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: Armenian Genocide Resolution Causes Outrage in Turkey, 10/15/07
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec07/turkey_10-15.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What is a genocide?

2. What are some events that qualify as genocide?

3. What was the Ottoman Empire?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. What is the purpose of the Armenia genocide resolution?

The U.S. House of Representatives is moving forward on a resolution calling the 1915 mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a "genocide."

2. How did Turkey's government react to the resolution?

The country's leaders have publicly rejected the House panel vote.

After recalling its ambassador from the United States, the government of Turkey issued a statement of protest.

"The United States of America legitimized the Armenian genocide claim, which has swung over Turkey's head like a stick," said Turkish Vice-president Erkan Onsel.

"The U.S. has made it clear once again that it targets Turkey."

3. What happened to the Armenians in 1915?

The resolution refers to a period of time from 1915 to 1917 when as many as 1.5 million Armenians were massacred in the final years of the Turkish- run Ottoman Empire.

4. How is genocide defined?

The overwhelming majority of historians call the event as a genocide, which is defined as "violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group."

5. What does Turkey's government claim really happened?

However, Turkey only acknowledges a smaller number of deaths occurred, and denies that they constitute genocide because they occurred during a time of unrest and fighting between populations of the Ottoman Empire.

6. Who were the Young Turks?

In 1908, a group called the Young Turks took over government of the Ottoman Empire in a revolution supported by the Armenian population.

The Young Turk government initially promised improvements in the treatment of ethnic minorities, but after gaining power the group turned on the Armenians.

7. What did President Bush say about the genocide resolution?

Both President Bush and the U.S. secretary of defense made public statements encouraging Congress not to pass the resolution because of potential damage to diplomatic relations.

8. What is Turkey considering doing in Iraq?

At the same time, Turkey has been threatening to invade the relatively stable northern region of Iraq, known as Kurdistan, to fight Kurdish terrorists who have crossed into Turkey and have planned sporadic terrorist attacks.

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Do you think the House of Representatives should pass the resolution? Why or why not?

2. Research the history of Turkey. How did it come to be a purely secular state in a very religious region? Why do you think Turkey's government and the Turkish people are so angry about the resolution? What does this issue say about the Turkish national identity?

3. Research other events in history categorized as genocides, such as the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, Kosovo. What similarities are there to the Armenia events? What is different?

Write a 300-500 word essay on any of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra (extra@newshour.org). Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.