The days when company leaders might have viewed current events that don’t directly impact the business as something to keep out of the workplace are long gone. With a 24/7 news cycle and heightened awareness due to social media, many employees want to see their organizations acknowledge the current events that affect them and their personal lives.
Teaching about current events isn’t always easy, especially as the majority of stories are negative. However, despite the challenging nature of these topics, educators are encouraged to share them with students, so that they can understand the issues and learn from them.
Several online resources provide teachers with guidance on how to teach current events. For example, Edutopia has an article that explains how to teach current events with a focus on recognizing the difference between truth and false information. It also recommends focusing on teaching students how to use reliable sources for their research.
A trove of lesson plans and activities is available on the Academy 4SC website. The site offers videos like United States Postal Service: Neither Rain Nor Snow and Epidemics vs. Pandemics: Defining Global Diseases, along with a variety of classroom-based materials like worksheets and activity ideas.
In addition to these resources, KQED has an article that provides advice on how to discuss current events with students, advising educators to let their students lead the way. This approach is especially important when it comes to the discussion of negative news, as it can help students develop coping strategies and build resilience.
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