Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra features stories can help students identify and interpret key issues in current events. This activity anticipates one class period, but the follow-up essay might be assigned as homework, or in another period.

Warm Up: Use initiating questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Have students read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the questions on the reading comprehension handout.

Discussion: Use discussion questions to encourage students to think about how the issues outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Follow-up: Students can write an 500-word editorial on the topic expressing their views and send it to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org] for possible publication.

Evaluation: Students are graded on their answers to reading comprehension questions and/or their editorial.

Story: Making the Case for War, 9/18/02
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec02/iraq_speech.html

Initiating Questions:

1). What have you heard in the news recently about Iraq?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1). What did President Bush say in his recent speech before the United Nations (U.N.)?

Mr. Bush told the U.N. members "action will be unavoidable" against Iraq if world leaders don't increase their efforts to force Iraq to disarm.

2) How did Iraq respond to the U.N. speech?

The Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq called the president's speech a "bunch of lies" but also acknowledged that his country would allow weapons inspectors to return to Iraq.

3). What was the international response to the president's speech?

Many leaders were encouraged that the U.S. was gathering support before taking action against Iraq, but France and Russia are still not convinced that the U.N. needs to take additional action.

4). What is the Security Council?

The Security Council was created in 1945 to express the will of the international community and is made up representatives from 15 countries. The five permanent members are the U.S, Great Britain, Russia, China, and France.

5). What action does the president want Congress to take?

The president wants Congress to vote on a resolution authorizing war within the next month.

Discussion Activity

1). When President Bush delivered his speech, he was trying to persuade the U.N. that military action against Iraq was necessary. Write a persuasive speech that is for or against the U.S. decision to take action against Iraq and/or for the removal of Saddam Hussein from power.