January 19, 2016

Update!!Jason Rezaian: Free at last (Chicago Tribue)

“Iran breaks free of sanctions as UN confirms nuclear plants are scaled down” (The Telegraph)

THE BASICS

Topic: State of the Union 2016

Articles “Four takeaways from the 2016 State of the Union Address (with some history thrown in) (The

Washington Post) “Highlights of president’s State of the Union address” (U.S. News) “Obama is done with Congress – except for on these big issues” (The Washington Post) “Everything you need to know about the 2016 State of the Union address” (Politico) “The State of the Union address: Is it broken?” (USA Today) “State of the Union response: The worst job in politics” (CNN)

Questions to Consider What is the State of the Union Address? How did it begin? What does the Constitution say about

the State of the Union Address? What is the purpose of the SOTU? How has the SOTU been used for political purposes? Is a

president’s last SOTU speech different from his first and intervening speeches? How has the SOTU changed over the years? Is the speech still useful or meaningful? Why or why

not?

How important is the skill of speech making? How important is reference to new ideas? How important is the content of the speech?

What is the purpose of the opposition State of the Union Address? Does this response encourage dialogue? What did Governor Haley mean when she warned against listening to “angry” voices?

How is the message about the dangers of partisanship reflected in both Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech and in George Washington’s Farewell Address?

Which historic State of the Union speeches are the most memorable? Does their importance relate to the President himself or to the critical issues facing the President?

What do you believe are the issues that should have been addressed in the 2016 SOTU speech? Why are they important?

What issues would Martin Luther King, Jr., have included were he giving advice about the content of the State of the Union speech?

Why did the President include the line, “ Voices Dr. King believed would have the final word, voices of unarmed truth and unconditional love?”

Is the State of the Union speech about hope and reassurance? Is it about acknowledgement of the challenges facing the United States in 2016?

How has technology changed the SOTU? What changes do you see in the future? Who are the honored guests invited by the President and the First Lady? Why are these guests

invited? Who would you invite if you were the First Family? How much do the pomp and ceremony accompanying the arrival of the President in the House of

Representatives add to the high stakes of this speech? Did the incident involving Iran’s detention of 10 American sailors in the Persian Gulf affect the

SOTU? How? Should Iran’s imprisonment of Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian have been mentioned? Why or why not?

Do you agree with President Obama that the spirit of discovery is in our DNA? What are some programs that the President needs Congressional action to implement? What evidence is there “the state of the Union is strong”? Questions from President Obama:

o First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy?

o Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us – especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change?

o Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman?o And, finally, how can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?

THE EXTRASPre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading

“Questions and answers about the U.S. president’s State of the Union address” (Global News) “The Appeal of Nikki Haley” (The Atlantic)

Lesson Plans

“The State of the Union Address” (PBS Newshour) “Lesson Idea: The State of the Union Address” (C-Span)

What’s the Connection? Constitutional

“The State of the Union Address – Jan. 12” (www.senate.gov) Oregon

“Watch President Obama’s Statement on the Shooting in Oregon” (www.whitehouse.gov) Students

“Oregon student invited to State of the Union address for work with Native American youth” (Oregon Live)

Oregon State Social Science Standards8.14. Explain rights and responsibilities of citizens. 8.21. Analyze important political and ethical values such as freedom, democracy, equality, and justice embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. 8.26. Examine a controversial event, issue, or problem from more than one perspective. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events.HS.35. Examine the pluralistic realities of society (e.g., race, poverty, gender, and age), recognizing issues of equity, and evaluating need for change. HS.59. Demonstrate the skills and dispositions needed to be a critical consumer of information.HS.60. Analyze an event, issue, problem, or phenomenon form varied or opposing perspectives or points of view.

CCSS Anchor Standards2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

We the People Lesson ConnectionsMiddle School, Level 2

Unit 6, Lesson 30: How might citizens participate in civic affairs? High School, Level 3

Unit 4, Lesson 22: How does Congress perform its functions in the American Constitutional System?

Unit 4, Lesson 23: What is the role of the President in the American Constitutional System?