Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Powers of 10!
Check out this video from 1977 to get a sense of the what it means to go up or down by a power of 10.
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Research Finds Racial Disparities in Prison Sentences
Link: Research Finds Racial Disparities in Prison Sentences
Click the link above to listen to a news segment on prison sentencing in the United States today.
Think about this story and how it connects to Chapter 18 in The Inquisitor's Tale. In Chapter 18 King Louis leaps out of his carriage and into a dispute between a Lombard moneylender and two Jewish moneylenders after he speaks openly against peasants and Jews in the carriage. Quoted below is the section of the story where King Louis announces punishments/fines for the moneylenders.
(Note: usury is illegally lending money. Usurious is also referring to illegally lending money.)
"For disturbing the king's peace," the king announced "the fine is five silver livres. All three of you will pay this fine. Do you understand?"
The three moneylenders nodded, bowing their heads, their eyes averted.
"For assaulting one of the king's Jews," Louis went Louis went on, "the fine is fifteen livres." The Lombard looked up at the furious king, and raindrops splashed off his freckled cheeks. He looked shocked. "Can you pay twenty livres?" the king demanded. "Or will you go to prison?"
"I can pay!" the Lombard said. "I can pay!"
"What is your name?"
"Johann Montefiore, of Lombardy!" the man said, groveling.
"Johann Montefiore, of Lombardy, if you do not report to the Hall of Justice tonight, you will be found and thrown into prison."
"Yes, my king! Thank you, my lord!"
Louis stepped around the groveling Lombard. "And you!" he said, addressing the Jewish men, their cloaks covered in mud.
He pointed in their faces. "You will report to the Hall of Justice as well, and you will render every livre of every usurious loan you've made to the chancellor. If you did not persist in your wicked usury and your incomprehensible refusal to acknowledge the Gospel of Christ, good Christians would not strike you in the streets! You have no one to blame but yourselves!" (pg. 224)
Now listen to this story about debtor's prison and think about how it relates to this scene.
Link: As Court Fees Rise the Poor Are Paying the Price
Write your thoughts about how these news stories are connected to this scene from The Inquisitor's Tale in your Reading Notebook.
Click the link above to listen to a news segment on prison sentencing in the United States today.
Think about this story and how it connects to Chapter 18 in The Inquisitor's Tale. In Chapter 18 King Louis leaps out of his carriage and into a dispute between a Lombard moneylender and two Jewish moneylenders after he speaks openly against peasants and Jews in the carriage. Quoted below is the section of the story where King Louis announces punishments/fines for the moneylenders.
(Note: usury is illegally lending money. Usurious is also referring to illegally lending money.)
"For disturbing the king's peace," the king announced "the fine is five silver livres. All three of you will pay this fine. Do you understand?"
The three moneylenders nodded, bowing their heads, their eyes averted.
"For assaulting one of the king's Jews," Louis went Louis went on, "the fine is fifteen livres." The Lombard looked up at the furious king, and raindrops splashed off his freckled cheeks. He looked shocked. "Can you pay twenty livres?" the king demanded. "Or will you go to prison?"
"I can pay!" the Lombard said. "I can pay!"
"What is your name?"
"Johann Montefiore, of Lombardy!" the man said, groveling.
"Johann Montefiore, of Lombardy, if you do not report to the Hall of Justice tonight, you will be found and thrown into prison."
"Yes, my king! Thank you, my lord!"
Louis stepped around the groveling Lombard. "And you!" he said, addressing the Jewish men, their cloaks covered in mud.
He pointed in their faces. "You will report to the Hall of Justice as well, and you will render every livre of every usurious loan you've made to the chancellor. If you did not persist in your wicked usury and your incomprehensible refusal to acknowledge the Gospel of Christ, good Christians would not strike you in the streets! You have no one to blame but yourselves!" (pg. 224)
Now listen to this story about debtor's prison and think about how it relates to this scene.
Link: As Court Fees Rise the Poor Are Paying the Price
Write your thoughts about how these news stories are connected to this scene from The Inquisitor's Tale in your Reading Notebook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)