October 27, 2015

THE BASICSTopic: Benghazi Hearing

Articles “Trey Gowdy vows closed doors for next Benghazi hearings” (10/26) (WND) “Rep. Trey Gowdy questioned on ‘Meet the Press’ about Benghazi hearing” (10/26) (WYFF4) “Benghazi hearing involves misuse of important government tool” (10/26) (The Washington Post) “Benghazi Hearings Put Spotlight on Democrat Elijah Cummings” (10/22) (Newsweek) “Fact checking Clinton and critics on Benghazi, emails” (10/22) (PBS Newshour) “Ex-Rep. John Dingell: Benghazi panel is not in tradition of congressional oversight” (opinion)

(10/20) (The Washington Post)

Questions to Consider What is the role of the Secretary of State in protecting US diplomats? Is someone to blame for the

Benghazi tragedy? What is the State Department? What is the job of the Secretary of State? What happened in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012? What is the role of the House of Representatives in overseeing the death of 4 Americans in

Benghazi? How do US Ambassadors represent the US in foreign countries Was the Benghazi committee hearing partisan? Was the committee asking important questions?

What could be avoided in a similar threat to US representatives abroad? What is the history of US relations with Libya? Who was Muammar Gaddafi? Who is Sidney Blumenthal? Does the fact that Hillary Clinton is a candidate for President of the United States change her

testimony in the Benghazi hearings? THE EXTRASPre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading

“Ambassador to Libya: Who is Chris Stevens?” (3/18/12) (allgov.com) “Benghazi Mission Attack Fast Facts” (9/4) (CNN) “Member Committees” (Kids in the House) “Violence in the Middle East” (Current Event, 9/18/12; Classroom Law Project)

Lesson Plans

“The Events in Libya: Using Reporting and Multimedia to Understand News” (2011, but good resource!) (The NY Times)

“Congressional Committees and the Legislative Process” (Edsitement!)

What’s the Connection? Constitutional

“Investigations & Oversight” (United States House of Representatives) “The best reason to shut down the Benghazi committee” (opinion) (Vox) “Congressional Investigations” (FindLaw)

Oregon “Oregon’s Walden backs House speaker’s call for select Benghazi committee” (5/2/14) (The

Register Guard)Students

“Higher Education disrupted by war, hopes for recovery” (University World News)

Oregon State Social Science Standards8.17. Examine the development activities of political parties and interest groups and their affect on events, issues, and ideas.8.26. Examine a controversial event, issue, or problem from more than one perspective. HS.9. Identify historical and current events, issues, and problems when national interests and global interest have been in conflict, and analyze the values and arguments on both sides of the conflict.HS.27. Examine functions and process of United States government.HS.31. Describe United States foreign policy and evaluate its impact on the United States and other countries. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events.HS.59. Demonstrate the skills and dispositions needed to be a critical consumer of information.HS.60. Analyze an event, issue, problem, or phenomenon form varied or opposing perspectives or points of view.

CCSS Anchor Standards2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

We the People Lesson ConnectionsMiddle School, Level 2

Unit 6,Lesson 28: What is the relationship of the United States to other nations in the world?

High School, Level 3 Unit 4, Lesson 22: How does Congress perform its functions in the American

Constitutional system? Unit 6, Lesson 38: What are the challenges of the participation of the United States in

world affairs?