Memorable Moments

As the Middle Grades Partnership finishes another summer, many students will hold onto to memorable things that happened during the program. Was there something that you learned in Math or English? Are there new words or phrases that you remember from Spanish? Are you especially proud of the Power Point presentation that you made in Technology? Or, is there something really helpful that you learned about in Study Skills? Along with the lessons learned during classes, many students also had a lot of fun doing the different activities each Friday. What was favorite activity? For our final blog of the summer, please respond to the following:

What was your most memorable moment from this years MGP program? AND What is one lesson, strategy or idea that you learned about in MGP and will use during the school year?

Same-Sex Marriage?

Marriage can be defined as "a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship". The issue of same-sex marriage is something that often causes conflict between people who see the issue from a number of different perspectives. There are some who support same-sex marriages because they believe that all individuals deserve equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation. On the other hand, there are those who oppose same-sex marriage because they believe that marriage should only be the union of a man and a woman. The issues of same-sex marriage and homosexuality have increasingly come up across the United States; from high school students being banned from the proms to soldiers in the military being fired from their jobs, same-sex marriage and homosexuality has been an issue that has had an impact of the lives of millions of Americans. Please respond to the following:

Should same-sex couples be granted the rights as heterosexual couples? Why or why not?

Interracial Dating

As children grow older and become teenagers, the idea of dating becomes an issue for the parents, family members and teens alike. In recent years interracial dating has become more and more prevalent in our society. As some of our communities continue to become more diverse, many teens and young adults are beginning to date individuals from other races and cultures. In the past, interracial dating was looked down upon and many people were hesitant to date anyone who was not the same color as them. Family and friends tend to influence the decisions of people and who they choose to develop a relationship with. Today, interracial dating seems to have become more acceptable and many young people are willing to entertain the idea of dating someone outside of their race. Please respond to the following:

What are your thoughts on interracial dating?

Animal Abuse

Recently, there have been several animal abuse cases reported in different parts of Baltimore. Examples of the abuse include a dog getting set on fire, another dog was pelted with rocks, a third dog was found hanging from a fence and a cat was blown up with fireworks. On average, there is about one report of animal abuse each week in Baltimore. In 2009, then Mayor Shelia Dixon created the Anti-Animal Abuse Task Force to try and come up with ways to raise awareness of animal abuse in the city. Animal rights activists are looking for ways to educate Baltimore residents so that the abuse stops. Please respond to the follow:

What do you think Animal Rights Activists can do to help stop animal abuse?

Summer Learning Day

The Baltimore City program kicked off it's Summer Learning Program last Friday (June 25th). To read the brief online article and watch the video on the WBAL News website click HERE. After viewing the video and reading the story, answer the following:

What were thoughts about the Summer Learning Day presentation held at Towson University? What would you suggest to make it better?

Chris Brown Finally Gets His MJ Tribute

In February of 2009 Brown and pop star Rihanna, his girlfriend at the time, got into an altercation and Brown would later be charged with battery (which he plead guilty to), ordered to conduct community service and placed on probation. During last night's 10th annual BET Awards Show, Chris Brown performed a tribute to the late, great Micheal Jackson. During part of the performance Brown broke down into tears and was unable to sing the lyrics to Jackson's classic song "Man in the Mirror". Later in the show when Brown accepted a "Fandamoniom" Award, Brown stated "I let you all down before, I won't do it again. I promise you." Up until last night's performance, Chris Brown has been mostly out of the spotlight while trying to navigate through his legal troubles and regain his footing as a singer and entertainer. Please comment on the following:

Does Chris Brown deserve a second chance as an entertainer? Why or why not?

Controversial Bottle Tax Passes in Baltimore City

The Baltimore City Council recently passed what is called a "bottle tax". As a result, there will be a 2 cent tax on all bottled beverages in the city of Baltimore. The bottle tax, which was initially set to be 4 cent per bottle, is expected to save Baltimore City approximately $5 million dollars over the course of the next three years. Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake supports the bill and says that it will also save up to 50 jobs and help fund programs such as graffiti removal and trash clean up around the city. Many city business owners are against the bill because they believe customers will start going to the county to buy their bottled beverages. If this were to happen, some businesses say that they will lose up to 10 percent of their sales. Respond to the following:

What do you think about the bottle tax? Will it stop you and your family from buying bottled beverages in the city?