NPR Report:  5 Key Facts Not Explained in White House COVID-19 Projections
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/01/824744490/5-key-facts-the-white-house-isnt-saying-about-their-covid-19-projections

Directions:  Read the NPR article above and use the information to support your answers for one of the questions below.  You do not have to answer all five questions, but all five of these questions will fuel the online discussion.  You are encouraged to discuss several of these questions throughout the week.  Post your responses to the blog page and respond to other blogs as they are entered by your classmates.  This will serve as our class conversation assignment for the week.  Drop in your thoughts as they occur, and keep updated with the news each day.  Contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

1) The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) have not considered the president's social distancing guidelines in their projections.  They believe those guidelines are not reliable due to the various state policies.  What is your opinion on the matter?

2) Are you more concerned with the first wave of COVID-19, the medical supplies, the medical personnel, or the second wave of COVID-19?  Explain why.

3) States are currently leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.  How has that approach been problematic to American citizens?

4) What do want to see from our National Government, and how do you assess the job of our local government during this crisis?

5)  Who do you put your confidence in times like this, and why?

Please watch the speech by Sacha Baron Cohen and respond to the questions below using the blog or my inbox in class.  (Max 20 points extra credit)

1) Explain why you agree or disagree with Cohen's assessment of the Silicon Six.

2) What solutions do you propose to address regulation issues with social media platforms?

What do you think are the main dangers of scientific advances?  Identify laws that could protect societies from these dangers.

*Review the results and answer the questions below in a post, or submit your response to my inbox in class.  Thanks for contributing!  5pts extra credit max  

Election Results
Lincoln= 55 votes
Roosevelt= 27 votes
Washington= 5 votes
Jefferson= 1 vote

Referendum #1 Gender Equality Amendment passes
Referendum #2 Anti-Gerrymandering Amendment passes

1) Did you prefer the freedom of the project, or did you feel there needed to be more structure?  Provide a detailed response.
2) What led to your group's success or failure on the debate and election?
3) Which election option is better in your opinion, historical presidents or current candidates?   Explain why.

The votes have been counted and the results are below.  Thank you for participating and running positive campaigns.  I sincerely hope you stay informed and participate during each election.  The last assignment for this activity is a reflection on the results.  Write your responses on a piece of paper and drop them off at the inbox on my desk.
Question 1=  What emotion did you experience when you saw the results, and why did you feel that way?
Question 2= What would you change with your campaign if given another chance?
Question 3= Do you think the results would be different if the debates were televised throughout the school?  Explain.

President of the United States
Dwayne Johnson= 21      23.3%
Mitt Romney= 19               21.1%
Bernie Sanders= 16          17.7%
Donald Trump= 15            16.6%
Joseph Kennedy= 11        12.2%
Oprah Winfrey= 7                 7.7%
Tulsi Gabbard= 1                    1.1%

United States Senator of Illinois
Dick Durbin= 47              52%
Jim Oberweis= 43          48%

House of Representatives, Illinois District #16
Adam Kinzinger= 52      58%
Sara Dady= 38                   42%

State of Illinois Referendums
Referendum to reform the redistricting process passes 57 yes to 29 no  (66% to 34%)
Referendum to require a 2/3 General Assembly vote to raise taxes passes 68 yes to 21 no (76% to 24%)