Free Lesson Plans for Teachers: Should the President Pardon Libby?

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Free Lesson Plans for Teachers
Alpha Stage

Putin Makes an Offer
June 8, 2007

The Washington Post is running an article entitled, "Putin Offers to
Join Missile Shield Effort."

The article states, "After days of escalating rhetoric about missile
defense, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise offer to
President Bush on Thursday, proposing that Russia join with the
United States and some of its European allies to operate a shield
intended against missile threats from Iran."

"Bush afterward described Putin's offer as 'interesting' -- the United
States has been pressing Russia to take part in such a system since the
1990s. Both presidents said Russian and U.S. military and diplomatic
officials would meet to discuss the idea further," according to the
article.

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

Have your students ever agreed with somebody else? With
whom did they agree? About what did they agree? Why did
they agree?

Consider asking students to write the word "Agree"
across the top of a piece of paper. Now they can use
each letter in the word agree as a letter in another word
written down. The letters in "Agree" need not be the
first letters in the word.

Have your students ever disagreed with somebody else? With
whom did they disagree? About what did they disagree? Why
did they disagree?

Consider asking students to tell stories about a time
when they disagreed with somebody else. Encourage
them to think of a time when both they and the other
person were correct even though there was a
disagreement.

Do your students think it feels better to agree or disagree with
somebody else? Encourage them to explain their thoughts.

Ask students to write a few sentences about a time in
which they felt very good when they agreed with
somebody.

Do your students think that people can get more accomplished
when they agree with one another or when they disagree with
one another? Why? Is it ever appropriate to disagree with
somebody else? When?

Consider asking students to develop a list of three rules
they should remember when they disagree with
somebody else to make sure that the disagreement
remains friendly.

Have your students ever made a fake shield? Out of what did
they make the shield? If your students have never made a
shield, out of what could they make one? What is the purpose
of a shield?
Students might draw a picture of a shield.

Discussion-Starters for Older Students

Vocabulary terms to discuss: Rhetoric; "Real Time Data";
Emission; and, Amenable.

Why do your students think that President Putin would have
offered to cooperate with the United States in developing a
missile defense system? Explain some of his motivations?

Consider asking students to write a journal entry, as if
they were President Putin writing in a private journal,
explaining why he made this offer.

If your students had been able to set the agenda for the G-8
meetings, what would they have put on it? Why do they
consider these issues important?

In groups of two or three, ask students to develop an
ideal agenda for the leaders of powerful nations to
discuss when they meet.

Ask your students to imagine that they were advisors to the
President of the Czech Republic. What would they say/think if
the United States decided not to place a radar station on the
nation's territory? Why would they say/think this way?

Both this question and the next might prompt an
interesting class discussion. Be sure to encourage
students to explain their thoughts.

What if your child(ren) were advisors to the President of
Azerbaijan? How would they think about using radar systems
on its national territory to assist the United States? Why would
they think this way?

Both this question and the previous one might prompt an
interesting class discussion.

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