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.
10/26/2026
Reporter and a dad rescue driver from sinking truck
Australian television reporter Will Murray was covering flooding and heavy rain when a truck drove into the floodwaters. After a quick call to emergency services, he jumped into the water and began swimming toward the quickly sinking vehicle. Daniel Hainey, a local father of four, also swam to the truck. Together, the two men pulled the driver to safety seconds before the truck was completely submerged in the floodwaters.
■Class discussion: Murray about his fear that he might be watching a person die, followed by the exhilaration of saving someone’s life. Do you think professional first responders like firefighters, lifeguards, or paramedics experience similar emotions? Could that be the reason they chose those jobs? The driver was unfamiliar with the road being flooded by rain. Should we blame someone for a mistake that endangers lives? Why or why not?
