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: Railroad Giant Faces Threat Of Extinction: 04/27/05
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june05/amtrak_4-27.html

Initiating Questions:

1. How do you travel long distances in this country: by car, train, bus or plane? Why?

2. Have you ever ridden an Amtrak train? When?

3. Do you think trains are important for a country's economy or sense of unity? Why or why not?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. When and why was Amtrak created?

Congress first created Amtrak, formerly known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, in 1971 after private railroad companies complained that carrying passengers was taking away from the more profitable business of carrying freight or cargo -- manufactured goods like food and textiles. At the time, the government required these private companies to carry passengers as a national service.

2. Where are Amtrak's major routes?

Today, Amtrak serves about 23 million passengers a year. Its major routes include the Northeast Corridor with service for mostly business people between Washington, D.C.'s Union Station and Boston's South Station; the Southwest route between Orlando and Los Angeles; the Midwest route from Chicago to Oklahoma; and routes along the northern border of the United States.

3. How much money has President Bush allotted to Amtrak in his latest budget? Why is this significant?

But in his latest budget, President Bush set aside only $360 million to help the rail line maintain its Northeast service, a small percentage of the $1.9 billion Amtrak President David Gunn says the company needs to stay in service.

4. Who has criticized President Bush's proposal? Why? What do they argue?

President Bush's proposal has been criticized by some members of the Senate, who compare Amtrak to the nation's highway system. That network of roads receives government funding to operate. In addition, Congress gave the commercial airline industry funding after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 threatened to bankrupt it.

"If we don't have well-funded proposals for highways, and for airways and for railways and ports and harbors, we're not going to be able to grow economically," said Senator Trent Lott, a Republican from Mississippi who heads the Senate subcommittee on commerce.

5. Who supports the president's proposal? Why? What do they argue?

Other Republicans point to a mandate in 1998 that required Amtrak to become self sufficient and not rely on the government for money within five years.

"I may be alone in the opinion that spending $200 per person in subsidy for a train ride is excessive," said Republican Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire. "I may be alone in thinking that $500 million operating losses in perpetuity to operate 12 or 14 or 15 routes … is unacceptable. But I don't think it's a very good use of taxpayers' money."

Discussion Questions (more research might be needed):

1. Some politicians argue that train service should be subsidized by the government, just as highways and commercial airlines are. Do you agree? Why or why not? Explain your reasoning.

2. Trains have been an important part of American history-opening up the middle of the country for expansion and economic growth. Many older people are nostalgic about trains. Ask your grandparents or people older than 60 about their train experiences.

3. One possible solution for Amtrak's problems, according to the article, would be to contract passenger rail service out to private companies. What impact might this have? Where will companies invest? Where might rail service be limited?

4. Have you ever traveled by train? What was the experience like? How was it better or worse than other ways you have traveled? Would you travel by train again?

Send your answers, in essay form, to extra@newshour.org for possible publication!