News Display: Freedom of Speech, Monday, 9/28 - Friday, 10/2

The Everett Cafe features thematic news displays on a wide range of educational topics, in addition to daily postings of headlines from around the world. Stay tuned into current events and reflect on how the media influences teaching and learning.

• International Literacy Day, Tuesday, 9/8


September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by Unesco on September 17, 1965; its goal is to recognize the importance of reading, writing, comprehending, and communicating at all levels, from early childhood through to adult learning. Celebrations throughout the world have been linked to raising awareness and strengthening education in health, for women, and many other areas. This year’s theme, The Power of Literacy, focuses in the empowering role of literacy and its importance for participation, citizenship and social development.

The Gottesman Libraries will display stories from national and foreign newspapers on world literacy, providing an overview of attitudes and a context for cross cultural comparison and teaching.


• Terrorist Attacks on Three American Cities, Friday, 9/11


September 11, 2009 marks the eighth anniversary of the bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, with the final plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The series of four suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda, an international terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden, left nearly 3,000 dead, the majority civilians.

In response the United States launched the War on Terrorism; deployed troops to Iraq and later invaded Afghanistan, known to harbor terrorists. As major newspapers present the tragedy, so we reflect on national and global involvement in the war and continue to ponder the questions and answers.

For additional information be sure to check out the September 11 Digital Archive, offering over 150,000 items, including e-mails, electronic communications, first hand stories, and images, and also attend the guest speaker event with Garth Stewart.


• U.S. Constitution Completed and Signed, Thursday, 9/17


The United States Constitution, the Supreme Law of our country, was adopted on September 17, 1787 by the Constitutional Convention, or Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Considered “a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise,” it was later ratified by conventions in each state and amended twenty-seven times. Representing the work of many important American statesmen, the document contains a preamble or statement of purpose and seven articles outlining legislative, executive, judicial, States’, and federal power; amendments; and ratification.

Be sure to see the news exhibit about the U.S. Constitution, outlining its history; multiple interpretations of meaning; and application to curriculum and schooling. In addition check out "The Charters of Freedom" exhibit at the National Archives.


• Neptune Is Discovered, Wednesday, 9/23


Named for the Roman god of the seas, Neptune has blue clouds of mostly frozen methane, the predominant chemical in natural gas. Neptune was discovered on September 23, 1846 by Johann Gottfried Galle, of the Berlin Observatory, and Louis d'Arrest, an astronomy student, through mathematical predictions made by Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier. Neptune, sometimes referred to as “Le Verrier’s planet”, orbits the sun every 165 years, with each day lasting a little over 16 hours. It is about 60 times the size of Earth and has a set of four narrow and lightly colored rings. Its first moon, Triton, was discovered in 1846, with one additional moon, Nereid, found in 1949 and six others in 1989: Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Galatea, Larissa, and Proteus.

Headlines in the papers reveal the scientific controversy over the discovery of Neptune, as well as the journey of Voyager 2 in late August, 1989. Modern study of the “Great Dark Spot” indicates changing weather patterns similar to Earth, prompting us to ponder our place in the universe.


• Freedom of Speech, Monday, 9/28 – Friday, 10/2


Despite our free exercise of religion, speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and government petition, debates remain over censorship, often deeply and hotly contested. Is it permissible to censor books, television, the Internet; burn the flag; be un-politically correct? Can censorship be helpful rather than harmful? Where do educators, citizens, parents, artists draw the line?

In recognition of Banned Books Week, the Gottesman Libraries is featuring compelling stories about the freedom of speech, and the issues surrounding the First Amendment, an important part of the Bill of Rights.