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For Teachers --
A State of the Union Lesson Plan for grades
7-12.

President Bush's State of the Union Message (1/29/02)
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An Online NewsHour Special Report:
2002 State of the Union

The State of our Union
January 30, 2002

If President Bush has his way, there will be a victory in the war on global terrorism and people will be volunteering more than they have in the past.

Last night, Bush delivered his annual State of the Union address to an audience of Congressional members and distinguished guests.

"We have clear priorities and we must act at home with the same purpose and resolve we have shown overseas," Bush said. "We will prevail in the war, and we will defeat this recession."

He said the world faces a continuing threat from tens of thousands of followers of Saudi-born extremist Osama bin Laden, accused by the United States of masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks on America.

The president also singled out Iraq, Iran and North Korea for pursuing weapons of mass destruction, calling them "an axis of evil" that could attack U.S. allies or blackmail America.

He warned that terrorism was far from over, citing new intelligence saying that tens of thousands of people trained in bin Laden's camps in Afghanistan could strike at any time.

"Thousands of dangerous killers, schooled in the methods of murder, often supported by outlaw regimes, are now spread throughout the world like ticking time bombs -- set to go off without warning," Bush said.

Bush is visiting North Carolina and Florida Wednesday and Atlanta Thursday to promote another one of the themes of his speech -- a call for Americans to donate time to volunteer service.

"My call is for every American to commit at least two years -- four thousand hours over the rest of your lifetime -- to the service of your neighbors and nation," Bush said.

"We will renew the promise of the Peace Corps, double its volunteers over the next five years and ask it to join a new effort to encourage development, and education and opportunity in the Islamic world," Bush said.

A senior administration official said Bush hoped to send Peace Corps volunteers to Afghanistan, the first front in the U.S.-led war against global terrorism.

Reaction to President Bush's State of the Union address has been generally favorable -- from both sides of the political fence.

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