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Tibet on Fire

U.S. President George W. Bush called Chinese President Hu Jintao on March 26. They discussed Tibet, among other things. That much, everyone seems to agree on. The tenor of the conversation, and how concerned the U.S. president was about Tibet depended on who was describing the conversation. Have students read the following reports about that phone call from The White House, Xinhua, and The Associated Press. Then, as a class, discuss the differences among those reports. Why might the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, stress Bush’s support for China’s policies, while the White House did not? Why might the White House press release refer to the president’s “concerns” about Tibet, while Xinhua does not? Which country’s government would be most likely to agree with The Associated Press's report?

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Answers to this week's SmartStuff are listed on Page 2 of the Issue 22 Teacher's Guide that accompanies Current Events magazine.

Resources

To download the Teacher's Guide click here (PDF).

Tibet on Fire

Learn more about Tibet by clicking here and here. For photos and descriptions of rural Tibet compiled by an American who spent several years there, check out this blog.
For a timeline of Tibet’s struggles with the Chinese government, click here.
Learn more about the Dalai Lama and his government in exile.
Find out what advocates for a free Tibet are doing and saying. Here are a few leading advocacy groups: Students for a Free Tibet, International Campaign for Tibet, Free Tibet Campaign.

Paper or Plastic?

Scientists picked through the New York City trash to find out exactly what goes into the landfills. The city has a recycling program, but the scientists still found that a lot of recyclable materials were thrown out instead. Have students study the pie charts breaking down the contents of the New York City trash. Ask them what they can learn from those charts. Do they think New York City's recycling program is doing a good job? Where is it falling short? Have students write proposals for how New York City (or your city) could improve its recycling program.
Learn more about plastics from the American Chemistry Council.
Learn common misconceptions about recycling plastics at The Ecology Center.

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