Introduction

Many of you will be exploring the pros or the cons of hot legislative topics . You will need to have current and accurate information about your topic. Explore the sites available and analyze the information carefully. Sometimes knowing the other side of the issue is beneficial when persuading a group of people to believe in your position.

Keep this question in mind as you work:

Have I explored all the facts about my topic? Am I prepared to support my beliefs with accurate information? What questions might the opposition ask about my topic? Do I know both sides of the argument? How can I speak persuasively? How do I address a group of people and persuade them to agree with my position?

Instructions

1. Explore the Internet sites linked below. You're looking for facts, quotes, examples, images, sound clips, videos, and animations that you think are important aspects of the topic.

2. When you find something you like, check its Web page for a copyright notice. Often, students are encouraged to copy things that will only be used in the classroom. Sometimes people don't want their work copied at all. A good practice is looking for an e-mail link on the page and then using it to ask permission.

3. Copy any text you want by dragging across the words, then using the Edit - Copy command on the menubar. Paste what you highlighted into a basic text editor, word processor, desktop publishing program or multimedia program.

4. Save images you like by downloading them. Paste the images you've downloaded into a multimedia, paint or desktop publishing program (like HyperStudio, Clarisworks, or PageMaker) or use one of the graphics viewers listed as Tools on this page to display your collection of images.

5. Be prepared to cut anything that copyright owners tell you they don't want you to have.

6. Once you have collected your information, go over it carefully so that you can give clear and thoughtful reasons why you found the things you collected especially important.
   

The Internet Resources

Major Issues

• National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling - This site includes facts, Gambling Bills, and links to other sites.

• Gambling - Related articles about gambling. Information about the gambling industry and the consequences of gambling.

• Gambling: Pro/Con - Resources pro and con about the issue of gambling.

• Gun Control - Current cases involving guns and and the latest gun laws.

• Gun Control - Discussion of the second ammendment and gun violence and gun control.

• Driving Laws - Brochure based site that explains the new driving laws.

• Las Vegas Review Journal - Information about the new driving laws put in effect on October 1.

• The Missouri Graduated Driver License Law - Information about the new law.

• Teen Driving - Wisconsin teen driving laws.

• Oil Drilling in Alaska - Information on Drilling in Alaska

• Oil Drilling - Dick Cheney calls for oil drilling in Alaska.

• Oil Drilling - Battle over oil drilling in Alaska.

• Practical School Security - Guidelines to use to ensure school safety.

• School Security - Website geared towards security and other security links.

• Security Management - Online articles from school gangs to schoolyard safety.

• Practical School Security - Guidelines to use to ensure school safety.

• School Security - Website geared towards security and other security links.

• Security Management - Online articles from school gangs to schoolyard safety.

• RAHS School Site - One school's security guidelines

• Death Penalty Information Site - Very informative site. Provides you with basic information about the death penalty.

• Death Penalty - This is a site that is pro-death penalty.

• National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty - This site is an organization who would like to abolish the death penalty.

• Civil Liberties and the death penalty. - Discusses issues of mental retardation and the death penalty.

• Human Rights and the Death Penalty - This is a great site that will lead you to many different issues surrounding the main issue of the death penalty.

• Death Penalty: Information and Resources - Includes frequently asked questions.

• Napster - News and updates about the Napster lawsuit. This site is full of legal jargon - not an easy site to use for research, but has very good information.

• Smoking in Public Places - Several websites dealing with smoking in public places.

• Women in the Draft - A fact based site that includes a discussion about women in the draft.

• War with Iraq - A question and answer site about which countries support war with Iraq.

• War with Iraq

• War with Iraq - Patriots in support of the war with Iraq.

• War

• War with Iraq - A site against the war with Iraq.

• Manual on School Uniforms - This site gives you the pros for inviting uniforms into your school.

• Uniforms-Not! - Parents speak out against mandatory school uniforms.

• School Uniforms - Great site if you want information about why uniforms are bad.

• Small Pox Vaccine - Information from the Environmental Health Department.

• Small Pox Vaccine - Information about small pox and the threat of biological terrorism.

Minor Issues

• Censorship in the Media - Informational site.

• Media and Censorship - Discussion of Media control and Propaganda.

• Graduation Testing - Pros and cons of the testing.

• Wisconsin's Graduation Test - This is a quick overview of the Graduation Test.

• Advocates of Education - This site is geared towards the oppposition of the high stakes testing.

• Wisconsin's Graduation Test - This is a quick overview of the Graduation Test.

• Advocates of Education - This site is geared towards the oppposition of the high stakes testing.

• Middle East - Very informative site on the Middle East. Explains geography and contains historical content.

• The Review - University of Delaware Newark and its support of involvement in the Middle East.

• CNN - Colin Powell and his views on involvement in the Middle East.

• Kato Institute - Support for constructive disengagement of political action in the Middle East.

• BBC News - News and information about the middle east conflict.

• Washington Post - Newspaper headlines.

• Kato Institute - Support for constructive disengagement of political action in the Middle East.

• BBC News - News and information about the middle east conflict.

• Washington Post - Newspaper headlines.

Persuasive Speaking

• Persuasive Speaking - A site that will link you to many persuasive sites and topics.

• Legislative Topics - A list of topics and links to major bills and amendments, arranged by topic.

Interactive Sites

• Major Legislature by topics

Odds & Ends/ Environmental Issues

• Eek! Environmental Education

• Eek! Environmental Education - Wisconsin Envrionmental Education website.

• Wisconsin Environmental Legislation - A website including an article about cutting funding for environmental education.

Tools

References

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Get definitions to many words quickly.

Roget's Thesaurus

Find words that have similar meanings to words you run across.

Grabbing Web Images

Follow a friendly step-by-step tutorial on how to grab images from the Web.

Software

Windows

Software for image management

Macintosh

Software for image management

HyperStudio

Multimedia authorware used at many schools. Check out the Website for support, ideas, and the Netscape Plug-In

Shareware.com

Thousands of software programs you may want to download and use.

Free Web Tutorials

Create your own web pages, learn to program, whatever...