CNN Presents Classroom Edition: Educator Guide

Inside the War Room

Suggested Activities

Inside the Mind of a General
Throughout history, unique individuals have contributed their intellect and talents to the United States as military leaders. While they may have had different backgrounds, experiences and leadership skills, the generals who have led U.S. troops in battle share common characteristics and philosophies. Write these quotes from three famous U.S. generals on the board:

• "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."---Gen. George Washington
• "If you must fire, do a good job--a few casualties become martyrs, a large number an object lesson."---Gen. George S. Patton
• "Command is lonely."---Gen. Colin Powell

Have each student choose one of the quotes and conduct research to learn more about the general who said it. Based on this research and on information presented in Inside the War Room, have each student write a paper profiling his/her chosen general, what this quote says about him, and what the quote tells us about the qualities of successful military leaders.

Technology in Modern Warfare
Ask students to recall some of the technology they have seen in use in the War in Iraq. Discuss the role of this technology and how it gave coalition forces a huge advantage over the enemy. Divide the class into small groups. Inform students that historians often refer to the U.S. Civil War as the first "modern" war because of the innovations that came into use in this conflict. Direct each group of students to choose one war since the Civil War and conduct research to learn more about the new weapons and technologies used in that war. Have each group offer a formal presentation of its findings, including how technology affected the length of the conflict and its outcome. Compare groups' information to the technology they have seen in the War in Iraq. Ask: Has this technology widened the scope of modern conflict or minimized it? Discuss.

"War Rooms" throughout History
How is the War Room seen in this video different from command headquarters in previous wars? Where did generals of the past, like George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, orchestrate their armies' operations, and under what conditions? Direct students to learn more about the facilities, equipment, and intelligence that commanding officers had in the field in previous conflicts. Then, direct each student to choose one of these settings and write a brief script for a hypothetical CNN Presents program that informs viewers about that "war room" and the strategies and tactics employed by those who commanded it. Have students share their scripts with the class, and ask the class to evaluate each for historical accuracy.

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