Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated PressThe flag flew at half-staff at the Capitol on Sunday.7:49 a.m., Jan. 13 | Updated
Representative Gabrielle Giffords was seriously injured after being shot in the head while meeting with constituents in Tucson on Saturday. The police say that 20 people were shot, six of whom were killed. Among the dead are John M. Roll, the chief federal judge in Arizona, and a 9-year-old girl.
Below are several ways to begin discussions with your students about the shooting. We will continue to update this post in the days to come.
Please tell us how you’re addressing this event in your classroom o...
Update, Jan. 13: Discuss The Role of the President: “Moments of national despair — assassinations, space shuttle accidents, terrorist attacks, natural disasters — have been the defining moments for many presidents, as they try to strike a precise balance of resolve and sympathy,” Sarah Wheaton writes in her introduction to the Times interactive “Executive Consolation,”which features video of Presidents Obama, Bush, Clinton, Reagan and Johnson as they sought to unite the country after past tragedies.
Did you watch President Obama’s speech in Tucson on Jan. 12? What moments stood out for you? How successful do you think he was in uniting the nation and elevating the discussion? Compare this speech to past presidential speeches in similar circumstances. Do you think it will be a “defining moment” for President Obama? Why or why not?
