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War Forces Some Teachers to Change Lesson Plans
Aired April 02, 2003 - 13:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The war has forced some teachers to change their lesson plans. In addition to reading, writing and math, schools are also explaining war.
CNN's Mary Snow talked to teachers and students at a New Jersey school.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Monday morning at the Beth (ph) Middle School and week two of the war. By first appearances, these students may look carefree, without a worry in the world. But the world has become their worry. This is Mrs. Nieves' eighth grade social studies class.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning everyone. Everyone watch the news over the weekend?
SNOW: Today's lesson, the Geneva Conventions. The topic will lead the students into what's happening with the war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard there is 4,000 men willing to die for the Iraqi government. So that's what I'm most worried about.
SNOW: Teachers find themselves balancing fears, facts, and politics.
It's got to be tough as a teacher to walk that line.
CINDI NIEVES, 8TH GRADE TEACHER: It is. It is. It is hard because you want to make sure that you're providing them with a safe atmosphere where they can feel like they can come in and they can talk about what they need to talk about.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Constitution gives us a right to -- freedom of speech and freedom of speech lets us speak out against the president, or if you agree with the president, it doesn't matter.
NIEVES: We have two sides to every issue and that's what I try to teach my kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're allowing our students and our librarians and our teachers to work together to decide how best to go about this. I don't think there's a simple formula for every school and for every student. SNOW (on camera): Students at the middle school in New Jersey say they don't feel comfortable talking about the war with their friends. But they say they feel more comfortable talking about it with their parents at home or in the safety of the classroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you worry about the future at all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother is already like 18 and he could go into the war and just thinking about that is kind of frightening. So usually I try to keep up with it to understand what's going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's definitely going to play a large part in our future because it's going to determine what sorts of jobs and professions we go into.
SNOW (voice-over): Beyond their grown-up concerns, they can be just kids too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just worried when it's actually going to stop and when is the war going to be over and when is everything going to go back to normal?
SNOW: Mary Snow for CNN, Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 2, 2003 - 13:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The war has forced some teachers to change their lesson plans. In addition to reading, writing and math, schools are also explaining war.
CNN's Mary Snow talked to teachers and students at a New Jersey school.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNNfn CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Monday morning at the Beth (ph) Middle School and week two of the war. By first appearances, these students may look carefree, without a worry in the world. But the world has become their worry. This is Mrs. Nieves' eighth grade social studies class.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning everyone. Everyone watch the news over the weekend?
SNOW: Today's lesson, the Geneva Conventions. The topic will lead the students into what's happening with the war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard there is 4,000 men willing to die for the Iraqi government. So that's what I'm most worried about.
SNOW: Teachers find themselves balancing fears, facts, and politics.
It's got to be tough as a teacher to walk that line.
CINDI NIEVES, 8TH GRADE TEACHER: It is. It is. It is hard because you want to make sure that you're providing them with a safe atmosphere where they can feel like they can come in and they can talk about what they need to talk about.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Constitution gives us a right to -- freedom of speech and freedom of speech lets us speak out against the president, or if you agree with the president, it doesn't matter.
NIEVES: We have two sides to every issue and that's what I try to teach my kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're allowing our students and our librarians and our teachers to work together to decide how best to go about this. I don't think there's a simple formula for every school and for every student. SNOW (on camera): Students at the middle school in New Jersey say they don't feel comfortable talking about the war with their friends. But they say they feel more comfortable talking about it with their parents at home or in the safety of the classroom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you worry about the future at all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother is already like 18 and he could go into the war and just thinking about that is kind of frightening. So usually I try to keep up with it to understand what's going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's definitely going to play a large part in our future because it's going to determine what sorts of jobs and professions we go into.
SNOW (voice-over): Beyond their grown-up concerns, they can be just kids too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just worried when it's actually going to stop and when is the war going to be over and when is everything going to go back to normal?
SNOW: Mary Snow for CNN, Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
