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ISSUE DATES 09.02.13 09.16.13
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Teacher’s Guide
10.28.13
ISSN 15251292 • Vol. 146, No. 5
11.18.13
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This issue in focus
Dear Teachers,
The Common Core standards place a lot of importance on using primary sources.
Poring over the raw materials of history helps students strengthen their criticalthinking and analysis skills and approach material from multiple points of view.
After your class reads our article “Justice Denied,” on civil rights era murder cases
that remain unsolved today, go to Upfront’s digital edition and download letters sent
by the F.B.I. to the families of victims, telling them that the cases of their loved ones
will most likely never be solved.
For the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, we paired our article
on JFK’s presidency and legacy with a clip from The New York Times showing how
everyday Americans reacted to the news of his passing. You can also download Times
clips showing reaction from abroad. We hope these primary sources enhance your
students’ understanding of these important topics.
IAn Zack, Executive Editor
Key Articles
Online Components on
www.upfrontmagazine.com
national
6 a 51st State?
A push to carve a new state out of Colorado is just the latest attempt
to redraw the American map.
Download:
A recent Upfront article on
Puerto Rico’s push for statehood
national
8 justice denied
Fifty years after a string of racially motivated killings in the South, it looks like
most of the cases will remain unsolved.
Download:
F.B.I. letters on civil rights
era cases
w
w
international
10 mexico’s ‘new realities’
Though problems like poverty and violence remain, Mexico’s economy is booming
and the country’s prospects are looking up.
video:
A conversation with Mexican
teenager Diego Casares
language
14 the fly in the ointment
Every idiom has a tale to tell, often rooted in history.
download:
Bonus idioms
COVER STORY
16 1963: the death of a president
John F. Kennedy’s assassination 50 years ago this month
stunned—and forever changed—America.
Download:
News clips on reaction abroad
to JFK’s death
Get the
w
w
upfront English/Language Arts Common Core Skills Pages at www.upfrontmagazine.com
A SUPPLEMENT TO
THE NEW YORK TIMES UPFRONT
w
national
Lesson Plan 1
A 51st State?
critical thinking
writing prompt
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Some residents of
northern Colorado are
trying to carve out a new
state—and it’s hardly the
first time a portion of a
U.S. state has attempted
to break away.
Why do some residents
of rural Colorado feel
alienated from the rest
of their state? Do you
think their complaints
justify secession? Why or
why not?
What does it take to
create a new state? Do
you think the Framers of
the Constitution made
the process overly
difficult? Explain.
Why has the rallying
cry of the American
Revolution, “No
taxation without
representation,” been
raised in the context
of today’s secessionist
movements? Do
you think it applies?
Support your response
with evidence from
the article.
Is the Colorado secession
movement a “cry for
understanding,” as
historian Jon Christensen
argues, or the beginning
of a revolution, as
Rod Pelton, a country
commissioner in
Colorado, suggests?
Debate
Do you think the U.S.
map will change in your
lifetime? Why or why
not? If so, how?
Should Colorado’s
legislature and the
U.S. Congress create
a new state from
portions of Colorado?
Why or why not?
What demographic
and political shifts
in Colorado have led
to the secessionist
movement there?
Why do you think there
have been many attempts
to carve new states from
existing ones? Why have
so few succeeded?
Besides a portion of a
state breaking away, what
are some other ways the
U.S. map could change?
fast factS
Because Colorado’s
population has increased
in recent decades, so
has its number of
electoral votes. Colorado
now has nine votes—one
more than it had in 2000
and three more than it
had in 1960.
•
Curriculum Standards*
www.upfrontmagazine.com
Pair this text with a recent Upfront article on Puerto Rico’s push
for statehood.
Subject/NCSS
Common Core
u.s. history
geography
reading informational text:
• Time, Continuity & Change
• People, Places & Environments
literacy in history/social studies:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10
national
Lesson Plan 2
Justice Denied
critical thinking
Seven years after
the F.B.I. reopened
investigations into a host
of racially motivated
killings during the civil
rights era, the agency
now says most of these
cold cases will remain
unsolved.
In the 1950s and ’60s,
why were relatives
of victims of racially
motivated killings often
reluctant to come
forward?
Besides this reluctance,
what factors might
have kept these kinds
of crimes from being
investigated and
prosecuted during the
civil rights era?
Why do you think the
F.B.I. decided to take
a fresh look at these
cases? Has the effort
been a success? Explain.
Debate
Defend your view: Should
the U.S. government
continue funding
investigations into civil
rights era killings?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
writing prompt
In what ways has the
passage of time hindered
the investigations of
civil rights era crimes?
Can you think of any
ways in which the
passage of time might
have aided some of the
investigations? Write an
essay, supporting your
response with evidence
from the text.
What role did the Ku
Klux Klan and similar
groups play in racially
motivated violence and
the investigation of such
violence? Does it surprise
you that the Klan still
exists today, with more
than 5,000 members?
Explain.
What does Richard Cohen
of the Southern Poverty
Law Center mean when
he says that “justice in
a few cases is going to
have to serve as a proxy
for justice in them all”?
Do you think the F.B.I.’s
letters to victims’ families
have helped bring
closure? Why or why not?
fast factS
Although no one knows
precisely how many
race-related killings
occurred during the
1950s and ’60s, the
Southern Poverty Law
Center has identified at
least 114 that occurred
from 1952 to 1968.
•
Curriculum Standards*
www.upfrontmagazine.com
Download copies of the F.B.I.’s letters on civil rights era cases.
2 •
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Subject/NCSS
Common Core
u.s. history
civics
reading informational text:
• Time, Continuity & Change
• Civic Ideals & Practices
literacy in history/social studies:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10
*for a full list of the standards, go to Upfrontmagazine.com.
international
Lesson Plan 3
Mexico’s ‘New Realities’
critical thinking
What do you think an
Although drug violence
and poverty remain
problems in Mexico,
the nation is enjoying a
surging economy and a
growing middle class.
How do you think most
Americans perceive
Mexico today? Is that an
accurate and complete
picture, based on this
article?
What are some of the
ways in which Mexico and
the U.S. are intertwined?
Has the relationship
between the two
countries largely been
positive or negative? How
is it changing? Explain.
increase in high-skilled
jobs and an expanding
middle class will mean for
Mexico over time? What
might it mean for its
relations with the U.S.?
writing prompt
Mexican President Enrique
Peña Nieto calls Mexico “a
nation that is growing at
two speeds.” What does
he mean? Could the same
thing be said of other
countries? Use evidence
from the text.
Debate
Americans have long
provided a steady market
for drugs from Mexico’s
cartels. Does the U.S. have
a responsibility to help
Mexico fight the cartels?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why do you think
undocumented
immigration from Mexico
to the U.S. is at its lowest
level in decades? Do you
think most Americans are
aware of this?
If Mexico’s economic
gains continue, do you
think many Americans
would consider
emigrating there for
economic opportunity?
Why or why not?
Based on the text, what is
the life of a middle-class
Mexican teen like?
Do you think it’s possible
for Mexico to put a stop
to—or at least rein in—its
drug cartels? If so, what
do you think it would it
take? Explain.
fast factS
Mexico and the U.S. trade
more than $1 billion in
goods every day.
Mexico is the U.S.’s
third-largest foreign
petroleum provider
and its largest foreign
provider of fresh fruits
and vegetables.
•
Curriculum Standards*
www.upfrontmagazine.com
Subject/NCSS
Common Core
Global studies
reading informational text:
Don’t miss our video “A Conversation With Diego Casares.”
• Global Connections
• Production, Distribution &
Consumption
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
literacy in history/social studies:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10
cover story
Lesson Plan 4
1963: The Death of a President
critical thinking
writing prompt
The assassination of
President John F. Kennedy
50 years ago this month
shook the nation.
Why did many people
see Kennedy as a
transformative figure
in American politics?
Do you agree?
Why do you think Jenyce
Gush and others of her
generation so clearly recall
the moment they learned
of Kennedy’s death?
What do you see as
Kennedy’s legacy for the
U.S.? Do you think the
U.S. would be different
today if Kennedy had
lived? Why or why not?
How did John F. Kennedy
use the media like no
president before him? If
he were in office today,
what do you think his
approach to the media
might be? Use details
from the article to
support your response.
Debate
How would you rank
John F. Kennedy among
American presidents?
Defend your point of view.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What role did Kennedy’s
family play in shaping his
political career?
What significant
challenges did JFK face
in office? How did he
handle them?
Why do you think the
Kennedy White House
was sometimes compared
to Camelot or to royalty
in general?
Why might Kennedy
initially have been
reluctant to tackle civil
rights issues? Why did he
change his mind?
Why do you think there
has been such great
speculation about the
circumstances and
fast factS
details of Kennedy’s
assassination?
How did Kennedy’s
death change the
security around
subsequent presidents?
Is there a downside
to how presidents are
protected today?
JFK was the only U.S.
President to have
received a Purple Heart,
a medal for soldiers
wounded or killed in
the line of duty. A Navy
lieutenant, Kennedy
was injured in the Pacific
during World War II.
•
Curriculum Standards*
www.upfrontmagazine.com
Download news clips of reaction abroad to Kennedy’s assassination.
Subject/NCSS
Common Core
U.s. history
social studies
reading informational text:
• Power, Authority & Governance
• Time, Continuity & Change
literacy in history/social studies:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
nov e m b e r 1 8 , 20 1 3 • u p f r o nt m aga z in e .co m • 3
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graph international
Mexico’s Growth Spurt
This graph shows how Mexico’s GDP growth in
2012 compares with growth in other countries
in the same year. These countries are the world’s
top-15 economies based on overall GDP and are
listed in order from highest to lowest GDP.
W
ith its tech
industry booming
and factories churning
out everything from
automobiles to aerospace
components, Mexico
has attracted attention
for its economic growth
(see article, p. 10). In
2012, Mexico had the
14th-largest gross
domestic product (GDP)
in the world and saw
greater GDP growth than
the U.S. and many other
top economies. GDP is
the value of all goods and
services produced in a
country in a year. It is a
key indicator of economic
health. Financial experts
predict that Mexico could
have the world’s fifthlargest GDP by 2050.
10%
9%
source: the World Bank
SOUTH KOREA (2%)
MEXICO (3.9%)
AUSTRALIA (3.4%)
INDIA (3.2%)
CANADA (1.7%)
SPAIN (-1.4%)
0%
BRAZIL (0.9%)
1%
U.K. (0.3%)
2%
FRANCE (0%)
3%
GERMANY (0.7%)
4%
JAPAN (1.9%)
5%
U.S. (2.2%)
GDP CHANGE, 2012
6%
ITALY (-2.4%)
7%
RUSSIA (3.4%)
CHINA (7.8%)
8%
-1%
-2%
-3%
COUNTRY
analyze the graph
1 Which country or
2 According to the
countries on the
graph had a greater
increase in GDP in
2012 than Mexico?
a
b
c
d
apan
J
China
Australia
all of the above
graph, France’s GDP
____ in 2012.
a increased
significantly
b was about
the same as
Germany’s
c neither
increased nor
decreased
d fell to a record
low
3 At the end of 2012,
Mexico’s GDP was
$1.2 trillion. If it
increases by the
same percentage
in 2013 as it did in
2012, by about how
much will it increase
in 2013?
a
b
c
d
24.4 million
$
$50.2 million
$4.2 billion
$46.8 billion
4 You can infer that
5 You can tell from
Turkey does not
appear on the graph
because ____.
a its GDP was
stagnant in 2012
b its GDP is not
in the top 15 for
2012
c its GDP is under
$1 billion
d its GDP growth
in 2012 was less
than 1 percent
the countries’
positions on the
graph that the U.S.’s
2012 GDP was ____.
a g
reater than
Mexico’s
b less than China’s
c about the same
as Japan’s
d about the same
as India’s
discussion questions
1 What factors do you think might affect a country’s GDP growth rate?
2 What are some of the goods and services that make up the GDP of the U.S.? Based on what you read in the Mexico article, what
are some of the goods and services that make up Mexico’s GDP? How do the two nations’ economies compare?
3 GDP and GDP growth are not the only measures of a country’s economic health. What other economic indicators can you think of?
How is each measure helpful for understanding what’s going on in a country’s economy?
4 What do you predict the lineup of the top 15 global economies will look like a decade from now? Do you think the U.S. will maintain
its position? Explain.
4 •
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quiz 1 national
A 51st State? (p. 6)
1 The 11 Colorado counties pushing to secede from
in-depth questions
4 Before Congress could admit “New Colorado”
the state
a
b
c
d
have a large proportion of young residents.
are known for being ethnically diverse.
are primarily rural.
all of the above
2 Which of these is NOT a demographic change
that the U.S. West has seen in recent decades?
a
b
c
d
The influx of new immigrants has increased
diversity.
Large numbers of young people from other parts
of the U.S. have moved there.
Populations in urban and suburban areas have
increased.
Residents have become more politically
conservative.
3 What sets out the rules for the creation
or “North Colorado” as a state, what would
have to happen?
a
b
c
d
5
According to the article, what state besides
Colorado has residents of some areas pushing
to secede?
a
b
c
d
Maryland
Vermont
Pennsylvania
Florida
the Preamble to the Constitution
Article IV of the Constitution
the 12th Amendment to the Constitution
the Bill of Rights
a
b
c
d
in-depth questions
4 Which of these is NOT one of the factors
hindering the government’s effort to investigate
civil rights era killings?
a
b
c
d
Some witnesses and suspects have died.
Some evidence has been lost.
The Ku Klux Klan has filed a lawsuit challenging
the initiative.
There is limited federal jurisdiction in some cases.
2 How many successful federal prosecutions
have resulted from the federal government’s
initiative to investigate civil rights era killings?
a
b
c
d
none
one
seven
20
3 Why were victims of racially motivated violence
and their families often reluctant to come
forward in the 1950s and ’60s?
a
b
c
d
They feared retaliation.
They lacked faith in the justice system.
both a & b
none of the above
the Colorado
secession effort
will ultimately be
successful? Why
or why not?
print this out
investigate unsolved racially motivated murders
from the civil rights era was named in honor of
Frank Morris.
Wharlest Jackson.
Emmett Till.
Henry Dee.
U.S. would be
stronger, weaker,
or about the same
with a greater
number of smaller
states? Why?
South Dakota.
Alaska.
West Virginia.
North Carolina.
Justice Denied (p. 8)
a
b
c
d
2 Do you think the
as a breakaway from an existing state was
quiz 2 national
1 The 2008 federal law mandating that the F.B.I.
how do you think
“New Colorado” or
“North Colorado”
would be different
from Colorado?
3 Do you think
6 The last state to be admitted to the U.S.
of a new U.S. state?
a
b
c
d
The U.S. Supreme Court would have to review
the request.
Colorado’s legislature would have to approve
the secession.
A nationwide referendum would take place.
all of the above
1 Based on the text,
5 The F.B.I. has sent letters to many families
of victims in civil rights era killings to inform
them that
a
b
c
d
the government has lost its records
in those cases.
the killings of their loved ones were in fact
not racially motivated.
the cases have been solved.
their cases are essentially closed.
1 Do you think the
F.B.I. reopened
civil rights era
cold cases only to
“make a show,” as
Grace Hall Miller
concludes? Explain.
2 Do you believe
that the federal
government has
an obligation to
investigate civil
rights era murders
that have gone
unsolved? Why or
why not?
3 F.B.I. investigator
Adam Lee says that
the public seeks
“emotional closure”
in civil rights cold
cases. What does
he mean? Do you
think the public will
get closure?
nov e m b e r 1 8 , 20 1 3 • u p f r o nt m aga z in e .co m • 5
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quiz 3 international
Mexico’s ‘New Realities’ (p. 10)
1 Which statement does NOT accurately describe
4 Mexico’s exports have increased greatly
Mexico’s current economy?
a
b
c
d
High-skilled jobs have become more plentiful.
The dire poverty of the past has disappeared.
The auto manufacturing and technology
industries are surging.
About 40 percent of Mexicans are middle class.
since 1994, when
a
b
c
d
the elimination of drug cartels fostered
economic growth.
the North American Free Trade Agreement
began.
the nation’s current president first took office.
all of the above
2 Which of the following is true?
5 In the past decade, Mexico doubled its number
a
b
c
d
The majority of illegal immigrants living in the U.S.
are from Mexico.
Illegal immigration from Mexico is at its lowest
level in decades.
A study shows that many illegal immigrants
are returning to Mexico from the U.S.
all of the above
of public colleges, with many dedicated to
a
b
c
d
science and technology.
law enforcement and social services.
American studies.
political science.
in-depth questions
1 In what ways are
the U.S. and Mexico
intertwined?
2 What characterizes
Mexico’s middle
class today? How
is it similar to the
middle class in the
U.S.? How might it
be different?
3 How does the
city of Querétaro
represent the
“new” Mexico?
6 The primary customers for Mexico’s illegal drug
3 Who is Mexico’s president?
a
b
c
d
Diana Negroponte
Andrés Cobos Marín
Enrique Peña Nieto
Juan Pablo Rivera
trade are in
a
b
c
d
South America.
the U.S.
Mexico’s capital, Mexico City.
Mexico’s impoverished countryside.
BRING ROCK AND ROLL INTO YOUR CLASSROOM
ROCK AND ROLL: AN AMERICAN STORY is
a free interdisciplinary online curriculum for
grades 6–12 created by Steven Van Zandt’s Rock
and Roll Forever Foundation. The program is
designed to help educators teach social studies,
language arts, and music. The website includes
lesson plans, video and audio clips, a professional
development area, and more.
Visit TEACHROCK.ORG to learn more.
6 •
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Photo: © Stephen Lovekin/WireImage/Getty Images.
Explore history and culture with a medium that inspires students—music!
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quiz 4 cover story
1963: The Death of a President (p. 16)
1 President John F. Kennedy was assassinated
4 What happened to Lee Harvey Oswald, the
while riding in a motorcade in
a
b
c
d
Washington, D.C.
Birmingham, Alabama.
Dallas, Texas.
Boston, Massachusetts.
suspect in JFK’s assassination?
a
b
c
2 What gave Kennedy an advantage against
Republican candidate Richard M. Nixon in the
1960 presidential election?
d
He was sentenced to life in prison and died of
cancer while awaiting retrial.
He escaped police custody and is believed to have
defected to the Soviet Union.
He was assassinated while being transferred
between jails.
He was executed by lethal injection in 1967.
5 Domestically, President Kennedy was known for
a
b
c
d
Kennedy’s performance in the televised debates
Kennedy’s having been a two-term vice president
the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower
all of the above
3 The Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 was an
attempt to
a
b
c
d
destroy Soviet missile sites in Cuba.
secure the freedom of an American political
prisoner in Cuba.
overthrow Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
none of the above
launching the U.S. space program and
a
b
c
d
creating the Kennedycare federal healthinsurance program.
supporting the civil rights movement.
ending a major economic recession.
none of the above
in-depth questions
1 Why might
Americans have
felt as if they
“knew” Kennedy
better than they
had known past
presidents?
2 What spurred
Kennedy to tackle
civil rights issues
head-on in the
spring of 1963?
3 How did Kennedy’s
assassination
affect security
protocol for future
presidents?
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n ov e m b e r 1 8 , 20 1 3 • u p f r o n t m aga z ine .co m • 7
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cartoon
Analysis
analyze the
political cartoon
1 This cartoon ran in the evening
edition of the Chicago Sun-Times
on November 22, 1963—just
hours after John F. Kennedy
died. How did the cartoonist
depict the nation’s grief?
Go to
2 Why do you think the cartoonist
online
cartoon
of the
week
linked Kennedy to Abraham
Lincoln? What, if any, parallels
do you see between the two
presidents?
3 What challenges did the
cartoonist face in drawing a
cartoon about the assassination?
How was the subject matter
different from other news topics?
4 What words does the image bring
to mind?
5 Why do you think this cartoon
Bill Mauldin •
became one of the best-known
images surrounding the Kennedy
assassination?
Jean Albano
Gallery
Photo Analysis
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analyze the photo
(See p. 8 in magazine.)
1 This 1967 car bombing in
Mississippi killed Wharlest
Jackson, a black man who’d
received threatening letters from
the Ku Klux Klan after being
promoted over white co-workers.
Why do you think Jackson was
targeted in this way?
2 How do you think acts of violence
like this affected the communities
where they took place?
3 What’s the best way for the U.S.
government to handle cold cases
like this one?
AP PHOTO
Essay
Some call Jackson and other
civil rights era murder victims
“martyrs.” What does that mean?
Do you think the label is accurate?
Why or why not?
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