The Learning Network: Student Reading Contest Winner | China, Norway and Orwell

Gilles Sabrie for The New York TimesA customer in a Beijing cafe — not yet affected by new regulations requiring bars, restaurants, hotels and bookstores in China to install Web monitoring software — surfing the Web. The fourth winner of our contest wrote about privacy on the Internet.

This is it: our fourth and final winner in our monthlong New York Times Summer Reading Contest. This week, Shannon Doyne and Amanda Christy Brown helped me judge, and their help and insights were invaluable – it was hard to choose from among the more than 100 thoughtful entries on topics that included healthy food, math camp, e-books and the attacks in Norway.

Geri told us: “I have never read the New York Times before, but this summer my sister gave me homework. She told me that I had to read one New York Times article a day and write an essay on each article.” Her sister had a clear purpose: “She wanted me to learn more about the world and she wanted me to become a better thinker and a better writer.” Geri concluded, “I protested and I didn’t like that my sister gave me summer homework but I’m (secretly) glad that she did because I’m learning new things and am thinking about new things.”

We’re glad she did too, Geri. And we’re grateful to the teachers, librarians, parents and others who encouraged students to participate in our contest this summer.

And now, without further ado …

First, our three runners-up, in order of submission:

Gyu-Hyeun, of South Korea, a global citizen who shared concern for those affected by the famine in Somalia.PavlaJCS, who tried to process the killings in Norway.Calvin, who put his family’s experiences into the larger context of the real estate market.

The winner is MunawarR-BSGE2016, who caught our attention in previous weeks, writing about meteorologists and the case of Aisha Bibi. This week, he tied in a reference to a classic novel with a comment about Internet freedom in China:

Ever since reading 1984 by George Orwell I’ve grown paranoid of the possibility of a hellish future manipulated by a dictatorship eyeing our every move. The reason this article caught my eye was because of the eerie similarities between China’s new web-monitoring regulations and the totalitarianism described in my favorite book. It seems the more I see, hear and read of these government-related acts in the media the more my nightmare becomes reality.

China has already limited citizens’ Internet usage by banning services such as YouTube and Facebook- which teenagers like me absolutely cannot live without. By also monitoring who visits which websites, the idea of internet anonymity is null. When I’m on the Internet chatting or sharing, I have the advantage of no one knowing my name or location and not harming me. To have my privacy taken away from me — especially by the government — is disturbing, and halting my computer usage seems better than anyone becoming suspicious of me.

Although I disagree with them, I believe the true motivation for these regulations are the recent attacks in Norway and not a simple imposition of power. I would like to believe that if the Internet activity of mastermind Anders Behring Breivik had been monitored, the attacks in Oslo and Utoya wouldn’t have occurred. Breivik had clearly announced his beliefs and intentions on Internet forums and YouTube- if the authorities had been following him, seventy-six more people would still be living today. Despite being unconventional and controversial, such kind of surveillance in Norway could have saved lives.

In fiction and reality, it always seems that government is power-hungry and evil. However, I don’t think the Chinese government should be called evil in this situation; they’ve stated their intentions to catch business-stealing criminals and terrorists like Breivik through this software. However, bookstores and Internet cafes are already losing business as they shut down their Wi-Fi protesting the regulations, willing to lose a profit in favor of their customers’ freedom — a modern civil rights boycott. Although I agree with them, I feel that some form of surveillance should exist- one that tracks specific websites and people instead of monitoring innocents. Some countries already monitor suspicious Internet activity, but they need to step it up a bit. I don’t want totalitarianism in my society, but if a guy threatens to bomb a building in an Internet forum I think it should be taken seriously.

If you know anyone who thinks “kids today” know nothing and care less about news and the world, we hope you will show them the entries, especially the winning submissions, in our New York Times Summer Reading Contest.

Students: Thank you for the intelligent and moving entries you submitted. We’re glad you participated in our contest, and you can read the submissions of all four winners here.

Starting Aug. 8, we’ll bring our popular Student Opinion feature back from summer vacation, and we hope you will join the continuing conversation there.

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The Learning Network: We're on Hiatus This Week

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: The Learning Network Is on Hiatus Next Week

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The Learning Network: Test Yourself | History, July 29, 2011

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: Walter Reed Closes as a Wounded Times Photographer Covers the Ceremony

Joao Silva for The New York TimesSoldiers and guests watched a parachute demonstration at a closing ceremony for Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Go to related article ? Use the photo and related article to answer basic news questions.

HOW has history “marched through the halls of Walter Reed Army Medical Center”?

WHEN will the hospital close?

WHERE will Walter Reed’s current patients be moved?

WHY did the center’s reputation “take a hit” in 2007?

In WHAT area of medical care is Walter Reed particularly strong?

WHO is the photographer, and Walter Reed patient, who shot this photograph of soldiers and guests watching the closing ceremonies?

Related: Our collection on teaching about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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The Learning Network: Word of the Day | cacophonous

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: News Quiz | July 29, 2011

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: News Quiz | July 28, 2011

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: Test Yourself | English, July 28, 2011

Today’s question was written by Susan Behrens, who is a professor at Marymount Manhattan College and the author of “Grammar: A Pocket Guide.” Her question comes from the obituary “Rev. Mary M. Simpson, a Pioneer in Episcopal Clergy, Dies at 85.”

After you’ve clicked “submit answer,” more information will appear.

Use our questions for test prep or just for fun. Find more here:

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The Learning Network: Fun, and Risks, at the Beach in Tel Aviv

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York TimesPalestinian women and girls from the West Bank at the beach in Tel Aviv, after a group of Israeli women sneaked them into the country for a daylong excursion. Go to related article ?Use the photo and article to answer basic news questions.

WHO traveled to Israel to take a dip in the ocean in Tel Aviv?
WHO were their hosts?

WHAT risks did they take in undertaking this trip?
WHAT was remarkable about the beach visit?

WHERE do the visitors live?

WHEN was Palestinian movement into Israel first restricted?

WHY does the group, We Will Not Obey, oppose the Law of Entry into Israel?

HOW did the Palestinian women “disguise” themselves to cross the border?

Related: Our lesson plan “History and Hope” and the 6 Q’s About the News installment “Talking About a Two-State Solution.”

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The Learning Network: News Quiz | July 26, 2011

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: Word of the Day | crabbed

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: Same-Sex Marriage Begins in New York

Michael Appleton for The New York TimesFlowers were delivered to the Manhattan City Clerk’s office at 7:48 a.m. on the first day New York State’s Marriage Equality Act went into effect. Go to related article ?Use the photo and article to answer basic news questions.

WHO married in New York State on Sunday?

WHAT did protesters’ signs say?

WHERE were couples married, beginning at midnight?

WHEN did the couples profiled in the article and the accompanying interactive feature meet?

WHY do you think some of the brides and grooms, and some onlookers, found the day “unexpectedly moving and affirming”?

HOW many couples obtained marriage licenses and were married in New York City on Sunday?

Related: The lesson plan “The Culture Wars” and other posts on gay marriage.

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The Learning Network: Student Reading Contest Winner | On Counterfeit Merchandise

Andrea Morales/The New York TimesPages from a pamphlet seized by the police that a streetside counterfeiter in Chinatown had used to show potential customers what was available after just a phone call. The third winner of our Summer Reading Contest wrote about counterfeit merchandise. Go to related article ?

She’s been a runner-up the past two weeks, and now she’s our Week 3 contest winner. We’ll tell you more about her, and share her winning entry, in a minute.

But first, we want to acknowledge the 71 students who wrote in to participate in the third week of the contest. They were interested in a wide range of New York Times articles, on topics like tiny toads,?swimming with sharks, sidewalk advertising, playgrounds, the Internet and memory.

We received not one but two articulate entries from a writer named Calvin, both on the national debt, and a discussion about the Women’s World Cup from the obviously passionate Arsenije. The entries from these two writers nicely demonstrate the breadth of interest, and strong writing skills, exhibited by our student contest participants.

Our runners-up this week are all from the Baccalaureate School for Global Education in Astoria, Queens, whose rising eighth graders are participating as a summer assignment. They are:

Nicholas, who self-identifies as a “beta male.”Munawar R., who shared his admiration for meteorologists.Raiaan, who is concerned about the famine in Somalia.

And now, for this week’s winner.

Aglaia, 15, of Forest Hills, N.Y., who last week philosophized about noise and the previous week about Cy Twombly, evidently has wide-ranging interests. In her winning entry this week, she delved into the issues raised in an article about counterfeit merchandise:

A true New Yorker knows where to find the best restaurants, museums, shopping centers, and now, places to buy counterfeit purses. Selling counterfeits of designer purses is nothing new. It has become “an industry” spreading from downtown to Time Square. This article caught my attention because I’m familiar with the world of counterfeit purses. While I’ve never bought (nor sold) any bootlegged products, I know plenty of people who have been coaxed by low prices and adept salesmen and have bought counterfeit purses.

This article is extremely relatable. The description is true to reality and also a bit humorous, though it doesn’t take away from the gravity of the issue itself. A year ago, I went to Chinatown with my mom. We witnessed, firsthand, venders scurrying around slyly trying to sell their goods. I begged unsuccessfully for a counterfeit purse since my friends had designer handbags (real or fake; I didn’t care.)

Still, let’s face it; we’re not fooling anyone with our bootlegged products. Consumers know that their purchases are not genuine. Many just cannot afford a real one. Our psyche tricks us into thinking that we’ll fit in if we keep up with the latest trends. Thus, we need a look-a-like designer bag to stay in the loop.

The problem with counterfeiters is that they take business away from actual brands. However, our main concern shouldn’t be the “cat-and-mouse game” the author describes. I actually sympathize with the venders. They’re only the middlemen, doing the painfully arduous task of dodging the police and settling deals. Additionally, many venders are immigrants, legal and illegal, who speak little or broken English. For them, they just trying to make ends meet.

The origins of the problem stem from foreign manufacturers who knowingly undermining brand-name companies. Nevertheless, consumers share an equal amount of blame. I’ve learned in history class that our economy is controlled by the dynamics of supply and demand. In this case, demand creates its own supply. If people want fake purses, manufacturers will continue to produce and wholesalers will continue to import, enlarging the problem.

I propose three alternatives to harness demand for illegal counterfeits: 1) Crackdown on wholesalers who import illegal products. 2) Impose penalties on guilty consumers. 3) Educate our generation and teach them, like my mom has taught me, that we, as individuals, are worth much more than anything we own.

If that isn’t food for thought, we don’t know what is.

Entries have already begun pouring in for the fourth week of the contest. You have until Friday morning to enter. Ready, set, go!

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The Learning Network: Test Yourself | English, July 26, 2011

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

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The Learning Network: Test Yourself | History, July 22, 2011

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

View the original article here

The Learning Network: 'Mission Complete, Houston'

Use the photo and article to answer basic news questions.

WHO was the commander of the last flight of the space shuttle Atlantis – and, indeed, of the last space shuttle flight ever?

WHAT did the commander say as he landed?

WHERE will the Atlantis go?

WHEN did the shuttle land?

WHY did the shuttle have to flip to a nose-first position to land?

HOW will supplies now be taken to the International Space Station?

Related: The activity “30 Years of the Space Shuttle: A Fact Scavenger Hunt.”

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The Learning Network: News Quiz | July 22, 2011

The Learning Network provides teaching and learning materials and ideas based on New York Times content.

Teachers can use or adapt our lessons across subject areas and levels. Students can respond to our Opinion questions, take our News Quizzes, learn the Word of the Day, try our Test Yourself questions, complete a Fill-In or read our Poetry Pairings.

Join the conversation by commenting on any post. We'd love to hear what you think!

View the original article here

The Learning Network: What Interested You Most in The Times This Week?

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

Our Summer Reading Contest began July 1, and we announced our first winner on July 11 and our second on July 18. Our next winner, who will come from among these entries, will be announced on July 25.

To participate this week, the final one of the contest, just write in below and answer our question — “What interested you most in The Times this week?” —then tell us why you chose what you chose.

Please note that for the month of July, this is the only Student Opinion question we’ll ask.

For more details, and to see our student winners from last year, visit the full description here.

For now, though, here is a quick list of our rules:

You can choose from anything published in the print paper or on NYTimes.com in 2011. And yes, videos, graphics, slide shows, blogs and podcasts count.Feel free to participate each week, but we allow only one submission per person per week.The contest is open to students ages 13 to 25.Each response should be 400 words or fewer. (To check, you can paste yours into an online word-count tool like this one before you submit it.)Don’t include your last name – though feel free to include your age and hometown.

So, students: Tell us below what you’ve read, watched or listened to in The Times recently that got your attention and explain why.

Maybe you liked a piece because you have a personal connection to it, because it reminded you of someone or taught you something, or because it moved you or made you laugh. Or maybe you were annoyed by something you read and want to argue with it. Whatever: we’re just interested in hearing what you’re interested in.

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name. For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

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The Learning Network: Contemplating Congress: Considering the Senate, House and the Role of Speaker

Drew Angerer/The New York Times John A. Boehner, the incoming speaker of the House, walked to the House chamber before his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.Go to related post on The Caucus ?

The start of the 112th United States Congress on Wednesday brought new and returning lawmakers to Capitol Hill, along with a Republican majority in the House of Representatives — and a new speaker of the House, John A. Boehner.

Here are 10 activities for teaching and learning about Congress and the position of House speaker, along with resources about the use of filibuster in the Senate, the overhaul of which is among the first measures new lawmakers will weigh.

Congressional Who’s Who: Who are the leaders of the House and Senate and what exactly do they do? Find the names, roles and responsibilities of those who hold leadership positions in the? House of Representatives and Senate. You might extend this activity by assigning individuals or small groups a more in-depth report about one of the leaders and the history of his or her position. (Note: To review basics about the branches of government, you might begin with this short video.) Alternatively, individuals or groups compile a comprehensive “who’s who” of not only Congressional leaders, but also of key members of the president’s Cabinet and staff.

How Congress Makes Laws: How are laws made in the United States? Use our lesson Dysfunction Function: Charting the Ideal and Real Legislative Process to help students gain insight into lawmaking. Then you might hold a mock session of Congress.

History of the Speaker of the House: Why does the House have a speaker? Find and present an infographic with important facts about the office of the speaker of the House, including:? how the position was established; how this leader is chosen; whether he or she must belong to the political party that holds the majority of House seats;? the length of term; how he or she would become president; duties of the speaker as well as salary; and names of the first speaker and recent representatives who had the position;? and how many people have held the position.

The State of Your State: Identify the representatives and senators elected in your state. Are any of them new to Congress? How long have returning lawmakers held their positions? Find the committees on which each will serve in the House and Senate. (Note: Check that member lists have been updated.) Visit each Congressional leader’s Web site and consult The Times and local media outlets to identify key issues. Write a list of predictions about how each lawmaker will (or will not) be able to effect change in these areas. You might also make playing cards about your state’s lawmakers with highlights from their careers.

Orders of Business: What issues and policies are members of Congress taking up? Create a digital or physical master list of main issues and corresponding bills under consideration and up for vote in the House and Senate, and append all relevant Times coverage to track the progress of major measures, with space for classmates to ask questions, comment and link to relevant resources.

Mr. Speaker: How will new John A. Boehner, the new speaker, lead the House? Research Mr. Boehner’s life and political career, beginning with this timeline, along with his official biography, and play a trivia game about highlights from his life, including “fun facts” like his previous nonpolitical jobs, and his much-ballyhooed episodes of crying in public.

SWOT Teams: What opportunities and challenges are facing Mr. Boehner? What are his, and his party’s, internal strengths and weaknesses? Read the related coverage, and do a SWOT analysis, including consideration of his main political allies and opponents in the House and elsewhere, like Tea Party constituents. Students might also include material on how past speakers like Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Hastert and Newt Gingrich dealt with adversity during their tenures.

Opening Words: How did Mr. Boehner’s first speech as House speaker address key issues he identified in his Wall Street Journal Op-Ed? Read and analyze both documents, focusing on rhetoric and imagery in each. Who is the intended audience? How can you tell? How does Mr. Boehner appeal to his primary audience? Who else might he be appealing to? Which is more effective and why? Can you tell that one was meant to be read silently and the other to be delivered to listeners? How might his committed opponents reply? Write an Op-Ed or speech designed to respond to Mr. Boehner, from the point of view of either an ally or opponent.

History and Future of the Filibuster: What is a filibuster? How do United States senators use the filibuster to block legislation? Learn what a filibuster is, the history of the measure and how it has changed over time, including previous overhaul efforts and the proposed changes to filibuster rules. Then watch the Bloggingheads: Defending the Filibuster video and read former Vice President Walter Mondale’s Op-Ed piece, taking notes on salient points. Write a persuasive essay about what — if anything — you think should change about the filibuster and why.

Famous Filibusters: What is a “good, old-fashioned filibuster” and how does it work? Watch footage of Senator Bernard Sanders’ Dec. 10, 2010, filibuster in which he voiced — for more than eight hours — his opposition to continuing the Bush-era tax cuts, a mere fraction of the time Senator Strom Thurmond spoke in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (24 hours and 18 minutes). Consider other famous filibusters in American history and, if desired, watch the famous filibuster scene in the 1939 film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Hold a filibuster-like session in which each student, in turn, opines on the merits of the filibuster and draws on some of these examples.

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