Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, 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.
06/22/2020
Trump says he slowed coronavirus testing
At campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Donald Trump defended his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and told the audience: “When you do (coronavirus) testing to that extent, you’re going to ... find more cases. So, I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please.’” A White House official said later he was “obviously kidding.” Trump said a few days earlier, “If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.”
■Class discussion: Do you think the president was just “kidding” about trying to slow down coronavirus testing? Why or why not? Are increases in the numbers of COVID-19 cases in several states simply tied to more testing? What about rising hospital admissions of coronavirus patients? Would you avoid a medical test that could reveal a condition you could be treated for? Is the pandemic “fading away” like Trump says? Are you tired of dealing with COVID-19?