AK Teens Rate Credibility of Famous Figures
A group of Anchorage high school juniors in an advanced placement class were asked to do the following in class: Analyze the following list of famous figures. Rank them from 1 on down based on their credibility. Remember to weigh honesty, wisdom, and credibility equally. Margaret Thatcher Martin Luther King, Jr. Sarah Palin Hillary Clinton Bill Gates Sandra Day O’Connor Martha Stewart Thomas Jefferson Lady Ga Ga George W. Bush Barack Obama Anthony Weiner After each student had compiled his or her personal list ranking, they were asked to come together as a class, and present one list that they…
Swiveling for Freedom
Thomas Jefferson. Founding father. President. Writer. Inventor. Nearly everyone loves Thomas Jefferson in this country. He’s a Tea Party favorite, liberals love him – hell, even Christopher Hitchens was a fan. So while everyone celebrates the United States’ birthday – and thus celebrates one of the finest pieces of American writing, The Declaration of Independence, consider one of Thomas Jefferson’s other additions to American life. Legend has it that Jefferson used a specially made chair while writing the Declaration – one he invented himself. The swivel chair. Technically it was a “Revolving Windsor Armchair,” according to Jefferson’s Monticello, but either…