Free Lesson Plans for Teachers: Getting Out

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Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
Alpha Stage

Getting Out
February 21, 2007

The International Herald Tribune is running an article entitled, "Britain
to Pull out Some of Iraq Force."

The artilce begins, "In sharp contrast to the American troop buildup in
Baghdad, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced Wednesday that up to
1,600 of the roughly 7,100 British troops in southern Iraq would begin
withdrawing in coming months."

According to the article, the governments of Australia, Lithuania and
Denmark are considering what to do with their troops.

Read a Similar Article!!

Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

Have your students ever worked on an art project or made up a
story. Ask them how they decided that their work was finished?

Consider asking your students to draw a picture. After
they have been working for a period of time stop them
and ask them to consider whether or not they are done.
Then allow them some time to complete the project.
After they have finished debrief with them about what
they thought about when you asked if they were done.

Ask your students to think about a project that they've recently
completed. (Not the project suggested in the previous step.) If
they had wanted to, could they have added to their work in
some way? How could they could have added to it?

Consider inviting your students to revisit a piece of
work that they've recently completed and adding
something to it.

Ask your students if they ever thought they were right about
something even though other people told them they were
wrong. What was the issue? Did they learn anything from this
experience? If so, what? If not, what could they have learned?

Encourage students to write a few sentences about this
experience.

Have your students ever seen somebody break up a fight or an
argument? After somebody breaks up a fight can he/she leave
and let the people who were fighting be alone together?
Why/why not? Does the person who broke up the fight have to
stay there forever? Why/why not? How long does the person
who broke up the fight have to stay there?

Consider developing a list of criteria with your students
as to when it is OK for someone who has broken up a
fight/argument to leave the scene.

Discussion-Starters for Older Students

Vocabulary terms to discuss: Contrast; Insurgency; Robust;
and, Extricate.

Do your students think that Tony Blair's decision to pull some
British soldiers out of Iraq should influence the way that
American policymakers think about the U.S.'s involvement in
the war? Why/why not? Would this be related to peer pressure?
Why/why not?

These questions might prompt an interesting class
discussion. During this discussion ask students if they
think that the way that other countries manage health
care should influence the way that the U.S. handles it?
Why/why not? How are the questions related? How can
one question inform the others?

The article refers to Tony Benn as saying that the British
withdrawal has nothing to do with a policy change. Instead,
Prime Minister Blair simply wanted to withdraw some troops
before he resigns from office. Why might Blair want to do this?
If Blair did promise the withdrawal of some troops for this
reason, what do your students think of it? Encourage them to
explain their thoughts.

Consider placing Blair's reasons for directing a
withdrawal on trial.

Ask your students to imagine that Saddam Hussein could see
the current situation in Iraq. What do they think he would say
about it?

Students could develop news commentaries in the voice
of Saddam Hussein.

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