Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra feature 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: Americorps Faces Funding Crisis, 7/23/03
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec03/americorps2_7-23.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What is volunteering? When have you volunteered? What kind of work did you do?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1). What is Americorps? What kind of work do Americorps volunteers do?

Often called the domestic Peace Corps, Americorps is a network of service programs that work with local communities. Americorps volunteers tutor and mentor youth both in and after school, clean parks and streams, feed the hungry and help build houses.

2). What do full time volunteers receive for their service?

Full-time members receive an education award of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back student loans.

3). Who established Americorps?

Former President Bill Clinton created Americorps in 1993.

4). Why is Americorps having financial problems?

The Corporation for National and Community Service, the parent organization for Americorps, has been accused of mismanagement, enrolling more volunteers than they could pay. Congress responded by freezing new enrollments and capping participation at 50,000 volunteers for 2003. Now programs around the country are being forced to cut the number of volunteers that they can use.

5). How are financial shortfalls impacting the programs that rely on Americorps funding?

In nationwide and state programs the decrease in funding means that there will be fewer volunteers to provide work in education, health, the environment, etc. Some programs face cuts of more than 50 percent.

 

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1). Do you think taxpayer money should go to volunteer organizations? Why or why not?

2). Research the proponents and opponents of the supplemental funding for Americorps. What is each side's argument? Which side do you agree with? Explain your reasoning.

3). Research an Americorps program that is working in your community? What impact have the federal funding cuts had on this program? (Perhaps by contacting the local program headquarters.)

Write a 300-500 word essay on either of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.