Summary
UPDATE as of 2/5/23 : The balloon was shot down on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Navy divers are working to recover debris from the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by the U.S. Air Force off the coast of South Carolina. This story aired Friday (2/3/23), however it is still relevant for helping your students to understand some of the background of the balloon story. For a transcript of this story, click here .Five Facts
- Who were individuals and groups discussed in this story?
- What was China's reaction to the balloon?
- Where in the U.S. did the balloon fly over?
- When did the balloon fly across the U.S.? When was it shot down? (You may want to quickly skim this article to learn why the U.S. decided to shoot down the balloon and China's reaction.)
- Why did the U.S. shoot down the balloon?
- How did social media play a role in the public finding out about the balloon?
Focus Questions
Do you think the U.S. government made the right decision to shoot down the balloon? Do you think the Biden administration should have acted sooner? Explain. Media literacy : Who first took the picture of the balloon? What role do you think social media played in how the story developed? Do you think the Biden administration would have shot down the balloon if the public hadn't been made aware of it?For More
What students can do : Check out the latest segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching! You can make a Google doc copy of our Five Facts and discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
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You may want to discuss with students how the U.S. had the technology to shoot down the balloon safely. What role do you think engineers played in this operation?Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.
