Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times Itziar Llamoca, originally from Peru, is now a United States citizen and an owner of a party-supply store in Port Chester, N.Y. Go to related article »
Civics
Teaching ideas based on New York Times content.
Overview | After years of debate and false starts, the United States Senate and House of Representatives stand on the verge of a comprehensive overhaul of America’s immigration laws. But are legislators taking the right approach?
In this lesson, students examine the myriad issues surrounding an immigration overhaul, including border security, the economic impact of foreign-born workers, and paths to citizenship for those who have entered illegally. In extension activities, they can explore the history of immigration, consider the personal stories of immigrants and try their hand at crafting a compromise or competing bill that emphasizes their own priorities.
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Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.
Eighteen states have legalized marijuana for medical use. Should it be legal for medical use all over the United States? Should it also be legal for recreational use for consumers who are 21 and over, as Washington and Colorado have allowed? In general, do you think the current federal prohibition on marijuana is good public policy or not? Why?
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A video of the tornado captured from nearby Newcastle as it approached Moore, uploaded to Youtube by Michael Welch.
6 Q’s About the News
Read the article to answer basic news questions.
Updated: 10:37 a.m.
The article “Vast Oklahoma Tornado Kills at Least 91” reports on the destruction and deaths caused by a vast tornado on Monday. The Lede blog continues the coverage.
WHERE did tornadoes kill at least 24 people on Monday?
WHY has it been difficult for emergency responders to reach the affected areas?
WHAT damage to the area did this tornado do?
WHEN did the tornado touch down?
WHEN is the peak for severe weather in the great plains?
HOW strong was the tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale?
HOW wide was it?
WHO do rescuers fear are still trapped at Plaza Towers Elementary School?
Related: Our lesson plan, “Inside Twisters: Creating Scientific News Reports on Tornadoes.”
The question was written by Shannon Doyne. It comes from the article “Seeking to Engage Citizens, Athens Turns to New York for Advice.”
Use our questions for test prep or just for fun. Find more here:
See what you know about the news below. To prepare, you might scan the articles or summaries on today’s paper. Good luck!
elegy •\ˈe-lə-jē\• noun
: a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
The word elegy has appeared in 567 New York Times articles in the past year, including on July 22 in “Scapegoat in a Clamshell” by Christopher Gray:
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Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times Little Leaguers made decisions on close calls in a home game for the St. Paul Saints on May 11. Go to related article »Directions: Fill in the blanks in the first 10 paragraphs of the article “Veeck’s Son Dusts Off Old Idea and Crowdsources the Umpiring” by Pat Borzi.
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Bryan Denton for The New York Times What’s going on in this picture? Look closely at the image above, or view it in a larger size, then tell us what you see by posting a comment. On May 21, we will reveal more about the image and its origins at the bottom of this post.Updated: May 21, 2013
Students: After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image here), think about these three questions:
- What’s going on in this picture?
- What do you see that makes you say that?
- What more can you find?
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Stephen Morton for The New York Times Junior Meggett, 80, in the former slave cabin on Edisto Island, S.C., where his aunt and uncle lived in the 1940s. Mr. Meggett lived in a different but identical cabin. Go to related article »
6 Q’s About the News
Read the article to answer basic news questions.
In the article “Haunting Relic of History, Slave Cabin Gets a Museum Home in Washington,” Robbie Brown writes about the process of bringing this artifact to the Smithsonian Institution.
WHAT were curators from the Smithsonian’s new African-American history museum looking for in Edisto Island, S.C.?
WHAT did they find?
WHEN did the last residents leave the island?
WHEN will the National Museum of African-American History and Culture open to the public?
WHO is Lonnie Bunch?
WHO had tried to save the cabin prior to the museum’s involvement?
WHERE will the parts be stored before the cabin is reconstructed in the museum?
WHY might the cabin be displayed in the postwar “Slavery and Freedom” exhibition?
WHY do historians believe the windows and door frames in the cabin were painted blue?
HOW did researchers estimate the approximate age of the cabin?
HOW, according to Junior Meggett, did people endure the challenges of living on Edisto Island?
Related: Our lesson “Everyday Voices: Finding Black History in Unexpected Places”
Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.
Nostalgia is a sentimental yearning for how things used to be or how they were for a brief moment.
Do you ever feel nostalgic about your childhood or other times in your life?
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