(CNN Student News) -- Record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Notes from North Korea when it airs commercial-free on CNN. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program.)



Program Overview



CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour travels to North Korea as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra makes a historic visit to one of the world's most closed societies. She examines the tense standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons and provides a rare look inside a notorious, top-secret nuclear facility.



Grade Levels: 9 -- 12, College



Subject Areas: U.S. History, World History, Current Events, Political Science, Government



Objectives



The CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Notes from North Korea and its corresponding discussion questions and suggested activities challenge students to:



Curriculum Connections



Social Studies



Standard VI. Power, Authority, and Governance: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance.



The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands/) are published by the National Council for Social Studies (http://ncss.org/).



United States History



Standard 27. Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics



Level IV [Grade 9-12]



Benchmark 1. Understands U.S. foreign policy from the Truman administration to the Johnson administration



Standard 30. Understands developments in foreign policy and domestic politics between the Nixon and Clinton presidencies



Level IV [Grade 9-12]



Benchmark 5. Understands the influence of U.S. foreign policy on international events from Nixon to Clinton



Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks ), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990.



World History



Standard 44. Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world



Level IV [Grade 9-12]



Benchmark 11. Understands common arguments of opposition groups in various countries around the world, common solutions they offer, and the position of these ideas with regard to Western economic and strategic interests



Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks ), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990.



Civics



III. How Does The Government Established By The Constitution Embody The Purposes, Values, And Principles Of American Democracy?



4. Major responsibilities of the national government in domestic and foreign policy



IV. What Is The Relationship Of The United States To Other Nations And To World Affairs?



1. Nation-states



2. Interactions among nation-states



4. The historical context of United States foreign policy



5. Making and implementing United States foreign policy



6. The ends and means of United States foreign policy



7. Impact of the American concept of democracy and individual rights on the world



The National Standards for Civics and Government (http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=stds) are published by the Center for Civic Education (http://www.civiced.org/).



Discussion Questions



1. Who is the leader of North Korea? According to the report, how do North Koreans regard this leader? What aspects of his personality are revealed in the program?



2. According to the program, North Korea is a "closed society." What does this mean?



3. How does the report describe the history of U.S.-North Korea relations? According to the report: What tensions currently exist between these two nations? What humanitarian and political concerns exist in North Korea?



4. Why do you think that North Korea invited the New York Philharmonic to play, and decided to open the Yongbyon nuclear facility to the media at this point in time? Why are these events historically and politically significant?



5. Who is Madeline Albright? When and where did she meet with Kim Jong-Il?
What started the conflict between the U.S. and North Korea? Where is the historic concert taking place? Who's concert? Who had a standoff with North Korea? Their standoff? Where did the New York Philharmonic hold a historic concert? What is the standoff over? Who was in a standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons? Who is having a standoff with the U.S.? Who is having a historic concert?
nuclear weapons North Korea New York Philharmonic Orchestra U.S. the tense standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons North Korea nuclear weapons North Korea North Korea New York Philharmonic Orchestra
question: What started the conflict between the U.S. and North Korea?, answer: nuclear weapons | question: Where is the historic concert taking place?, answer: North Korea | question: Who's concert?, answer: New York Philharmonic Orchestra | question: Who had a standoff with North Korea?, answer: U.S. | question: Their standoff?, answer: the tense standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons | question: Where did the New York Philharmonic hold a historic concert?, answer: North Korea | question: What is the standoff over?, answer: nuclear weapons | question: Who was in a standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons?, answer: North Korea | question: Who is having a standoff with the U.S.?, answer: North Korea | question: Who is having a historic concert?, answer: New York Philharmonic Orchestra