Agenda for 5/11

1. Drugs in America - Unit Project

A. For the final assignment on the "Drugs Unit," you need to research and present on an aspect of drug abuse in America, the" war on drugs," or mass incarceration. Your project should provide a detailed overview of your topic, and most importantly, explain the impact of your topic on American Society. Though you may do a topic related to something we talked about in class, you must present information beyond what was covered in class. Tell us something we don't know!

B. You may work by yourself, or in a group of up to three students.

C. You can chose ANY topic related to drugs in America (though I must approve your topic). 

Possible topics could include:

• Perception of Drug Abuse in Society
• Heroin Epidemic
• Marijuana Legalization (either medical or recreational)
• Medical Marijuana treatment for kids (cancer, epilepsy)
• The Use of Prescription Drugs in America
• Pharmaceutical Company Advertising
• Pharmaceutical Company Lobbying
• State "Three-Strike" laws (California, Oklahoma)
• Mandatory Minimum Laws
• The Social and Financial "Cost" of Mass Incarceration
• Drug Use in Maine
• Drug Use in Saco
• Teen Drug Use
• Comparing US Drug Policy to the Policies of Another Country
• For-Profit Prisons
• Crack Cocaine/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Difference
• Drug Testing Welfare Recipients
• Drug Testing in the Work Place
• Alternative Drug Treatment and Harm Reduction Policies
• Racial Housing Policies (red-lining)
• Racial differences in Drug Arrests and Incarceration
• Sentencing Reform Act of 1984
• Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986
• The 1980s Crack-Cocaine Epidemic
• The Politics of the Drug War (Reagan and Nixon)
• Prison Overcrowding
• Race and Drug Laws
• Prohibition (alcohol)
• Meth Epidemic
• Drugs and Crime (Gangs)
• Mexican Drug Cartels
• Drugs, the CIA, and Colombia
• Illegal Drugs in Sports

D. Your project should have a main point (thesis), provide the historical background of your topic, and explain the major causes and effects.

E. You need at least three reliable sources (academic or trustworthy news source) of information for you project (more about citing sources next class - but you will have to cite)

F. Your project can take any of the following forms (or others, pitch me an idea, be creative, or not):

• 3-5 page paper
• Video: iMovie, Adobe Voice, Explain Everything
• 5-8 minute presentation (Keynote, Google Slides, Adobe Slate, Prezi)
• 3-5 minute prepared speech
• Letter to the President/Congressperson
• Newspaper Article/Editorial
• Public Service Announcement
• Advertisement

Timeline For Project

• Class time today (5/11)
• Next Class (5/13)
• Due: 5/19

Agenda for 5/10

1. Mass Incarceration in the United States and Who benefits from so many Americans being locked up?

• When looking at the data, what is the most shocking, or surprising to you?
• What are your thoughts on companies profiting from incarceration? 

2. Detailed Graph of the American Prison Population

• Identify something that surprises you.
• Identify something that you are not surprised by.
• Identify a question you have after looking at the graph.

3. The War on Drugs as a method of social control

• Which people has the "war on drugs" typically targeted?

4. "The House I Live In" Clips (click link for access to the video)

• Clip #1 (25:28-37:08)
• Describe how Anthony Johnson was caught in a "cycle" of drug crime?
• Clip #2 (37:09-43:35)
• How have politicians (and presidents) benefitted by supporting a "war on drugs"? 
• Clip #3 (45:58-53:59)
• In what ways does law enforcement benefit by focusing on drug crimes?
• Clip #4 (1:17:55-1:26:11)
• Do you think that Kevin Ott deserves his "death sentence."

HW - Finish any questions that you did not get the chance to finish in class. Turn in answers to eBackpack Assignment #11

Agenda for 5/9

1. Detailed Graph of the American Prison Population

• Identify something that surprises you.
• Identify something that you are not surprised by.
• Identify a question you have after looking at the graph.

2. The Social Effects of Mass Incarceration

• What does Hank Green mean when he says that we must remember that wars on drugs and crime are also "wars on people"?

3. The War on Drugs as a method of social control

• Which people has the "war on drugs" typically targeted?

4. "The House I Live In" Clips (click link for access to the video)

• Clip #1 (25:28-37:08)
• Describe how Anthony Johnson was caught in a "cycle" of drug crime?
• Clip #2 (1:17:55-1:26:11)
• Do you think that Kevin Ott deserves his "death sentence."
• Clip #3 (37:09-43:35)
• How have politicians (and presidents) benefitted by supporting a "war on drugs"? What did one of Nixon's top advisors recently admit?
• How has this effected the resources available to those in prison?
• Clip #4 (45:58-53:59)
• In what ways does law enforcement benefit by focusing on drug crimes?

5. Mass Incarceration in the United States and Who benefits from so many Americans being locked up?

• When looking at the data, what is the most shocking, or surprising to you?
• What are your thoughts on companies profiting from incarceration? 

HW - Finish any questions that you did not get the chance to finish in class. Turn in answers to eBackpack Assignment #11

Agenda for 5/5

Assignment #10 - now visible, please turn in

1. Drug Test Activity

2. What about drug testing for welfare recipients? So who gets government benefits? 

3. Drug Use Stats - Keynote

4. The drug war and mass incarceration

• what are the racial disparities in drug use?
• drug laws as a method of social control? drug abuse and sales a result of and racist policies?
• drug laws for political gain?
• incarceration for profit?

5. What did the UK gov. report find about the effect of drug laws throughout the world?

Agenda for 5/4

1. Heroin Addiction Response Presentations

Agenda for 5/3

1. Watch: Video - Portugal's Approach to Fighting Drug Addiction

2. Read: Article - Portugal's Approach to Fighting Drug Addiction

3. Write: Assignment #11 - due Thursday 5/5

After watching the video and reading the article about Portugal, write a 1-2 page typed, or 2-4 page hand written response to their strategy in dealing with their drug crisis and address the following questions (each question can be its own paragraph):

A. How does Portuguese government deal with drug use?

B. What led to this change (and what was drug use like in Portugal prior to decriminalization)?

C. Is Portugal's approach working for them?


D. Do you think their approach would have any chance of success in this country? How would you feel about the United States enacting similar policies? How do you think most Americans would feel about the Portuguese approach

E. In the end, do you see drug use as more of a criminal problem, or health problem? Explain your point of view.

If you are looking for more info about the Portuguese model and how it compare to the US see this article.

Agenda for 5/2

1. Keynote - Drug Use in America - view slides 12-16

2. Oxycontin: Purdue Pharma's Painful Medicine

3. Doctor convicted of Murder for overdose deaths

4. Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients?

5. Should we drug test everyone who receives government benefits?

6. Finish Heroin Presentations

HW - Finish Presentations

Assignment #10

Answer the following questions in a paragraph each:

1. For you, what was the most surprising, shocking, saddening, or maddening (or all of the above) about what you saw on The Oxycontin Express? Are you surprised at the extent of prescription pain killer abuse in America?

2. How could state law makers (politicians) in Florida, make changes to Florida's laws to reduce the prescription drug crisis? What could doctors do differently? What could drug companies do differently? 

3. Discuss the responsibility of drug companies, state law makers (politicians), and doctors share in this crisis? How much of the blame do you think they share with the user who decides the take the drug?

4. Why do you think that the user is the only one who feels legal consequences (arrest and imprisonment) for the problem? Why not doctors or drug companies? Don't they produce, sell and profit from the drug much more than a street level dealer?

5. Choose three graphs (from slides 1-16) about drug use in the United States from the Drugs in America - Keynote that you find the most interesting and do the following:

• Explain why each of those graphs are interesting to you.

6. What are your opinions on the various approaches heroin treatment and harm reduction? Are there any that you agree or disagree with particularly strongly? Why? 
7. Read this article about the debate surrounding drug testing for welfare recipients in Maine: https://bangordailynews.com/2013/02/28/politics/state-house/maine-democrat-submits-bill-to-drug-test-welfare-recipients/ 

• What is your POV on this issue? Discuss and explain your opinion in a substantial paragraph. 
• Be sure to provide specific reasons for your opinions. 
• Provide and analyze at least one quote from the article to support your opinion.