Hello, Iserotope Extras community! You’re going to like all 4 extras this week. The first three are about injustice and race—how to escape gangs in El Salvador, who has power in the United States, and ways we can confront injustice. Then the last piece is about reading (no surprise). Please enjoy!
Fighting Fires Is a Form of Salvation for Youth in Gang-Ridden El Salvador
Violence is a way of life in El Salvador, where the murder rate is 104 per 100,000 people. (The United States’ is 4/100,000.) Salvadoran teenagers who want to avoid MS 13 or Barrio 18 join Comandos de Salvamento as firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Because the group saves everyone, including gang members, the comandos in yellow and green have a special power.
The Faces of American Power, Nearly as White as the Oscar Nominees
My teacher colleagues ask their students to provide evidence to back up their claims. This interactive graphic shows us—face by face, thumbnail by thumbnail—who has power in our country. Sometimes the truth is even starker than we think.
Need some privacy? An escape from the stressors of life? Try the Tomoko, built for “privacy and concentration,” particularly in open-space cubicles!
Bryan Stevenson speaks at Google
If you’re a long-time subscriber, you know that Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy was my favorite book of 2015. Last week, Google awarded Mr. Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative $1 million. This is a 20-minute speech (beginning at around 3:45) about what we can do to counter injustice. (Thank you to subscriber Peter for letting me know about this video!)
Taught to pass tests, they don't know how to read books
Another college professor decries his students’ lack of preparation as readers. Please let me know what you think about this piece. Is this an indictment of high-stakes testing? or weak teachers? or the ills of technology? Is this nostalgia for a past that never was? Is this guy making a solid argument or assigning the wrong books? (Thank you to subscriber Clare for letting me know about this article!)
You see? They were great articles, don’t you think? Plus, there is now evidence that I have begun to include subscriber-submitted articles. So submit away, if you like, and have a great week!