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.
03/04/2024
Thousands of Russians defy Putin with protest chants at Navalny’s funeral
Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Moscow, defying a heavy police presence and possible arrest, to pay their last respects to Russia's main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. The crowds chanted his name as his funeral service was held, two weeks after he died in prison. They also chanted anti-government slogans and protests against President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. Navalny's mother was among the mourners allowed into the cemetery to see him buried. His widow decided not to travel to Russia where she could face arrest.
■Class discussion: Putin’s authoritarian regime has arrested more than 20,000 Russians for opposing the war in Ukraine. Would you risk a heavy fine or long prison sentence to publicly protest a war or other government action? After being treated in Germany for nearly deadly poisoning attack in 2020, Navalny returned to Russia and was immediately imprisoned. Why did he return? President Joe Biden blamed Putin for Navalny’s death. What did former President Donald Trump say about it?