Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had a lot of enemies, and for good reason. Have students research Hussein’s rise to power and his actions as leader of Iraq. Ask them to create a timeline showing major events in Hussein’s life and in Iraq while he was in charge. As a class, discuss whether the United States should have allowed Saddam Hussein to remain in power.
Here are a few sources to help:
Looking for Smart Stuff? Click here to download Issue 8's edition (PDF).
Answers to the Issue 8 SmartStuff are listed on Page 2 of the Issue 8 Teacher's Guide that accompanies Current Events magazine.
Resources
• Explore the interactive The Battle for Iraq about the people and issues involved in the war at CBS: www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/america_at_war/postwar/framesource_governing.html.
• Watch videos with first-person stories about life in Iraq: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23678923.
• Read the U.S. Congress' authorization to use force in Iraq: www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-2.html.
• Read about the impact of the war on children in Iraq at CBS News: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/11/eveningnews/main679703.shtml.
• For background about Iraq’s major religions and insurgent groups, see: History News Network, Religion Facts, PBS, Frontline, and CBS.
TO CUT OR NOT CUT:
• Watch an interactive dissection of a frog: teach.virginia.edu/go/frog.
• Read the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) position statement on dissection: www.nsta.org/positionstatement&psid=32
• Read the Humane Society’s position on animals in research at www.hsus.org/animals_in_research, and animals in education at www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/animals_in_education/