a new york times newspaper in education curriculum guide

A New York Times Newspaper in Education Curriculum Guide

CHECKSANDBALANCESTeaching American Governmentand Law With The New York Times

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Checks and Balances: Teaching American Government and Law With The New York Times

INTRODUCTION PAGE

Time Frame for the Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Using The New York Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2New York Times Services for Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CORRELATION TO CIVICS STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

LESSONS PLANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Checks and Balances and the Role of the Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6The Bill of Rights in 21st Century America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9The President and the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Congress: Making Laws, Making News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The Supreme Court: A Critical Role in American Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19The Role of the Law and Lawyers in American Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23From Misdemeanors to Felonies: Categories of Crime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27The Death Penalty in America: The Debate Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31The Right to Bear Arms: The Second Amendment in the 21st Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40The Juvenile Justice System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Civil Rights and Social-Justice Movements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47How Government and Business Interact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51When Regional Issues Make National News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54International Law in the News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57When Culture and the Law Are in Conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Written by Elyse Fischer. Introduction and additional activities by Ellen S. Doukoullos and Saul Gootnick.This educator’s guide was developed by The New York Times Newspaper in Education program. It did not involve the reporting orediting staff of The New York Times.

©2010 The New York Times

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Students today seem to have little interest in how government works – even though manylaws and government actions affect them directly.

This series of lessons using The New York Times is designed to spark student interest ingovernment and law and the role they play in American life. High school students willsoon be eligible to vote, and their understanding of, and involvement in, our nation’s civiclife is important to the functioning of a healthy democracy.

■ TIME FRAME FOR THE LESSONSLesson topics were chosen to align with typical content of a government course forsecondary students. Each lesson is designed to spark interest and promote learningactivities that last well beyond a single class period. Use the lessons and select thenewspaper-based materials and activities that fit with your syllabus.

■ USING THE NEW YORK TIMESOver the years, thousands of teachers have reported that beginning a lesson with TheNew York Times is exceptionally motivating. They have found that it’s easier to teachsophisticated concepts with real-life examples from current issues of The Times.

At first, some students may find the size of the newspaper and the detailed writingdaunting. But within a few days, as students turn through the pages of The Times,teachers report a level of involvement that they hadn’t seen earlier. Students discoverpowerful articles that capture their attention, while articles on ongoing topics in the newshelp them understand how the political process and legal system work in America. “Itbecame addictive,” many teachers have told us. As a result, students developed the habitof following the news and staying involved with current events. We encourage you toconnect The Times with your curriculum each day.

Political cartoons from various publications appear in the “Week in Review” section ofThe Times on Sunday. We suggest that you and your students bring in favorites thatillustrate current topics under discussion. Post them on a bulletin board with relatedTimes articles. Ask artistic students in the class to draw their own editorial cartoonsto illustrate governmental or legal conflicts in the news.

■ USING THE STUDENT WORKSHEETSThe reproducible Worksheets may be photocopied for classroom use, or teachers maycreate overhead transparencies for ease of instruction and to save paper. TheWorksheets are useful with in-class instruction and as homework; students will needto take their copies of The New York Times home to complete assignments.

INTRODUCTION


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WEB SITEnytimes.com/nieVisit our Web site to download order forms for the print edition or Electronic Edition for classroom use.You may also download a host of other free curriculum guides and activities to use with The Times.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

CALL: (800) 631-1222 FAX: (888) 619-6900 E-MAIL: [email protected]

Contact us with questions about ordering a classroom subscription or about your existing school account.

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CALL: (888) 698-2655

If you are a teacher or school librarian, call (888) 698-2655 to order a single home delivery or librarysubscription and get more than 50% off regular rates.

THE NEW YORK TIMES LEARNING NETWORKlearning.blogs.nytimes.comThe New York Times Learning Network offers interactive classroom activities based on the Monday – Fridayeditions of The Times. The wealth of features on the site includes lesson plans linked to specific Times articles,a lesson plan archive and search, an interactive daily news quiz, “Word of the Day,” “On This Day in History”feature that links to historical Times articles, “6 Q’s About the News” activity linked to a Times article, “TimesFill-Ins” sentence completion feature, Student Crossword and Student Opinion (for students age 13 and older).

TIMES TOPICSnytimes.com/topicsTimes topics is an excellent starting point for research, providing quality information on thousands of topics.Each topic page contains featured Times articles, graphics, audio and video files, with additional links toother good sources.

THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ARCHIVEnytimes.com/archiveYou can use the “Search” function on nytimes.com for access to the complete backfile of The New York Timesfrom 1851 to the present.

THE NEW YORK TIMES IN COLLEGEnytimes.com/eduOur Web site for college faculty offers services for higher education, including course-specific instructionalstrategies using The New York Times.

NEW YORK TIMES SERVICES FOR TEACHERS


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CORRELATION TO CIVICS STANDARDS


WHAT ARE THE BASIC VALUES ANDPRINCIPALS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Understands ideas about civic life, politics, and government

Understands the essential characteristics of limited and unlimited governments

Understands the sources, purposes, and functions of law, and the importance of lawfor the protection of individual rights and the common good

Understands the concept of a constitution, the various purposes that constitutionsserve, and the conditions that contribute to the establishment and maintenance ofconstitutional government

Understands the major characteristics of systems of shared powers and ofparliamentary systems

Understands the advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederal, and unitarysystems of government

Understands alternative forms of representation and how they serve the purposesof constitutional government

Understands the central ideas of American constitutional government and how thisform of government has shaped the character of American society

Understands the importance of Americans sharing and supporting certain values,beliefs, and principles of American constitutional democracy

Understands the roles of voluntarism and organized groups in American social andpolitical life

Understands the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values,political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society

Understands the relationships between liberalism, republicanism, and Americanconstitutional democracy

Understands the character of American political and social conflict and factors thattend to prevent or lower its intensity

Understands issues concerning the disparities between ideals and reality in Americanpolitical life

LESSONSWHAT IS GOVERNMENT ANDWHAT SHOULD IT DO?

The lessons in this curriculum guide are correlated with relevant national standards from the Mid-continent Researchfor Education and Learning (McREL). These standards represent a compendium derived from most states standards.

Each McREL standard has subcategories, or benchmarks, for different kinds of instruction. For details seewww.mcrel.org/standards.

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LESSONS

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CORRELATION TO CIVICS STANDARDS


Understands how the United States Constitution grants and distributes powerand responsibilities to national and state government and how it seeks to preventthe abuse of power

Understands the major responsibilities of the national government for domestic andforeign policy, and understands how government is financed through taxation

Understands issues concerning the relationship between state and local governmentsand the national government and issues pertaining to representation at all three levelsof government

Understands the role and importance of law in American constitutional system andissues regarding the judicial protection of individual rights

Understands what is meant by “the public agenda,” how it is set, and how it isinfluenced by public opinion and the media

Understands the roles of political parties, campaigns, elections, and associations andgroups in American politics

Understands the formation and implementation of public policy

Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nationstates interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy

Understands the impact of significant political and nonpolitical developments on theUnited States and other nations

LESSONSHOW DOES THE GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED

BY THE CONSTITUTION EMBODY THEPURPOSES, VALUES, AND PRINCIPLES OF

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

SOURCE: Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education, by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano (2000,3rd ed.): Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Aurora, Colo.; www.mcrel.org/standards/

Used by permission of McREL, 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, Colo. 80014; (303) 337-0990.

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LESSONSWHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OFTHE UNITED STATES TO OTHER NATIONS

AND TO WORLD AFFAIRS

WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF THECITIZEN IN AMERICAN DEMOCRACY?

Understands the meaning of citizenship in the United States, and knows therequirements for citizenship and naturalization

Understands issues regarding personal, political and economic rights

Understands issues regarding the proper scope and limits of rights and the relationshipsamong personal, political and economic rights

Understands how certain character trait enhance citizens’ ability to fulfill personaland civic responsibilities

Understands how participation in civic and political life can help citizens attainindividual and public goals

Understands the importance of political leadership, public service, and a knowledgeablecitizenry in American constitutional democracy

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LESSONS

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to explain how thefree press relates to thechecks and balances setforth in the Constitutionof the United States.

● A front page ofThe New York Timeswith several articlesabout governmentcovered up withdark paper

● The New York Times,one copy per student

● Copies of Lesson 1Worksheet.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan the newspaper for articles about the executive, legislative and judicial branches.■ Pre-select an article with which to model the Worksheet activity.■ Review Lesson 1 Worksheet.■ Write the word “censorship” on the board.

BACKGROUND MATERIALThe landmark 1803 Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison established the principle ofjudicial review; that is, the Court may declare an act of Congress unconstitutional. Thisis a check on the power of Congress and the president, and a reminder to the Americanpeople that the basic powers of government are derived from the Constitution. A NewYork Times article on this subject is in the Appendix.

WARM UP – “The Censored Newspaper”Hold up the censored front page you have prepared, with articles about governmentcovered up.

ASK:■ What questions does this censored newspaper raise in your mind?■ What are the consequences of a government-controlled press or “censorship”?■ If newspapers and other media didn’t report about what our government was doing,how would you know?

■ Why are newspapers and other media so full of “bad” news?■ Whose job is it to solve the problems reported?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 1 Worksheet and review with students.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Model Worksheet activity.

DISCUSSION1. How does a free press fit into our system of checks and balances?

A free press is critical to keeping citizens informed of the activities of all branches ofgovernment. Both the executive branch and the legislative branch are made up of electedofficials. If they don’t do the job that their constituents “hired” them to do, they may not getre-elected. The need for the support of their constituents acts as a check on the decisions ofthe president and Congress.

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

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LESSON 1


CHECKS AND BALANCES AND THE ROLE OF THE PRESS

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2. Why are the Justices of the Supreme Court appointed, rather than elected?The Supreme Court, which has the final say on the nation’s laws, was designed by theFounding Fathers to be above politics. Operating independently of Congress and thepresident, it can limit the powers and actions of the other branches of government. As aresult, the Constitution specifies that the president appoints, subject to Senate confirmation,the Justices of the Supreme Court (and all federal judges).

3.What is executive privilege?Executive privilege is the right, often disputed, of the executive branch to withholdinformation from Congress and the courts.

4. How can executive privilege exist side by side with a free press? When can executiveprivilege be invoked?

■ ASSIGN HOMEWORK AND DUE DATES

EXTENSIONS1. Distribute The New York Times. Direct the students to the international news pages.Ask students to cut out articles with examples of nations that do not have a system ofchecks and balances like ours. Paste the articles into a journal in which studentsanswer the following question: How does the operation of that nation’s government,and life for that nation’s citizens, differ from what we have in the United States?

2.Brainstorm to come up with a list of systems of checks and balances that operate inplaces aside from the government. For example, in business, there are oftenstockholders and a board of directors to act as a check on the powers of the C.E.O.Instruct the students to find articles that contain information about non-governmentalsystems of checks and balances. In a chart, students compare such systems to that ofthe federal government. Have students attach the articles to their charts.

LESSON 1



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LESSON 1 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

1. Find and read a news report about an action taken by one or more of the three branches of government on thefront page of today’s The New York Times.

2. Headline of news article:______________________________________________________________________

Date/Section/Page___________________________________________________________________________

3.Which branch of government did what?__________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the results of this action by that branch of government?______________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What might another branch of government do as a response to this action?_______________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

6. If this action had not been reported in the media, what might have happened or not happened?____________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What questions are left unanswered by this report?_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

(Note: watch for follow-up articles on this action in future issues of The Times.)

HOMEWORKPretend you are on the editorial board of The New York Times. You have been assigned to write an editorial based onthe facts in this news article about an action by one branch of the U.S. government. Refer to the other branches ofgovernment. Your editorial will represent the position of The New York Times. Study editorials in The Times asmodels for your writing.


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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will be ableto locate (and analyze) inthe news today, examplesof the rights andprotections guaranteed bythe Bill of Rights.


● Copies of Lesson 2Worksheet

● Copies of the Bill ofRights, one per student

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Review the Bill of Rights. Note the rights and protections guaranteed by each amendment.■ Scan The New York Times for articles that directly or indirectly refer to one of therights and protections guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

■ Review Lesson 2 Worksheet.

BACKGROUND MATERIALThe trial of John Peter Zenger in New York in 1734 helped establish the principle offreedom of the press in America, and led to the inclusion of freedom of the press in theBill of Rights.

In every issue of The New York Times, there are articles that relate in some way to theBill of Rights.

WARM UPASK:■ The Constitution without a Bill of Rights is like an umbrella with holes in it.Why or why not?

■ What rights and freedoms are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?

Generate a list. Keep the list posted for students to refer to throughout the activity.

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 2 Worksheet and review with students.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.

DISCUSSION■ Distribute copies of the Bill of Rights.

1. What rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights came up most often in the articles youread? Why do you believe certain issues came up more often than others?More than likely, students will find articles that have to do with the rights of free speech,assembly and the separation of church and state. It is also likely that they will find articlesthat refer to an accused’s right to counsel, the death penalty and gun control.

Because the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, it articulates some concerns that do notdirectly relate to the concerns of 21st-century America: It is unlikely, for example, thatstudents will find articles about quartering troops (although it is part of the

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

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LESSON 2


THE BILL OF RIGHTS IN 21ST CENTURY AMERICA

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Constitutional basis for the right to privacy). However, the Bill of Rights does speak tomany of the issues that modern Americans face daily.

2. Where in The New York Times other than in news articles might you find referencesto the Bill of Rights?Students may find references to the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights inany of the news sections of The New York Times, as well as in Editorials, Letters to theEditor, Op-Ed pieces, and advertisements.

3.How does The New York Times benefit from the protections in the Bill of Rights?The Times benefits from freedom of speech and freedom of the press — both critical tenetsof our democracy.

4.Why do you think the founding fathers did not include a Bill of Rights in theoriginal Constitution?

How might your life be different if the Bill of Rights did not exist?Many of the rights and freedoms that we enjoy might not be recognized without thedocument that guarantees them.

5.Which rights guaranteed by Constitutional amendments are affected by technologicalinnovations ranging from electronic medical files to Internet access and evennew weapons?

■ ASSIGN EXTENSIONS OR HOMEWORK. ESTABLISH DUE DATES.

EXTENSIONS1. Using vocabulary that they have chosen from articles in The New York Times,students “translate” the Bill of Rights into contemporary English.

2.Assign each student or group of students an amendment. For one week, studentscollect the articles that either directly or indirectly refer to their amendment. On a poster,students display their amendment and how it is reflected in The Times.

3.The New York Times often publishes series on particular themes (e.g., Race inAmerica, Class in America). Direct students to think about a series of articles aboutthe Bill of Rights in the 21st century. As editors, what kinds of articles would theyassign to reporters? What articles from current issues of The Times would they includein their series? Have students outline the articles they would include in this series.

APPENDIXTeachers may find a printable version of the Bill of Rights on the National Archives Website: http://www.nara.gov/exhall/charters/billrights/billmain.html

LESSON 2



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LESSON 2 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

■ Find an article in today’s issue of The New York Times that relates to the rights and protections guaranteed bythe Bill of Rights.

HEADLINE:_________________________________________________________________________________

DATE/SECTION/PAGE:______________________________________________________________________

REPORTER:_________________________________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions:

1. What is this article about? List the key points of the article.___________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which right(s) or freedom(s) does this article refer to, either directly or indirectly?_________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Which amendment in the Bill of Rights discusses this right or freedom?_________________________________

HOMEWORK: Choose one of the following activities.

1. Respond to an article you’ve read in The New York Times by writing a Letter to the Editor. Discuss why youbelieve that rights and freedoms are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are being protected today or aresomehow endangered. Refer to the article. To submit your letter to The Times, see directions in the Informationand Services Directory (usually found at the bottom of the Weather page).

2. Read an article about a Supreme Court decision in The Times. How do recent decisions, as reported byThe Times, reflect on the Bill of Rights? Do you agree with the Justices’ interpretations of the issues involved?Create an advocacy ad for one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. Study advocacy ads that appear on theOp-Ed page of The Times for ideas.


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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to identifyresponsibilities andconcerns of the presidentand give examples of theimpact of media coverageof the president.



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan the newspaper for articles about the president.■ Select an article from today’s Times to use as a model.■ Review Lesson 3 Worksheet.

WARM UPSAY: In order to make informed judgments about elected officials, citizens must haveaccess to fair and unbiased reporting about them. The president of the United States isprobably the individual who appears most often in the pages of The New York Timesand in other media. On any given day, the president is confronted by a host of issues andtakes a wide range of actions, many written about by Times reporters.

Brainstorm to come up with a list of qualities that students believe a president shouldhave or should not have, using these categories:.1. Essential2. Necessary3. Unimportant

ASK:■ Do they approve of this president’s policies?■ Which of his policies do they agree with?■ Which of his policies do they disagree with?■ Overall, do they think he is doing a good job?■ What kinds of issues do they think he deals with every day?■ Would they want to be president?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute newspapers.■ Distribute Worksheet.■ Model the activity; fill out the chart with the class using a pre-selected article fromtoday’s issue of The Times.

DISCUSSION1. In your opinion, does The New York Times report on the president fairly andaccurately? Support your answer.

2. How does the president use the media to further his agenda?

3. How does a paper like The Times help shape public opinion about the president?The New York Times is a key source of information for many people. They may form

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 3


THE PRESIDENT AND THE MEDIA

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their opinions of public officials like the president based on what they read in The Timesand what they read or see in other media.

ASSIGN HOMEWORK AND DUE DATES

EXTENSIONS1. Read a few obituaries of prominent people with your class. Break down the obituariesinto their component parts – a short biography, outstanding achievements, aquotation or two and quotes from friends, family members or colleagues. Explain thatobituaries are most often researched and written before a prominent person dies. Infact, prominent people are often interviewed for their own obituaries. Have studentsdraft a list of questions they would ask the president if they were interviewing him forhis obituary.

2. Op-Ed pieces that are not written by Times columnists are often written by policyand opinion makers. The authors are usually writing about an issue confrontingAmerica. Discuss issues facing the American people today. Direct students to find anarticle in today’s Times about any of the issues that appears on the class list. Afterreading the article, students write an Op-Ed style piece on this issue in the voice ofthe president.

3. Some of the president’s roles and responsibilities are listed below. (Nos. 1-6 arederived from Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution.):

a.Commander in Chief : head of the nation’s Armed Forcesb.Chief legislator: proposes lawsc.Chief diplomat: oversees the nation’s foreign relationsd.Head of state: speaks for the nation, welcomes visitors, travels oversease.Appoint judges, ambassadors, other government officialsf. Delivers State of the Union addressg. Family man role-model (the First Lady and the rest of the First Family also play animportant role)

h.The only nationally elected leader (along with the vice president)i. Leader of his partyj. Leader of the “free world”

Assign each of the roles to students. Have students clip articles from The Times for aweek or two that illustrate their roles. Students make posters with the clippings,including photographs.

LESSON 3



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Display the posters and have students answer these questions in an essay about whatthey’ve read in The Times and seen on the posters:

a.How does The Times cover the presidency?b.How does the president spend most of his time?c.Which of the president’s roles seem to be more important, based on press coverage?Why do you think that is?

d.How can one person perform all of these functions well?e.How does what The Times reports about a president reflect or shape public opinion?

LESSON 3



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LESSON 3 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

■ Over a series of days, read the International and national pages of The New York Times, paying special attentionto articles in which the president plays a prominent role.

■ Discuss your opinions of the president’s performance in office.

■ Fill out the following chart about the president, citing particular articles as evidence.


1 – Always 2 – Sometimes 3 – Never 4 – Not enough evidence to make a judgment

President ________________ 1 2 3 4 Evidence (Headline and Dateline)

Has the respect of worldleaders

Understands complex issuesand can articulate them tothe country

Is well liked

Makes his constituents feelsafe and secure

Works well with Congress

Agrees with me onenvironmental issues

Agrees with me onsocial-welfare issues

Agrees with me onmilitary issues

Agrees with me on fiscaland economic issues

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to:● draft sample legislation,informed by an articlein The Times

● identify the issues andfactors that lawmakersmust consider inmaking decisions



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s New York Times for articles about pending legislation.■ Review Lesson 4 Worksheet.

WARM UPASK:■ What laws would you like to see enacted?

Brainstorm to come up with a list of concerns that elected representatives mustbalance while voting on legislation.

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 4 Worksheets and review with students.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Divide students into small work groups.

DISCUSSION■ Distribute copies of the Bill of Rights.

1.Why is it important for citizens to have access to a free press with a variety of viewpoints?A free press is important for many reasons (as noted by Thomas Jefferson). In order tomake educated decisions, citizens must keep themselves informed on how their electedofficials are representing their needs. A newspaper such as The New York Times is aprimary means of following what elected officials are doing on an ongoing basis.Newspapers and other media help shape public opinion, and so it’s important for electedofficials to read newspapers and follow other media coverage from the areas they representas well as nationally.

2. Should a newspaper such as The New York Times take an activist role in pendinglegislation or should it just report on it? Where are opinions published in The Times?News articles in The Times report and analyze pending legislation; they are not the placefor opinions. The editorial page features editorials with the opinions of The Times itself,along with Letters to the Editor from Times readers. On the Op-Ed page, opposite theEditorial page, you’ll find opinion essays by Times columnists and guest writers, includingexperts and government officials, and on some days, paid “advocacy ads” on various issuesin the bottom right-hand corner.

2. Is the process by which a bill becomes law fair in all cases?Fairness is difficult to judge. There are many factors that go into the passage or failure of aparticular piece of legislation, or even whether it comes up for consideration in the Houseor the Senate.

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 4


CONGRESS: MAKING LAWS, MAKING NEWS

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4. Before a Congressman or Senator votes on a bill, what are some of the issues he orshe must consider?Among the factors any of our representatives must consider are: the needs of his or herconstituents, or at least a majority of those constituents (or those who vote); the needs of hisor her party — is it looking for solidarity on a particular issue?; his or her own moral,social and political beliefs; possible ramifications for his or her state and the nation;amendments that may change the meaning of the bill; the expense of enacting thelegislation, etc.


EXTENSIONS1.Divide students into committees based on the committees of the House and theSenate. (Four or five committees will suffice.) Select articles from The New YorkTimes that deal with pending legislation. Assign each committee an article, and havethem research the issue in question. Have each committee debate the proposedlegislation and vote. When each group has voted, reconvene the class and bring eachbill to the “full chamber” for a vote. Students write an article for The New York Timesabout the passage or failure of the bill.

2. Engage students in a discussion about what they want in an elected representative.Assign students an article from a recent issue of The New York Times about a memberof Congress, in either the Senate or the House. Students read the article, and researchadditional information about the member. Have the class vote for or against thisRepresentative or Senator for another term. Following the vote, students writea Letter to the Editor about the member and how he or she fared in the class vote.

LESSON 4



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LESSON 4 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

1. In your groups, choose an article about pending legislation. Read the article individually.

2. Answer the following questions:

a.What committee will debate this legislation?b.Who proposed the legislation?c. Do you believe the bill will pass and become law?

3. On a separate sheet of paper, predict the concerns and positions of the following people on the pending legislationin the article. Keep in mind that Congressmen and Senators are elected representatives and must balance manydifferent priorities (constituency needs, party needs, re-election, national security, etc.)

a. A Democrat from a large but poor state.b. A Republican from a large but poor state.c. A Representative or Senator currently running for re-election.d.A Representative or Senator with large rural areas in his or her state.e. A Representative or Senator with densely populated urban areas in his or her state.f. Your own Representative or Senators.

HOMEWORK

1. Read the National pages of The New York Times. Choose an article about an issue that you feel requires eithernew legislation or a change in current law. Identify the issues. Draft the legislation. If you were to send it to amember of Congress to propose, on what committee would he or she sit?

2. Write a Letter to the Editor suggesting your legislation and making the case for its enactment. Study letterspublished in the Times as models for your own.


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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to identify thecomponents of severalcases currently before theSupreme Court, asreported in The New YorkTimes. Students willidentify Supreme Courtdecisions that affect theirdaily lives.



● paper● pens or markers.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Review a recent article about a Supreme Court ruling or roundup of various SupremeCourt rulings in The New York Times.

■ Scan the newspaper for other articles that directly or indirectly refer to a decision ofthe Supreme Court.

■ Review Lesson 5 Worksheet.■ Write on the board “Is it right or is it legal?”

BACKGROUND MATERIALThe New York Times publishes many articles about the Supreme Court and its decisions(and occasional Supreme Court Roundups of various decisions) when the Court is insession, and even when it is not in session — especially if there is a vacancy on the Courtand the president is nominating a successor. (The Court’s annual term begins on the firstMonday in October, and decisions are generally issued on Mondays through the end ofJune and reported on Tuesdays in The New York Times.)

The Supreme Court decides on the constitutionality of laws and statutes, and in manyways, acts as both the legal and moral arbiter of the nation. The Court has been knownto reverse itself: The most famous example may be Plessey v. Ferguson, an 1896 decision,which was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Supreme Court decisionsall have the potential to have a tremendous impact on the lives of Americans.

WARM UPSAY: Brown v. the Board of Education, a case from Topeka, Kan., was the landmark 1954decision that outlawed segregation in public schools by ruling that the doctrine of“separate but equal” was unconstitutional. (Refer students to the question on the board.)

ASK:■ If you were a Supreme Court justice, what would your philosophy be?■ If something is right, how can you make it legal?■ What would their lives be like without this decision?■ Do they know of any other Supreme Court rulings that have had an impact on their lives?■ Brainstorm to come up with a list of Supreme Court rulings that have affectedtheir lives.

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 5 Worksheet and review with students.■ Distribute The New York Times to each student.

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 5


THE SUPREME COURT: A CRITICAL ROLE IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

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DISCUSSION■ Distribute copies of the Bill of Rights handout.

1. What Supreme Court decisions are you familiar with?

2. How does The New York Times report on Supreme Court decisions?The Times publishes articles about the most important Supreme Court rulings, andSupreme Court Roundups of other decisions, when the Court is in session. It also publishesmany articles that involve people and issues affected by Supreme Court decisions (e.g.,articles about the death penalty, abortion, due process, etc.), and articles about anyvacancies on the Court and the process for filling them (the president appoints Justices ofthe Supreme Court, subject to confirmation by the Senate).

3. Should the Court be the ultimate judge of values in America?

4. How does a case get to the Supreme Court?The Court decides which cases it will hear. (If the Justices want to perpetuate the statusquo, they may decide not to hear a particular case. If they want to reinforce a decision oroverturn a decision, they may decide to hear a specific case that will give them theopportunity to do so.)

There are three primary ways that a case can come before the Court. First, an appealfrom a lower court. Second, a Writ of Certiorari, or request for a review. This generallypertains to cases of national significance. Third, a rarely used process known ascertification, when the Court agrees to a request by a lower court to answer questions oflaw in a particular case.

5. Why does the Court sometimes reverse its own decisions?The Court’s decisions can change as American society changes. (See discussion of Plessey v.Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education in Warm Up section.)

ASSIGN EXTENSIONS OR HOMEWORK. ESTABLISH DUE DATES.

EXTENSIONS1.Discuss the process of bringing a case before the Supreme Court. Have students readan article in the Supreme Court Roundup or in the National pages of The New YorkTimes that pertains to a case before the Court today. Students outline the points theywould make if they were to file an amicus (friend of the Court) brief about that case.(An amicus brief is filed by individuals or organizations that have an interest in a casebefore the Court. The brief details the individual’s or organization’s views on the case,along with an opinion on how the Court should rule.)

LESSON 5



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2. In over two centuries, the Supreme Court has heard more than 25,000 cases.Some decisions have transformed American society. Some were ultimately reversedby later decisions, while others have been rendered irrelevant by legislation orconstitutional amendments.

■ Discuss some of these decisions with students:

a.Marbury v. Madison (1804): the Supreme Court’s power to rule on theconstitutionality of laws

b. Scott v. Sandford (1857): the Dredd Scott casec. Brown v. Board of Education (1954): public school segregation unconstitutionald.Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): right to counsele. Miranda v. Arizona (1966): suspects must be read their rightsf. Roe v. Wade (1973): abortiong. Elk Grove, Calif., School Board v. Newdow (2004): Pledge of Allegiance caseh.The New York Times v. Sullivan (1964): upheld The Times in a libel case brought bya public figure

i. The New York Times v. the United States of America (1971): the Pentagon Papers case.j. United States of America v. Nixon (1973): denied a presidential claim of executive privilege.

■ Direct students to choose three decisions and find articles in a current issue ofThe New York Times that directly relate to these decisions.

APPENDIXTeachers can find information about the Supreme Court online athttp://www.supremecourtus.gov.

LESSON 5



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LESSON 5 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

ACTIVITY A

1. Turn to an article about a Supreme Court decision or roundup of various Supreme Court rulings inThe New York Times.

2. Choose one case and decision.3. Read the article and summarize the following:

a. the facts of the case as presentedb. the major issues of the case (issues often appear in question form)c. the arguments being presentedd. the legal basis for bringing the case before the Supreme Courte. why you believe the Court chose to hear this case.f. If you were a Supreme Court Justice, how would you decide this case?

OR

ACTIVITY B

Find an article in The New York Times that either directly or indirectly refers to a notable Supreme Court decision.a.How does the article refer to the decision?b.How has this decision affected the lives of the people in the article?c. Why are the events in the article newsworthy?

Write a news article in the style of The New York Times about an important Supreme Court decision of the distantpast. Include factual material about the impact of the decision on people at the time and in later decades. Create aclassroom newspaper of articles about past decisions or submit the articles to your student newspaper as a series.

ACTIVITY C

Name all nine current U.S. Supreme Court justices:


__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to:● define legal terms● demonstrate knowledgeof the role of the lawand lawyers in theUnited States bysummarizing legalissues reported inThe New York Times.


● copies of Lesson 6Worksheets

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan The New York Times for articles that explicitly or implicitly refer to lawyers andthe rule of law.

■ Copy the Sixth and 14th (Section 1) Amendments on the board (or distribute copiesor refer to textbooks).

■ Review Lesson 6 Worksheet.■ Find the Sixth and 14th Amendments in student texts or create handouts.

BACKGROUND MATERIALThe law provides a backdrop for many of the articles found daily in The New YorkTimes. Careful reading of the newspaper will also give students insight into therole of lawyers in American society. For example, all states are required by law toprovide attorneys for indigent defendants accused of a felony. Some states also providecounsel for indigent defendants accused of a misdemeanor that is punishable with jailtime. There is also frequent coverage in The Times of high-profile lawyers and cases.

WARM UPHave students read the Sixth and 14th (Section 1) Amendments aloud to emphasizevocabulary terms.

Discuss the implications of these Amendments.

ASK:■ What does a right to counsel mean?■ Why is it important that people are tried by a jury of their peers?■ Who are their peers?■ What is meant by “the rule of law”?■ Are law and justice the same thing?■ If a defendant doesn’t have the money to hire a private attorney, who pays forthe attorney?

■ Does having more money to hire a lawyer ensure that you end up with a betterlawyer? (Have students watch for articles about public defender compensation andpro bono work.)

■ What do the words “due process” and “equal protection under the law” mean to you?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 6 Worksheet and review with students■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 6


THE ROLE OF THE LAW AND LAWYERS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

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DISCUSSION1. How hard was it to find articles pertaining to the law or lawyers?

It should have been fairly easy to find articles; understanding the issues, however, can bemore difficult.

2. Why is it so important to understand your rights under the law?It is important for every citizen in a democracy to understand his or her rights so that theycannot be taken away.

3. What are a citizen’s responsibilities under the law?To understand and follow the basic principles of the law.

4. How can carefully reading a newspaper like The New York Times help you to learnabout your rights under the law?By reading a newspaper, students can make connections to their own lives. For example, ifthey read an article about a young person being denied due process because of his or herage, they might be better prepared to ensure that it doesn’t happen to them.


EXTENSIONS1. Discuss the moral implications of defending someone who is guilty. Have students

find an article in The Times that features a defendant whom they believe to be guilty.Using the article as a writing prompt, have students write an essay about how theywould defend this person.

2. How have laws evolved since 1851 when The New York Times began publication asThe New-York Daily Times? (Civil rights laws, abortion laws, antitrust laws andchild-labor laws are just some examples of laws that have been written or changedsince 1851.) Using all classroom resources, students research the laws of the UnitedStates in 1851. Using current Op-Ed pieces as models, have students write an Op-Edpiece for an 1851 issue of The New-York Daily Times, calling for a change in the law.Students may argue for legislation that exists today but did not exist in 1851. (Op-Edpieces, which always appears opposite the editorials, are opinion pieces written byTimes columnists or guest writers.)

3. Popular culture is filled with images of lawyers. Have students read the Arts sectionand book reviews of The Times to find portrayals of lawyers in current movies,theater, TV and books. Using only information about lawyers they receive frommovies, TV, theater, music and books (as reviewed or advertised in The Times),

LESSON 6



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students should create a character sketch of an attorney. Discuss whether portrayals oflawyers in the arts and in students’ character sketches are realistic.

4. Create a bulletin board or posters of clippings from Times reports on the issues of“due process” and “equal protection under the law”.

APPENDIX

Sixth AmendmentIn all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial,by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have beencommitted, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to beinformed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnessesagainst him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to havethe assistance of counsel for his defense.

14th AmendmentPassed by Congress June 13, 1866; ratified July 9, 1868.Section 1All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdictionthereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No Stateshall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizensof the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property,without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equalprotection of the laws.

LESSON 6



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LESSON 6 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

■ Scan The New York Times for articles that explicitly or implicitly refer to lawyers and the rule of law

1. Select an article in The Times that deals primarily with the law or lawyers. Summarize the legal issues inthe article.

2. Look for specialized legal vocabulary, such as “burden of proof,” “due process,” “precedent,” etc.

3. Write the vocabulary terms below.

4. Using all of the resources available to you, look up and define the legal terms below.

Headline:_______________________________________________________________________________

Reporter:_______________________________________________________________________________

Dateline:_______________________________________________________________________________

Summary:______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary:_____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

Research Gideon v. Wainwright, a 1963 Supreme Court case.

What important principles were raised in this case? If you had to defend yourself in court, what sorts of problemsmight you encounter? Why is it important to be well-versed in the vocabulary of the law, even if you are guaranteedcounsel? Write an essay in the style of a New York Times Op-Ed piece with your views on these questions.


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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to identify:● categories of crimesreported in The NewYork Times

● statements of intentand motive reportedin crime reports



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Review the definitions of misdemeanor, felony, murder and manslaughter.■ Scan the newspaper for articles that refer to any of these types of crime.■ Review Lesson 7 Worksheet.

BACKGROUND MATERIALIn every issue of The New York Times, there are articles that relate in some way to theBill of Rights.

The trial of John Peter Zenger in New York in 1734 helped establish the principle of freedomof the press in America, and led to the inclusion of freedom of the press in the Bill of Rights.

WARM UPCreate a semantic map for the word “crime.”

ASK: What rights and freedoms are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?■ Why do we distinguish between categories of crime?■ What is a felony?■ What is a misdemeanor?■ When is killing someone considered murder? Manslaughter?■ Should murder and manslaughter be punished differently?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 7 Worksheet and review with students.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.

DISCUSSION1. Is it fair to allow the circumstances that surround the death of a person caused by

another to influence or dictate the punishment?

2. Based on articles you’ve read in The New York Times, do you believe that jail is forpunishment or rehabilitation?


EXTENSIONS1. Crime is often romanticized or glamorized in popular culture. Have students read the

movie and book reviews and TV program guide in The New York Times. Studentsthen chart the portrayal of crime in the books, movies and TV shows they’ve read about.

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 7


FROM MISDEMEANORS TO FELONIES: CATEGORIES OF CRIME

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2. Hate crimes are often in the news. Discuss with your students the pros and cons ofhate-crime laws, and develop a working definition of hate crimes. Distribute TheNew York Times. Scan the newspaper with students for articles about crime. Decidewith your students whether any of the crimes in the articles you’ve found meet yourdefinition of a hate crime.

For homework, have students research your municipality’s or state’s hate-crime laws, ifthey have such laws. Going back through the paper, students review articles aboutcrimes that they think met the local definition of a hate crime. In a later class,students discuss those articles and the crimes they reported.

APPENDIXFelony: A serious crime usually punishable by more than a year in prison or death.Felonies are generally recognized nationwide and around the world as crimes; they are“naturally” wrong and are inherently dangerous to the public welfare.

Misdemeanor: Any crime that is less serious than a felony and usually punishable by lessthan a year in jail. Misdemeanors are prohibited by law, but are not consistentlyconsidered crimes in different jurisdictions.

Manslaughter: While the definitions of murder and manslaughter vary from state tostate, there are commonalities. Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human beingwithout malice or premeditation, either express or implied. Manslaughter is voluntarywhen it happens in sudden heat, and involuntary when it takes place in the commissionof some lawful act.

The cases of manslaughter may be classified as follows: Those which take place as a resultof: (1) provocation (2) mutual combat (3) resistance to public officers acting under avoid or illegal authority or out of their jurisdiction (4) killing in the prosecution of anunlawful or wanton act (e.g., a person throws stones down a coal pit, killing a miner)(5) killing in the prosecution of a lawful act, improperly performed, or performedwithout lawful authority.

Murder: Murder requires malicious intent. It must be premeditated. (However,premeditation may be presumed in certain circumstances; for example, when someoneis killed during the commission of a dangerous felony, such as rape, robbery, burglaryand arson.)

LESSON 7



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LESSON 7 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

1.To the best of your knowledge (and without using a dictionary), define the following terms:

a.murder:____________________________________________________________________________

b.manslaughter:_______________________________________________________________________

c. felony:_____________________________________________________________________________

d.misdemeanor:______________________________________________________________________

2. Find and read a crime-related article in The New York Times. Using your definitions from question 1, decide inwhich category the crime or crimes fit. (Remember that manslaughter and murder are both felonies.)

3. Fill in the chart below.


__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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HEADLINE

REPORTER

DATELINE

CRIME

CIRCUMSTANCES

MOTIVE(stated in the article – give source)

SENTENCE (if any)

TYPE OF CRIME(Murder and manslaughterare both felonies.)

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LESSON 7 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

4.Using the following criteria, read the article again, and add any of the following terms that are relevant to theappropriate spots in your chart:

■ Motive: Was the crime…● accidental or unintentional● justifiable – the person could not help it● the result of insanity – the person could not assist in his or her defense and did not understand the nature orseverity of the crime

■ Intent: Was the crime…● premeditated – planned with malice● intentional – without malice, but done purposely● negligent – done recklessly, but without premeditation

■ Category: Was the crime…● recognizable anywhere in the world as a crime; that is, “naturally” wrong● dangerous to the public welfare● punishable by a year or more in jail● punishable by less than a year in jail● prohibited by law but not necessarily in all jurisdictions; that is, is illegal in some places, but not others

HOMEWORK

Look up the definitions of felony, misdemeanor, manslaughter and murder. Look at your chart again. Were youranswers correct? Find an article in today’s New York Times that refers to a homicide and create the chart on anothersheet of paper, using the dictionary definitions of felony, misdemeanor, murder and manslaughter.


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At the conclusion of thismulti-plan lesson, studentswill be able to:● find and summarizearticles in The NewYork Times thatimplicitly or explicitlyrefer to death penaltycases or capital crimes.

● articulate their ownviews on the deathpenalty.

● research and report onthe circumstances inwhich prosecutors canask for and juries candecide on sentencesof death.


● Copies of Lesson 8Worksheets

● Copies of outline mapof the United States (seesample with this lesson)

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Review the Supreme Court decisions in Furman v. Georgia (1972), Gregg v. Georgia(1976) and Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988).

■ Review the Eighth and 14th Amendments.■ Select an article from The New York Times to model the activity. The article shouldimplicitly or explicitly refer to the death penalty or a capital crime.

■ Review the Worksheet and student roles.■ Model each role for the students, giving examples from the article.

BACKGROUND MATERIALIn nearly every issue of The New York Times, you can find articles referring to capitalpunishment or capital crimes. Any article involving a capital crime may be used as aspringboard for this lesson.

Three seminal death-penalty cases that were decided by the Supreme Court in the 1970’sand 1980’s are Furman v. Georgia, Gregg v. Georgia and Thompson v. Oklahoma. Furmanv. Georgia (1972) essentially imposed a moratorium on the imposition of the deathpenalty for four years, by ruling that it could not be imposed without clear andconsistent guidelines to both the judge and the jury. Gregg v. Georgia (1976) upheld theimposition of the death penalty as long as the jury acted without passion or prejudice.Thompson v. Oklahoma (1988) ruled that executing a person under the age of 16constituted cruel and unusual punishment. And in March 2005, in Roper v. Simmons, theCourt ruled that the Constitution bars capital punishment for crimes committed beforethe age of 18. The Eighth and 14th Amendments were both tested in these and otherdeath-penalty cases. The death penalty remains one of the most divisive issues inAmerican politics today.

WARM UPEngage the students in a discussion of the death penalty, using the following questions toguide the discussion.

ASK:■ Do you believe in the death penalty?■ If so, for what crimes should people be executed?■ Do you think you could sentence someone to death if you were a member of a jury?■ Is the death penalty fair?■ How have recent scientific advances in areas like DNA testing changed how the deathpenalty is administered, and even how people think about the death penalty?

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 8


THE DEATH PENALTY IN AMERICA: THE DEBATE CONTINUES

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USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Discuss the death penalty cases reviewed in the Background Material section.■ Divide students into groups with at least one student playing the following roles ineach group: prosecutor, defense attorney, jury, “summarizer.”

■ Distribute Lesson 8 Worksheets for role-play: Prosecutor, Defense Attorney,Jury, Summarizer

■ Model each role with a pre-selected article.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Allot time for group work.■ Reconvene class for presentations by each group.

DISCUSSION■ Distribute copies of the Eighth and 14th Amendments.

1.How do the Eighth and 14th Amendments relate to the death penalty?The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and usual punishment. The 14th Amendmentguarantees equal protection under the law and prohibits the state from depriving anycitizen of life, liberty or property without “due process.”

2.How has the Supreme Court ruled on various death-penalty cases in the last 30 years?In 1976, in Gregg v. Georgia, the Court ruled that the death penalty does not violate theConstitution. (Four years earlier, the Court had ruled against the arbitrary nature of theimposition of the death penalty at the time, essentially putting a moratorium onexecutions.) In 1988, in Thompson v. Oklahoma, the Court ruled that executing a personunder 16 constituted cruel and unusual punishment and therefore violated the EighthAmendment. In March 2005, in Roper v. Simmons, the Court ruled that the Constitutionbars capital punishment for crimes committed before the age of 18.

3.Do you believe in the death penalty? If yes, for what crimes and under whatcircumstances? How did you come to your beliefs about capital punishment?

4.Do you believe that a newspaper like The New York Times has a responsibility toreport on all executions?

5.How have recent scientific advances such as DNA testing changed how the deathpenalty is administered or how people think about it?


LESSON 8



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EXTENSIONS1. Distribute blank maps of the United States. Using information gathered from reading

the National and New York Metro pages of The New York Times, students notewhich states have the death penalty and which states do not. (Students may keep a logof articles about the death penalty and note their datelines; they should then guess,based on information found in The Times and their own knowledge, about states theyhave not read about.) When they feel that their maps are complete, students researchwhich states actually have the death penalty and revise their maps accordingly. (TheNew York Times Archives have maps showing which states have the death penalty.)

2. Students write a Letter to the Editor in response to a particular article about a crimeor the death penalty, or an Op-Ed piece about their views on the death penalty.Students should cite the specific case and article, and include information about themethods of execution that states may use.

APPENDIX

Furman v. Georgia (1972)The Supreme Court heard three cases regarding the death penalty and possible racial biasin the jury selection and sentencing processes. In all three cases, juries had imposed thedeath penalty without guidelines from the judge or the state. The Court ruled that theimposition of the death penalty in these three cases was arbitrary, and therefore violatedthe cruel and usual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment: Because the jury hadcomplete discretion to impose or withhold the death penalty, the sentences were deemedinherently unfair. The decision actually created three options for use of the death penalty:a mandatory death sentence for certain crimes, development of standardized guidelinesfor juries to use in imposing the death penalty and outright abolition of the deathpenalty. It effectively created a moratorium on the death penalty until Gregg v. Georgiafour years later.

Gregg v. Georgia (1976)In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty was constitutional,upholding the use of statutes to guide judges and juries in sentencing. Troy Gregg hadbeen convicted on two counts of armed robbery and two counts of murder. The jury wasinstructed by the trial judge, as prescribed by Georgia state law, to return a decision oflife imprisonment or the death penalty. The Supreme Court concluded that the decisionto impose the death penalty had not resulted from passion or prejudice or any otherarbitrary factor, and was not excessive or disproportionate to the penalty applied insimilar cases. For the first time, the majority opinion stated that the Court finds that“punishment of death does not invariably violate the Constitution.”

LESSON 8



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LESSON 8 OUTLINE MAP


NAME_______________________________________________________

■ Using information gathered from reading the National and New York Metro pages of The New York Times,note which states have the death penalty and which do not. Keep a log of articles about the death penalty andnote their datelines; then, based on what you’ve read and your own knowledge, guess about the other states.After you’ve filled in all the states, research which states actually do have the death penalty and revise themap accordingly.


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LESSON 8


AMENDMENT VIIIExcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishmentsinflicted.

AMENDMENT XIVPassed by Congress June 13, 1866; ratified July 9, 1868.

Section 1.All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, arecitizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforceany law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shallany State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny toany person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

AMENDMENTS

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LESSON 8 WORKSHEET | PROSECUTOR


NAME_______________________________________________________

1.With your group, find an article in The New York Times that refers to the death penalty or a capital crime. Reviewprecedent cases and the Eighth and 14th Amendments.

2. Your job is to decide how you would prosecute the crime in the article.

a.Headline of article:____________________________________________________________________

b. Reporter:___________________________________________________________________________

c. Dateline:___________________________________________________________________________

d.What are the facts of the crime?__________________________________________________________

e. Will you ask for the death penalty?________________________________________________________

f. What sentencing guidelines must a judge give the jury in the state in which the crime was committed? ______

__________________________________________________________________________________

g. How will you use precedent cases in your prosecution?_________________________________________

h.How will you use the Constitution in your prosecution?________________________________________

3. Present your case to your group.

HOMEWORK

If The New York Times were to report on the actions and decisions of each member of your group, what would itsay? Write an article in Times style about your group’s role-playing of the case.


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LESSON 8 WORKSHEET | DEFENSE ATTORNEY


NAME_______________________________________________________

1.With your group, find an article in The New York Times that refers to the death penalty or a capital crime. Reviewprecedent cases and the Eighth and 14th Amendments.

2. Your job is to decide how you would defend the person in the article.


b. Reporter:___________________________________________________________________________

c. Dateline:___________________________________________________________________________


e. How will you defend your client? _________________________________________________________

f. What sentencing guidelines must a judge give the jury in the state in which the crime was committed?

__________________________________________________________________________________

g. How will you use precedent cases in your defense?____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

h.How will you use the Constitution in your defense?___________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

i. How will you argue against the death penalty for your client?____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Present your defense to your group.

HOMEWORK



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LESSON 8 WORKSHEET | JURY


NAME_______________________________________________________

1.With your group, find an article in The New York Times that refers to the death penalty or a capital crime.Review precedent cases and the Eighth and 14th Amendments.

2. Your job is to decide what the sentence should be for the crime in the article(on the assumption the defendant is convicted).


b. Reporter:___________________________________________________________________________

c. Dateline:___________________________________________________________________________


__________________________________________________________________________________

e. What are the sentencing guidelines in the state in which the crime was committed?___________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

f. What sentencing guidelines must a judge give the jury in the state in which the crime was committed?

__________________________________________________________________________________

g. Were there any extenuating circumstances that you should take into account as you decide on a sentence?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

h.Do you believe in the death penalty?_______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

i. Do you believe that you could sentence an individual to death?___________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Listen to the cases presented by the prosecution and the defense. Assuming the defendant should be convicted,decide whether or not to sentence him or her to death. Explain your reasoning.

HOMEWORK



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LESSON 8 WORKSHEET | SUMMARIZER


NAME_______________________________________________________

1.With your group, find an article in The New York Times that refers to the death penalty or a capital crime.Review precedent cases and the Eighth and 14th Amendments.

2. Your job is to summarize the facts of the case in the article.


b. Reporter:___________________________________________________________________________

c. Dateline:___________________________________________________________________________

d.Who is being tried or sentenced?_________________________________________________________

e. For what crime or crimes?_______________________________________________________________

f. Were there any extenuating circumstances in the crime or the sentencing? If yes, describe them.__________

__________________________________________________________________________________

g. Why is this crime or sentencing newsworthy?________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

h. Is this a crime that is eligible for the death penalty in the state in which it was committed?____________

__________________________________________________________________________________

i. Are there Eighth or 14th Amendment issues involved in this case or sentencing?______________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Present your summary of the case to your group.

HOMEWORK



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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to identify argumentsin the debate over guncontrol and articulate anddefend their own views onthe subject.


● Copies of Lesson 9Worksheet A

● Copies of Lesson 9Worksheet B — theoutline map of the U.S.(see page with thislesson) for homework.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan the newspaper for articles about gun-related violence and gun control.■ Review the Second Amendment.■ Review the Worksheet.

WARM UPASK:■ What have students read, heard or seen in the media concerning gun control?Brainstorm to come up with a list of “stakeholders” in the debate over gun-control legislation.

Review the Second Amendment with students.ASK:■ Why is the second amendment so controversial?■ Why is the interpretation of this amendment by individuals so different?■ What role has technology played in this interpretation?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 9 Worksheet A and review with students.■ Distribute The New York Times to each student.

DISCUSSION1. Why is gun control so often the subject of articles in The New York Times and in

other media?The issue of gun control is a big political and personal issue for many people. Guns are bigbusiness and the National Rifle Association is a powerful political force and a majorcontributor to political campaigns. It is difficult for elected officials to deny the place ofguns in American society, particularly in the West and South. On the other hand, thegun-control lobby, which is more of a force in other parts of the country, has a compellingargument for its views: statistics show that the United States is first among nations ingun-related deaths and crimes.

2. How do you feel about gun control?

3. Do you think that gun-control legislation already in effect has been successful? Doyou think additional legislation is needed?

4. How many articles in today’s issue of The New York Times focus in some way ongun-related violence?

5. How many articles with international datelines about gun violence are featured intoday’s issue of The New York Times? What is the context of the gun violence?

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 9


THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS: THE SECOND AMENDMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

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EXTENSIONS1. Assign students an article from The New York Times about the gun-control debate.

Direct students to outline the “stakeholders” mentioned in the article. What lobbiesare involved? Which gun-control advocates were cited? Which gun-control opponentswere cited? What were the main arguments of both sides? Students create a chart ofthe stakeholders and their arguments.

2. In the wake of school shootings in recent years, gun control has attracted moreattention. Working with your students, draft questions to ask local opinion makers —the principal, local businesspeople, parents, etc. — about their feelings on guncontrol. Conduct a survey of people’s opinions about gun control. Using graphs foundin The New York Times as models, have students create graphs from the anecdotalevidence they’ve gathered. Students write an article for their school newspaper, usingtheir graphs as evidence.

APPENDIX

■ The Bill of Rights

Amendment IIA well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of thepeople to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

LESSON 9



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LESSON 9 WORKSHEET A


NAME_______________________________________________________

The Second Amendment to the Constitution: A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of afree state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

1. Find and read an article on gun violence in the National pages of today’s issue of The New York Times.

2. List the individuals (and their roles) reported on in the Times article.

3. Fill out the chart below, predicting the reaction of people in the article to two gun legislation options.


Person (source)

Gun ownership shouldbe restricted.

Buyers should have to waitat least a week until they

are thoroughly vetted.Concealed weapons should

be strictly prohibited.

Guns ownership should be lessrestricted; it is a right guaranteedby the Second Amendment. Buyersshould have to wait no more than a

day to purchase their guns. It shouldbe legal to conceal guns in one’s

purse or on one’s person.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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LESSON 9 WORKSHEET B


NAME_______________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

For one week, keep a journal of articles found in The New York Times dealing with gun-control legislation and gunviolence. Summarize the articles and log the datelines. Using the datelines in your journal, on a blank map of theUnited States, indicate the areas where gun violence and developments with regard to gun control have been reportedin The New York Times. Compare your map to your journal. In your journal, answer the following question:

■ How do the areas of heavy gun violence correlate with the datelines of articles about gun-control legislation?

Using your journal and map as a starting point, debate the constitutionality and the effectiveness of gun-controllegislation in class.


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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to:● identify key issues inthe debate aboutjuvenile justice

● analyze trends injuvenile justice



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan The New York Times for articles about the juvenile justice system orjuvenile offenders.

■ Review Lesson 10 Worksheet.

WARM UPSAY:The New York Times publishes many articles about youthful offenders and thejuvenile justice system. The system is open to criticism from all parts of the politicalspectrum; there are those who feel that youthful offenders, particularly those who havecommitted heinous crimes, are punished too leniently in juvenile courts; others say thatjuvenile prisons do little to prevent troubled young people from embarking on lives of crime.Students brainstorm to come up with a list of arguments for both sides.

ASK:■ For what crimes do you think juveniles should be tried as adults?■ Do they believe that children should be tried as adults?■ Under what circumstances?■ At what age?■ What should the purpose of prison be? Rehabilitation or punishment or acombination of both?

■ Where should juvenile offenders tried as adults serve their time?■ Should The New York Times report juvenile crime?■ If you were the editor of The Times, where would you place articles on juvenilecrime in the paper?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 10 Worksheet and review with students.■ Divide students into small work groups.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.

DISCUSSION1. Have you noticed increased coverage of juvenile crime?

It’s difficult to quantify coverage. But a rash of school shootings in recent years has generatedtremendous media attention and may give people the impression that there is more coveragethan before. This has increased scrutiny of the juvenile justice system.

2. Are any trends apparent when you read about juvenile justice?More and more young people are being tried and punished as adults.

3. What type of juvenile crimes and sentences make the news?

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 10


THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

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In a national paper such as The New York Times, it is the most heinous crimes and mostcontroversial or precedent-setting sentencings that are covered.

4. Do news reports assign blame for juvenile crime? If so, what words indicate “blame”?


EXTENSIONS1. Distribute The New York Times to your students for a week. Have them log anyarticles referring to the trial of a juvenile. Have them read all coverage of the trial:news articles, Letters to the Editor, Op-Ed pieces, etc. From the information they’vegathered and the trends they’ve noticed, ask students to write an essay predicting theoutcome of the trial or the sentencing. Have students continue to follow the case inThe Times to see how it actually turns out.

2. Distribute The Times to your students for a month. Ask them to scan the newspaperfor articles on juvenile crime and the juvenile justice system. Ask students to chart thecoverage of juvenile crime and the juvenile justice system around the country. Ontheir charts, have them note differences in approaches to juvenile justice in variousstates. What can they generalize about these states’ juvenile justice systems from whatthey’ve read in the paper?

3. For a specific period of time (a week, a month, etc.), distribute The Times to yourstudents. Direct them to log the articles that they’ve read about juvenile offenders in ajournal and answer the following questions:

a.What makes the events being reported in these articles newsworthy?b.What crimes do the articles report?c.Can they make any generalizations about juvenile crime from their reading?

At the end of the time period, students write an Op-Ed style essay about juvenile crimeand justice.

4. Use the headline of an article from The Times about the sentencing of a juvenileoffender as a writing prompt. Direct students to explore issues the headline and thearticle raise: for example, punishment vs. rehabilitation, inconsistencies in sentencingfrom state to state, the suffering of the victims and their families, etc. Encouragestudents to publish their essays in the school newspaper.

LESSON 10



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LESSON 10 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

1. In your work group, scan today’s issue of The New York Times for an article about a crime committed by ajuvenile or the trial and sentencing that followed. Read the article carefully and think about the “stakeholders” inthe case: all the people involved who have a stake in the case and its outcome.

a. Juvenile offenderb.Victimc. Prosecutord.Defense attorneye. Potential jurorf. Family of the victimg. Family of the juvenile offenderh. Judge

2. Are there other possible stakeholders?

3. Take on the perspective of one of the stakeholders. (Try to have at least one member of your group assume the roleof each stakeholder.) Individually, on a separate piece of paper, answer the following questions from theperspective of your stakeholder:

a.What crime was committed?b.How old was the accused?c. Were there extenuating circumstances that led to the criminal behavior?d.Who was the victim?e. Should the juvenile offender be tried as an adult or as a juvenile?f. To what kind of punishment should the juvenile offender be subject?

4. Reconvene as a group. Discuss your answers to the questions above, particularly the last two. Decide as group(through negotiation and debate) how the juvenile offender should be tried and sentenced. Present your articleand your decision about the trial and sentencing to the class.

HOMEWORK

Imagine that you are a reporter for The New York Times. Create a list of interview questions for one of thestakeholders. Now, answer the reporter’s questions from the perspective of that stakeholder.


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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will be ableto identify social-justiceand civil-rights movementsin American history,analyze how today’smovements try to build ontheir accomplishments andrefer to the 14thAmendment in discussionsand written reports.



● Textbooks, encyclopedias,the Internet.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s Times for articles about civil rights or social-justice issues.■ Review the Lesson 11 Worksheet.■ Review a short history of the civil-rights movement.■ Review the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

BACKGROUND MATERIALThe civil rights movements of the 1950’s and 1960’s resonate today in reports in TheNew York Times. For many people, the struggle for civil rights continues. Race, ethnicity,gender, sexual orientation, marital status and physical disability are all factors that manypeople say cause cultural alienation or “otherness.” While civil rights and social-justicemovements tend to be focused on particular issues, they all have in elements in common.

WARM UPASK:■ What social-justice or civil-rights issues do you believe are important, nationallyor internationally?

As a class, come to a definition of civil rights and social justice. List the choices, thencreate a master list for the class.

Allow a few minutes for students to list their choices, then reconvene and create a classlisting. Post in the room for reference during this lesson and beyond.

■ How does the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution apply to civil rights?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 11 Worksheet and review with students.■ Divide students into small work groups.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.

DISCUSSION1. What evidence does today’s issue of The New York Times provide about the successesof the civil rights movement?

2. What evidence does today’s issue of The Times provide about unrealized ideals of thecivil rights movement?

3. What modern social-justice movements, national or international, are featured intoday’s issue of The New York Times?

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 11


CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL-JUSTICE MOVEMENTS

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4.How would you define a social-justice movement?

5.What social injustices do you see or read about in the United States today?

ASSIGN HOMEWORK AND DUE DATES.

EXTENSIONS1. With your students, scan the National, International and New York Metro pages ofThe New York Times. Are there any articles that focus on issues your class feels needto be addressed? Do any of the news stories anger your students for any reason? As agroup, discuss various ways in which people react to issues that affect or anger them.Divide students into small groups in which they develop plans to find and mobilizeother people who feel the way they do.

2. Distribute The New York Times. Guide students to the Arts section and have themread the music reviews – of live performances and CD’s. Music is often a vehicle forprotest, acting as both a catalyst for and a response to change. Brainstorm to come upwith a list of songs, CD’s or artists using music as a means of protest. Using the Timesreviews that they’ve read as models, students review music from the class list.

3. Distribute today’s New York Times. Lead your students in a search for anarticle about a possible violation of civil rights or oppression of a group or class ofpeople. The dateline may be national or international. Ask students to write Letters tothe Editor in response to the article. They should include the following in theirletters: a synopsis of the situation, citing the article; the motivation of thosebehind the possible violation or oppression; the historical background of the issue orconflict involved; and suggestions for resolution or action.

4. Assign students a period in U.S. history to research. What civil rights issues were ofconcern at the time? (For instance, during World War II, there was segregation in thearmed forces, and the Secretary of War was given the power to intern Americancitizens of Japanese descent.) Are there parallels today to these civil rights issues? Havestudents try to find articles that show such parallels.

5. Create a semantic map for the term “affirmative action.”

APPENDIXShort histories of the civil-rights movement can be found on many Web sites.

The prologue to the Civil Rights Act of 1964:An ActTo enforce the constitutional right to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courtsof the United States to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public

LESSON 11



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accommodations, to authorize the attorney General to institute suits to protectconstitutional rights in public facilities and public education, to extend the Commissionon Civil Rights, to prevent discrimination in federally assisted programs, to establish aCommission on Equal Employment Opportunity, and for other purposes.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Americain Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the “Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is a seminal case in the history of civil rights inthe United States, outlawing segregation in public schools by overturning the doctrine of“separate but equal.”

Social-justice movements today include:Women’s rights, family planning, gay and lesbian rights, the rights of those with physicaland mental disabilities, labor issues, immigrants’ rights, etc.

LESSON 11



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LESSON 11 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

■ Read about the civil-rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s in your textbooks.

1. What were people fighting for?______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Research a current social-justice movement of your choice. What are people in this movement advocating?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Compare the past with the present.Scan today’s issue of The New York Times. Find evidence of both the successes and unrealized goals of the civil rightsmovement of the 1950’s and 1960’s, and fill in the first half of the chart below. Then, look for reports of the successesor unrealized goals of the social-justice movement that you researched, and fill in the second half of the chart.

HOMEWORK

1. Read some of the obituaries in today’s New York Times.

2. What kind of information do obituaries usually contain?

3. Research and write the obituary of a civil rights or social-justice activist. You may choose a person of local,national or international importance.


Evidence fromSuccesses Unrealized goals New York Times

article

Civil rights movement1950’s and 1960’s

Social-justicemovement now

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to identify how andwhy the government getsinvolved in the activitiesof the business world.Students will also assemblea glossary of businessterms to use in writingtheir own business articles.



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan the newspaper for articles about government involvement in the world of business.■ Review the Lesson 12 Worksheet.■ Write vocabulary words from Warm Up on the board.

WARM UPASK:■ What are the restrictions on making money? (List on the board.)■ Should government regulate business, making money?

SAY:The government has long been involved the world of business. You can find manyarticles about business — and the government’s role in regulating and working withbusiness — in The New York Times. Issues investigated can include:

■ Working conditions■ Pollution■ Antitrust■ Child labor laws■ Subsidies or tax breaks■ Lobbyists

Today we’ll use The New York Times to find out more about restrictions on makingmoney and other aspects of business and government.

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute newspapers.■ Distribute Lesson 12 Worksheet and review with students.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.

DISCUSSION1. Why are articles about business so often found in sections of The New York Timesother than the Business section?What happens in the world of business can have a significant impact on the economy,politics and culture. Therefore, articles with a business focus may run on the front page ofThe Times, or in the National, Arts, Sports or other sections that are also affected bywhatever the news is.

2. Why does the government intervene in the affairs of business?There are many reasons. For example, the government may offer tax incentives forbusinesses to expand, hire more workers or open facilities in depressed areas. The

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 12


HOW GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS INTERACT

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government may oppose a merger on antitrust grounds or call for the breakup of amonopoly. It may force a company to recall a defective product or reduce the pollution itsplants produce. It may prosecute a company for illegal activities. Regulatory agencies of thegovernment are responsible for overseeing commerce, trade, media, pharmaceuticals,environmental policies, insurance, etc. Discuss the term laissez faire. Discuss the expression.“The government that governs best, governs least.”

3. How do other national governments regulate businesses?Governments around the world vary widely in how heavily or lightly they regulate business.This can be a factor when American and foreign companies decide where they want tolocate their operations.

4. Research The New York Times Company. What other businesses does the TimesCompany own in addition to The New York Times? What sort of regulations do theTimes Company and other media companies have to deal with?The New York Times Company owns newspapers around the Northeast, including theBoston Globe; other newspapers in the Southeast and California; a radio station andseveral television stations. It also owns New York Times Digital, which producesnytimes.com and About.com. Like other media companies, the Times Company is notallowed to own a newspaper and television station in the same market.


EXTENSIONS1. Distribute the Business section of The New York Times. Have students scan thearticles. Direct the students to create a chart of the businesses reported on, ranked interms of corporate responsibility, environmental practices, hiring practices, legalproblems, workforce retention, and products or services created.

Students may come up with the criteria for the ranking or you may lead the class indeveloping them. They may need to do additional research about the companies. Canstudents make any generalizations about the businesses covered in The Times?

2. Direct the students to find and read an article about layoffs or downsizing. Studentswrite a Letter to the Editor or to appropriate members of Congress (who sit on certaincommittees or represent the individuals and companies affected). In their letters,students suggest actions the government should take, or discuss why they feel this isnot an area for government intervention.

LESSON 12



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LESSON 12 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

1. Find and read an article in The New York Times about a publicly traded company undergoing a significantrestructuring that involves some kind of government involvement: a merger (approved or rejected by regulators),deregulation, antitrust action, layoffs, incentives, tax breaks, class-action lawsuits, etc.

2.Track the performance of the company’s stock for a week in the stock listings in the Business section of The Times.Make a chart of the results.

3. Has the news about the company affected the company’s stock price? Be prepared to discuss.

4.Collect articles that report on government involvement in business. Evaluate any why, when and howgovernment gets involved in the activities of business — write about your conclusions concerninggovernment involvement.

HOMEWORK

Compile a business glossary based on your reading of the Business section of The New York Times. Identify businessand industry terms in articles you’ve read and use a dictionary or the Internet to research and define them. Write yourdefinitions so that people with little or no knowledge of business will understand them. Write an analysis of yourfindings in the style of a News Analysis piece in The Times, and use some of your glossary of terms.


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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to articulate how stateand regional issues maydefine individual andcollective approaches tolaw and justice. Studentswill identify importantstate and regional issues inthe United States.



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s New York Times for articles on state and regional issues in law and justice.■ Pre-select one article with which to model Lesson 13 Worksheet assignment.■ Review Lesson 13 Worksheet.■ Assign as pre-lesson homework — define these vocabulary words: unitary, confederate,federal, federalism.

BACKGROUND MATERIALIn any issue of The New York Times, readers will find articles about many different statesand regions of the United States.

Regionalism is reflected in many aspects of the justice system. Longstanding traditions,demographics, cultural differences, language, population density, location, etc., all helpaccount for regional differences in state and local systems of justice. (Federal laws, of course,apply nationwide.) These topics offer opportunities for critical thinking about federalism,drawing on examples from The New York Times.

WARM UPASK:■ Is justice served by having the same laws for everyone?■ Should regional differences affect what the law is and how it is administered?

Brainstorm to come up with a list of issues that directly affect your students’ daily lives,but do not have the same impact in other parts of the nation. List on the board.

■ Discuss vocabulary words.

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 13 Worksheet and review with students.■ Model the Worksheet assignment with an article about a particular region or state.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.

DISCUSSION1. Do you believe that all states should have the same laws, regardless of regionaldifferences? How does your view work with, or conflict with, the rights of states asoutlined in the Constitution?

2.Why is it important for citizens to be informed about issues and news developmentsin other states and localities? Why is it necessary for The New York Times to reportfrom various parts of the country on its National pages?

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 13


WHEN REGIONAL ISSUES MAKE NATIONAL NEWS

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Issues and developments in one area of the country can have consequences in other parts ofthe country. And what is an issue in one area now may soon be an issue in others.

3. Who has the greater influence in your life today: the national, state or local government?

4. Why are local laws so important?


EXTENSIONS1. Assign students the following writing prompt: Imagine that you must move toanother region of the United States or the world. Using the information gleaned froma thorough reading of The New York Times, where would you choose to live? Useevidence from articles in The Times to support your answer. Use World Journalarticles on page A4 of the newspaper as a model.

2. Assign students the following: Using a glue stick and scissors to cut and paste articles,repaginate The New York Times to reflect a regional focus. Choose any region of thecountry and collect all articles about that region in one newspaper section.

3. Research education laws in various states. Create a chart showing significantdifferences. Include articles on education from The Times to illustrate the chart.

LESSON 13


WHEN REGIONAL ISSUES MAKE NATIONAL NEWS

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LESSON 13 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

1. Scan the National pages of today’s New York Times.

2. Using what you’ve read, identify issues that are particular to one state or region. Fill out the following chart, citingone article as an example for each region:

HOMEWORK

1. Choose an article from The New York Times that refers to an issue of law or justice in a state or region of thecountry with which you are not familiar. In a journal or on a separate piece of paper, summarize the article: Statethe issue or conflict, the stakeholders and any possible resolutions that are reported.

2. Research the issue further with other resources. Write an essay to raise national awareness of the issue in the styleof a New York Times Op-Ed piece. Study essays on the Op-Ed page as models for your writing.

WHEN REGIONAL OR STATE ISSUES MAKE NATIONAL NEWS

Region Headline Dateline Conflict Resolution

Northeast

Southeast

Midwest

Southwest

Northwest

West

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

(issue of law and justice) (if any)

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to compare andcontrast issues of law andjustice in the United Statesand other nations.Students will be able togive examples of themechanisms by whichinternational justice isadministered.



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Review Lesson 14 Worksheet.■ Select a Journal feature article on page A4 of The New York Times.■ Select an article from the National pages that has similar themes or conflicts.

BACKGROUND MATERIALOn any given day, The New York Times reports on ethics, human rights, democracy andthe quality of life both in the United States and abroad. All these subjects are addressedin various aspects of international law, including reports about international agencies thatmake laws. Covering The Court of International Justice in The Hague and the UnitedNations are two examples.

WARM UPASK:■ Does the United States have the right or the responsibility to be an internationalpolice force?

■ Are there any laws that you feel should be enacted globally? If so, what are they?■ Are there any universal values? What are they? If we have universal values, whynot universal laws?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 14 Worksheet and review with students.■ Divide the class into pairs.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Model the Worksheet activity using a pre-selected Journal and National articlesfrom The Times.

DISCUSSION1. What are the global activities of the United States, as portrayed in today’s issue ofThe New York Times?

2. How do problems of sovereign nations affect other nations? What examples can youfind in today’s issue of The New York Times?

3. Why are issues of everyday life and liberty considered issues of international law?

4. What is the role of tradition in laws around the world?

5. How does news coverage affect how the United States responds to international situations?Because news coverage is the cornerstone of national opinion, it has a tremendous effect oninternational relations. Demands made by concerned citizens, if loud enough, will

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 14


INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE NEWS

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often get results. On the flip side, politicians can use news coverage to get the response thatthey need for otherwise unpopular programs.


EXTENSIONS1. Direct students to an article in today’s issue of The Times that deals with an

international conflict. Direct students to follow that conflict for an allotted period oftime. In addition to coverage in The New York Times, students should readEnglish-language editions of local newspapers online. Students should make dailyjournal entries about their reading on this conflict. After the allotted time, studentswrite Letters to the Editor of The Times and the local papers they’ve been reading,suggesting possible resolutions to the conflict or suggesting a U.S. responseto the conflict.

2. Distribute a blank world map. For one week, direct students to the Internationalpages of The New York Times. Using Times articles to guide them, students mark anynations involved in a conflict with another nation in red. Students mark any nationthat is involved in a peacekeeping effort in blue. Nations involved in civil war shouldbe labeled in green. Nations cited in the paper for human rights abuses should bemarked in yellow. Nations cited in the paper for signing international treaties oragreements should be marked in purple.

At the end of the week, students study their maps; pair students and have them answerthe following questions:

■ Are there overlaps or patterns?■ How do affairs in one country affect affairs in other countries?■ Students share their findings in pairs with. Do both students in each pair havesimilarly colored maps? Did they define international conflict, peacekeeping, etc.,in the same way?

3. Debate the role of the United States as an international police officer. Students not onthe debating team should act as reporters, taking notes and writing up the debate inthe style of a Times news report. Submit the most accurate and best-written report tothe student newspaper.

LESSON 14



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LESSON 14 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

A Working with your partner, read and summarize the World Journal article found on page A4 of today’s issueof The New York Times.

HEADLINE:_________________________________________________________________________________


REPORTER:_________________________________________________________________________________

1. What is the conflict described in the article?________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the results of the conflict?______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

B Find an article in the National pages of The New York Times that describes themes or conflicts similar tothose in the World Journal article. Read and summarize the article from the National section.

HEADLINE:_________________________________________________________________________________


REPORTER:_________________________________________________________________________________

1. What is the conflict in the article?_______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the results of the conflict?______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Compare and contrast the issues and conflicts in the articles and how they are dealt with or resolved in both places.


Issue/Conflict Foreign Country United States (National)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to explain howcultural values influencea group’s understandingof the law and itsrelationship to society atlarge — with details onhow the law and cultureinteract.



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan the newspaper for articles that reflect cultural conflicts in a diverse society.■ Review the Lesson 12 Worksheet.

BACKGROUND MATERIALThe population of the United States is made up of a large number of diverse and vibrantcultures, each with and traditions of its own. Traditional cultural practices sometimesconflict with the laws, values and traditions of “mainstream” America (although defining“mainstream” is now a task unto itself ). The New York Times reports these events.

WARM UPASK: What is “mainstream” America? Who decides? How does this change?

Write down the five words they believe most closely define them. (Descriptors mayinclude, but are not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, geography, familystatus, age, occupation, hobbies or diversions, religion, sexual orientation.)

ASK: Do any of these “descriptors” conflict with the definition of “mainstream America”?

USING THE NEW YORK TIMES■ Distribute Lesson 15 Worksheet and review with students.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Model activity using a World Journal article and an article from the National page.

DISCUSSION1. Should we re-evaluate how our laws relate to diverse cultural practices?

2. Can legislators and other government officials make decisions that don’t conflict withthe traditions of any of their constituents?

3. If legislators cannot consider the traditions of all their constituents in making policy,whose should they consider?

4. What traditions should the president and the courts consider?


EXTENSIONS1.Assign students to read articles from The New York Times reporting a Supreme Courtdecision that refers to cultural values in conflict with the law. Have students create

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON 15


WHEN CULTURE AND THE LAW ARE IN CONFLICT

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a poster that depicts the issues brought up in the case and the resolution, usingclippings from the New York Times.

2.Assign students to follow in Times reports an issue involving an innovation in sciencethat raises religious controversy. Have students create a Time Line poster that identifiesthe different cultural groups in conflict and charts developments in the conflict duringthe school term.

3.Using the reprint, “Schiavo Lesson on Judiciary Trump Card,” (Thursday, March 24,2005) on the next page, assign students to write an essay in the style of the Op-Ed pageof The New York Times, taking a position and citing resources to support the position.

4.Assign students to research the impact of technology on mainstream America, citingreports in The New York Times and other sources.

LESSON 15



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LESSON 15 WORKSHEET


NAME_______________________________________________________

1. Examine the contents of your wallet, locker or backpack. Read the doodles on your notebook. Examine the wayyou dress. What do the items that you carry or wear say about you and your culture? (For example, a driver’slicense might speak to an “American” love of mobility; a doodle might say that you love a particular band orteam.) List the values or cultural “definers” that your possessions suggest about you.

2. Scan today’s issue of The New York Times. Find an article about a bill pending in Congress that is reflective ofsome or all of the values or cultural “definers” you included on your list. Answer the following questions:

a.What in this article reflects you?b. Is it important to see yourself reflected in the popular media?c. Do you believe the bill will pass and become law?

Write an essay in the style of a Times Op-Ed piece about the importance, or unimportance, of people seeingthemselves reflected in the media.

3. Imagine a law prohibited one of the items you listed in Question 1. Imagine that some of the things on your listdo not appear on any of your classmates’ lists. Answer the following questions:

a.How would it feel to have one of your cultural “definers” absent from the culture in which you live orprohibited by law?

b.How does this change the essay that you’ve written?

HOMEWORK

1. Scan today’s issue of The New York Times for an article that reflects a cultural conflict, nationally or abroad.Analyze the conflict by answering the following questions:

a.What is the conflict? What law, if any, is being broken or compromised?b. Who are the “stakeholders” in the conflict?c. Can you think of any possible resolutions to this conflict?

2. In a Letter to the Editor or an Op-Ed piece, suggest a resolution to this conflict or explain why this conflictcan’t be resolved.


a new york times newspaper in education curriculum guide

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