SUMMARY

On March 7, 2024, President Joe Biden delivered the final State of the Union address of his term, serving as a preview of the campaign he'll run against presumptive Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump.

The entire SOTU is available at this link, or you can watch the highlight clips at the top of this post. You can also read and respond to this story on takeaways from the speech.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Why does Biden say democracy is under attack both home and abroad?
2. Who is seeking to "bury the truth" about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to Biden?
3. What is Biden talking about when he says that women have "political and electoral power" that will be used in the 2024 election?
4. How did Trump fail at the most "basic presidential duty" according to Biden?
5. Where does Biden plan to build a temporary pier to provide emergency relief?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

How does Biden draw a contrast between his vision of the future and that of his political opponents?

Media literacy: How can you find out how the public reacted to Biden's State of the Union address?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to find out more about?

FOR MORE

What students can do:

While the president gives the State of the Union address, there is a tradition of the opposition party choosing a representative to give a response to the SOTU. This year, that response was given by Republican Alabama senator Katie Britt. You can watch her response below.

After watching some or all of the response, discuss — how does Britt's speech show a contrasting vision of the future of the country from President Biden's?

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