Think Global, Act Local

  If knowing your own opinion and your own feelings about issues is the place to start writing to change the world--the second step is finding out more. Lots of times, we think that the big issues are far away from us--like the war--or far in the past, like the discrimination against people of color and the civil rights movement. A writer who wants to change the world NOTICES what is happening--by paying attention. The local newspaper, the local radio stations and television stations, and internet news sites for children are all good places to learn about what is going on--and so is talking with your family, your teachers,  and your friends.  We discover that while the war might be far away in physical distance, its impact is felt right here in the mountains. We wish that racial discrimination was in our past, but we discover that it's not. These are just two issues of concern--what else might you find?

Assignment:
This week, pay attention and notice. Choose an issue that concerns you and write a reflection on your blog. A reflection is simply a statement about how you feel and what you think about the issue and WHY.  You might choose an issue we've discussed in class, or you might choose an issue that you read about in the local paper or heard about on the news. The reflection should be at least one paragraph.