NOTE TO STUDENTS: Before answering the questions, read the “Background” below the questions and watch the video under “Resources.”

1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. How did the man who says he was a guard at Maduro's compound list the sequence of events that led up to the "sonic weapon" being deployed?

3. What did the witness experience once the U.S. "launched something"?

4. a) According to an ex-US intelligence source who spoke to the Post, what similar type of weapons has the U.S. military had for years?
b) What capability does the source say these weapons have?
c) Do you think the capability of these weapons could have advanced since the source was working for intel? Explain your answer.

5. a) What message did the Venezuelan guard, who is a Maduro loyalist, have for other US adversaries?
b) What warning did he give?

6. The eyewitness concluded by saying "No one wants to go through what we went through. What happened here is going to change a lot of things — not just in Venezuela, but throughout the region.”
-President Trump said drug “cartels are running Mexico,” and suggested the U.S. military could start land strikes against them there.
-There have also been suggestions that the U.S. could take military action against the Communist leaders of Cuba, and against the drug cartels in Colombia.
a) What do you think? Will the report of the US's use of a sonic weapon affect how these rogue groups act? Explain your answer.
b) Ask a parent the same question.

7. Grok AI's response to the Jan. 12 question: "has the authenticity of the eyewitness account in the u.s. attack on maduro's compound been verified" reads in part:
-No official confirmation
-Media reporting treats it as unverified
-While the broader US raid and Maduro's capture on January 3, 2026, are confirmed historical events, this particular eyewitness story — especially its claims of an advanced sonic weapon causing gruesome incapacitation — remains unverified and anecdotal. It could be genuine, exaggerated, or amplified for effect, but no independent evidence (e.g., multiple corroborating witnesses, medical reports, or official leaks) has surfaced to authenticate it as of now.

The use of any type of sonic weapon has not been confirmed by the U.S.
a) What do you think the probability is of this being true? Explain your answer.
b) Whether it is genuine or not, how do you think U.S. enemies will react to the report of the eyewitness?

8. What questions would you have wanted the Maduro guard to answer?