6.5 The Recent Past (Q2-Q4)

Reorder

Drag these events into chronological order from first to last occurring.

• the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States

• The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan

• The U.S. invasion of Iraq

• The U.S. withdrawal from Iraq

• The death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Multiple Choice

Why is it important to stay informed about current events in recent history?

• It helps us understand the world around us and make informed decisions.

• It allows us to ignore important issues.

• It makes us more popular among friends.

• It prevents us from learning new things.

Open Ended

What surprised you most about the behind-the-scenes of a morning news show?

Poll

Career alert! Have you ever thought about a career in journalism? Or, as a camera operator? Maybe in the control room of a news station? 

Of the newsroom careers below, which one would you be MOST interested in? 

• News anchor - in front of the camera, delivering news from the desk

• Camera operator - managing the camera equipment/angles

• Visual/Audio Engineer - manages the sounds and visuals of the newscast

• News producer - behind the scenes, piecing all the stories into one broadcast

• Social media manager - manages the online presence of a news organizaiton

Open Ended

Where do you get your news?

Multiple Choice

Take a guess! ____ in 10 teenagers are exposed to conspiracy theories on social media at least once per week. 

• 2

• 4

• 6

• 8

Multiple Choice

Take a guess! Of those teenagers, _____% believe at least one of the conspiracy theories they are exposed to. 

• 43

• 81

• 57

• 76

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a key feature of a reliable news source?

• It presents information with minimal bias and checks facts.

• It only reports positive news.

• It always agrees with your personal beliefs.

• It uses sensational headlines to attract readers.

Open Ended

Why is it important to evaluate the reliability of sources when learning about current events?

Open Ended

How has the rise of social media platforms changed the way people access and share information about current events?

Multiple Choice

According to populists, who do elite leaders fail to represent?

• The common person

• The wealthy elite

• Foreign governments

• Business owners

Poll

What do you think: Do leaders and politicians represent the interests of the "common" person?

• Yes, they do a great job representing citizens

• No, they do not represent our interests at all

• Somewhat...my beliefs fall in the middle

Multiple Choice

What was surprising about the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to most polls and media coverage?

• Donald Trump won the popular vote by a large margin

• Hillary Clinton won both the popular and electoral vote

• Donald Trump won the electoral vote despite losing the popular vote

• Hillary Clinton was predicted to lose by a large margin

Draw

This is the electoral college map for the 2016 presidential election. What stands out to you? 

Open Ended

Which of the events stood out most to you from Trump's first presidency (2016 - 2020)? Why?

Multiple Select

Which of the following actions were taken by the U.S. government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?

• Established the White House Coronavirus Task Force

• Declared COVID-19 a public health emergency

• Closed all international borders permanently

• Monitored, prevented, contained, and mitigated the spread of COVID-19

Open Ended

How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact your life specificially?

Open Ended

What is one thing you want future generations to know about the COVID-19 pandemic?

Multiple Choice

Why is it important to learn about events from the recent past, such as those from 2023 to 2025?

• To understand how past events shape our present and future

• Because history is only about ancient times

• To memorize dates for exams

• Because nothing changes over time

2023 in review: Major events that shaped this year | wnep.com

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Open Ended

From the CBS news article, pick ONE event from 2023. Summarize the event for your classmates in 1-2 sentences. Identify why this event is significant/why we should care about it.

Open Ended

What are 2 events from 2024 that you think should be recorded as 'major events' of this year?

Open Ended

A lot has happened in 2025. Take a second to look up major news stories from 2025. Try to find a reliable news source. Pick one and post the link here.

Open Ended

Take a look at the attached picture. Each generation listed the 10 top events that "shaped their generation." What are some events that you would say have shaped YOUR generation. Try to list at least 2!