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: Steel Tariffs Spark International Trade Battle, 11/17/03
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec03/steel_11-17.html

Initiating Questions:

1. Have you heard the term "free trade"? What does it mean?
2. What rules or principles regulate trade between countries?
3. Who decides those rules?
4. How are they enforced?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1.What are tariffs? Explain how tariffs relate to the U.S. steel industry.

Tariffs are a schedule of duties or taxes imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods. In March of 2002, President Bush agreed to place steel tariffs, from 8 percent to 30 percent, on imported steel for the next three years and let U.S. steel catch up with the foreign competition. The tariffs forced importers to raise the price of their steel and encouraged industries to purchase the now cheaper U.S. steel.

2. What is the World Trade Organization?

The World Trade Organization is an international governing body that works towards promoting free and fair trading practices between countries.

3. Explain the World Trade Organization ruling regarding U.S. steel tariffs.

The WTO ruled that the United States had not sufficiently proven that cheap imports from overseas were the reason for the U.S. steel companies' problems. It also said it was illegal that countries that had a free trade agreement with the United States - Canada, Mexico, Israel and Jordan - didn't have to pay the tariffs.

"The appellate body recommends ... the United States to bring its safeguard measures ... into conformity with its obligations under WTO rules," the 186-page ruling said.

4. Why is the tariff issue important to President Bush?

The tariffs protected steel production in states that could be vital in the 2004 presidential election: Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. To punish President Bush, Europe says it will put taxes on goods from states that are equally important to his reelection bid - like oranges from Florida, textiles from North and South Carolina, and apples from Washington State.

5. In addition to European concerns, some U.S. industries are criticizing the steel tariffs, why? How can they influence the president?

Many U.S. manufacturing industries need steel to make their products, and they say the raised prices have hurt them. These industries - groups like the automobile industry and appliance industry - have a lot of political power in states such as Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin and could hurt the president's chances of reelection come November.

 

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. If you were the president, what would you do in response to the WTO decision that steel tariffs were illegal? How would you justify your decision to those interest groups who disagreed with you?

2. Research the concept of free trade. Do free trade agreements help or harm the U.S. economy or even help and harm? Explain your reasoning.

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.