Overview
What makes a whistleblower a traitor? What makes a traitor a whistleblower? Edward Snowden revealed government secrets. What secrets? That the federal government spies on its own citizens through a mass surveillance program it denied existed, even to Congress. The U.S. government canceled Snowden’s passport, considers him a traitor, and he now lives in exile.

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Grade level and subjects
• Recommended for grades 6-12
• Subjects: Government and Other
• Works in Classroom, Hybrid, and Homeschool settings

What students will learn
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• define the terms “traitor” and “whistleblower” and apply the terms to Edward Snowden;
• discuss Edward Snowden’s motives and actions regarding the release of government secrets;
• argue their belief that Edward Snowden is either a traitor or whistleblower; and
• evaluate the actions of Edward Snowden and determine if he should be forced to remain in exile.

Key concepts and terms covered
Exile, Traitor, NSA, and Whistleblower.

Sample discussion questions
• Does the government always do what’s right? Should we always believe what the government tells us? Why might some of our government’s activities differ from what we think?
• “What changed me,” Edward Snowden said, “was a realization that what our government actually does was very different than the public representation of it.” What did he mean?
• Keith Alexander is a retired four-star Army general who served as director of the NSA. James Clapper is a retired Air Force lieutenant general who served as Director of National Intelligence. Both misled Congress in public hearings about the government’s mass surveillance program. Why do you think they were not punished?
• Should Edward Snowden be allowed to return to the Unites States without going to jail? Why/Why not?
• What would you have done? What would you have risked?

What’s in the free teacher’s guide
This printable 8-page Teacher's Guide includes a lesson description, learning objectives, key vocabulary, a fill-in viewing guide with answer key, discussion and analysis questions, and classroom activities.

Standards alignment
Aligned to state standards — use the SITC Standards Tool to match this video to the standards in your state.