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.

Story: FAA Reconsiders Pilot Retirement Age, 5/8/07
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/transportation/jan-june07/pilots_05-08.html

Worksheet Questions: (click here for printout)

1. At what age does the Federal Aviation Administration require pilots to retire?

Age 60.

2. What key piloting skill are researchers at Stanford University testing in older pilots?

The ability to remember and handle several short-term tasks at once.

3. How do some older pilots compensate for losing some cognitive ability, according to researcher Jerome Yesavage?

Older pilots have more experience flying, so there's a tradeoff between ability and experience.

4. Why do some pilots want the FAA to change the retirement age and others don't?

The Southwest Airlines pilots' union is lobbying for the change, but the American Airlines union opposes it. This is because the American Airlines pilots get a guaranteed pension. The Southwest pilots don't, so they want to be able to work longer to save money for retirement.

5. Why is former pilot David Mann suing the government?

Mann believes that the retirement requirement is a form of age discrimination, and that he should have been allowed to continue flying past age 60.

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.