1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:
2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)
3. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.
Each Monday, our collaborator, Visual Thinking Strategies, will facilitate a discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time by paraphrasing comments and linking to responses to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.
4. On Thursday afternoons, we will reveal at the bottom of this post more information about the photo. How does reading the caption and learning its back story help you see the image differently?
The Reveal
We’ll post more information here on Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned!
Students 13 and older in the United States and the Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
Even though the complex and intricate art of game development isn’t always, well, “fun and games,” if you choose the right language, it can be rewarding — both personally and financially.
The average Game Developer makes more than $101,000 a year. So, as your player on the screen is collecting coins, so is your pocket.
Still, the rate at which you’re able to develop games hinges on choosing the right languages. Read on to learn the best languages for game development and some of the benefits of each one.
1. C++
It’s no surprise that C++ is one of the top game-developing languages, especially because it’s such a popular, flexible solution. C++ is known for its high abstraction level, which allows you to have precise control over how a computer’s hardware interacts with your code.
C++ also provides more granular control over how graphics are processed by the system, which plays a very important role in game design.
Another key benefit of using C++ is it allows you to optimize special parts of your game design, giving them their own abstractions. This is akin to giving specific elements of the game their own infrastructure and resources. This level of detailed game development is difficult, if not impossible, with many other languages.
C++ has been used to make popular games like StarCraft, Football Pro, and Counterstrike. To get started crafting your own C++ games, check out courses like Learn C++ and C++ for Programmers.
2. Java
Even though Java doesn’t provide the same level of intricate control as C++, many see it as the best language for game development. Java’s popularity is partially due to its ease of use, which makes it a great solution for many new Game Developers.
The Java community also provides a deep treasure trove of tools and other open-source resources. This makes it much faster to develop games, especially because you can find code that’s already been written to use in your game. In some ways, Java can give the game development process a more plug-and-play feel than C++.
To dive into the world of Java development, check out our Learn Java course and Build Basic Android Apps with Java Skill Path. These will make it easier to bring the games floating around in your head to the screen.
3. JavaScript
When it comes to online game development, few languages make it easier than JavaScript. JavaScript plays well with both HTML and CSS, making it easier to develop games for multiple platforms.
Some programmers see JavaScript as a convenient all-around solution because you can use it to create animations and interactive elements. Plus, the online community behind JavaScript is huge, so you can find plenty of pre-designed elements to use in your own games.
JavaScript is the language behind gaming hits like American Girl, Angry Birds, and Aquaria. To get started with the language, try our Learn JavaScript course. We’ll provide you with the fundamentals you need to get comfortable with both front-end and back-end game development.
4. HTML5
HTML5 is another popular language for Game Developers, especially because programmers have created gaming engines that are specifically designed to make HTML5 games work better. Plus, you can use it with JavaScript interchangeably.
HTML5 is also known for its ability to construct games that work on multiple platforms and different kinds of browsers. This could make it easier to design games that appeal to wider audiences.
HTML5 has been used to create hit games like World Cup Penalty 2018 and Gods Will Be Watching. You can learn the basics of HTML5 with our Learn HTML course. This will provide you with the essential building blocks you need to create interactive, addictive games.
5. C#
Even though C# is considered an easier alternative to C++, it’s still a flexible, powerful programming language. Part of the reason why C# is such a useful language for developing games is Microsoft developed XNA for this exact purpose.
XNA is a set of tools specifically created to make game development easier and faster without sacrificing the experience of the end-user. C#’s flexibility is another big plus. You can build games that can run on a wide variety of platforms, including:
PlayStation
Windows
Android
iOS
This has made C# the language of choice for games like Super Mario Run and Pokémon Go. To start crafting your own game characters, check out our Learn C# course. In addition to games, this course will teach you the fundamentals behind virtual reality, websites, and mobile applications.
6. Python
While Python may not be as popular with Game Developers as Java or C++, it gives you access to tools that streamline the development process. For this reason, many new Game Programmers gravitate towards Python.
Python’s popularity is partly due to its use of OOP (Object-Oriented Programming). Objects used in OOP have properties that can be used in multiple aspects of the game, making game development easier and faster.
All you have to do is copy and paste objects into different segments of your code and then make relatively minor adjustments so they fit those aspects of the game. Objects also make it easier to edit code because if you find a mistake in one object, you can apply the fix to the others.
Python’s user-friendly structure has positioned it to be the language behind Battlefield 2, Eve Online, and Disney’s Toontown Online. Get started with the language with the help of our Learn Python course.
With our courses, you can build the skills and experience you need to be a star Game Developer. We’ll show you how to run, hop, and blast your way to a successful career in game development — and other tech fields — help you build a portfolio, prepare for technical interviews, and more.
Maintaining your mental and physical health can feel like a full-time job. While we all know that a mindfulness retreat or a yoga programme would be of immeasurable benefit to our daily well-being, it’s just so hard to find the time and the energy needed to make these major changes.
However, there are many small changes that you can make to your daily schedule that will have a disproportionately positive effect on how you are feeling, both mentally and physically. These changes are so small that they’ve probably never even occurred to you as possibilities.
By taking a few short courses on these niche health topics, you’ll gain valuable information that can transform your life by making just a few small change to your daily routine. So get learning!
You don’t need to be an insomniac to want to improve the quality of your sleep. Almost everyone goes through periods of sleeping badly, due to stress, changing routines or any number of other reasons. Sleeping is how the body recharges its batteries and is vital to both our physical and mental health. This course clearly explains the science of sleep and outlines some simple techniques for improving the quality of your rest.
Whether at work, at home or out and about, we spend a large part of our time interacting with others. If you don’t feel at ease in yourself, or if you suffer from social anxiety, then this can be a very difficult experience. Social anxiety can result in you miscommunicating with those around you and this can result in confusion and misunderstandings. This can have repercussions both at work and socially. This course goes back to the basics of understanding yourself and builds towards how you can successfully make yourself understood with others.
It’s not every day that you break your leg or suffer a concussion, but many of us will go through the day with small aches and pains that seem to come from nowhere and disappear again after a short time. These small aches are usually not painful enough to go to the doctor but they slow us down and can be more annoying than painful. These are often the results of inflammation, one of the most common causes of small scale bodily aches. By learning about inflammation you can minimise the causes and start eradicating those inconvenient niggles.
Alongside educating yourself about the causes of inflammation, learning how to correctly stretch your muscles is a simple but incredibly effective way to drastically improve the quality of your physical well being on a daily basis. Muscles shorten if they’re not regularly exercised and flexibility is reduced. If you’re working at a desk and sitting in the same position for long periods, tight muscles can start to cramp or even lead to chronic pain issues. This course will explain how you can integrate some key gentle stretching exercises into your daily routine.
Reiki is an alternative form of healing that you can use to both help others and yourself. Originating in Japan, reiki is based around restoring a correct physical and mental balance to allow for a more calm and stress-free engagement with the world around you. This fascinating course is not just a great way to increase your well-being, it will also offer you a window into the richness of traditional Japanese cultural practices and thinking.
Earlier this year Alison launched the Traditional Irish Music Hub in collaboration with some of Ireland’s finest musicians. Drawing on the very best talent in traditional Irish music, Alison crafted a series of courses covering all of the genre’s major instruments, including fiddle, concertina and bodhrán.
The courses have been already been enjoyed by thousands of students eager to take part in this ancient and rich musical tradition.
In Ireland, the popularity of the courses has prompted acclaim across the mediascape, with both the musicians and Alison receiving praise for encouraging and fostering a love of the native musical tradition.
Michael McCague, the talented guitarist behind Alison’s traditional Irish guitar courses, is quoted in The Anglo-Celt newspaper on his experience of producing the courses and his love of Irish music. In the paper, which covers the northern Irish midlands, the Monaghan man spoke about how Irish music is a very welcoming community that offers friendship as well as a new skill to learners who get involved with the courses.
In the Connacht Tribune, there were plaudits for the musicians for sharing their expertise and encouraging the growth of Irish traditional music, while Alison was lauded as a platform that allows subject matter experts to share their knowledge for free.
Alison founder and CEO, Mike Feerick, recently spoke with Keith Finnegan on the Galway Talks show on Galway Bay FM about the project. Alison is a Galway-based social enterprise and the Traditional Irish Music Hub, which drew on the expertise of many musicians based in the same part of the country, was close to the founder’s heart. (The interview can be listened to in full at 52 minutes into the show.)
The national broadcaster also got in on the praise, with a segment on the project on RTÉ’s flagship Today show. (The segment can be watched in full from 60 minutes into the show.)
If you’re interested in mobile development, then you’ve probably already heard of Kotlin as a popular language for developing Android apps. Maybe you’ve even started an online Kotlin course to give yourself a head start in your new development career.
But learning doesn’t end once you’ve finished the course. If you want to keep your programming skills sharp, it’s important to constantly challenge yourself by solving problems using programming languages like Kotlin.
That’s why we’ve put together these 10 Kotlin code challenges for beginners to give you a way to put your knowledge to practical use and get you prepared for your next technical interview. Just pick a challenge below, hop in a workspace, and get started.
1. Number steps
Many programming languages have built-in functions that output sequences of numbers separated by steps. Create your own Kotlin function from scratch that creates a sequenced list of numbers from 0 to a maximum input value and input step. For example, a maximum value of 8 and a step value of 2 should return an output of [2, 4, 6, 8].
If you’re looking for more of a challenge, create a Fibonacci sequence generator. Remember that the following number of a Fibonacci sequence is the sum of the two preceding it: [1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13].
2. Consistent capitalization
An important part of data preparation is to ensure that data strings are uniformly formatted and capitalized. For a given input string, create a function that accepts a string input as well as an argument string that’s either “upper” or “lower.”
If “upper,” then the function should convert everything in the string to upper case, while the “lower” argument should return the string with every character in lowercase.
To give yourself an added challenge, add the arguments “snake” and “camel” that convert a string of words separated by spaces into snake case or camel case.
thisissnake_case
ThisIsCamelCase
3. The longest word
For a given input string of words, create a function that returns the longest word in the string. For example, for the input phrase “I love Codecademy,” the output should be “Codecademy.”
For an added challenge, you can create an output that lists the longest word along with the number of characters in the word. So, for the string “I love Codecademy,” the output would look something like, “word: Codecademy count: 10.”
4. Caesar cipher
In cryptography, a Caesar cipher is a simple encryption technique that shifts every letter in a message by a certain number of letters. The number of letters to shift is known as the key or shift parameter. For example, if the key is 1, then the message:
“Codecademy is awesome!”
becomes:
“Dpefdbefnz jt bxftpnf!”
Note how every letter in the encrypted message is one letter after each letter in the original message.
Create a Caesar cipher function that accepts an integer key and a message string as inputs. If the encrypted letter goes beyond the letter z, it should wrap around to the beginning of the alphabet.
For an extra challenge, create another function that decrypts an encoded message for a given key and encoded string.
5. Train route
Create a function that lists the stations on a train route based on an input of stations. For example, an input of (“NY Penn”) should output “Train is stopping at NY Penn.” For an input of (“NY Penn,” “Woodside,” “Forest Hills”), the output should be “Train is stopping at NY Penn, Woodside, and Forest Hills.”
If you want to challenge yourself a bit more, add a second input that includes train departure time, train number, and destination station. So, with the inputs (234, “10:00”, “Montauk”) and (“NY Penn,” “Babylon,” “Sayville”), the output should be “10:00 train number 234 to Montauk is stopping at NY Penn, Babylon and Sayville.”
Remember that the train number should be input as an integer but output as part of a string.
6. Permutation palindrome
A palindrome is a word or phrase that could be spelled the same forward and backward. Examples of palindromes include the words “level” and “racecar” as well as the phrase “taco cat.”
Create a function that returns TRUE if an input string is a permutation of a palindrome — that is, if the string could somehow be rearranged to make a palindrome. For example, the strings “racecar,” “carrace,” and “gghhk” should return TRUE, while words such as “tammy” and “code” should return FALSE.
For an additional challenge, allow your input to include phrase strings. You’ll need to find a way to remove all spaces in the input string before running your function.
7. FizzBuzz
The FizzBuzz challenge is a popular problem in technical interviews. For a given maximum input value n, create a function that outputs integers from 1 to n.
But, if an integer is divisible by three, then the number should be replaced with the word “Fizz.” Numbers divisible by five should say “Buzz” instead. And numbers divisible by both three and five should say “FizzBuzz.”
For example, with an input of 17, the output should be:
For a given integer input n, create a function that returns a string output of generated steps using the # character. For example, for an input of 3, the output should look like:
‘# ‘
‘##’
‘###’
If you’d like to “step up” this challenge, add a string input that allows the function to generate steps for any given single character.
9. Triangles, etc.
Come up with a function that creates a triangle based on an integer input to specify the number of rows and a string input to determine the “building block” of the triangle. If you want to challenge yourself more, add a third input that allows someone to specify different shapes such as a circle, square, or trapezoid.
10. Pascal’s triangle
If you’re up to an intermediate challenge after finishing Challenge 9 (Triangles, etc.), try creating Pascal’s triangle.
You might remember learning about Pascal’s triangle in algebra class. It’s a quick way to solve binomial expansions — (x + y)n — where the nth row in Pascal’s triangle gives you the coefficients of xy raised to different powers. Pascal’s triangle is also used in probability theory, and you can read more about how it’s created here.
For a given integer input a, create Pascal’s triangle with a rows. The first row should correspond to a = 0.
For example, for an input value of 2, the output should look something like:
1
1,1
1,2,1
If you’re pursuing a career in mobile development, learning Kotlin is a great way to get started. Or, if you want to learn more about Android development, check out courses like:
This sapphire & pink color palette with a pinch of brown is an unexpected, yet surprisingly perfect color scheme. The strong dark brown balances out the girlie hues of pink. Adding a rich sapphire will bring a sophisticated calmness to any blog design. You certainly can’t go wrong with this gorgeous palette.
Sapphire & Pink Color Palette
I know it is much too cold for flowers, but I wanted to bring you some pastel colors before winter. Below I have created for you a simple mood board featuring today’s color combination. It is in perfect Pinterest format, so feel free to pin it for later.
See our collection of other gorgeous color palettes by visiting our color palette section.
What do you think about our pink & blue color combination? Where would you use it? I think it will look great both for interior design and digital arts. There are really no limits here. I believe that soft pastels may be worn even during wintertime when paired with the classic beige color.
We would love to hear your thoughts, so make sure to share them in the comments below.
Lastly, learn about the power of color in blog design in our blog post to see how important colors are in all the projects you create.
If you like pastel colors, make sure to check our Blogger Templates where you will find lots of pastel blue and pink.
There is simply no shortage of design possibilities when it comes to bringing this pretty color palette to life.
What makes you mad? What would you like to see change? What do you wish more people understood?
Over the last eight years, tens of thousands of teenagers from around the world have answered these questions in the form of short opinion essays submitted to our annual spring Editorial Contest.
They’ve made compelling arguments on issues big and small, from anti-Asian hate, climate change, underpaid teachers, school shootings and Black Lives Matter, to snow days, video game culture, teen slang, and why pineapple pizza deserves more respect.
The best of them — our annual winners — not only ground their claims in strong evidence, but also engage us with voice and style.
Now we’re inviting you to do the same. Make an argument in 450 words or fewer about something that matters to you, and persuade us that we should care, too.
Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. And consider hanging this PDF one-page announcement on your class bulletin board. Please post any questions to the comments here, or write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.
How to Submit
This contest begins on March 2, 2022. We will add links to the submission forms here on the day the contest opens.
Students ages 11 to 19 anywhere in the world attending middle or high school can participate. Students ages 13 to 19 years old in the United States and the United Kingdom, and students ages 16 to 19 years old anywhere else in the world, can submit their own entries. Younger students can have an adult submit on their behalf.
1. Choose a topic you care about, and make an argument that will persuade readers to care about that topic, too.
Start by choosing something you are genuinely interested in. We’ve been running student writing contests for over a decade, and one thing we know for sure is that the best writing is inspired by students’ real interests and experiences. You might start by asking yourself the three questions at the top of this post and brainstorming a few answers.
2.Your editorial must not exceed 450 words, so make sure your argument is focused enough that you can still make a strong case.
Let’s say you choose to write about college admissions. While it might be possible to write an essay for this contest that would upend the entire admissions system as we know it, 450 words are probably far too few to take on everything that’s problematic about the process. Instead, try carving out a smaller claim, the way Erin Tan did in 2020 when she focused on how changes wrought by the pandemic could impact college admissions forever. In other words, make a claim that you have room to defend so that you can focus on the logic of your argument.
(Please note: Your title and list of sources are separate and do not count as part of your 450-word limit.)
3. Research and gather evidence to bolster your argument, using at least one source published in The New York Times and at least one source from outside The Times.
At a time when breaking out of one’s “filter bubble” is more important than ever, we hope this contest encourages you to deepen your opinions by using multiple sources, ideally ones that offer a range of perspectives on your chosen issue. Just make sure those sources are reliable ones.
There is no limit on the number of sources you can use, but we ask that you cite at least one Times article and at least one article from outside The Times. There is a dedicated field in the submission form to cite a number of sources, because readers (and judges) should always be able to tell where you got your evidence. (You do not need to provide in-text citations.)
Please be very careful to put quotations around any direct quotes you use, and to cite the source of anything you paraphrase. If we put a sentence from your submission into a search engine, we don’t want to find it anywhere else — unless you’re clearly quoting or citing that source. We take evidence and allegations of plagiarism very seriously.
4. You can write your editorial by yourself or with a group, but please submit only one editorial per student.
If you are working as a team, just remember to submit all of your names when you post your entry. And if you’re submitting as part of a team, you should not also submit as an individual.
5. We will use thisrubric to judge your work, but the best way to get a feel for what we’re looking for is to read a few essays by previous winners.
We believe in using student work as mentor texts, so much so that we’ve just published a book — and teacher’s guide — with 100 award-winning essays drawn from this contest.
But you don’t have to buy the book to see many examples; just skim through this column of recent winners and choose some that interest you. As you go, ask yourself: What ideas does this give me for my own work? What do I admire? What “writer’s moves” did this student use that I might try to use to make my own piece stronger?
6. All entries must be submitted by April 13, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific using the contest form above.
We provide a small window of time after that deadline to allow for technical difficulties. However, at some point after the deadline, our contest submission form closes and you will not be allowed to submit an entry, so please be mindful of the deadline and submit early.
Please read through all the official eligibility and submission rules before submitting your editorial. If you have questions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
Resources for Teachers and Students
As teachers know, the persuasive essay has long been a staple of high school education, but the Common Core standards seem to have put evidence-based argumentative writing on everybody’s agenda. You couldn’t ask for a more real-world example of the genre than the essays published in newspaper opinion sections every day, and The Times publishes a bounty of them.
Beyond that daily section, however, we have many more resources to help teachers and students plan for this contest:
Our daily Student Opinion feature, a low-stakes opportunity to practice honing arguments for an audience. Anyone 13-19 years old is welcome to post on any question past or present.
A new book, “Student Voice,” that collects 100 of the best student essays from this contest all in one place, categorized by subjects like “Teenage Life Online,” “Gender and Sexuality” and “Sports and Gaming” — plus, a related teacher’s guide.
Your work will be read by New York Times journalists, as well as by Learning Network staff members and educators from around the United States. We will use this rubric to judge entries.
What’s the prize?
Having your work published on The Learning Network and being eligible to have your work published in the print New York Times.
When will the winners be announced?
About two months after the contest has closed.
My essay wasn’t selected as a winner. Can you tell me why?
We receive thousands of entries for this contest, so unfortunately, our team does not have the capacity to provide individual feedback on each student’s essay.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RULES
Who is eligible to participate in this contest?
For this contest, we invite students ages 11 to 19 in middle school or high school to write an editorial. For students in the United States, we consider middle school to begin in sixth grade; students outside of the United States must be at least 11 years old to enter.
The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter this contest, nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.
If you are not sure if you are eligible for this contest (for example, if you’re taking a gap year), please see our more detailed eligibility rules.
Can I have someone else check my work?
We understand that students will often revise their work based on feedback from teachers and peers. That is allowed for this contest. However, be sure that the final submission reflects the ideas, voice and writing ability of the student, not someone else.
My essay has already been published in my school newspaper. Can I submit it to this contest?
No. We ask that your editorial be original for this contest. Please don’t submit anything you have already published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.
Who can I contact if I have questions about this contest or am having issues submitting my entry?
Leave a comment on this post or write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com.
_________
QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHING WITH THIS CONTEST
I’m a teacher. What resources do you have to help me teach with this contest?
Do my students need a New York Times subscription to access these resources?
No. All of the resources on The Learning Network are free.
If your students don’t have a subscription to The New York Times, they can also get access to Times pieces through The Learning Network. All the activities for students on our site, including mentor texts and writing prompts, plus the Times articles they link to, are free. Students can search for articles using the search tool on our home page. In the rest of The Times, they can access up to five free articles a month.
How do my students prove to me that they entered this contest?
After they submit their essays, students should receive an email from The New York Times with the subject heading “Thank you for your submission to our Editorial Contest,” which they can forward to you to show their entry has been accepted.
The word emerge has appeared in 1,311 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Nov. 16 in “Skiing Hut-to-Hut in the Maine Wilderness” by David Goodman:
From Medawisla, we skied up the broad, groomed Lodge-to-Lodge Trail to a scenic high point. We stopped to take in the sweeping 360-degree views of the imposing snow-covered tabletop summit of Big Spencer Mountain (3,215 feet) that crowns this landscape.
After a brief snack we began a long, wind-in-the-face descent. I skied behind my friend John, an airline pilot, who extended his arms as if flying, banking around broad turns as we glided to the valley floor. A small sign directed us to a narrow trail that snaked through the woods until it abruptly emerged onto the bright white expanse of First West Branch Pond and our next lodge …
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word emerge in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.
If you want a better idea of how emerge can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
Are you a sports fan? Do you like stories about underdogs, long shots or unsung heroes — athletes and teams that break barriers and defy the odds?
This school year, the football team at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, is steamrolling its opponents, electrifying a campus that has seen more than a few athletic defeats and humiliations.
In this lesson, you will learn about how one high school team is shattering the stereotype that deafness is a deficit in football and sports. In a Going Further activity, we invite you to use the article as a model to tell the story of another athlete or team that has broken stereotypes or defied the odds.
Warm-Up
Have you ever played football? Do you find it a challenging sport to master?
Before reading the article, consider that there are 53 players on a professional football team. What do you think it takes for them to become successful as a unit?
Huddle up with a classmate and make a list of all the skills and qualities — athletic, social, emotional — that a football team needs to thrive and win on the gridiron.
Next, review your list and consider the assets and the challenges a team might face if the entire roster was deaf.
Then, consider one more question: Why do you think an all-deaf team in a small Southern California high school is steamrolling its competition?
1. The article begins: “The athletic program at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, has suffered its share of humiliations and harassment over the years.” Which of these humiliations described in the opening paragraphs stood out to you? Why do you think Mr. Fuller, the writer, starts the piece by recounting some of the low points in the life of the Cubs football team?
2. Mr. Fuller writes, “Football is a richly audible experience.” How does he contrast typical high school football games with Friday night games at the Riverside campus?
3. Coach Keith Adams’s philosophy is that “what might be thought of as a deficit can be an edge.” Give at least two examples from the article showing how deafness is an asset rather than a deficit as a football player. Then compare the list of assets and challenges you created in the warm-up activity to what you learned in the article. Do you agree with Mr. Adams’s philosophy? Does it resonate with your own experiences, in or outside of sports?
4. Look at the photographs featured in the article: What story do they tell about the football team at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, and the unique skills and chemistry that have enabled its success this season? What photo do you find most revealing or affecting?
5. How has playing on the Cubs affected its teenage players, like Felix Gonzales? Compare their experiences competing in an all-deaf environment to previous ones in mainstream settings. Have you ever been part of a team or community that allowed you to “blossom” as many Cubs players have?
6. What’s your reaction to the story? What does it make you think or feel? Why do you think The Times published an article on a high school football team in Southern California? What inspiration and life lessons can you draw from it?
Going Further
Option 1: Write about a time when you defied expectations and odds.
Have you ever been the underdog? David to a seemingly unbeatable Goliath? Have you ever been told you couldn’t do or accomplish something because of your appearance, age, gender, race, identity or abilities? But you did it anyway — and succeeded?
Write about a time when you faced great obstacles, challenged stereotypes or beat the odds, in or outside of sports. Describe your experience: What obstacles did you face and how did you try to overcome them? What skills and assets did you use and draw upon? How did you feel afterward? Did anyone support you along the way? Did you ever think of giving up? What did you learn about yourself and the world from the experience?
Option 2: Read another inspiring story from the world of sports.
Read another moving and uplifting article below from The Times’s Sports desk. Then respond to the following prompts in writing or through discussion with a partner: What did you learn from the article? Which moments did you find most surprising, memorable or moving? What life lessons did you draw from the story? Why do you think sports is such a rich and compelling arena for inspirational journeys?
Option 3: Tell the story of someone else who has broken barriers or challenged stereotypes.
Imagine that The Times has hired you to write an article on an individual or group that triumphed in the face of adversity, from the world of sports or outside it. Whom would you profile and why? What questions would you ask? How might these experiences inform and engage readers of The Times? How can you celebrate the accomplishments of ordinary people in your family, school or community at a time when we could all use an uplifting story?
Use the featured article as a mentor text to create your profile. Like Mr. Fuller, you might begin your story with past low points or struggles, and by using vivid language to capture what success looks and feels like. To round out your profile, you may want to include the thoughts and perspectives of the family, friends, teachers, coaches and fans.
Brainstorm a list of questions you could ask to learn about your subject’s experiences and accomplishment. For instance, you might ask: What obstacles did you face? How did you overcome them? What was most rewarding about your experience? What was most challenging? How did friends, parents, or coaches support you? What life lessons did you learn about yourself or the world? What advice would you give others who are facing similar barriers or tough odds?
If you are working on this assignment as part of a class project, you may want to display your work with your classmates’ and publish the profiles in the school newspaper or on the school website.
Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here.
Language has always had power. Words can hurt, offend and provoke, but they can also empower, uplift and inspire. They can even change culture. Language has always evolved, and that is certainly true for language related to race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality.
Words and terms like BIPOC, P.O.C., she/her, he/him, they/them, nonbinary, LGBTQIA+, antiracism, white privilege and microaggression might have been unfamiliar to most people even a decade ago. “African American” is sometimes being superseded by “Black,” with a capital “B.” The term “queer” has been reclaimed by some, but still reads as hate speech to others. And debates erupt over whether to use Latinx or Latino for people of Latin American descent.
Have you noticed this kind of evolving language within your school community? How careful are you with the language you use to discuss identity and social issues? Do you think this debate over language is a meaningful social justice imperative, or does it miss what is most important: substantive policy changes?
In California, a Black college freshman from the South is telling a story about his Latino friends from home when he is interrupted by a white classmate. “We say ‘Latinx’ here,” he recalls her saying, using a term he had not heard before, “because we respect trans people.”
In Philadelphia, Emma Blackson challenges her white neighbor’s assertion that Black children misbehave in school more than others. “It’s just my implicit bias,” the neighbor offers, saying that she had recently learned the phrase.
In Chicago, Kelsey O’Donnell, 31, wonders why colleagues and friends have suddenly started saying “BIPOC,” an acronym that encompasses individuals who are Black, Indigenous or other people of color. Where had it come from? “There was really nobody to ask,” says Ms. O’Donnell, who is white. “It was just, ‘This is what we say now.’”
Americans have always wrestled with language when it comes to describing race, with phrases and vocabulary changing to meet the struggles and values of the moment. But especially in the wake of protests for social justice in the summer of 2020, there is a heightened attention to this language, say scholars and activists, as some on the left try to advance changes in the culture through words.
“You can’t change what you can’t name,” Cathy Albisa, vice president of institutional and sectoral change at the racial justice nonprofit Race Forward, said.
For some people, though, the new lexicon has become a kind of inscrutable code, set at a frequency that only a narrow, highly educated slice of the country can understand, or even a political litmus test in which the answers continually change. Others feel disappointment, after so many protests last summer demanded far deeper change on issues like criminal justice and voting rights.
What is your reaction to this article? What do you think about the debate over “language on the left”? Why?
Are you highly conscious of the words you use when discussing race, gender and sexuality? Do you ever start discussions about language or about the labels or pronouns that resonate most with you?
Are there words used to describe elements of your identity that you are more comfortable with than others? Are there words or terms used in your community that, even though they are intended to be empowering, make you uncomfortable or confused?
Rashad Robinson, president of the racial justice organization Color of Change, said, “When you’ve been on the margin, being able to claim a language and a narrative and a set of words to express yourself is incredibly important.” Do you agree?
Kelsey O’Donnell, 31, of Chicago said, “I’m exhausted by the constant need to be wary or you’ll instantly be labeled racist or anti-trans.” Do you ever find language to be a minefield? In your community, what happens when someone uses the “wrong” word? Is there any reaction? If so, is the reaction proportionate to the offense? Why or why not?
Is the subject of language about race, gender and sexuality a sensitive issue in your community? Has any of the “language of the left” discussed in this article been embraced by the people you know? Or has there been a backlash against it?
Do you agree with those quoted in the article who consider this new attention to language a “dodge” — a way to avoid substantive policy changes, like investing in more affordable housing or quality education? Is this debate over language missing the point? Or do you think changes in language are a necessary step toward achieving justice? Why or why not?
Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
