Summary
Water is pouring through a giant gap in a dam in southern Ukraine. It gave way early Tuesday morning, forcing thousands of people to flee and touching off competing claims about the cause. Ukraine accused the Russians of blowing up the dam. Moscow claimed that Ukrainian shelling caused the rupture. Neither side offered any direct evidence, but the results were catastrophic. Amna Nawaz reports.
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Five Facts
- Where was the recent dam breach?
- What is the impact of flooding on residents of low-lying villages in the water's path?
- Why did Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi ask that the integrity of the dam is not further damaged?
- According to analyst Michael Kofman, who is responsible for the damage to the dam?
- According to Kofman, how might the flooding caused by the dam's breach affect Ukrainian military prospects?
Focus Questions
Residents of communities near the dam are facing many challenges after its rupture. How does this disaster exacerbate struggles caused by the ongoing military conflict in the region? News analysis : The Ukrainian and Russian governments have offered conflicting explanations as to the cause of the dam's rupture. How can investigators try to correctly identify the cause of the break without being influenced by misinformation? To learn more about navigating media and building your media literacy skills, explore our media literacy lesson plans . Alternative : See, Think, Wonder : What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?For More
What students can do : War complicates how to provide humanitarian relief to communities facing disaster, but the global community is still finding ways to do so. Learn about flood relief efforts in Ukraine in this article , and then discuss what are the best ways to help people grappling with both flooding and war.STUDENT VIDEO OF THE DAY (June 23, 2014)
This lesson was written by Fariya Farah, a junior at Amherst College and NewsHour Classroom’s intern, with editing by Luke Gerwe. 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.
