MARCH, 2006, KEY NEWSPAPER

LESSON PLANS

Activity #1- Read the article titled “Congress Debates Changes to U.S. Immigration Laws”

1. The article suggests that Immigration Laws need to be changed; what is Immigration?

2. Compare and contrast the debates the Congress is having regarding the proposed changes in policy.

3. What does President Bush want to happen?

4. How does the article describe amnesty?

5. T/F – Republican Senator Charles Grassley is against amnesty? Discuss.

6. What do the Wisconsin Senators Kohl and Feingold support?

7. How do you explain 12 million illegal aliens living in the United States?

8. Describe two ways people in the U.S. gain citizenship?

9. Discussion: Are there illegal immigrants in Milwaukee? In Wisconsin? Do you personally know some? Do you think it is good or bad that they are here? How would you change things?

Activity #2 – Read the article titled “Taxes are due on April 15…Are you ready?

1. Every year, if you have worked, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires we fill out tax forms; when are the completed forms due each year?

2. Why are there 5 ways to define yourself to the IRS and why are there 3 versions of the basic tax for1040?

3. It is not stated in the article, however, do you know some other names for “earned income?”

4. What are W-2 forms? How many should you receive?

5. Besides wages and salary earned income, what other kinds of income must be reported?

6. T/F - This article provides a checklist for you to use as you prepare your taxes?

7. List some of the common mistakes people make on their tax returns.

8. Explain the two ways to submit your tax forms.

9. Where is help available?

Article #3 – Read the article titled, “Wisconsin Soldier, 21, Dies in Iraq.”

1. In what branch of the U.S. service was the latest soldier who died in Iraq?

2. Who was the Wisconsin soldier and where was he from?

3. List 4 personal things about this Marine.

4. When did the Iraq war start?

5. List the statistics given of Americans killed or injured in the Iraq War.

6. Show the connection between the bombing and the violence stating a cause and effect situation.

Article #4 Read the article “Heart Disease Is the Silent Killer of Women.”

1. If one in nine women aged 45 to 64 has heart disease, what percentage is that?

2. Why is high blood pressure a major cause of heart disease and called the “silent killer?”

3. Define “Angina.”

4. Why is it important to recognize angina?

5. List some ways to reduce heart disease?

6. Where can you get more information?

Article #5 Read article “State Voters will Decide on Definition of Marriage.”

1. Do the state Republican Senate and Assembly want the Same-Sex Marriage Amendment to pass so more Republicans will vote in the November election?

2. Is the proposed change or amendment written so it leads to discrimination of gays and lesbians?

3. Do people agree or disagree about same-sex marriage?

4. Will voters understand they should vote no to stop the amendment?

5. What issues does Governor Doyle focus on?

Article #6 Read the article titled “March Madness Is Here Again.”

1. Define “March Madness.”

2. How many teams participate?

3. Explain the term “seedings.”

4. Name the Wisconsin teams in the tournament.

5. UW-Milwaukee had been in the tournament how many times?

6. By the time you read this we will know what happens to the Wis. Basketball teams; does anyone remember?

Article #7 - Read the article titled “U.S. Olympic Team Ends with Medals and Disappointments.”

1. Where were the Winter Olympics held this February and where will they be held 4 years from now?

2. How many medals did the U.S. athletes win?

3. What type of medal is given for first, second and third places?

4. Explain four disappointments for the performers.

5. List some of the good news.

6. T/F - “This (Olympics) has been an incredible performance.”

Article #8– Read the article titled “The Lives of Hmong Women will be Subject of Exhibit.”

1. Photographs & stories of Hmong women’s lives will be on exhibit where and when?

2. What countries did the Hmong women in Wisconsin originally come from?

3. Why would Kou Van and Christa Xiong want to highlight the Hmong?

4. Is there sad history involved? What is it?

Article #9 – Read the article titled “Arab Company Will Not Take Control of U.S. Ports.”

1. Describe the plan for some U.S. ports that President Bush announced.

2. What happened to the plan? Why did the company do that?

3. Is it fact or opinion that port security would suffer if a foreign company operated some ports?

4. Who advised members of Congress about the plan?

5. Was there a problem that got overlooked in all the discussion?

6. Describe the political problem the plan’s defeat might cause.

7. The six ports have been run by a British company. Explain the difference between that arrangement and the new plan.

8. What constitutes the UAE and how big is it?

Article #10 – Read the article titled “Report Says Smoking Causes 8,000 Deaths a year in Wisconsin.”

1. List some statistics about health problems from tobacco in Wisconsin?

2. Besides lung cancer, smoking may cause what other diseases?

3. What proportion of Wis. residents smoke?

4. T/F – Only smokers are affected by tobacco related health problems.

5. Are there other serious smoking related problems?

Article #11 - Read the article titled “Over-the-Counter Drugs.”

1. Define “Over the Counter drugs.”

2. T/F - Because they are non-prescription, you can assume OTC drugs are safe no matter how you use them.

3. The FDA has passed a new law regarding OTC drugs. How will the label look?

4. List the items of information that must be included on labels.

5. Explain “active ingredient.”

6. How will the new label help me?

a) It will help me compare products,

b) The product will work its best because you can use it the right way,

c) You will have all the information you need,

d) all of the above.

7. Where can I get more information?

MARCH, 2006 KEY NEWSPAPER

ANSWERS

Article #1- Discussion: What is immigration? Part of the word is migrate: to move or

resettle; immigrate: to move to a country where you are not native.

They have had 4 bills introduced on immigration, no agreement, and emotions run high. Contrast, the president will decide whether to sign any legislation; two bodies, the Senate and House of Representatives will bring forth, some legislatures want illegal immigrants to return to their home countries.

2. President Bush wants a plan that would give temporary worker rights to illegal immigrants.

3. Amnesty allows the government to forgive a person for doing something wrong.

4. T/F – True, Sen. Grassley said, “If it looks, acts and smell like amnesty, then it is amnesty.”

5. Kohl and Feingold support a bill that would make illegal immigrants eligible to stay permanently, requires them to pay back taxes and to learn English.

6. They fill jobs that Americans cannot or will not do, so many feel the economy needs them.

7. a.) People who are born here are automatic citizens, b.) People get proper permission from the Government to live here.

8. Have a lively discussion; answers will vary depending upon the site.

Article #2.

1.) April 15.

2.) Different tax rates apply depending on how you identify

yourself (single, married, etc) and on the kind and amount of income you

have. (See Do a headcount and Choose your Forms.)

3.) Wages and salary.

4.) W-2 forms are wage and tax statements you receive for your employer, you should get one from every place you have worked at the beginning of the year.

5.) Dividends and interest.

6.) Yes/True

7.) They forget their Social Security number, math not correct, forms not

signed, W-2 forms not attached to return.

8.) Mailed and sent to IRS processing center listed on instruction book or

returned by computer electronically.

9.) IRS best place have many publications, or call and get recorded messages-1-

800-829-3676 or 1-800-829-4477; the public library; Volunteer programs

such as (VITA), Tax counseling for the elderly (TCE), help available for older, disabled, low-income, non-English speaking and MATC, Milwaukee provides free tax help.

Article #3. 1.) Marines 2.) Adam VanAlstine, 21 year old Marine from Superior, Wisconsin. 3.) He dreamed about being a Marine since he was a little boy; he was a 2003 Superior High School Grad, and well like; He displayed la lot of character and discipline; he sent his pregnant sister a card, saying he was defending the greatest country in the world and to tell her newborn. 4.) March, 2003 5.) 2,500Americans killed, 52 Wisc Soldiers, and 16,000 wounded. 6) Bombing of Shiite mosque, Feb. 22, was a cause and the effect was more than 500 people have died since then. Another possible effect could be a civil war in Iraq.

Article #4 – 1.) 11percent. 2.) Most people who have it do not feel sick. 3.) It is a pain or tightness in the chest during physical activity or stress. 4.) It is a key sign of heart disease. 5.) Stop Smoking, exercise daily, get blood pressure checked often, get blood cholesterol checked, use less salt, control diabetes, eat properly. 6.) National High Blood Pressure Education program Information Center, 1-301-592-8573 or www.ninds.nih.gov/

Article #5 – 1.) Opponents say amendment supporters want to get more voters that are Republicans to the polls in November to try and defeat the Democratic Governor. 2.) Yes, some feel gays and lesbians should have the same rights as heterosexuals, such as health benefits, property rights, power of attorney, care of dependent children. Plus, the way the proposed amendment is written, it also makes illegal those common law couples. 3. Many agree and many disagree, see specific quotes. 4.) No, the proposed amendment is not clearly written. 5.) Gov. Doyle is working for families, education, health care, and energy costs, are what is important to the Gov. right now, not same-sex marriage.

Article #6 –March Madness is the name given to the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament. 2.) 65 teams. 3.) The ranking of teams from 1-16 based on how good they play. 4.) Marquette University, UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. 5.) 3 times. 6.) all lost, did not go on.

Article #7- 1.) Torino, Italy, next-Vancouver, Canada. 2.) Won 25 medals. 3.) 9 gold medals for first place, Silver medals for 2^nd place and bronze medals for third place. 4.) Michelle Kwan, figure skater, was injured; Skier Bode Miller lost; Women’s Hockey team won only bronze instead of gold, feud between skaters, Shani David and Chad Hedrick. 5.) U.S. snowboarders won 7 medals; Speed skater, Joey Cheek won gold in 500 meters, donated his $25,000 and then $15,000 to famine victims in Sudan, others donated; and he raised $250,000 for Sudan famine victims. 6.) True-reported Jim Scherr, U.S. Olympic Committee, head.

Article #8 – 1.) “Portraits of Hmong Women” will go on exhibit at Cardinal Stritch University, April 21 until May 4, 2006. 2.) Thailand and Laos. 3.) They found very little reference in history books about Hmong women. 4.) yes, some women escaped communism, were abused and separated from their children.

Article #9 - 1.) Pres. Bush wanted a foreign government company to run six of the nation’s largest ports. 2.) The company withdrew the plan, because our U.S. Congress refused to go along with the Pres. Bush. 3.) opinion 4.) No one, they learned from the news. 5.) Yes, more cargo should have been inspected. 6.) The defeat helped lower Pr. Bush’s low ratings even more. Many Republican Congresspersons are up for re-election this year. 7.) The government of the United Arab Emirates owns the company at the center of the dispute, not the British government. 8.) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a small Arab nation made of up seven smaller states with about 2.5 million people.

Article #10 – 1.) More than 8,000 die in Wis., 1 out of 6 deaths due to smoking, lung cancer the most cause of death, cost of health care $2.16 billion & more.

2.) Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, low birth rate. 3) 1of 5.- 4.) False, second- hand smoke causes 853 deaths a year. 5.) Fires caused by burning cigarettes kill 12 people a year; 9 children die from tobacco smoke; SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome, high price in human lives lost to smoking.

Article #11. – 1. They are drugs you can buy without a prescription. 2.) False, important to read label, to use the right way. 3.) “Drug Facts” must be on the label, It will use common words, easy to understand, print will be bigger, label will be in the same place on every product. 4.) Active Ingredients, Purposes, Uses, Warnings, Directions, Inactive Ingredients, discuss more 5.) Active Ingredients are those in the product that makes it work. 6.) D - all of the above. 7.) U.S. Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov/cder/otc/labelquesanswers.htm or call 1-888-463-6332.