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After World War II, the United States became a global leader. Former President Harry Truman gets much of the credit for that. His “Truman Doctrine” was the basis for U.S. foreign policy after WWII, promoting strength abroad, which protected the U.S. and its allies and promoted international partnerships. President Donald Trump’s doctrine of “America First” threatens to reverse this by reshaping America’s role in the world, potentially antagonizing allies and, some fear, making America less secure. This audio story looks at the history behind the Truman Doctrine and how events today could permanently shift America’s role in the world.
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Story Length: 3:44
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Men serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War suffered extreme stress as they prepared daily for nuclear war. But when the Cold War ended, they were not recognized as veterans because they weren’t technically in combat. In this audio story you hear from several Air Force pilots who flew on nuclear training missions who are disappointed they are not treated like other combat veterans. It explores their fight for recognition as veterans by the federal government.
Read MoreAmerica’s founding was fraught with conflict. America in 1787-88 was a place of deep political divisions. Much of the root of those divisions was disagreement over how much power should be given to the central government. After the Constitutional Convention, political leaders split between supporters of the Constitution (Federalists) and opponents (Antifederalists). In an effort to sell the new Constitution to the country, three Federalists (James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay) wrote a series of arguments, in essay form, we now call the Federalist Papers. These essays were designed to explain the Constitution. Today, they are regarded as America’s greatest contributions to political philosophy as is explained in this audio story.
Read MoreOn June 13, 1971, the New York Times published a detailed report on America’s involvement in Vietnam, going back to the 1940s and continuing into the mid-1960s. Known as the “Pentagon Papers," this report was leaked to the Times and caused a sensation because, among other things, it detailed many aspects of America’s escalation of the Vietnam War that were previously unknown to the public. The papers led, eventually, to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. In 2011, on the 40th anniversary of the Pentagon Papers, a complete version was, without government edits, released to the public. This audio story describes the process by which the new version was released to the public, and reviews the historical context for the original release.
Read MoreThe 1960’s are remembered for many turning points in American History. Undoubtedly, two of these are the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. Perhaps no president of the time period is more intimately associated with America’s commitment to each than Lyndon Johnson. In 2014, on the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library hosted an event to honor civil right law and Johnson’s civil rights legacy. This audio story discusses that event and provides some of the historical background behind Johnson’s civil rights achievements, including his early relationship with MLK and other leaders, the impact of Kennedy’s assassination, and his eventual successes.
Read MoreThe Lexile Audio Measure is an indicator of the complexity of an audio passage. It is based on a scientifically developed scale with a maximum score of 2000L.
How to Use Lexile Audio MeasuresFind stories at the right level of complexity for your students, so that they will be challenged without being frustrated. The measures are categorized into low, medium, or high in order to aid teachers in story selection when they do not know students’ Lexile listening levels.
Listening Level | Lexile Audio Measures |
0L -1250L | |
1251L -1555L | |
1556L-2000L |
These recommended ranges are for instructional use of Listenwise audio content in combination with supports such as the interactive transcript, etc.
Grade | Lexile Audio Measures (Recommended Ranges) |
1 | 215L - 610L |
2 | 490L - 855L |
3 | 725L - 1060L |
4 | 945L - 1250L |
5 | 1045L - 1350L |
6 | 1125L - 1430L |
7 | 1190L - 1500L |
8 | 1250L - 1555L |
9 | 1300L - 1610L |
10 | 1345L - 1655L |
11/12 | 1385L - 1695L |
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