U.S. Raises Security Level (A Think)

As of now the plan is to have two posts a day: one will be thinking, in which I present lesson ideas based on a newspaper story (I'll label it "A Think"). The other will be linking, in which I point out an interesting blog entry that I've recently read (I'll label it "A Link"). I certainly didn't come up with these terms, but right now I like the sound of having a think and a link.

Onto the think...

The Miami Herald is running a story from the AP entitled "U.S. Raises Airline Threat Level." The story states, "The U.S. government raised its threat warning to the highest level for commercial flights from Britain to the United States early Thursday in response to a terror plot disrupted in London. Terrorists had targeted United, American and Continental airlines, two U.S. counterterrorism officials said." According to the article it is the first time that the threat warning has reached the highest level.

Lesson Ideas:
1. With younger students, I don't think that I would discuss the article. But there are times when everybody feels a little nervous that they are going to get hurt. Ask students if they've ever felt like somebody might hurt them. Ask them what they might do to make sure that they can remain safe even when they feel like somebody might like to hurt them. This is a great time to discuss the difference between "Red Lights" and "Green Lights." (An interesting connection to the article, which the children don't even have to know about.) Tell students that when they feel threatened they should seek out an adult whom they know and trust. It's also safer to be in a public place with a lot of people then in a secluded place with only the one person whom they don't trust. You might even have children develop skits, in which they show how they could be safe.

With older kids...
1. Ask students why people might want to blow up planes. Encourage them to think about this and to support their opinions.
2. Ask if students think its fair to say that terrorists are crazy. (Whether or not students think its fair to call terrorists crazy it's important for them to understand that terrorists have agendas that they want to accomplish and they believe they can fulfill their objectives through terrorism.) You might want to debate this idea.
3. Appropriate for Juniors and Seniors in High School: Terrorists are willing to die (for this step, let's not consider the fact that they also murder innocent people) for their beliefs. Ask students if they have any beliefs that they believe in so strongly that they'd be willing to lose their life defending. Students should recognize that when somebody enlists in the millitary there is a chance that they will lose their life defending democracy.
4. Ask students to develp a four tiered security system, similar to the one tha the Department of Homeland Security uses, listing criteria as to when each tier should be employed. Information on the official home land security threat system can be found here. This activity could allow for group work and art work.