it never fell to the Taliban, the presence of the central government, even today, is barely felt. The idea to change that was simple: people elected the most trusted villagers, and the government in Kabul, helped by foreign donors, gave them direct grants — money to build things like water systems and girls’ schools for themselves.

Original image source » Holly Pickett for The New York Times
Villagers and development workers had to persuade a local mullah to get a girls' school built in the Jurm District of Afghanistan.

But forcing conditions would have violated a basic principle of the approach: never start a project that is not backed by all members of the community, or it will fail.
“People have to be mentally ready,” said Akhtar Iqbal, Aga Khan’s director in Badakhshan. If they are not, the school or clinic will languish unused, a frequent problem with large-scale development efforts.
Today, many people have water taps, fields grow wheat and it is no longer considered shameful for a woman to go to a doctor. The full New York Times article » By Sabrina Tavernise.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Guns, Butter or Both? Debating Troops vs. Development in Afghanistan -
  Overview | What actions can help mend and secure the situation in the war-torn nation of Afghanistan? In this lesson, students consider a proposal to build more schools in Afghanistan rather than sending more troops to secure the struggling nation, then conduct research and present their policy recommendations in a debate. Go to this Building Society Lesson.

• World Wise School - Perceptions - This activity is designed to help students understand that perceptions are influenced by personal experience and taste as well as cultural background. Go to Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the Intersection of Religion and Modernity -
  Overview: Students examine the ways in which various religious faiths have responded to social, ideological, and technological changes in 'modern' times. Go to this Building Society Lesson.

The United States is the only industrialized democracy that does not ensure that all of its citizens have health care coverage, with an estimated 36 million Americans uninsured.
And Washington spends vastly more on health care -- both per person and as a share of national income as measured by Gross Domestic Product -- than other industrialized democracies, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The United States spent about 7,290 dollars per person in 2007, more than double what Britain, France, and Germany spent, with no meaningful edge in the quality of care, and lags behind OECD averages in key indicators like life expectancy and infant mortality.
The measure includes a government-backed insurance plan, popularly known as a "public option," to compete with the private insurance industry.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says the bill, as written, would cut the budget deficit by about 100 billion dollars over 10 years while extending health care coverage to 96 percent of all Americans. The full AFP article » By Olivier Knox.

Original image and information about improving health care from this report by the Federal Trade Commission and the Dept of Justice.

Related article: Across a number of questions, the poll detected substantial support for a greater government role in health care, a position generally identified with the Democratic Party. When asked which party was more likely to improve health care, only 18 percent of respondents said the Republicans, compared with 57 percent who picked the Democrats. Even one of four Republicans said the Democrats would do better.
Read the full New York Times article » By Kevin Sack and Marjorie Connelly.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Measuring the Impact of the Recession on Families and Communities -
  Overview: Students consider the loss of health care coverage among the unemployed and other ways that the recession affects the U.S. economy and families. They then examine and collect evidence of its effects on their own communities. Go to this Health and Building SocietyLesson.

Dr. Strobos at left in 1941 with Abraham Pais and her mother, Marie Schotte, with whom she housed scores of Jews.» Original images and article

Why would she take such gambles for people she sometimes barely knew?
“It’s the right thing to do,” she said with nonchalance. “Your conscience tells you to do it. I believe in heroism, and when you’re young, you want to do dangerous things.”
In the decades since her wartime experience, she has spoken out on issues like the torture of terrorists, which she argues is not only cruel but also ineffective.
“Even when they scared me to death and hurt me, it confirmed me that I should not say anything to them,” she said. The full New York Times article » By Joseph Berger.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining the Attributes and Historical Realities That Create Heroes -
  Overview: Students will generate a list of the common attributes of heroes, and analyze a specific hero within his or her historical and cultural context.  Go to this Building Society and Life's Lesson.

This lesson introduces students to the concept of generalization as it applies to cultural stereotyping.
The goal is to have students challenge generalizations made about people, insist on knowing the evidence that supports these, and be willing to modify their own generalizations when confronted by evidence showing them to be false.
It is important for students to understand that almost all generalizations, particularly those about people and other cultures, need to be qualified. The lesson also asks students to practice using qualifying language.

• World Wise School - "How Accurate is It?" -
  This activity introduces students to the difficult concept of generalization so that they will challenge generalizations made about people... Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

Chinese authorities say .. arrests are part of the Communist Party’s latest anticorruption campaign--
But analysts say that prominent corruption cases in China are often the outgrowth of power struggles within the Communist Party, with competing factions using the “war on corruption” as a tool to eliminate or weaken rivals and their corporate supporters.
Those caught in the party’s campaigns are usually humiliated and denounced for taking bribes, leading “decadent lifestyles” and, sometimes, for taking multiple mistresses. The full New York Times article » By David Barboza.

• A Learning Foundation Lesson - Compare and Contrast -
  China's use of "corruption allegations" with that in Thailand being used against deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and anyone associated with him.
  There have been 17 military coups in Thailand all claimed they did so to combat corruption. Go to this ESL, Law and Society Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - What makes a law good lesson plan -
  Over half of Thailand's provinces were under martial law, controlling freedom of speech, press and assembly, during the referendum to pass the 18th Thai Constitution. Martial law persisted up to and including the referendum, and stayed in force up to and during the parliamentary elections in December 2007. "Is the Thai Constitution credible?"
• The Learning Foundation - "Did Li Qingyou Break the Law?" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson -
  Li Qingyou's statment: "Our mentality was that when Chairman Mao waved his hand, we would move, and whatever he said, we would do.
  - We took their money, gold, silver, and things and gave it to the government."
  - Pin Dueng was one of the landowners described as ’rich’ in Li’s statement, and has accused Li of stealing his things and has brought the case to court. Go to this Simplified Mock Trial.

Background: In 2003, four lawyers from China's most prestigious university set up a non-governmental organization to advance the rule of law and constitutional rights. Knowing only too well official sensitivities, they promised that it would be not ‘critical' but ‘constructive' and work scrupulously within the law.
For his part, Xu-Zhiyong, (one of the founders said) "We helped the weak uphold their legal rights and promote the rule of democracy. This could have upset some vested interests. Since the progress of society will not be smooth, this was not unexpected. We cannot predict the outcome of the hearings. Our biggest obstacle has been an unreasonable system, the lack of independence of the judiciary and the inability of public interest firms to get legal status." the Full Asian Sentinel article » By Mark O'Neill.

Original photo and article: As lawyers here discover, there are limits to China’s embrace of judicial reform.
The Constitution, which includes guarantees of free speech and human rights, is unenforceable in court.
Judges routinely ignore evidence, making determinations based on political considerations.
And when it comes to vaguely defined offenses like “subversion of state power” or the invoking of “state secrets” laws, even the best-trained lawyers are powerless to defend the accused.
Last week, China’s justice minister gave a speech saying lawyers should above all obey the Communist Party and help foster a harmonious society. To improve discipline, the minister said, all law firms in China would be sent party liaisons to “guide their work.” NYT article: "Arrest in China Rattles Backers of Legal Rights" - Photo Greg Baker/Associated Press article - By Andrew Jacobs.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Understanding the Quest to Protect Human Rights -
  Overview: Students explore the concept of human rights by developing and defending their own "Bills of Human Rights" and by writing a reflective essay that compares their notions of human rights and the protection of them.  Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

• The Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson - "Did Li Qingyou Break the Law?" -
  Li Qingyou's statment:"Our mentality was that when Chairman Mao waved his hand, we would move, and whatever he said, we would do. Go to this Simplified Mock Trial.

With its thrillerlike pacing and scenes of sexual coercion and teenage backbiting, the novel appeals to young readers, who say the book also gives them insight into peers who might consider suicide. “I think the whole message of the book is to be careful what you do to people, because you never know what they’re going through,” said Christian Harvey, a 15-year-old sophomore at Port Charlotte High School in Port Charlotte, Fla. “You can really hurt somebody, even with the littlest thing.” Read more about "Thirteen Reasons Why," - By Motoko Rich

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Reflecting on Teen Depression and Suicide
Overview: Student reflect on teen depression in the context of the bestselling book "Thirteen Reasons Why," then create proposals for improving mental health in their school community. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Discussing Strategies for Coping with Emotional Stress. -
Overview: Students reflect on the increase in self-injuring, specifically "cutting," among teens and then participate in a written discussion to identify and discuss healthy methods of coping with emotional stress. Finally, they conduct further research and write a mock dialogue. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

Confused about who governs Thailand? Headache deciding who to vote for?
Give your vote to PAD and let us decide.
PAD’s professional protest team has a proven record. We got rid of the last elected government and will get rid of this one too.
You know you can trust PAD because we wear yellow and have democracy in our name.
The news media trusts us, because we help them sell the news.
You can trust us! Give your vote to PAD!

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining the Political Humor of “Fake News” -
Overview: Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of “fake news,” and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon. Go to this Law and ESL Lesson.

image credit - lighthousewws5.com

Kit wanted his students to ask questions and challange what they heard and said, even what he said.
Kids were active and talkative in his classes, and often talked about them at home.
A number of parents complained that their children questioned what they told them instead of showing them respect.
They said the teacher should be teaching the same answers they taught their kids and follow Thai custom.

- The parents filed a complaint with the head of the school and the village to replace Kit.
- They said: "What our kids need is answers to pass the national entrance exams so they can go to university and get a good job."
- Kit answered that the world is changing and kids need to find out for themselves what these changes mean, so they can adapt.
- The parents said it was foreigners causing the changes and they didn't need to follow them.

• The Learning Foundation - "What to Teach" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Suitable Schools -
  Overview | Students explore education requirements for different professions, and define the skills and knowledge that adults use in their everyday lives. Go to this Building Society and Economy Lesson.

From The Buddha's teachings ... every action that one performs in the present moment — whether by body, speech, or mind itself — eventually bears fruit according to its skillfulness: act in unskillful and harmful ways and unhappiness is bound to follow; act skillfully and happiness will ultimately ensue.13 As long as one remains ignorant of this principle, one is doomed to an aimless existence: happy one moment, in despair the next; enjoying one lifetime in heaven, the next in hell.

• World Wise School Lesson - Students will recognize that their classmates hold a variety of opinions. - This activity is designed to illustrate the variety of perspectives and opinions represented in the class. It will help students understand that perceptions are influenced by personal experience and taste as well as cultural background.  Go to Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

• Compare and Contrast - Ask students if the Buddha and Socrates thought the same or different? -
Writing help from TOEFL- Prep Writing Practice Site Lesson - More about Comparison and Contrast.

• WWS - World Wise School Lesson - Students will recognize that a single observation can be misleading -
Young children often make assumptions and judgments about people based on quick impressions. For example, a little girl noticing a house with peeling paint and an unkempt yard told her aunt, "I bet the people who live in that house are ugly." The girl had somehow learned to make assumptions about people she had never met based on her perception of their possessions. Go to this Building Society Lesson Worksheet.

The behaviors are abstaining from smoking, weight management, blood pressure control, regular exercise and avoiding diabetes. The study reports that all are significantly correlated with healthy survival after 90.
A second study in the same issue of the journal suggests that some of the oldest of the old survive not because they avoid illness, but because they live well despite disease. Read more about the study in this article » By Nicholas Bakalar - NYT

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating “Life Lists” of Personal Goals -
Overview: Students consider what it means to live a life well-lived by creating life lists of goals they would like to accomplish and analyzing patterns in the lists of their peers. Go to this Life's Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating Health Resources for Students -
Overview: Students consider the role of the nurse at their school and create informational pamphlets on health topics relevant to adolescents. Go to this Health and Life's Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Evaluating Teens' Sources of Health-Related Information
Overview: Students students research the answers to their own health-related questions, and evaluate the various sources from which this information comes. Go to this Health and Science Lesson. - Related information: "Teen Health Website" - Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The Institute of Medicine recently noted that you can meet your body’s need for liquids in many ways, including drinking coffee and tea (with or without caffeine) and eating fruits and vegetables with a high water content. Two clues that you may need to drink more are thirst and the color of your urine, which should be clear like, well, water.

If you are physically very active, especially in hot weather, repeatedly sipping cold water is helpful. But beyond two quarts, you may need to also replace the salts lost in sweat — for example, by drinking a diluted sports drink or eating foods with salt and potassium. More about health myths in this Article » By Jane E. Brody - New York Times

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Finding Evidence to Support or Refute Commonly-Accepted Scientific Claims -
Overview: Students investigate commonly-accepted scientific claims and gather evidence that supports or refutes them. They synthesize their learning by writing their own "Really?" columns modeled after those found in The New York Times’s weekly Science Times section. Go to this Health and Science Lesson.

Why do people gossip and spread rumors? We've all had that kind of urge. But why? Here are some possible reasons:
- To feel superior
When people are feeling bad aboutthemselves, they sometimes thinkthey’ll feel better if there weresomeone worse off than they are.
- To feel like part of the group
If everybody else is gossiping or spreading rumors, you might feelyou have to do the same thing in order to fit in.
- For attention
When you know a secret that nobody knows, or are the first personin your group to hear a rumor, it can make you the center ofattention.
- For control or power
Certain people always want to be in control and at the top of theladder.
- Boredom
Did you know in many studies, boredom was the number 1 reason why young people say they spread rumors? ... Read more about Gossip and Rumors - PBS kids Its my Life.

Related article: "But rumours sell. People tend to believe in a rumour if it is against the party they hate. This is worrying because people cannot make an informed decision based on rumours." The full article - The Bangkok Post

• The New York Times- Learning Network - Not Just the Facts
Overview: Students explore the difference between hard news, news analysis and (rumors and gossip) ... They then endeavor to write an analysis ... using local sources and drawing their own conclusions. Go to this Media Lesson.
• The Learning Foundation - "News vs Gossip" - Simplified Mock Trial.

To complete her cross-examination, prosecutor Sarah Carr, 16, had one final question for Andrew G., 17, the defendant in a recent case at the youth court in Colonie, N.Y.: "Didn't you know it was wrong?" Andrew nodded shyly, eyes averted. He knew that stealing a $4.97 Star Wars action figure from Wal-Mart was not only a petty crime but also a geeky one in the eyes of his high school peers, some of whom were serving on the jury. From the story - A Jury of Their Peers By Jeremy Caplan - Time Magazine

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the Youth Court System by Engaging in a Mock Trial -
Overview: Students learn about youth courts and explore the system further by engaging in a mock youth court trial. Go to this Law and Society Lesson

- The Prince, who had first thought all of his dreams would be met by finding a real princess, discovered that nothing he nor anyone else did for the Princess was enough for her.
- She blamed and complained to everyone that she was not being treated like a real princess, and this tortured her in mind and body.
- The Prince having seen what life would be like with the Princess called off the wedding.
- The Princess said it wasn't fair to cancel the wedding since she was a real princess which was what the Prince had wanted.

• The Learning Foundation - "Hard to Please" - Simplified Mock Trial - Lesson Plan

It emphasizes the quality of individual plants over the quantity. It applies a less-is-more ethic to rice cultivation.
Harvests typically double, if farmers plant early, give seedlings more room to grow and stop flooding fields. That cuts water and seed costs while promoting root and leaf growth... Read this IHT Article » By William J. Broad

More about improving crops:

Monsanto executives say that a new technique called marker-assisted selection could double the rate of gain made from breeding. That technique does not involve altering crops by putting in foreign genes. Rather it uses genetic tests to help choose which plants to use in conventional cross-breeding, vastly speeding up the process and improving its efficiency. » Monsanto pledges to lift food supply - By Andrew Pollack - IHT

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Addressing the Causes and Effects of the Global Food Crisis -
Overview: Students learn about the reasons for Australia's rice shortage and its impact on the rest of the world. They then individually identify the causes and effects of another agricultural commodity's recent changes in the global marketplace. Go to this Science and Economy Lesson.

Of all the supporters behind the two presumptive nominees for president this year, none are quite as intriguing as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger - a Republican who has thrown his support behind John McCain - and his wife, Maria Shriver - a Democrat who is a vocal backer of Barack Obama.
The four Schwarzenegger children - who range in age from 10 to 18 - have already taken sides, though only one of them, Katherine, is old enough to vote. She, too, favors Obama.
"I think there are great benefits to having kids grow up understanding that we do not live in a one-party system," Shriver said. "That there are two ways at looking at an issue. To be patient and to compromise, those are good lessons not just in politics but for life. I grew up believing there was only one way to think. There isn't, she said.
Read Article » By Jennifer Steinhauer - New York Times

• New York Times - Learning Network - Telling Our Own Versions of the Story of the United States of America -
Overview: Students consider both internal and external views of the United States. They then create a project that tells about their vision of the past, present and future of the U.S. by pairing their own written statements with photographs. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.

The International Energy Agency once again cut its forecast for global oil demand growth this year, primarily due to record prices and the dimming U.S. economic outlook.
But prices have barely risen in some of the fastest-growing oil-consuming nation, giving drivers in these countries little reason to cut back.
Incremental consumption in China, India, the Middle East and Latin America - where most fuel prices are subsidized - now accounts for all of the energy agency's one million barrels per day global forecast for growth in oil consumption this year.
That is bad news for oil consumers in the rest of the world, who face record crude costs. Read Article »By Emma Graham-Harrison - Reuters

Related Issue: Even as today’s oil prices rise above $130 a barrel, prices for oil futures - promises to buy oil for a set price on a fixed date - have closed above $145 for some of the longest contracts. Clearly, there is a substantial expectation in the market that oil prices will continue to rise. But is it justified? » Join the discussion with Daniel Altman - The International Herald Tribune

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring How Gas Prices Are Set and How People Feel About Paying More to Fill Up -
Overview: Students investigate how gasoline prices are set and conduct surveys to find out how much people know and what they think about this topic. Go to this Economy and Society Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Using Facts about Gas Prices to Determine More Economical Summer Options -
Overview: Students share opinions about the current state of gas prices. They then conduct research to determine how their summer plans might be affected. Go to this Economy and Society Lesson.

The jury unanimously found the defendant guilty of the assault of a 70-year-old woman during an attempted burglary.
But in a passionate closing argument, the defence counsel urged leniency, saying the defendant had taken his victim to hospital and turned himself in, said Korean news agency Yonhap.
After a two-hour deliberation the jury recommended a suspended sentence of 30 months and 80 hours' community service, and the judge agreed. Read this BBC Article »

More Background: This initial learning process has been facilitated by the South Korean government, which is running commercials about jury service and conducting mock trials. Read the IHT article » By Thaddeus Hoffmeister.

• Related Lesson The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring the (American) Youth Court System by Engaging in a Mock Trial
Overview: Students learn about youth courts and explore the system further by engaging in a mock youth court trial. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

• The Learning Foundation - "What to Teach" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.

Besides teaching her classes, she has established an Arabic culture club, which draws about 35 students, parents and staff members to meetings once a month. She has brought her family to Kalona for ice cream socials and bike-safety rallies. "When I first started, I thought, 'Wow, Arabic in Kalona? What's this going to be like?' " Attar said. "But everyone has been so welcoming." Read Article »

Japan, after a lapse of 60 years, is planning to bring back a jury system - but a huge effort will be required to convince ordinary Japanese about its advantages. Americans can help by sharing their jury experiences with the Japanese.

The return to citizen participation represents a bold commitment to have ordinary Japanese take greater responsibility in running the country. If a jury is sufficiently unhappy with the government's case or the government's conduct, it can simply refuse to convict. This possibility puts powerful pressure on the state to behave properly and ultimately leads to better governance. For this reason, a jury is one of the most important protections of a democracy. The full article - By Robert E. Precht - The New York Times

(pictured are) Members of a theater group, in Hitachiota, Japan, performed "12 Angry Men" (a mock trial) to help prepare residents for jury duty, which will start in 2009. Related article - By Normimistsu Onishi - The Herald Tribune

Getting kids ready now:
• The Learning Foundation - A full-scale mock trial can be an intimidating prospect for an elementary classroom-both for teacher and students. Simplified mock trials provide an opportunity to experience the fundamentals of a trial. - One of many examples: The Case of: "What to Teach."

Related lesson:
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Exploring How the Jury Decided Zacarias Moussaoui's Sentence
Students consider the mitigating factors involved in the sentencing of Zacarias Moussaoui, convicted of having played a role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Analyzing the Substance and Credibility of Newspapers
Students share opinions about the factors that influence their decisions about which newspapers to read. They then analyze the tone, content and perspective of major newspapers and rank them based on personal criteria. Go to this Media and ESL Lesson.

• Related Thai stories - Rumor Nation - The Asian Sentinel and "But rumours sell." - The Bangkok Post
• The Learning Foundation - Simplified Mock Trials
- The Case of Slanted News
- "News vs Gossip"

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Creating Conversations that Address and Alleviate Conflicts
Overview: Students create top ten lists of reasons why people argue, and develop written dialogues that explore how conflicts can often be effectively resolved through compromise. They then create guidelines explaining how to get along with different types of people. Go to this Building Society and ESL Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Considering Addiction as a Chronic Medical Illness and Learning to Treat Addicts Accordingly
Overview: Students learn about how addiction can have both physiological and behavioral effects. They then synthesize their knowledge by creating a sensitivity training session for counselors working with teenagers who are addicted to drugs. Go to this Health and Science Lesson.
• The New York Times - Learning Network - Evaluating Teens' Sources of Health-Related Information
Overview: Students students research the answers to their own health-related questions, and evaluate the various sources from which this information comes. Go to this Health and Science Lesson. - Related information: "Teen Health Website" - Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Examining Privacy and Privacy Related Issues...
Objective: Students will examine the intersection between an individual's right to privacy versus the public's right to know. Go to this Law and Media Lesson.

• Three related Learning Foundation Simplified Mock Trial cases:
- "I can say what I want!"
- "I was just protecting my kid"
- "News vs Gossip" 

• Related Lesson: The Learning Foundation - "What to Teach" - Simplified Mock Trial Lesson Plan.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Evaluating How Behavior Modification Can Curb Stress
Overview: Students explore the difference between hypochondriasis and somatization syndrome. Students also create scenarios and design experiments to learn about how behavior modification can curb stress in the daily lives of teens. Go to this Health and Science Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Using Writing to Explore the Importance of Pastimes for Personal Growth
Students take part in a variety of writing exercises about the most important pastime or activities in which they participate and the personal growth gained through this participation. Go to this Health and ESL Lesson.

Thailand’s military-appointed legislature this week proposed — and then abruptly withdrew — two bills that would have made it illegal to criticize the king’s senior advisors.
Many saw the bills — supported by military men, judges and, surprisingly, some journalists — as expressly designed to protect Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, a former army chief and prime minister that analysts and critics alike suspect of masterminding the September 2006 overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra in a military coup. The full Asian Sentinel article - By Daniel Ten Kate

Related Lessons: • The New York Times - Learning Network - Fight for Your Rights
Overview: Students will create role-plays based on recent situations (like the above Thai story) involving free speech at Columbia University and then write informed fictional letters to the editor.   Go to this Law and Society Lesson.

• The New York Times - Learning Network - Writing Challenging Questions for Today's World Leaders
Overview: Students learn about Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial invitation to speak at Columbia University. They then work in pairs to research and write provocative interview questions to ask other contentious world leaders (like those in the above Thai story) for class presentations.   Go to this Law and Society Lesson.