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: President Bush Nominates New Secretary of Defense, 11/13/06
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec06/gates_11-13.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What is the difference between the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines?

2. Who is the head of the U.S. military?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. Who won the majority in Congress in the midterm election? What is one major consequence of this election victory?

One of the first major changes since Democrats were voted into the majority in the next Congress was the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. President Bush nominated former CIA Director Robert Gates to replace him, signaling a possible change in Iraq policy.

2. Why was this decision made so soon after the midterm election?

According to White House officials, the quick decision following the election was intended to show the president's and his administration's willingness to compromise with the new Democrat-dominated legislature.

Exit polls -- questioning of voters as they are leaving polling stations about how and why they voted -- showed that the Democratic success was directly related to many voters being dissatisfied with the war, according to the Associated Press.

3. Who is the new nominee? Is he guaranteed to get the position?

President Bush, who insisted that U.S. troops would not leave Iraq before their mission was complete, said he would nominate Robert Gates, the president of Texas A& M University and a former CIA director, to replace Rumsfeld.

The Senate must confirm the nomination.

4. Why did President Truman reorganize the military?

President Truman created this single civilian headed military agency because many believed there was disorganization and infighting between the various branches of the military during World War II, which ended in 1945.

"They thought it would be desirable to have some kind of overall scheme that would bring together the political and military and monetary aspects of national policy, in particular reference to national security policy," Alfred Goldberg, historian of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, told C-SPAN.

5. Describe the role of the secretary of defense

The secretary of defense is the deputy commander in chief of U.S. forces, a person who responds directly to the president of the United States, who is the commander in chief.

The secretary is a civilian head and may not have served in the active armed forces for the previous 10 years, although an exception was made for former Secretary of Defense George Marshall.

As the head of the military, the secretary of defense assists the president in coming up with military solutions to problems.

6. Compare the secretary of defense to the secretary of state. Why might there be tension between the two positions?

In contrast, the Department of State, which is headed by the secretary of state, assists the president in coming up with political solutions to foreign policy problems.

There is sometimes tension between these two departments.

Rumsfeld and the current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have disagreed about the way the occupation in Iraq has been handled, The New York Times reported.

7. What problems might Robert Gates face in his confirmation hearings?

A potential problem for Gates could be his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal during the 1980s.

That scandal involves two secret operations in which the United States sold weapons to Iran to free U.S. hostages in Lebanon, and gave weapons to Contra guerrillas fighting the leftist government of Nicaragua. The money from the Iran arms sales funded the weapons for the Contras.

At his 1991 CIA director confirmation hearings, Gates said he had forgotten that a colleague had told him about the diversion of funds, the Associated Press reported.

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Were you surprised by Donald Rumsfeld's departure? Why do you think he left? Do you think the U.S. policy in Iraq will change? Please explain.

2. After World War II, President Truman reorganized the military with one deputy commander in chief who reports to the president. What are some positive aspects of this organizational method? What are some drawbacks?

3. According to the article there is sometimes tension between the position of the secretary of defense and the position of the secretary of state. Why do you think that happens? What is unique about each person's role? How might that clash with the goals of the other office? Look back in history to see if you can find instances where the two did not get along and when they did.

4. Robert Gates has been nominated to replace Donald Rumsfeld as secretary of defense. Why do you think Gates was chosen? Was he a good choice? Why or why not?

Send your completed essay to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org]. Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.