Current Events Lesson Plan: March 18-23, 2016
Current Event: Terrorist Attacks in Brussels
On March 22, three explosions in the Belgian capital of Brussels killed more than 30 people and injured more than 200 others. Two explosions occurred in the city’s Zaventem airport, killing 11 people. About 30 minutes later, an explosion hit the Maelbeek metro (subway) station, killing 20 people. The Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Two brothers, Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui, both Belgian nationals, are thought to have been the bombers in the airport. The men were caught on closed-circuit television footage. Each brother wore a glove on only one hand, causing experts to believe the gloves hid detonating devices for bombs hidden in the suitcases they were seen with. Less is known about the bomber in the subway attack, but it is known that a bomb was detonated in the middle car of a three-car long train. Brussels is the unofficial capital of the European Union (EU), and so a strike at Brussels is, in some ways, a strike at the heart of Europe. In addition, Belgium has a large immigrant population that has not been well-integrated into the fabric of the small nation, so religious extremism has been a problem in certain areas.
Objective:
Belgium is a small country in northwestern Europe. It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Antwerp is the largest city. Brussels is the capital and chief commercial center. During most of its history, Belgium was a part of large, externally controlled empires. Ancient Rome, Spain, Austria, France, and the Netherlands ruled it at different times. In 1830, Belgium won its independence from the Netherlands and became united as a state. Belgium has two main ethnic groups, a Dutch-speaking people called Flemings, who live in the north, and a French-speaking people called Walloons, who live in the south. A group of German-speaking people live in eastern Belgium. The country is an international center of economic and political activity. A number of international organizations have headquarters in Brussels, including the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore Belgium and other places.
Words to know:
Discussion Topics:
1. There are 49 countries in Europe. Ask your students how many of these countries they can name. (A list of all 49 countries can be found in the “Independent countries of Europe” table in World Book’s Europe article.)
2. Ask your students to debate, “Today, terrorism is the greatest threat to world security”
3. Belgium has a law that all Belgian citizens who are 18 years of age or older must vote in national elections or risk being fined. Ask your students to debate, “All people who are of voting age should be required to vote.”
4. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to create a timeline of terrorist attacks. (Students may wish to use World Book’s Terrorism article for help.)