![]()
Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support. FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 19, 2005 Is the government spying on you? Is there anything wrong with that?![]() ![]() As the story continues to unfold in the press this week, ask your students to follow the coverage as well as the opinions. Remember to check the Editorial page and the political cartoons. Ask students to score who is supporting the president's actions and who is critical.
![]() Check the language with a critical eye to find loaded words that indicate a possible bias one way or the other. For example, did the president "acknowledge" the spying or did he "admit" the spying? What's the difference? Are there other phrases like this in news stories that indicate a "spin" is being applied?
![]() Is this a major damaging revelation or a tempest in a teapot? Will news coverage dwindle rapidly or will investigations and allegations continue to surface and keep the story on the front page for a long time? Ask your students to make their best guess in weighing the importance of the domestic spying issue.
A New York Times article on Friday has ignited a political firestorm by revealing that the government secretly monitored -- without court approval -- international phone calls and e-mail messages that originated in the United States. Critics say that government eavesdropping on hundreds if not thousands of Americans is a violation of civil liberties. President Bush, acknowledging that he approved the domestic spying, cited the need to protect the nation from terrorist threats ''This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives." The president said that his war on terrorism is targeting not only "enemies across the world" but "terrorists here at home." But critics called it a "shocking admission." A weekend Washington Post editorial stated: "Illegal government spying on Americans is a violation of individual liberties, whether conditions are troubled or not. Nobody with a real regard for the rule of law and the Constitution would have difficulty seeing that."
Front Page Talking Points is written by
Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024
Front Page Talking Points Archive►President Biden, 81, resists calls to let a younger Democrat run against Donald Trump ►Turning point: Supreme Court says presidents have 'absolute immunity' for official acts ►First Biden-Trump debate of 2024 airs Thursday from Georgia ►Health experts monitor the jump of bird flu to cows and a few farm hands, but see no wide risk ►Negro Leagues stars from a bygone era gain new standing in Major League Baseball records ►Justice Samuel Alito adds two flags to Supreme Court ethics storms ►Use of new weight-loss drugs soars among teens ►Needy families await action on bill to restore federal internet service rebates ►U.S. government may challenge concert business dominance of Live Nation and Ticketmaster |