Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
01/16/2017
U.S. troops deploy to Poland
U.S. troops are moving into Poland as part of an ongoing mission to step up America's presence in eastern Europe. About 3,500 U.S. personnel will spend the next nine months conducting training exercises with local security forces. It is part of a plan to rotate the U.S. troops through eastern European NATO member states for training exercises. Russia said the exercises "threaten our interests, our security."
■Class discussion: Why would the U.S. want to increase its presence in eastern Europe? What has happened in the region to increase tensions? What is NATO? Why was it created? Poland was once part of the Warsaw Pact. What was the dominant nation in that military alliance? How many of Moscow’s former allies are now part of NATO? Should U.S. troops in Poland worry Russia? How did the U.S. react to Russians in Cuba in the 1960s?