SUSIE’S CURRENT EVENTS
February 12, 2013
THE BASICS
Topic
State of the Union address
Articles
“Obama, think big for State of the Union” (commentary)
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/opinion/zelizer-obama-state-of-the-union/index.html
“Obama Weighs Use of Executive Authority, Set for State of the Union”
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/02/obama-to-challenge-gop-with-executiveactions-state-of-the-union-address.html
Questions to Consider
• What is a State of the Union address? Why is it important?
• How is it different from an Inaugural Address?
• What are the most important issues you would want the President to talk about in the
SOTU? Why?
• How does the SOTU reflect the President’s decision to use executive power to
achieve important policy goals?
• How does the SOTU press Congress for legislative action to address our country’s
most important issues?
THE EXTRAS
Pre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading
• Lesson: State of the Union Address
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/politics/stateoftheunion_new.html
• NCSS: Teaching Resources for the State of the Union Address
http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/teaching-resources-state-union-address
• Write your own State of the Union!
http://lessonplanspage.com/lassothestateofyourunionspeech1112-htm/
• 10 Most Memorable State of the Union Addresses
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/02/11/the-10-most-memorablestate-of-the-union-addresses-video/
• State of the Union Bingo
http://constitutioncenter.org/media/files/sotubingo.pdf
What’s the connection?
Constitutional
Article II, Section 3
“He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union
and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary
and expedient.”
Oregon State Standards
• 8.SL.2. Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse
media and formats and evaluate the motives behind its presentation.
• HS.27 Examine functions and process of United States government.
• 9-10.SL.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or
exaggerated or distorted evidence.
• 11-12.SL.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises. Links among
ideas, word choice, points of emphasis and tone used.