February 25, 2002

FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Learning About the Branches and Special Units of the United States Military

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  American History, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"New Incentive to Join Army: Direct Sign-Up in Green Berets, By JOHN W. FOUNTAIN", February 25, 2002

OVERVIEW OF LESSON PLAN:
In this lesson, students research different branches and special units of the United States military. They then create and present performances that synthesize their research and demonstrate their understanding about the roles that these different military groups play in protecting the United States.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   45 minutes - 1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Consider how being a soldier has changed since their grandparents and parents were their age; articulate the characteristics of a good soldier.
  2. Examine the new Army initiative of direct recruitment into the Green Berets through reading and discussing the article "New Incentive to Join Army: Direct Sign-Up in the Green Berets."
  3. Explore in depth different branches and special units of the United States military.
  4. Synthesize their research into brief creative skits; perform their skits for their classmates.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Students respond to the following questions in their journals, written on the board prior to class: "How do you think being a soldier has changed since your grandparents were your age? How do you think being a soldier has changed since your parents were your age? What qualities do you think characterize a good soldier in all generations?" Students share their answers.
  2. As a class, read and discuss the article "New Incentive to Join Army: Direct Sign-Up in Green Berets," focusing on the following questions:
    1. What is Sgt. First Class Jeremy Burton's job?
    2. How has his job changed recently?
    3. What is a Green Beret?
    4. How did joining the Green Berets become more difficult in 1988?
    5. Why has the Army changed its Green Beret recruitment policies?
    6. According to the article, how much smaller is the Army than it was in the late 1980's?
    7. Why would joining the Green Berets be an added incentive for a man like Eric Leslie to join the Army?
    8. How do recruits earn the beret?
    9. What happens to those enlistees who do not successfully complete Green Beret training?
    10. What does Green Beret training involve?
    11. What does a recruit need in order to be eligible for training for the Green Berets?
    12. About how many new Green Beret trainees do Army officials hope to recruit in 2002?
    13. Col. Thomas E. Nickerson, an Army spokesman, says that the "bar is pretty high for earning that Special Forces tab." What does that expression mean?
    14. How is Eric Leslie preparing himself for training?
  3. Explain to students that today they will be learning more about different branches and unites of the United States military to explore their histories, different roles and methods in protecting the country, and qualifications for soldiers. Divide students into pairs or small groups, and assign each a different branch of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) and special units of the armed forces (e.g., the Green Berets and Navy SEALS). Using all available classroom resources, each group answers the following questions (written on the board for easier student access):
    • What is the official name for the military branch or special unit that you are researching?
    • What are the specific goals and military methods of this branch or special unit? How does the branch or special unit usually engage in combat: by land, by sea, or in the air?
    • What is the motto of this branch or special unit, and how does it relate to this group as a whole?
    • What does the uniform look like, and how does it represent the goals and methods of this branch or special unit?
    • How was the branch or unit created, and when? How did it change during times of peace and war since its creation, including its standards, its allowance of people of different races and genders to be soldiers, etc.?
    • What are some important historical moments in the branch or special unit, such as significant victories and tragedies?
    • How does the branch or special unit recruit new soldiers? What sort of special qualifications are needed? Are their programs for high school or college students that relate to these qualifications, and if so, what are they? What are the qualities that make a good soldier within this branch or unit?
    • What are the qualifications for becoming an officer within this branch or special unit? Are their programs for high school or college students that include officer training, and if so, what are they?
    • What are some of the important issues facing this branch or special unit today? (Some current and past issues include women soldiers in Saudi Arabia being mandated to wear the burkha, the debate over whether or not gays should be allowed to serve in the military, and the health of soldiers who fought in the Persian Gulf.)
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Students complete their research. Each group then creates a five-minute skit that includes all categories of their research and creatively demonstrates their understanding of the role of this branch or unit in the United States military. Students may choose to act out scenes such as: a recruitment scenario (as briefly described in the New York Times article), an interaction between two members of the branch or special unit, a discussion among family members of different generations who all served in this branch or unit, a meeting between a Hollywood producer and a technical advisor from the military, etc. Students will perform their skits for their classmates at a later date.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal entries, participation in class discussions, and thoughtful skits synthesizing their research of different branches and special units of the United States Armed Forces.

VOCABULARY:
unassuming, pitch, prospective, initiative, elite, enlisted, soldiering, downsizing, accessions, ensure, incentive, indigenous, exponentially, rigorous, paratrooper

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Create an illustrated timeline of one branch of the United States armed forces that focuses on important historical events, such as its inception, desegregation and the enlistment of women.
  2. Write a letter to a soldier serving in Afghanistan or another place in the world today. Alternatively, write a letter to a soldier serving in an historical conflict, from the point of view of someone living in the time of that conflict. What feelings and viewpoints would you share? What questions would you ask?
  3. Research the process of becoming a conscientious objector. Create a brochure or chart describing the process and what it means to be recognized as a conscientious objector by the government. You might also include a brief history of pacifism in the United States.
  4. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper expressing your opinions either for or against women serving in combat positions. Alternatively, express your opinion about recruitment policies, health or other issues that manifest in the armed forces today. Be sure to back your opinions up with research.
  5. Read a fictional account of life in the United States military. Then, write a review of the writing in the style of a book review in The New York Times.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Civics - Research similarities and differences in the military justice system in the United States and the civil justice system. Create a comparison/contrast chart.

Economics - How much of the United States budget has gone to the military in the past four presidencies? Make a pie chart comparing the annual amount of spending on the military, education, health, transportation, human services, foreign relations or foreign aid, and agriculture during the terms of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Then, create a chart that compares United States military spending to that of the country's five closest allies.

Global Studies - How do other nations populate their militaries? Compare and contrast the following military recruitment policies of the following nations: the United States, Japan, Israel, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia. Create a comparative brochure exploring recruitment into one branch common to all six countries.

Media Studies - Research the recent television advertising campaigns for the United States Army. Maintain a log detailing at what times and during what programs you see Army recruitment ads. Create your own recruitment campaign that includes a slogan or a jingle, a "look," and information about how and where the ads will be played. If possible, videotape one of your proposed commercials.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company

Unterricht konkret