Student Timeline Worksheet: Group Three

"Hurricane Katrina and the Blame Game"

Directions:
Your group will be covering a portion of the timeline "Katrina: What Happened When" and answering questions based on the reading. Your job is to analyze how events or individuals might have been responsible for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina. You will be reporting your findings to the class.

Group Three (Sept. 1, 2005 -Sept. 2, 2005):

1. Read the summaries of the articles that cover your time period at: http://www.factcheck.org/article348.html. As a group, decide what criticism might be made of the actions of the following people:
   • President George W. Bush
   • FEMA director Michael Brown
   • New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin
2. What problems did the following people report:
   • CNN Correspondent Adaora Udoji
   • Dr. Sanjay Gupta
   • CNN Correspondent Paula Zahn
   • New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin
   • Red Cross Officials
3. Read the transcript found at: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/nagin.transcript/. As a group, answer the following questions:
   • What were Mayor Ray Nagin's criticisms of President George W. Bush?
   • Why does Mayor Ray Nagin blame the governor, FEMA and Homeland Security for the 17th Street Canal breach?
4. Using information from your reading, take a stand on whom you would blame for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina. Explain your answer and provide supporting information.
5. Using supporting information, organize a short presentation that covers your group's findings on who is to blame for the devastation. Include a recommendation on how this problem could be avoided in the future. Summarize what you will be presenting here.