News Around the World

I've mentioned in an earlier post that my students love Current Events Friday!  All week the kids watch the news and keep up with local, national, and world events.  Two students sign up to present two articles every Friday.  We put the desks in a circle to create more of a discussion than a presentation.  I like the comfort level this naturally creates.  When each presenter is done with an article, he or she asks the class if they have any questions which they should be prepared to answer...as best they can!  I'd rather they admit that they can't answer a question and then have someone in the class grab a laptop to learn more.  Once all of the presentations are finished, we open the floor to anyone else who would like to share a news story, and then we watch the news and discuss stories that interest us.  The kids love it! 

One thing that I require of each presenter is that at least one of their stories is an international event.  This can sometimes be a challenge for middle level students, not only locating these stories but also making sense of their context.  I have shown them how to use Google News effectively, but yesterday I found something that will be an extremely useful tool for next year. 

With this website, Newspaper Map, one can find newspapers from around the world plotted on a map.  Now, it couldn't be easier to find international stories.  The best part is that they are color coded by language, and if a newspaper is not printed in English, Google Translator will translate it into English (or any language of your choice) with the click of a button!  I love a site that truly connects the world.

Current Events: This Week in Rap?

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???

Middle East Protests Interactive Timeline

Look at this great interactive timeline of the protests in the Middle East shared by @lamoureuxr.

I was recently looking for something just like this! I love the way it is so easy to navigate and how the color coding offers a quick glimpse of the chain of events in each country. Also, I am a keep it simple kind of girl. When you hover your cursor over each event on the timeline, a short summary of events pops up in the upper left country. Even better, they give you a link to more complete article. I showed this to my students and they loved it! Definitely check it out.

Update: Today we started the research activity as part of our World Water Day unit. The kids were really interested in the articles provided by water.org.