Mini-Lesson

Analyzing the News

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Objective: Students will analyze the timing of protests in Tibet.

1. Locate Tibet on a map or globe. Explain that Tibet is considered to be part of China, but that Tibetans want their independence. Tell students that last week, Tibetans began protesting against Chinese rule, and that those protests became violent on Friday.

2. Tell students that good readers often ask "Why?" more than once as they read an article. Pass out the timeforkids.com news story, Trouble in Tibet. Point out that students already know why people in Tibet have been protesting. Challenge them to think about a more specific "why" question as they read: Why now? Tell students that three possible reasons are mentioned in the article.

3. Have students share their findings. Ask: Do you think the protests would have been more effective if they had remained peaceful? Why or why not?