GEP - Current Events Email - October 15, 2007

+ events archive

Dear Teacher:

As a recipient of World Savvy’s Current Affairs Update, every two weeks you will receive a set of resources for 3 major recent news stories, including articles at varying reading levels, a list of relevant standards, and curriculum that can be used to teach about the issues covered by that news story. If you are interested in teaching a larger unit on a specific issue, please contact us for support.

Political Turmoil in Pakistan

Advanced Article: - www.nytimes.com
Intermediate Article: www.washingtonpost.com
Beginning Article: news.bbc.co.uk
Background: - Q&A: Pakistan’s Political Crisis news.bbc.co.uk
Timeline: Pakistan’s Political Rivals news.bbc.co.uk

Discussion Questions:

1. Who is the current president of Pakistan? How did he gain power?
2. Who is Benazir Bhutto and why was she exiled from Pakistan? Why is she trying to return to Pakistan?
3. If Musharaff was just re-elected by the people about a week ago, why are the courts involved in deciding if he can stay in office?
4. Pakistan has become an ally to the US in the war on terror. Find out in what ways they are supporting the US.
5. Do some research on the background of Pakistan, which has been an independent country for 60 years. What kind of government(s) has it had in the last 60 years? Also, there is current tension between secular and religious political forces in the country – what does this mean?

Curriculum:

1. Pakistan: Political Parties, Campaigns, and Elections Read it now >>
2. Coup-Operation in Pakistan (based on Musharraf’s 1999 coup) Read it now >>
3. PBS – India and Pakistan at 60 (discusses partition and political issues today) Read it now >>

California Standards:

Government: Comparative Government, New Democracies
World History: Modern Nation Building, World Economy
Language Arts: Reading and Writing, Analyzing the Media

+ back to top

---

Topic 2: The Weakening Dollar

Advanced Article: www.nytimes.com
Intermediate Article 1: www.dailyfix.com
Intermediate Article 2: www.usnews.com

Discussion Questions:

1. When the dollar is weak, what becomes more expensive for Americans?
2. What are some of the other pros and cons for the US with a weak dollar value?
3. (NY Times article) Is the US government upset about the weakening US dollar and taking action to make the value go back up? Why or why not?
4. (NY Times article) How are other countries reacting to the weak US dollar?

Curriculum:

1. Currency: An Economic Indicator Read it now >>
2. The Fall of the Dollar (Based on an older article, but concepts are still the same) Read it now >>

California Standards

Economics: Modern World Economy
Math: Mathematical Reasoning, Graphs and Charts

+ back to top

---

Topic 3: Al Gore Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Advanced Articled: www.time.com
Intermediate Article: www.washingtonpost.com
Beginning Article: www.timeforkids.com

Discussion Questions:

1. What American was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? With what organization does he share the prize?
2. Who are some of the people that have been awarded this prize in the past?
3. This prize is awarded for peace, and the winners are known for their work on the environment. What do you think the environment has to do with peace?
4. President Bush has been very reluctant to take any steps toward ending climate change. What do you think will be the effects, if any, of this prize on US policy?
5. Al Gore and the IPCC used very different methods of spreading the word about global warming. What are other effective methods of educating the public for change? With a group of classmates, design an effective campaign to address global warming in your school or community.

Curriculum:

1. Teachers Guide - An Inconvenient Truth Read about it now >>
2. PBS - Global Warming (for high school humanities classes) Read it now >>
3. Curriculum on Global Warming from the Union of Concerned Scientists Read it now >>
4. Exploring the Accomplishments of Nobel Peace Prize Recipients Read it now >>

California Standards:

World History: Modern World Economy
Science: Ecology, Earth Sciences
Language Arts: Reading and Writing, Analyzing the Media, Persuasive Arguments

+ back to top

---

The views expressed in the articles and resources listed above are not the views of World Savvy. They are listed here as resources for educators but do not necessarily reflect the opinions and priorities of World Savvy. If you ever want to unsubscribe from this list, just send an email to Kelly at kelly@worldsavvy.org.