Using NewsHour Extra Worksheets

Overview: NewsHour Extra worksheets can help students follow along and identify key points in NewsHour science broadcast pieces.

Warm Up: Introduce the topic of the broadcast piece and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Hand out the worksheet and have students answer the questions as they watch the NewsHour segment.

Need a DVD of the science segment?: Write to science@newshour.org.

Pet Food Scare Raises Questions About Food Safety, 6/1/07
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june07/foodfears_06-01.html

Worksheet Questions: (click here for printout)

1. Almost everything we eat comes from foreign countries. When it enters the United States, how much of it does the Food and Drug Administration inspect?

The FDA inspects 1 percent of food imports.

2. Why are fish and shrimp a particular problem?

Because they are subject to fungal infections and tend to decompose quickly, so fishermen dump chemicals on them to stop the smell, and then the fish arrive in the United States with the chemicals on them

3. What were the pet deaths blamed on?

The pet food contained imported wheat gluten and rice protein, which were contaminated with melamine.

4. What would ultimately cause foreign suppliers to make food safety a priority?

The ultimate motivation would likely be the market, or the people who buy the products, demanding the change.

5. What is one thing Congress is thinking about doing?

Congress is considering creating a super-agency, with twice the money and personnel, to police the U.S. food supply.

For more NewsHour Science Reports, go to www.pbs.org/newshour/science.

For more science lesson plans and worksheets, go to www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/science.