February 11, 2002

A MATTER OF OPINION
Learning How Editorials and Opposite Editorials Respond to Current Events

Grades:  6-8,9-12

Subjects:  Current Events, Geography, Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies, Teaching with The New York Times

Related New York Times Article
"Cicero Was Wrong, By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF", March 13, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students examine the ways in which editorials and Op-Ed pieces respond to current events. They then write editorials in response to a news item from today's New York Times.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   45 minutes - 1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Examine the definitions of editorials and opposite editorials; speculate about which recent news items would inspire opposite editorials.
  2. Examine the way a columnist's Op-Ed responds to current world events by reading and discussing "Cicero Was Wrong" by Nicholas Kristof.
  3. Analyze the editorial and opposite editorial sections of today's New York Times; articulate opinions in response to current news issues or events by writing editorials.
  4. Synthesize their knowledge of editorials and opposite editorials by writing opposite editorial pieces in response to topics identified by their fellow students.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:
  1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: In their journals, students respond to the following prompt, (written on the board prior to class): "'Editorials' are articles that express the opinion of a publication's editor or publishers. 'Op-Eds,' or 'Opposing Editorials' (the name refers to their placement across from the editorials) are articles that reflect the views of columnists or well-known people. Both editorials and Op-Ed pieces tend to reflect current, and often controversial, issues. Think of three 'hot' topics from this week's international news and identify well-known people who would most likely want to express their opinions on those issues. Create three clever titles for Op-Ed pieces that you think would reflect the views of the people you identified."

    Have students briefly share their topics and potential authors and titles. List the topics on the board. Which issues or events named have sparked opinions and emotional responses among the students? How do their opinions reflect what they read or see in the news? How do they differ? Would their opinions be represented in most newspapers' editorials? Why or why not?
  2. As a class, read and discuss the Op-Ed "Cicero Was Wrong," focusing on the following questions:
    1. Why does Nicholas Kristof view the inclusion of his e-mail address at the bottom of his column as both "an advantage and a disadvantage"?
    2. According to Kristof's readers, how might the United States be liked and respected, as well as feared and hated?
    3. How does Kristof compare the United States and Israel in regard to popular opinion?
    4. According to Kristof, what are the two opposing views on conflict?
    5. According to this Op-Ed piece, what does the current state of the United States and world affairs have to do with ancient Rome and Cicero?
    6. According to Kristof, how does the American perspective on further U.S. military aggression differ from the European or Arab perspectives?
    7. What does Kristof mean by "those (sissy) Europeans" and "the (medieval) Arab street"?
    8. How does Kristof feel President Bush's "axis of evil" comment has affected other parts of the world?
    9. Aside from the Roman Empire, what other examples of the misuse of force does Kristof offer?
    10. What is meant by the quote "not only in the battlefield but also in the world of ideas"?
    11. Why might President Bush's attempt to "win friends abroad" be considered a difficult task?
    12. According to Kristof, how is the current administration attempting to "rebrand" the image of the United States abroad?
  3. Divide students into pairs and distribute a copy of today's New York Times to each pair. Explain to students that today they will be writing editorials that reflect the opinions of New York Times editors and publishers. In order to fulfill this job, they will need to examine the writing style in which New York Times editorials are written. Have students turn to the Editorial and Op-Ed pages and allow them a few minutes to examine and compare editorial and Op-Ed articles. What examples do they spot that illustrate the differences between editorials and Op-Ed pieces? After students cite examples, ask the pairs to scan the rest of the paper for international news items not addressed in today's editorials or Op-Ed pieces. Each pair then chooses two articles on two different subjects or events (one for each member of the pair) to read thoroughly. After each student has read one of the articles thoroughly, he or she will write an editorial on the issue or event from the point of view of New York Times editors and publishers.

    After partners have completed their writing, have them exchange their editorials and the articles that inspired them. Do the writers' treatments of the topics express the views of "The New York Times"? On what basis can they make this judgement?
  4. WRAP-UP/ HOMEWORK: Each student will take his or her partner's editorial and write an opposite editorial that reflects a different or opposing view of that topic. Though opposite editorial pieces often share a similar perspective to the paper's editorials, the challenge here is to write a piece that represents a different "voice."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal responses, participation in class discussion, collaborative partner discussion, and thoughtfully written editorials and opposite editorial pieces.

VOCABULARY:
torrent, reproaches, placate, doves, hawks, gouging, submission, fretted, dictum, squawks, eviscerate, razed, ferocious, commendably, unilateralist, ought, spin, virtually, ambassadors, hobnobbed, elites, loathed

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Kristof's Op-Ed article compares Cicero to "modern historians" in terms of crediting their sources. Investigate some of the latest debates regarding research and accountability among history writers such as Stephen Ambrose, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough, and Joseph Ellis. Stage a debate in which you argue for or against stricter publishing guidelines for historians.
  2. Compare Kristof's Op-Ed "Cicero Was Wrong" to "They Can't See Why They're Hated," by Seumas Milne, published in the London Guardian shortly after September 11, 2001 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,551036,00.html). How do these two columnists differ in their views of the American image abroad?
  3. Read the first section of a daily newspaper from cover to cover. Then, based on your opinion, cut out the articles and place them in order of global importance. Create a new layout for the page and mount the articles on poster board. Write a few paragraphs that explain the hierarchy of global importance you created.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Fine Arts-Can satirical cartoons serve as "visual" editorials? Collect political cartoons over the course of one week and keep a journal of related news stories. Do these cartoon commentaries match your own opinions of the issues? Add journal entries expressing your views on the topics depicted in the cartons.

Global History- Explore the history of Carthage. Make a historical map of immigration routes into and out of this territory, from the Phoenician settlement to the Roman conquest.

Math- Should the United States continue military aggression in other countries in the "War Against Terrorism"? Take a poll of your family members and friends and present your findings to the class in the form of graphs that contain the statistical data you collected and tallied.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company

Unterricht konkret