Goals and objectives
Students will be able to:
Analyze the inconsistencies that may occur when trying to balance the need for national security and the need to protect civil liberties.
Explain their own position on the issue of national security and privacy.
Analyze the inconsistencies that may occur when trying to balance the need for national security and the need to protect civil liberties.
Explain their own position on the issue of national security and privacy.
california state content standards
12.8.1. Discuss the meaning and importance of a free and responsible press.
12.8.2. Describe the roles of broadcast, print, and electronic media, including the Internet, as means of communication in American politics.
12.8.2. Describe the roles of broadcast, print, and electronic media, including the Internet, as means of communication in American politics.
common core literacy standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
driving historical questions
Is there a balance between national security and protecting civil liberties?
Are government violations of privacy ever justified?
Is the government right to collect information about its citizens in order to prevent terrorism?
Are government violations of privacy ever justified?
Is the government right to collect information about its citizens in order to prevent terrorism?
lesson introductionStudents work with a partner to analyze the political cartoon by answering the following questions.
1. What is the cartoon saying about protecting people from terrorism? 2. Who is the man at the door and what is the cartoon saying about his attitude about how to fight terrorism? 3. How are the American people portrayed in the cartoon and what does it suggest about the American public? |
vocabulary (content Language development)
Espionage
Eavesdropping
Wiretapping
NSA
FISA
The Patriot Act
Whistleblower
Eavesdropping
Wiretapping
NSA
FISA
The Patriot Act
Whistleblower
Content delivery
The teacher will begin with a short lecture giving students some background information about the controversial issue of NSA surveillance.
Using the overhead projector, the teacher will present a "Timeline of Controversial Spy Programs and Privacy" from the USA Today website and lead a class discussion where students recall their knowledge of issues such as the Patriot Act and Edward Snowden's leaked information regarding the NSA.
Using the overhead projector, the teacher will present a "Timeline of Controversial Spy Programs and Privacy" from the USA Today website and lead a class discussion where students recall their knowledge of issues such as the Patriot Act and Edward Snowden's leaked information regarding the NSA.
Hand out reading activity and instruct students to work in groups of 2-3 to answer the questions after each of the sections.
After students complete the reading about Edward Snowden, ask the small groups to share their responses to the discussion questions.
student engagement
Students will debate and discuss the following prompts.
Debate Question #1
Do the American people have a right to know about government surveillance programs or is this type of classification justified as a means to prevent terrorism?
Debate Question #2
Which is a more important value to you – personal privacy or national security? Why?
Debate Question #1
Do the American people have a right to know about government surveillance programs or is this type of classification justified as a means to prevent terrorism?
- One side of the room will be the side for "public's right to know" and "national security" will be on the other side of the room. Students must decide if it is more important for Americans to be informed of government programs or to keep this type of information classified in order to prevent terrorism. Once they have chosen which issue is more important, students will stand up and move to one side of the room.
- Students will be asked to explain why they chose the side of the public's right to be informed or national security in a goldfish bowl activity.
- Goldfish bowl: Students on each side are divided into groups of four. They are given time to discuss and formulate a response. As a group, they explain their position to the rest of the class and answer questions asked by students with opposing views.
Debate Question #2
Which is a more important value to you – personal privacy or national security? Why?
- One side of the room will be the side for "privacy" and "national security" will be on the other side of the room. Students must pick either privacy or national security and once they have chosen, students will stand up and move to one side of the room.
- Students will be asked to explain why they chose the side of privacy or national security in a goldfish bowl activity.
- Goldfish bowl: Students on each side are divided into groups of four. They are given time to discuss and formulate a response. As a group, they explain their position to the rest of the class and answer questions.
lesson closure
Present students with the following quote:
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin
Instruct students to write a letter explaining why they either agree or disagree with Franklin on the issues of liberty and safety based on the arguments they heard during the class debate.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin
Instruct students to write a letter explaining why they either agree or disagree with Franklin on the issues of liberty and safety based on the arguments they heard during the class debate.
assessments
Formative: Teacher will monitor student progress during group discussion activities. Students will demonstrate their understanding during the goldfish bowl discussion and debate.
accommodations
EL students, striving readers, and students with special needs will be given the vocabulary words and definitions prior to the student engagement activities. Students will also be placed in heterogenous groups so that struggling students will have the opportunity to collaborate with higher achieving students and have more productive discussions about the topic of national security and privacy.
resources
nsa_surveillance__the_politics_of_whistleblowing.pdf | |
File Size: | 222 kb |
File Type: |