Too often, our students are disconnected from the world events around them. Social media of all kinds permeates their lives, but is often limited to communication between friends and advertisements. Social media has certainly opened up the possibilities for us all to connect with the world, and yet many people remain in their own little bubble. In or outside of a social studies classroom, have your students become more aware as citizens. Doing a unit or a weekly bell ringer on current events for students will allow them to be more aware of the world and let them take ownership of their relationship to different events.
What would you like your students to focus on? Local news? National news? World news? Does anything in the news count as a current event? What about students choosing the same event?
Teachers should choose the type of current event and what the main purpose of the assignment is. The activity could be a simple summary of a current event, or it could be expanded into a presentation to other students, or be used as a start to class discussion or debate. Depending on the learning and performance objectives, teachers may wish to have students present to the class or even teach or lead a discussion as the "event expert".
There are certainly many ways to incorporate a current event storyboard into your classroom. You do not need to be a social studies teacher to incorporate current events into your curriculum; any teacher can do it. There are all sorts of happenings in the world that relate to various subjects, and can engage students in discussion about current classroom topics. Current events can be the inspiration for project based learning, particularly if there is a real-world problem you want students to address.
A class could tweet or post on another social media network storyboards that explain, summarize, or represent a current event or issue. It would be up to the teacher to decide if student opinions would be represented as well. It would be a good opportunity to have students look critically at world happenings or controversial issues, but likely any controversial issue storyboards should remain private and shared within the class.
The 5 Ws (Who, What, Where, When, and Why) allow students to delve into an event and think about it from different angles. Have students come up with 5 W questions for a current event on their own. Students may have the same current event, and then ask different questions that could be shared in a discussion.
After discussing a current event or issue (or after assigning a reading), have students plan out an editorial or persuasive essay on a storyboard. Use the plans to guide a debate/discussion or continue on to a piece of writing to accompany the storyboard. Another option is to create a public service announcement.
Some events in the news relate very well to literature, and may help students understand one or both better. Have students create a storyboard that depicts how the event relates to a piece of literature. It would be up to the teacher to include only literature read in the class/grade, or to include all books, poems, short stories, plays, etc.
Students will likely become more avid news readers once they see how current events relate to them. Have students depict a personal connection with a current event, even an oblique connection, and then have volunteers share with the class.
For events that have a sequence of events, have students create a timeline or narrative story of the action. Looking at discrete stages may help students better comprehend the event.
Have students pull information together from a news article or from other sources, and create an infographic that relates to the current event. The infographic might show demographics or statistics that bolster understanding of various elements of the current event, such as causes, effects, political positions, future options, etc. For help getting started, check out our infographic template gallery.
Look to see how much has changed.... or how much as stayed the same. One important reason we study history is to learn from the past. Have students compare something that is happening in the world today with a related past event. Perhaps connect a recent protest to one during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
The T-Chart is extremely versatile and very useful. There are many things you can have your students put side by side. Have students create a T-Chart storyboard that looks at any of the following comparisons for a current event.
Current event storyboards can be made using any of the layouts and with any number of cells. A single cell in the 16x9 layout is sufficient for a brief overview, but if the event is complex, multiple cells in a different configuration may be more appropriate. Take a look at my suggestions below!
| Layout | Image | Current Event Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Storyboard |
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| 16x9 Layout |
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| Spider Map |
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| Timeline |
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| Grid |
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| T-Chart |
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| Frayer Model |
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Incorporating current events into lessons can help students develop critical thinking skills, deepen their understanding of the subject matter, and encourage them to stay engaged in the learning process. It also helps students connect what they are learning in the classroom to the real world, and helps them see the relevance of what they are learning. By discussing current events, teachers can also foster a sense of global citizenship and help students understand their place in a larger community.
You can incorporate current events into subjects that aren't traditionally associated with them by finding news articles that relate to the subject matter. For example, if you're teaching a math class, you can use data from the current election to teach statistics. If you're teaching a language arts class, you can have students analyze a speech from a political leader or a news article about a literary controversy.
To ensure that current events don't become a distraction from the curriculum, it's important to tie them back to the subject matter you're teaching. You can do this by creating worksheets that require students to analyze the article in relation to what they're learning. You can also have class discussions that connect current events to the curriculum. It's also important to limit the amount of time spent on current events to ensure that they don't take away from other important aspects of the curriculum.
To create worksheets that incorporate current events, you can start by finding a news article that is relevant to your subject matter. Then, create questions that require students to analyze and think critically about the article. For example, you can ask students to summarize the article, identify key points, and discuss how it relates to what they are learning. You can also have students write an essay or complete a project based on the article.