CNN Student News - March 26, 2014

March 26, 2014

A landslide, a rescue effort, and a state of emergency: Today’s show updates you on a tragic natural disaster in Washington state. We also cover how and why the U.S. first lady is encouraging students to study abroad, though it’s not an option for everyone. And if athletes at Northwestern University are allowed to unionize, it could change the playing field for college sports.

On this page you will find today’s show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, and a place for you to leave feedback.

TRANSCRIPT

Click here to access the transcript of today’s CNN Student News program.

Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published.

DAILY CURRICULUM

Click here for a printable version of the Daily Curriculum (PDF).

Media Literacy Question of the Day:

If you could interview a famous person, whom would you choose, what would you want to ask, and how would you prepare?

Key Concepts: Identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today’s show:

1. debt load

2. NCAA

3. unionize

Fast Facts: How well were you listening to today’s program?

1. In what U.S. state has the governor declared a state of emergency after a recent landslide killed at least 14 people? Explain how landslides happen.

2. What advice does First Lady Michelle Obama have for students who want to study abroad? Where did she receive her first passport stamp? How did she feel about asking her dad to pay for the trip? How did he respond? What did she get out of the experience?

3. According to the report: What is the median debt load for a student with a graduate degree? How does this compare to the debt load graduate students carried in 2004? What factors may be behind this increase?

4. Why is former Northwestern University football player Jeff Yarbrough now unable to run? Why doesn’t he have surgery to correct the problem? What are members of the Northwestern University football team trying to do, and why? How has the university responded? What is the NCAA? How has this organization responded to the players? Why does the law professor in the video argue that unionizing is not the answer to the players’ concerns?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think that the first lady advises young people to “be open” when they study in another country? Have you ever traveled to a place where the people and culture were different from what you knew? If you have, how did the experience impact you?

2. Do you plan to attend college? Is graduate school a possibility for you? If so, how much do you expect to contribute to tuition and other expenses? What options might help exist you pay for your education? Do you think a college degree is worth the cost? Explain. What do you think you could do to minimize the cost of earning a degree?

3. What is your opinion of the Northwestern University football players’ attempt to unionize? Do you see the players as employees of the university, or do you see them as students? Which way do you think the judge should rule? Explain.

CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show and curriculum. We hope you use our free daily materials along with the program, and we welcome your feedback on them.

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