As you prepare to enter the "real world" it helps to consider who you are and what you believe, and to begin thinking about HOW you think and WHY you believe what you believe. This is "metacognition". It's an important part of knowing what you want to do with your life.
Label a piece of paper "Who Am I?" and list SEVERAL items for each section:
Passions: A passion is something you feel very strongly about, something for which you have boundless enthusiasm. You might be passionate about music, sports, art, horses, anime, or cooking. Think about times when you've been working on something (playing a game, doing art, shooting hoops, etc.) and you suddenly realized you had been doing it for hours. The happiest people are often those who find a way to incorporate their passions into their career. These are the people you'll hear say things like, "I can't believe they pay me to do this."
Values: Your values are those qualities or things that are most important in your life. Some people value family or security, while others place more importance on adventure or power. You might value beauty, knowledge, social justice, or independence. Your career and life choices should be compatible with your values if they are to bring true satisfaction.
Personality Traits and Strengths: Are you tactful? Bold? Sociable? Quiet? Thoughtful? Energetic? Funny? Sympathetic? Inquisitive? Reserved? Dramatic? Intelligent? List as many traits as you can.
Skills and Aptitudes: What skills have you learned? What comes easily for you? Do you have a special talent for anything in particular? Are you good at working with your hands? Solving problems? Working with people?
Roles: Your roles are the different parts you play in your life. Most of these are temporary, though some can go on for many years. Right now you are probably a son or daughter, a student, and a friend. You might also be an employee, a sister or brother, a girlfriend or boyfriend, and so on.
Occupations and Vocations: Here I mean both work you do for pay (occupations) and recreational activities (vocations). For example, you might be a grocery clerk, a babysitter, a flute player, cook, ballet dancer, skateboarder, or basketball player.
You will also receive a copy of the "Personality Target" (get one here). We will be completing these targets by neatly listing our passions, values, etc. in the concentric circles of the chart.
Today we are going to be watching a documentary about bottled water and access to clean drinking water.
Before we begin, I want to say that I DO drink bottled water. Not as much as I use to [I generally refill my bottles several times] but I am not an environmental activist at all. I am also a Libertarian and I don't want the government making new laws or regulations -- if I want to drink bottled water and hurt myself or the environment, that's my prerogative... but this is definitely an important issue for our world and will continue to be more so in the future.
This movie discusses legal rights of water, access to water, and the production process. It also talks about health risks associated with the production of the bottles and in the water itself. Finally it discusses recycling, pollution, etc.
You'll note in this graph that bottled water consumption (per person) has risen dramatically over the last 30 years, but look at the dip right around 2007-2009; that is when attention [from films such as this documentary] brought attention to what is going on. At that time cities [like San Francisco] began investigating banning bottled water. Also notice, however, that the bottled water industry weathered that storm and is back on the way up.
I would also like you to consider the cost of bottled water. A typical 16.9 ounce bottle of water
bought in a vending machine is around $1.50. Since there are 128 ounces in a gallon, that means it would take 7.57 bottles of water to equal a gallon -- so we're paying about $11.36 per gallon... for water... which falls out of the sky... and we are complaining about paying $3.99 for a gallon of gasoline.
I'm not mad at the water industry -- I wish I had thought of it, myself. But they get the water out of the tap, raise the price 1900%, and we buy it from a vending machine next to the water fountain.
I have a series of questions that I would like you to answer. A PDF version of the handout can be found here, but the questions are also available here:
1.Is water a “fundamental right”? Why/why not?
2.What is your opinion of buying bottled water?
3.How is the law of “Supply and Demand” important to drinking water?
4. _____% of the surface of Earth is covered by water – but only _____% is drinkable.
5.Why is ground water different from lakes, rivers, or other surface water?
6.What does “Absolute Dominion” mean?
7.Bottled water costs approximately _______ times as much as tap water.
8.Who said, “There is enough water for human need, but not for human greed”?
9.By saying that bottled water is “pure” or “safe”, do you think that implies that tap water isn’t?
10.Where does Aquafina and Dasani come from?
11.Where are the bottles made that hold the bottled water?
12.What is PET or PETE used for?
13.What does “benzene” have to do with bottled water?
14.How is tap water and bottled water regulated differently? How are they tested differently?
15.If bottled water is produced and sold in the same state, how is it regulated?
16.What sorts of contaminants did action groups find inside bottled water?
17.Are the large “water cooler” bottles safer than the small, single-serve bottles?
18.What studies does the FDA rely on to make sure we [as the public] are protected?
19.The amount of plastic drinking bottles being recycled in America is about _____%.
20.What is the “bottle deposit” (5 cents in California) used for?
21.Why is recycling important?
22.Why is bottled water considered the “biggest scourge” affecting our environment?
23.What is the Western Garbage Patch and the Eastern Garbage Patch?
24.What can [or should] we do to change the way the industry handles bottled water?
25.Did the movie “Tapped” change any of your perceptions about bottled water?
This title use to be available on Netflix Streaming, but is now only available on DVD, unfortunately.
Below is the full documentary if you would like to watch it online, however it is subtitled in Spanish.
And since this movie was published, other stories have come out demonstrating other issue. This article explains why the bottled water industry may lead to bad teeth in young people.
The Business of Water
The Story of Stuff: Bottled Water (2010)
From a personal perspective, the town I was born in has a dam that creates Lake Mendocino. It's like Norris Dam / Norris Lake, but much smaller. Here's how it looks:
This was Lake Mendocino in 2006:
Finally, here's a story about water being used up and the products being exported to Saudi Arabia and China:
Today we are having a class discussion about budgets and building a "Hard Times" budget using the absolute minimum amounts for rent, car insurance, food, utilities, etc. We will also calculate monthly income based on a minimum wage and will discuss how tight our budgets might be.
Homework: Another "Ask Someone Who Knows" assignment where students are to ask someone who owns a house *and* someone who rents an apartment/house for a general budget. [Forms Will Be Here]
After Our Discussion
We went with the absolute minimum that we thought we could survive on and these are the numbers we went with:
Monthly Expense
Amount
Explanation
Housing / Rent
$ -
-
Food
$ -
-
Car Payment / Insurance
$ -
-
Gas, Oil & Auto Maintenance
$ -
-
Utilities (Gas, Electric, Water, Etc.)
$ -
-
Phone / Cell / Internet
$ -
-
Cable / Satellite
$ -
-
Health Care / Medicine
$ -
-
Clothing
$ -
-
Entertainment
$ -
-
Pets
$ -
-
Sundries (TP, Soap, Shampoo, etc.)
$ -
-
Furnishings & Kitchenware
$ -
-
School Expenses
$ -
-
Credit Card Payments
$ -
-
Child Care
$ -
-
Savings
$ -
-
Laundry / Dry Cleaning
$ -
-
Energy Drinks, Soda & Candy
$ -
-
That comes to a total of $- per month.
So how much can you make working full time (no days off and no vacation days)?
Well, with minimum wage being $7.25 per hour, if you worked full time (40 hours per week) every week for 12 months (no vacations or sick days)... you would make around $1256 per month ($7.25*40*52/12). But wait... there are taxes and other things (Social Security, Disability, etc.) that come out of your check. You will likely bring home more like $1005. That gives you a surplus of $- each month! That means if you actually ever want to eat something besides Ramen noodles... or buy a pair of shoes... or pick up a candy bar... you can probably do it.
Remember, though... that things like a flat tire, a car repair, a broken tooth, an injury, breaking your phone, etc. can eat up months of your "extra" money. The smart move is to put "extra" money into savings for those kinds of emergencies.
The other thing to remember is that you may [some day] want to go out with friends... or see a movie... buy a birthday present... or buy a video game. That money has to come out of somewhere.
Read the article then follow the instructions at the end:
As we move through your last year of high school, many of you are thinking about moving out on your own. Moving out for the first time is one of the biggest steps you’ll take in life. It not only represents your freedom, independence and a sense of growing up, it also tests your ability to make it on your own.
Since most of us will be renting our first place, we will begin there. There are usually two ways to go. You can rent month-to-month, which means you are able to move out whenever you want, but it also means the landlord can kick you out or raise your rent almost at will. The other way to go is a lease. The lease locks you into a predetermined number of months. For most apartments and condos, a one-year lease is standard. Landlords will usually charge you less if you sign a lease with them. Keep in mind that if you sign a one-year-lease and decide to move out after two months, you’re still on the hook for the additional ten months. Make sure you really like living under that roof and plan to stay there for the lease period or you may want to stick with a month-to-month.
Whenever you rent an apartment or a house, there will always be a deposit required. This deposit will vary based on:
The amount of the rent.
Your credit score.
Are you signing a lease or renting month-to-month?
Is the landlord buying a new car that month?
You can usually expect to pay first month plus a security deposit equal to first month’s rent. If you are renting an apartment or condo, many times there is a reduction or special deal offered by the complex. For example, you may be able to pay first month’s rent plus a small deposit of say, a few hundred dollars. If you have pets, and the landlord allows them, you will be required to pay a deposit for the pet. In some cases, the landlord may require you to pay first month’s rent plus last month’s rent and a security deposit. The important thing to remember is to find out exactly what will be required before you sign anything and what will be required in the end to get your deposit back when you move -- and get that in writing.
OK, moving day.
You’ve taken ten minutes and packed up all your worldly possessions. Mom is standing by the door weeping because her baby is now ready to fly the coop. Even though you needed them to give you 20 bucks to go out last week, you are ready to be an independent adult. Dad is also standing by the door, but he’s got a slight grin on his face. Why you ask? He is planning how to turn your room into his office or new entertainment center! But forget about that for now. You’ve found the apartment, signed the rental agreement, paid your fees and are moving in. Now what?
Have the phone turned on [unless you have your own cell phone].
Have all the utilities turned on (gas, electric, propane, kerosine, etc.).
Have cable activated if you’re using cable [or even have your own television].
Move all your stuff in (which is usually a bag or two).
Get some furniture in that place (beanbags and milk crates are popular in first apartments).
Get some food in the fridge (make sure the place COMES with a fridge!).
Make sure you have at least a towel or two and don’t forget the toilet paper.
A vacuum cleaner would be nice.
Get hooked up for Internet access (might be part of your cable or phone service).
Get some plates and silverware and maybe a glass or two (you may get tired of paper plates and plastic silverware).
This is a fun and exciting time in your life. Sitting in your new apartment for the first time is great feeling of accomplishment for both you and your parents!
Assignment:
Title your page "Moving Out" (bold and center this)
Write one paragraph about when you plan to move out on your own and describe how you expect to be able to do that. Will you have help? Where will you go? If you are already out on your own, discuss how it went for you and what you have learned.
Create a section title called "Questions:" (bold this)
Explain the following items based on your reading above:
When would a lease be good for you?
When would a lease be bad?
What kinds of "deposits" might you have to pay when moving in somewhere?
What does the term "first and last" mean in an ad for an apartment?
How does having a pet affect your plans for moving out?
Create a section title called "Must Haves" (bold this)
Create a bulleted list of items that you absolutely musthave when you move out
Think about which tools you need (hammer, screwdriver, etc.)
Which cooking supplies (frying pan, turner, etc.)
Which appliances (microwave, mixer, vacuum, etc.)
What do you use every day in your life? (towels, coffee cups, etc.)
List things you wouldn't want to do without (television, furniture items, etc.)
Now, while I believe your generation is absolutely amazing -- the thing that I worry most about you all is your dependence on your mobile devices. You may agree or disagree, but then that's what this assignment is about. I will show you a video demonstrating technology use, and I want you to take a position on texting and our connection to [or reliance on] technology. Write the entire 5-6 minutes that you are allotted and I will give you a final minute to close out your thoughts.
I Forgot My Phone:
After writing your journal entry, watch the next clip. Did it change your viewpoint?
It's not about battery life, it's about real life.
Commentators on Sorority Girls Taking Selfies at a Baseball Game:
