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 AUG. 23, 2010 Christian or Muslim? President's faith is fuzzy to a growing share of AmericansPlans for a mosque and Muslim community center several blocks from the 9/11 terrorist attacks in Manhattan continue to make news. Look for an article, column or editorial cartoon about the issue.
Besides being president, Barack Obama is a husband, a father and -- this week -- a vacationer. Find a photo or article about the First Family at Martha's Vineyard, an island off Cape Cod, Mass.
Like any political leader, this president has fans and foes. Check the opinion pages or reader forums for a commentary from either side.
Our president's Christian religion seems like a well-reported fact. News photos show the First Family attending church in Washington, D.C., and currently at Martha's Vineyard, Mass. During the 2008 campaign, his past attendance at an outspoken minister's Chicago church became an issue briefly. Yet a new survey of 3,000 Americans shows a sizable, growing number of people think Barack Obama is a Muslim, while those saying he is a Christian have declined.
More than a year and a half into his presidency, the Pew Research Center found that nearly one-in-five adults (18 percent) say Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 percent in March 2009. The 34 percent (about one-third) who know he's a Christian is down sharply from 48 percent in 2009. And get this: The largest share of new survey respondents -- 43 percent -- were unsure of Obama's religion. The mistaken belief that he's a Muslim is more widespread among his political opponents than among backers. Phone questioning in English and Spanish wrapped up in early August, before recent presidential comments about a proposed Muslim mosque near the former World Trade Center site. Obama defended Muslim Americans' "right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances." Democratic commentator says: "I really don't have an explanation, just like I don't have an explanation for the fact that you see some of these polls that a quarter of the people believe he was born outside the country." -- James Carville, former aide to President Bill Clinton Minister says: "The president's problem is that he was born a Muslim, his father was a Muslim. ... His father gave him an Islamic name. ... The Islamic world sees the president as one of theirs." -- Rev. Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Columnist says: "What happened to the idea that the Internet Age would make everybody smarter? You can lead people to knowledge but you can't make them think." -- Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com Front Page Talking Points is written by
Felix Grabowski and Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024
Front Page Talking Points Archive►Sweeping overhaul of Instagram aims at making it safer for users under 18 ►Another intense wildfire season California is linked to climate change, experts say ►U.S. presidential rivals Harris and Trump debate in Pennsylvania on Tuesday ►Tech refreshes for a new school year: Digital notebook, memory storage, power banks and more ►For skilled players, tossing beanbags can be a path to college and pro-level paydays ►Schools vs. phones: Bans surge to keep focus on learning rather than screens ►Election drama: Democratic convention will pick a nominee as Biden ends campaign against Trump |