HW DUE MON. 3/4

12III 2nd/4th:

**ATTENTION 2nd BLOCK STUDENTS ABSENT THURSDAY 2/28: TOMORROW, FRI. 3/1, at the beginning of class, I will pull you from the computer lab and we will come to my classroom and have a "SMALL GROUP" discussion just like the one we had in class today; REMEMBER THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DISCUSSION LISTED ON YESTERDAY'S BLOG POST!!!

HW DUE MONDAY 3/4: 

Over the weekend, read from Freakonomics: 
--Ch. 4: "Where Have All the Criminals Gone?"
 --"Epilogue: Two Paths to Harvard" 
(*supplemental section of binder/given to you in class THURSDAY)

***Read these text selections CLOSELY and CRITICALLY, and be prepared for major class discussion on Monday! 

Here is a list of QUESTIONS WE WILL USE FOR DISCUSSION; HAVE SOME RESPONSES JOTTED DOWN AND READY TO GO!! 

CHAPTER 4: 
--What is Levitt & Dubner's major CLAIM within the chapter?
--How do they go about validating this claim?
--What are some weaknesses you see within their argument; i.e., is Levitt & Dubner's credibility questionable at any point?

EPILOGUE:
--Discuss the irony within the story of the two boys raised in different circumstances but who both broke the norm.
--What does this anecdote say about our nation and uncertainty in economic and social trends?  
**NOTE: IF YOU ARE 'CLUELESS' REGARDING THESE TWO GENTLEMEN REFERENCED IN THE EPILOGUE, THEN I SUGGEST YOU "GOOGLE" AND RESEARCH WHO THEY ARE!!!

GENERAL:
--Define 'conventional wisdom' and its role in society today.

--Can Freakonomics still be seen as credible today, some seven to 15 years after the data was collected?  Or, has some of the book’s relevance been lost over time?