Current Events

Yesterday, as I got the news about an Earthquake sending tremors all the way to NYC (and further), I couldn't help but think how relevant this is to my teaching. As an Earth Science teacher, earthquakes are right up my alley (though I hope never to experience one). I am excited to teach the earthquake unit this year and hear stories from my students about their experiences with the tremors. This also made me realize how useful current events, or memorable events, are in a classroom. My first year teaching, I do not think I ever watched the evening news and did not read the newspaper that regularly. I tried to make up for that some by listening to news radio on my way to and from work. However, I think it is important, as a teacher, to know what is going on, both locally and in the world. Some of my colleagues use their smart phones to have quick access to the news. I know others that read the New York Times, cover to cover, everyday. There are many different ways to get access to the news. One of my favorites, because it is also accessible to our students, is This Week in Rap, a short video clip put out on fridays by Flocabulary that summarizes a week of current events.

Here are a few other resources to use when looking for current events:

• New York Times
• CNN
• Infoplease
• Teaching Current Events
• Current Events Graphic Organizer