BOOKNOTES Teacher Guide John Laurence, discusses his book The Cat From Hue: A Vietnam Story. This lesson plan can be used to examine how the Vietnam War was covered by John Laurence, a correspondent for CBS News during the war.

Step One: Background
Have students do some preliminary research on the city of Hue. They should identify the following topics: the physical location of the city, the history of military actions there during the Vietnam War, and what Hue is like today.

Step Two: Discussion
Have students talk about what they think it would have be like to be a news reporter during war time. Consider the differences of reporting on various wars in American History. Do they think that the role of the war reporter has changed over time? If so, how?

After Viewing Booknotes

Discussion
Have students discuss their answers from the section above. What is their reaction to the interview? How did they feel about seeing actual footage of Mr. Laurence reporting during the war?

Activity
Compare reports from the Vietnam War to the military engagement in central Asia. Has the focus of reporting changed or has it stayed the same? What types of things or what topics are most frequently reported? Have students write a short essay explaining what they believe has changed and what has stayed the same.