Current Events in the Classroom

4 Reasons to Integrate Current Events into your Curriculum

Ok, so you're not a social studies teacher. Current events don't apply to you or what you're doing with your students. Or do they? You don't have to be a social studies teacher to fuse current events into your curriculum. All subjects can incorporate current affairs into the curriculum.

I'm a life-science teacher, and I incorporate science news into my classes regularly. All teachers can and should include current events to some degree in their classroom, and this is why: 

1) Include current events in class, and 21st C. content will follow:

It's important as teachers that we stay up-to-date. The world is changing, and it's changing quickly. If we want our students to have a shot at a decent life in the 21st. century we have to prepare them for the 21st-century. Part of helping them prepare for that world is giving them ample opportunity to know what's going on in it. Raise your hand if you've had a teacher that has clearly been delivering the same lesson for 30 years. You know the one. Don't let that be you. Our students deserve better.

2) Awareness of local and global issues help students build important life skills: 

A deeper understanding of current topics in the news expand students' world view. This alone helps student develop essential competencies for a happy, healthy and productive future. Insight on what's happening in the world engenders empathy and compassion. It fosters responsible and active citizenship, a curiosity about the world outside of one-self, and an educated viewpoint. Education is a catalyst for change in the world. Student can and should be a part of that. 

3) Incorporating current events is low-prep:

What educator doesn't want low-prep? We can be great, caring educators and still want to be smart with our time. The content is already there when it comes to current events. The only thing you need is an idea of how you want to implement it, what structure you'll apply, when and how often you'll work current events into your class, and what resources you'll utilize.

4) Current, relevant pedagogy nurtures intrinsic motivation to learn:

It shouldn't be surprising to any educator that students learn more when they can connect with the material. The material should be relevant, compelling, and important to the students. Providing student choice is a plus. News is interesting, especially if you're hitting up the best resources. You know your audience. Try a few different approaches with your students to see what works. If you're an art teacher, for example, try assigning a project on "art and activism." 

Current Events Resources for all Subjects: 

​Vice News Series Worksheets and Extension Activities: 
Vice News is super gritty, which students, especially teenagers love. They cover a wide range of topics, which is why it's great for a variety of subjects, not just social studies. The link above will bring you to a "bundle", 22 episodes, but you can pick and choose episodes in my store as well. I show a Vice episode every Monday in class to start off the week. My students love "Vice days".  

Project-Based Learning - Current Events:
This is a good one for a variety of subjects as well because it's a generic template. If you want your students to focus on a specific discipline, ask that they're current event for this project relate to that concept. 

Community Action Projects:
​This is my latest resource. I like this one because it gives students an opportunity to act on a local or global issue. If you're an environmental science teacher, ask your students to focus their action plan on an environmental issue that's hot in the news. If you're a health instructor, ask that students act on a community health issue, and so on. This project gives student choice and provides all of the those life competencies that I mentioned above. 

Experiential Learning Depot cyber sale ends today, so check out these resources before midnight tonight! Get those kids reading the paper! Good luck!