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: Howard Dean Ends His Campaign for President: 2/18/04
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june04/dean_2-18.html

Initiating Questions:

1. Who is Howard Dean?

2. Was his campaign different or unique? How?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. What announcement did Howard Dean make on Wednesday?

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean ended his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday -- one day after a disappointing third-place finish in the Wisconsin state primary.

Though he will no longer campaign, Dean's name will remain on the ballot in states with scheduled primary elections. He also vowed to use his political clout and support to campaign against President Bush and to help Democrats take back control of Congress.

"I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency," Dean told his supporters on Wednesday. "We will however continue to build our grass roots network in order to continue to change the Democratic Party and to change the country."

2. What did Massachusetts Senator John Kerry say about the Dean campaign?

"[Dean] has done an extraordinary job of invigorating a whole group of people who were divorced from the political process," Kerry said. "Whatever happens, it's impossible not to express general admiration and respect for the campaign he's put together."

3. How was Dean's campaign unique?

His campaign was fueled by an innovative grass roots fundraising and organizing effort that effectively used the Internet to solidify what seemed to be broad, nationwide support. Dean said 300,000 people gave small donations to his campaign and that one-quarter of those who contributed were under 30 years of age.

4. List three factors that led to a decline in support for Dean's candidacy.

1. When the media began to describe Dean as the front-runner, his fellow candidates began to campaign aggressively against him.

2. Once voters began to pay attention to the former governor, many were put off by his hard-charging style.

3. He was also criticized for his reaction to the capture of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, which, he said did not make America any safer.

4. He attempted to re-energize supporters after a defeat in the Iowa primary with a feisty election night speech delivered in a fiery growling tone. The speech became a political joke and was lampooned by political satirists and late night talk show hosts.

Discussion Questions (more research might be needed):

1. Do you think Dean had an important message? Why or why not?

2. What lessons can the Democratic nominee learn from Dean's campaign?

3. Do you think students studying politics 20 years from now will learn about Dean's campaign? Why or why not?

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