Subjects Covered:  Civics and Economics
 

Grade Range:  9-12
 

Learning Objectives:
 
Students will have the opportunity to:

• Understand the relationship of economic factors and how they shape public policy as it relates to the aviation industry.
• Debate a current topic relating to the aviation industry.
   

Standards List:
 
(From McRel Standards, www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp)
 
Civics Standards:

• Understands ideas about civic life, politics, and government
• Understands the major responsibilities of the national government for domestic and foreign policy, and understands how government is financed through taxation
• Understands what is meant by "the public agenda," how it is set, and how it is influenced by public opinion and the media
• Understands the formation and implementation of public policy
• Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy
• Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights
• Understands how participation in civic and political life can help citizens attain individual and public goals

Economics Standards :

• Understands that scarcity of productive resources requires choices that generate opportunity costs
• Understands characteristics of different economic systems, economic institutions, and economic incentives
• Understands the roles government plays in the United States economy
• Understands basic concepts of United States fiscal policy and monetary policy
• Understands basic concepts about international economics
   

Tools and Materials:

• A copy of the program "Chasing the Sun," a television, and a VCR
• Computers with Internet access
   

Time Needed:
 
It is recommended that four 45-minute class periods be scheduled to complete this lesson.
 

Teaching Strategy:
 
Begin a discussion with students by asking them about the role government plays in our lives. A current issue making headlines is the energy crisis in California and other states. Ask the students what they understand about deregulation of the electric companies and how that has influenced the current power crisis. What are the advantages and disadvantages of regulation? Is government regulation of certain industries necessary?
 
Segue this discussion into the government's role in regulating the airline industry. Screen for the class the segments entitled "The Love Airline" (timecode: 14:30 - 21:20) and "The New Breed" (timecode: 21:20 - 28:05) from episode four of "Chasing the Sun." Both deal with deregulation of the airline industry in 1978. After screening the program, discuss with students their reaction to regulation of the airlines.
 
Deregulation of the airline industry is just one of many ways in which the field of aviation is affected by public policy. Assign your students to research and debate a current or historical issue relating to aviation. Divide the students into 12 groups (2 to 3 students per group - make sure opposing sides of an issue have equal number of team members). Assign (or have the groups decide for themselves) which issue to pursue. Suggested issues for debate, along with additional web links, are included below:
 
The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 - Good or Bad for Consumers?
 
Common Dreams - "If You Took an Airplane Recently, You Know That Deregulation's a Loser" - August 28, 2000
www.commondreams.org/views/082700-101.htm
 
"The Quality of Airline Service"
www.zsrlaw.com/publications/articles/fjc9909.htm
 
Airline Deregulation: The Unfinished Revolution
www.cei.org/MonoReader.asp?ID=473
 
The Heritage Foundation - "20th Anniversary of Airline Deregulation: Cause for Celebration, Not Reregulation"
www.heritage.org/library/backgrounder/bg1173es.html
 
 
The New SST - Lost Opportunity or Environmental Nightmare?
 
NASA's High-Speed Research Program - Developing Tomorrow's Supersonic Passenger Jet
oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/HSR-Overview2.html
 
Superonic Transport Aircraft: Technology Readiness and Development Risks
users.forthnet.gr/ath/gs/hsct.htm
 
Scientific American - "Sonic Bust"
www.sciam.com/2000/0900issue/0900techbus2.html
 
 
Frank Lorenzo - Effective Businessman or Ruthless Union Buster?
 
AvStop Magazine Online - Frank Lorenzo
avstop.com/History/HistoryOfAirlines/FrankLorenzo.html
 
Frank Lorenzo and Texas Air
www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/TT/ept1.html
 
 
Air Traffic Control Today - Are Our Skies Safe Enough or Is a Catastrophe Waiting to Happen?
 
Air Transport Association - Airline Handboook, Chapter 6: Safety
www.airlines.org/public/publications/display1.asp?id=93
 
Airline Safety - examining many issues of airline safety
www.airlinesafety.com/
 
Aviation Safety
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/9499/index.html
 
 
Airbus vs. Boeing - Which Business Model Is Better?
 
Time Magazine - "Bigger vs. Faster: Airbus and Boeing are betting on very different visions of the future of flying" - May 1, 2001
www.time.com/time/global/may/cover.html
 
Seattle P-I.com - "Boeing and Airbus Go At Each Other" - June 18, 2001
seattlep-i.nwsource.com/business/27895_airshow18.shtml
 
Brigham Young University - "Airbus v. Boeing: Economics of Strategy"
marriottschool.byu.edu/emp/Nile/econ/airbus_boeing/
 
 
Airport Expansion - Necessity or Nuisance?
 
Citizens Against Airport Pollution
www.caap.org/
 
Master Plan LAX 2015
www.lax2015.org/
 
Allow for library and/or computer time so students can research their respective topics. Students will find the links on the "Chasing the Sun" website to be a helpful starting point for many of these topics.
 
Have the students provide written outlines of the main points they will cover in their presentations. Review and make suggestions to these outlines before the students actually stage their debate.
 
Each member of the debate team should make a persuasive two-minute presentation explaining the reasons for their positions on the issue. After each team makes their presentation, allow two-minutes for each side to make a rebuttal against the other side's comments. Then open the issue up for the students to ask questions of both sides. After a few minutes, bring the discussion to a close and ask for a final 30-second summary from both sides.
 

Extensions/Adaptations:
 
Before each issue is debated, pass around slips of paper and ask your students to write down which side of the issue they agree with, but don't immediately reveal the results of the pre-debate poll. After the debate has concluded, release the results of the pre- and post-debate polls. Even if the post-debate poll numbers remained the same, there still might have been a switch in the way individual students voted. Ask if any students switched their votes, and why. Likewise, ask those students why they weren't swayed by the debate. Lead a discussion about which arguments they found most and least compelling. Ask students to give constructive feedback as to their classmates' performances.
 
A great way to motivate your students before beginning this project is to stage a real debate in your classroom. Invite to your school two different speakers who have opposing views about an aviation-related topic. They might be professors, activists, community leaders, etc. Since we want to keep the debates fresh, remember to avoid later assigning a student group this same debate topic.