Rough reception for Ahmadinejad at Columbia

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Editorial Writing - All Four ELA Standards

President Bush has labeled Iran and their leaders as members of the Axis of Evil. Many feel our two nations are marching towards a destructive and possibly nuclear war in the coming months. Today's lesson looks at Iranian President Admadinejad's visit to New York and his message to the American people.

TV Component
CBS News 60 Minutes had an interview with President Ahmadinejad. View the video clip twice and then answer the Multiple-Choice Quiz.

Newspaper Component
The Newsday story "Rough reception for Ahmadinejad at Columbia" explores the controversy surrounding his speech at New York's Columbia University. Read the piece and then using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component
"It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them." Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Following the Equator (1897)

One of the founding principles of our nation is freedom of speech. Yet the appearance of Iranian President Ahmadinejad at Columbia University has stirred up much conflict and anger and has put this very freedom to the forefront of the debate.

Situation
Write an EDITORIAL on your feelings about our nation's freedom of speech and the reception President Ahmadinejad received in New York and at the University.

The Nature and Structure of an EDITORIAL
An EDITORIAL is a persuasive style of communication. Writers present their opinion on an issue and try to sway readers to adopt their position. Typical of all formal styles of writing, editorials follow a set pattern and are usually divided into 3 paragraphs.

INTRODUCTION
Editorials begin with the TOPIC, where in short, direct sentences the issue is stated. Details about the SETTING and CAST are presented next. These sentences tell WHO the major players are and WHERE the issue is being played out. The final sentence is where the writer presents his/her OPINION. This is a "grabber" that makes the reader want to read the rest of the editorial to discover why the writer feels this way.

BODY
This section contains the facts that support your opinion. An editorial is more than a statement of how you feel. It is a collection of the important information that led you to "feel" the way you do. Begin this section with the details about Ahmadinejad's visit to New York and the controversy it has produced. Be sure to organize the information in an ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, with major relevant details appearing early in the paragraph and less important details later.

This section may be longer than just one paragraph depending on how many facts and details you gather from the article and television news story. Use the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle and answers to the Multiple-Choice Quiz as a RUBRIC to see if all the important facts have been included and described.

CONCLUSION
This section of an editorial is reserved for the opinions of the writer. Does free speech apply to all? Is Ahmadinejad worth listening to? Does political pressure and media coverage slant our opinions and deafen us all to open discussion? End this section with a look to the future. Is our nation drifting towards another war and if so, does Iran deserve the chance to speak its piece, using our freedoms and right?