Lesson Plan - The War for Iraq

Build Background and Vocabulary

Have students use the interactive atlas and almanac to research information about Iraq. (Click “Atlas & Almanac” in the top menu at junior.scholastic.com. Select “World Atlas.” Then zoom in on Iraq and click its name.) Have students write three sentences with facts about Iraq.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms dictator, nuclear weapon, terrorist, occupy, democracy, regime, insurgent, Sunni, Shia, civilian, coalition, Congress, correspondent, satellite, embed, and siege. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. As students read, direct them to highlight or write a question mark next to any details they have questions about. After reading, you might have students discuss the details in pairs or as a class.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• When and why did the U.S. and its allies invade Iraq? (Central Ideas)
The U.S. and its allies invaded Iraq on March 19, 2003. They wanted to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from power because they thought he possessed weapons of mass destruction. U.S. President George W. Bush also believed Hussein was supporting terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, which had attacked the U.S. on September 11, 2001.

• What evidence supports the statement that “the situation soon began to unravel” after allied forces occupied Iraq? (Text Evidence)
While some Iraqis welcomed the outsiders who ended Hussein’s dictatorship, others fought against their presence. Insurgent groups frequently attacked the foreign troops. When the U.S. disbanded Hussein’s army, thousands of Iraqi soldiers joined the insurgent groups. Without Hussein’s strict control, Sunni and Shia Muslims began to fight each other in a power struggle. Ordinary Iraqis were caught in a swirl of violence, and the U.S. found itself in a struggle that would last for years.

• Summarize the section “The Road to War.” (Summarizing)
Tensions in the Middle East were not new. In 1980, Hussein attacked Iran, and the U.S. helped him. In 1990, Hussein invaded Kuwait, but the U.S. built a coalition to stop him. The First Gulf War forced Iraq to leave Kuwait, but Hussein stayed in power. He brutally put down uprisings against his rule and used poison gas against insurgents and civilians. In October 2002, a year after 9/11, the U.S. Congress authorized action against Hussein.

• Who is Anne Garrels? What was her role during the Iraq War? (Key Details)
Garrels is a journalist who worked as a correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) for 23 years and continues to contribute to NPR programs. She reported from Iraq for eight years, starting in 2002. Her job was to tell Americans what was happening during the conflict and to share details accurately. For example, she reported that U.S. Marines had pulled down a statue of Hussein when other journalists inaccurately reported that Iraqi citizens had pulled it down.

• What challenges did Garrels face while covering the war? (Reading Closely)
Because Iraq was under no-fly zones, Garrels had to get to Iraq by making a dangerous journey through Jordan. She had to hide the satellite phone she used for her reports from the Iraqi government. Several times, Garrels was caught in the fighting. During the battle for Fallujah in 2004, she was embedded with Marines, and one next to her was shot as they crawled through the streets.

• What does Garrels mean when she says “I definitely was in Iraq much too long”? (Making Meaning)
Garrels means that she probably should not have stayed in Iraq for eight years. She says that her experiences in a war zone affected her sleep and made it hard to face another day at times. However, she was driven to find out what would happen next and how the situation would end.

• How has the Iraq War affected the U.S. and Iraq? What has happened since? (Cause and Effect)
Many Americans have debated whether the invasion was a mistake because no weapons of mass destruction or links between Hussein and Al Qaeda were ever found. Although Iraq had its first successful elections with U.S. support in 2005, the country has continued to suffer from waves of political instability and violence. The U.S. pulled most troops out in 2011. However, the rise of the terrorist group Islamic State caused the U.S. to send forces back to Iraq in 2014. Today about 2,500 American troops remain in Iraq. 

• What are two other questions you would ask Garrels? Why? (Asking Questions)
Responses will vary.

Read a Timeline

Assign the Skill Builder Timeline: Iraq in Conflict to have students learn more about key events in Iraq from 1968 to the present. Have students read the timeline and answer the questions about it in pairs, in groups, or independently.

Assess Comprehension

Use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.