Modern World History: Who was the most important philosopher of the Enlightenment?

Who do you think was the most important philosopher of the Enlightenment? Give their philosophy and why you believe it is still relevant today. You may choose any of the people we have talked about in class. Or you may search and find one that we have not spoken about, but you think they deserve some credit.

American History: Do we have African American leaders like Booker T Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois today?

Lately, in the news, several stories have depicted the African American community as leaderless. Many African American leaders today face criticism from the African American community for "selling out." Leaders like Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby and Condi Rice, often face condemnation from the African American community for their views. This is a very important subject, yet it is one that is often ignored because it is potentially volatile. Do you see an emergence of a new group of African American leaders in the United States that will set a new tone for race relations in our country in the 21st century? Is your view of race and civil rights one of optimism for the future, or fear that we might return to the tribulations of the past?

American History: Yellow Journalism or Senastionalism?

We will be studying William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer and the effects of their newspapers on turning the country toward war with Spain. Do you think that the media today, influenced the public towards the current war in Iraq? Do you think the media is currently trying to influence public opinion about other issues? Is there a way to make a media that is unbiased in its reporting?

5 points for your opinion about the questions listed above. 10 points if you can include a quote from a media source that shows bias.

Christopher Columbus: Did He Discover America?

Historians have debated for many years over the controversy of Columbus' exploration of America. Native Americans find it offensive to say that Christopher Columbus discovered America, when there were already millions of people living here already. Still the debate goes on about the importance of one man's idea to reach the East by sailing west. There are many misconceptions about his exploration. Was he really trying to prove that the world was, in fact, round? What was the real reason that Queen Isabella of Spain trusted this Italian sailor with such a huge undertaking? Did he ever know that he had not reached the Orient? Did he really die, peniless in prison? So many questions and so much debate. Can you find the definitive answers and give enough supporting facts to uphold your arguement?

I will give 5 points extra credit to each person that can come up with facts that can't be disputed. And 10 points to any student that can prove another student wrong.