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: Emerging Identity Theft Targets Teens, 08/29/05
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec05/debt_5-25.html

Initiating Questions:
1. What is your identity and how might someone steal it?

2. Do you have a credit card, driver's license or social security card? Where do you keep them?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. How many people became victims of identity theft last year? Who is most likely to become one?

Over 10 million people were victims of identity theft last year and young people with no credit records were the number one target.

2. What is identity theft?

Identity theft is when a person steals someone else's personal information, such as credit card, bank account or Social Security numbers, to purchase goods and services.

3. Why are teens a likely target for identity thieves?

Teenagers and young people are more vulnerable to identity theft than adults because most have not established credit records that can be monitored.

"If you don't have a credit file, whatever someone first submits under your name becomes the basis of the credit file. Thieves can rack up charges on a clean record and when it's time for these kids to take out a loan for college, they cannot because of the charges racked up on their record," explained Jay Foley, co-executive director of the nonprofit organization, the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Teens also are more susceptible to identity theft because they are less likely to check their credit card records and may not even be aware of their credit record and its importance. Most teens have little or no knowledge of financial transactions and credit reports.

4. Where does most identity theft occur? What is the newest way for thieves to steal identities? How is this done?

While most identity theft occurs "offline," the emerging market for thieves who are in the "business" of stealing identities is the Internet.

Using a couple lines of software code, thieves can acquire bulk amounts of information. The stolen information is then sold in small amounts to other thieves who use the stolen account information to purchase goods or obtain money.

The thieves use the stolen information for a short period of time or until the fraudulent activity is detected.

5. On average, how long does it take to repair identity theft damage? How can a bad credit record impact with a person's financial life?

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, victims can spend on average 600 hours over years repairing damage done by identity theft. In some cases, it can take victims up to 10 years to clear their records.

Some identity theft victims grapple with penalties such as increased insurance or credit card fees, inability to find a job, or higher interest rates for loans.

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Have you or someone you know been a victim of identity theft? How did it happen? What was the outcome?

2. According to the article, students are not required to take a class on finance or managing credit. Are such classes available in your school? Would you take a personal finance class? Why or why not? Do you think all teens should have to take such a class? Explain your answer.

3. How can you prevent your identity from being stolen? What would be a good way to share this information with your classmates? How could you get them to listen to your plan?

Write a 300-500 word essay on any 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.