Is Wal-Mart Good for America?

Class of 2018,

Look below for some links that will help you in your research:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

http://www.independent.org/events/transcript.asp?id=125

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22719054/#.Uq8MhpT46SM

http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-wal-mart-good-for-america

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/08/04/wal-mart-low-wage-jobs-no-jobs/2613415/

Links to Resources on Government Surveillance

Surveillance Research Topics

DNA Databases

Exhibit A: In last Thursday’s Times Joseph Goldstein reported that local law enforcement agencies, “largely under the radar,” are amassing their own DNA databanks, and they often do not play by the rules laid down for the databases compiled by the F.B.I. and state crime labs. —“Living With the Surveillance State”

• Police Agencies Are Assembling Records of DNA
• Justices Allow DNA Collection After an Arrest
• Why the Court Was Right to Allow Cheek Swabs
• DNA and Suspicionless Searches

Cop-Cams and CCTV

Exhibit B: Nothing quite says Big Brother like closed-circuit TV. — “Living With the Surveillance State”

• Police Surveillance May Earn Money for City
• The NYPD’s Domain Awareness System Is Watching You (New York Magazine)

Domestic Spy Drones

Exhibit C: Congress has told the F.A.A. to set rules for the use of spy drones in American air space by 2015. It is easy to imagine the value of this next frontier in surveillance: monitoring forest fires, chasing armed fugitives, search-and-rescue operations. — “Living With the Surveillance State”

• U.S. Border Agency Allows Others to Use Its Drones
• As Spy Drones Come to the U.S., We Must Protect Our Privacy (Scientific American)
• Domestic Drones Stir Imaginations, and Concerns
• The Dawning of Domestic Drones

Facial Recognition Technology

The federal government is making progress on developing a surveillance system that would pair computers with video cameras to scan crowds and automatically identify people by their faces, according to newly disclosed documents and interviews with researchers working on the project. — “Facial Scanning Is Making Gains in Surveillance”

• The Face Scan Arrives
• Facial Scanning Is Making Gains in Surveillance
• Facebook Can ID Faces, but Using Them Grows Tricky

Raymond McCrea Jones for The New York TimesA GPS tracker. The Supreme Court recently ruled that such a device placed on a suspect’s car was an unreasonable search. Go to related article »

GPS Tracking

Law enforcement tracking of cellphones, once the province mainly of federal agents, has become a powerful and widely used surveillance tool for local police officials, with hundreds of departments, large and small, often using it aggressively with little or no court oversight, documents show. — “Police Are Using Phone Tracking as a Routine Tool”

• Police Are Using Phone Tracking as a Routine Tool
• GPS Tracking and Secret Policies
• Justices Say GPS Tracker Violated Privacy Rights
• Court Case Asks if ‘Big Brother’ Is Spelled GPS

Link to Article of the Week (December 2)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/opinion/keller-living-with-the-surveillance-state.html?pagewanted=print

Rubric for Project Essay

Criterion	5 – Advanced (above grade level)	4 – Proficient (at grade level)	3 - Basic	2 - Below Basic	1 - Far Below Basic
Focus CCSS -W: ·       2a ·       4	·   Insightfully addresses all aspects of the prompt ·   Introduces topic(s) in a sophisticated thesis statement	·   Competently addresses all aspects of the prompt ·   Introduces topic(s) in a clear thesis statement	·   Superficially addresses all aspects of the prompt ·   Introduces topic(s) in a thesis statement	·   Partially addresses all aspects of the prompt ·   Introduces superficial or flawed  topic(s) in a weak thesis statement	·   Minimally addresses all aspects of the prompt ·   Fails to introduce a relevant topic(s) and/or lacks a  thesis statement
Organi- zation/ Structure CCSS – W: ·       2a ·       2c ·       2f ·       4	·   Skillfully orients reader to topic(s) in introduction and previews what is to follow ·   Thoroughly develops topic(s) with relevant body paragraphs ·   Provides a meaningful and reflective conclusion that follows from and supports information or explanation presented ·   Creates cohesion and clarifies relationships through skillful use of transition/linking words, phrases, and clauses within or between paragraphs ·   Purposefully and logically uses a variety of techniques (e.g., headings, charts) to organize ideas, concepts, and information to aid comprehension	·   Orients reader to topic(s) in introduction and previews what is to follow ·   Develops topic(s) with relevant body paragraphs ·   Provides a conclusion that follows from and supports information or explanation presented ·   Creates cohesion and clarifies relationships through transition/linking words, phrases, and clauses within or between paragraphs ·   Uses a variety of techniques (e.g., headings, charts) to organize ideas, concepts, and information to aid comprehension	·   Partially orients reader to topic(s) in introduction and previews what is to follow ·   Superficially develops topic(s) with relevant body paragraphs ·   Provides a conclusion which repetitively or partially follows from and supports information or explanation presented ·   Creates some cohesion and clarifies relationships through transition/linking words, phrases, and clauses within or between paragraphs ·   Uses some techniques (e.g., headings, charts) to adequately organize ideas, concepts and information to aid comprehension	·   Inadequately orients reader to topic(s) in introduction and/or fails to preview what is to follow ·   Inadequately develops topic(s) with minimal body paragraphs ·   Provides a sense of closure, but may weakly articulate significance of the topic ·   Uses limited or inappropriate transition/linking words, phrases, and clauses ·   Uses few techniques (e.g., headings, charts) to inadequately organize ideas, concepts, and information to aid comprehension	·   Fails to orient reader to topic(s) in introduction or introduction is missing ·   Fails to develop topic(s) with body paragraphs ·   Provides an inadequate conclusion or omits conclusion ·   Uses few to no transition/linking words, phrases, or  clauses ·   Includes little or no discernible organization of ideas
Develop-ment CCSS -W: ·       2 ·       2b ·       9	·  Skillfully develops the topic using well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotes, and other information and examples that are pertinent and substantial ·   Effectively  integrates and cites credible sources* ·   Shows insightful understanding of topic or text	·  Develops the topic using well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotes, and other information and examples that are relevant and sufficient ·   Competently integrates and cites credible sources ·   Shows competent understanding of topic or text	·  Develops the topic using facts, definitions, concrete details, quotes, and other information and examples that are limited or superficial ·   Ineffectively integrates and cites sources ·   Shows superficial understanding of topic or text	·   Provides minimal and/or irrelevant evidence to develop the topic ·   Incorrectly integrates/cites sources ·   Shows limited or flawed understanding of topic or text	·  Provides inaccurate, little, or no  evidence to support topic ·   Does not use or cite sources ·   Shows no and/or inaccurate understanding of topic or text
Language CCSS – L:** ·       1 ·       2 ·       3 ·       4 CCSS -W: ·       4	·   Uses purposeful and varied sentence structure ·   Contains minimal to no errors in conventions(grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization) ·   Strategically uses academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose	·   Uses correct and varied sentence structure ·   Contains few,  minor errors in conventions ·   Competently uses academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose	·   Uses mostly correct and some varied sentence structure ·   Contains some errors in conventions which may cause confusion ·   Usually uses academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose	·   Uses limited and/or repetitive sentence structure ·   Contains numerous errors in conventions which cause confusion ·   Inadequately uses academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose	·   Lacks sentence mastery (e.g., fragments/run-ons) ·   Contains serious and pervasive errors in conventions ·   Fails to use academic and domain-specific vocabulary clearly appropriate for the audience and purpose