Every week, my students celebrate Current Events Friday...I'm not sure how much a of a celebration it actually is, but we enjoy putting our desks into a discussion circle and sharing what's been going on in the news that week.
In the first week of school, I have the students sign up for one day to lead the discussion. They expectation is that they will follow the news that week and come in on Friday, prepared to share two stories--one of international importance and one of their choice. I don't ask that anything be turned in or written because I want this to be casual and not "extra work." I think by removing the pressure of turning in an assignment, the students are more motivated and enthusiastic. After the student shares his/her articles, they answer any questions their peers may have, and then we let the class share any other news they heard that week. If we do happen to run out of things to talk about, which does not happen often, we watch the news. The students really look forward to Current Events Friday! It's also a perfect way to wrap up the week.
I came across this on Twitter today thanks to @shannonmmiller. I'm not sure if it has a place in my classroom, but it might be a fun way to quickly share the news with students. I'd like to see my kids create something like this themselves, but then I wrestle with the question of whether the time and work is worth the desired outcome? Do my students already effectively meet the learning objectives of becoming aware of the news around the world via Current Events Friday or would this be a valuable addition to the routine? Maybe make it an option???
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