March 14-20, 2013, Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event:
A wave of deadly bombings in and around Baghdad, primarily in Shi`ite Muslim neighborhoods, left at least 48 people dead and hundreds injured on the 10th anniversary of the United States-led invasion of Iraq. The coordinated attacks included at least 15 car bombings, multiple roadside bombings, and shootings by snipers, all during the morning rush hour in the Iraqi capital. A militant group known as the Islamic State of Iraq, which includes al-Qa`ida in Iraq, is known to have accelerated its attacks on Shi`ite targets in an attempt to bring down the Shi`ite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The Iraqi government is largely deadlocked, with Maliki at odds with Kurds in the north, most Sunni groups, and even factions within his own Shi`ite community.
Objective:
The Iraq War was fought between 2003 and 2011. Before the war, U.S. President George Bush repeatedly claimed that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his government were a threat to the security of the United States and other countries. The Bush administration accused Hussein of illegally developing and possessing weapons of mass destruction. It also argued that links existed between Hussein’s government and terrorist organizations, including al-Qa`ida, the group responsible for the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. In March 2003, a U.S.-led coalition launched an attack on Iraq. By the following month, coalition forces held all of Iraq’s major cities. Hussein was captured in December 2003 and executed three years later. Many Iraqis celebrated the fall of Hussein’s government. However, many also opposed the presence of U.S. and other foreign forces in Iraq. After President Bush declared the end of major combat operations in May 2003, numerous guerrilla attacks, bombings, and other violent acts continued in Iraq. Nearly 5,000 coalition soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis died in the war. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore the Iraq War and its aftermath.
Words To Know:
• Baghdad
• George Walker Bush
• Saddam Hussein
• Iraq
• Iraq War
• Nouri al-Maliki
• Muslims
• Persian Gulf War of 1991
• Al-Qa`ida
• September 11 terrorist attacks
• Shi`ite
• Terrorism
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students what they know about Iraq. (They might say that Iraq is in the Middle East; Baghdad is Iraq’s capital and largest city; the majority of Iraq’s people are Muslims; oil plays a vital role in Iraq’s economy.)
2. The Iraq War began when George Bush was president. Ask your students what other events happened when Bush was president. (They might say the September 11 terrorist attacks; Hurricane Katrina; a massive tsunami in the Indian Ocean.)
3. Ask your students to debate, “When is war acceptable?”
4. Ask your students to use the World Book’s Timelines feature to create a timeline of the Iraq War. (Students may wish to use World Book’s Iraq War article.)