Chappaquiddick and public accountability
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Teacher preview: this event includes loss, violence, discrimination, or a criminal case. Choose a suitable reading together. No reenactment of harm is needed.
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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.
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Words to know
- responsibility
- a duty to care for something or answer for an action
- record
- information kept so people can use it later
- accountability
- being expected to explain and take responsibility for actions
Mary Jo Kopechne died after a car driven by Senator Edward Kennedy went into water on Chappaquiddick. The event raised serious questions about actions, reporting, and responsibility.
Talk about the reading
What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?
Follow-up: Massachusetts challenges the Vietnam War
Massachusetts tried to bring a court challenge connected to the Vietnam War and the power to send its residents to fight. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the proposed case.
How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.
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Check the evidence
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Original site illustration. Image source and rights ↗
Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.
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