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EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT
Looking at Current Events with an Analytical Eye

Introduction | Background Knowledge | Activities | Extensions | Standards

Picture of pipeline

Introduction

Students are very aware of what is happening in their communities. They hear the news and bring their thoughts and opinions from home into the classroom. They want to make sense of what is going on. Opening the door to current events can spark many teachable moments and bring real-world examples to encourage students to think critically about the world around them.

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List of current event topics

Background Knowledge

In 1994, America was glued to the OJ Simpson trial. The media fed the obsession by providing continuous updates. Panels of people would appear on television to analyze the trial and their opinions of the situation. Americans watched as the planes hit the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on 9/11, both in real time and on a continuous loop for the following days. That day, rumors were flying about other targets and attacks. People did not know what to think or believe amid the chaos. For the next year, panels of people would appear on television to provide their analysis of the response and their opinions of the situation. 2016 brought “fake news” into the national vocabulary. Each day, on various news outlets, panels of people would appear on television to provide their analysis and opinions of the newest “fake news” circulating. Throughout the global pandemic in 2020, information changed almost daily as scientists learned more about the coronavirus and provided further guidance to the American people. And each day, panels of people would appear on television to analyze the response and share their opinions on the situation. Where do we look? Whom do we listen to? What do we believe? Educators must teach students to critically examine the information they receive and think critically to understand the implications of the events occurring.

Critical thinking is not easily defined. Webster’s Dictionary says that critical thinking is “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment.” Being able to analyze and evaluate objectively requires several prerequisite skills. If you take those two components - analyze and evaluate - and put them in the context of Bloom’s Taxonomy, which drives education across the country, they are at the top of the pyramid. To analyze and evaluate, first, a student must be able to remember, understand, and apply. Teachers often skip the lower levels of Bloom and then expect students to think critically at the higher levels.

Teachers are in a unique position regarding critical thinking and current events. Students will come with a variety of viewpoints and background experiences. All suggestions in this piece should be considered carefully. Think about your students and your community before implementing lessons that incorporate current events. Be responsive to your students’ individual needs and prepare parallel activities for students who are uncomfortable engaging in conversation. You can always incorporate critical thinking activities into your history block. Also, consider your classroom environment and strive to create a safe space for discussion before embarking on activities where students will share vulnerable thoughts.

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Illustration of tree, climate

ACTIVITIES

Skills to Support Critical Thinking

  • Ask and answer open-ended questions.
  • Connect different ideas and examine the relationship between them.
  • Examine different points of view.
    • Spend 2-3 lessons teaching point of view before asking students to begin to think critically about a topic. ReadWriteThink provides a lesson plan, and sessions 1-3 are a great place to start.
  • Collaborate with others.
  • Use evidence to create questions.
    • Consider using Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Read the puzzle stories to your students. They can only ask questions that have a yes-or-no answer. As they learn information, their questions will become more thoughtful and precise.
  • Incorporate Thinking Routines into your classroom routine.
    • TeachersFirst Special Topics Page: Thinking Routines (reviewed here) shares many resources to learn about Thinking Routines and use them successfully in any classroom.
    • For example, use the Circle of Viewpoints routine for students to explore information from different perspectives or the Reporters Notebook to evaluate what is fact and what is fiction.

Resources for Enhancing Background Knowledge

  • Center for News Literacy (reviewed here) shares lesson plans and resources for teaching news literacy in grades 6-12.
  • Fact Check Tools (reviewed here) provides a database for users to check information from reputable sources worldwide.
  • Retro Report Education (reviewed here) provides short documentaries that connect historical events (like the OJ trial or 9/11) to today’s world. This site is excellent for showing how "analysis" changes over time.

Select List of Books to Support Critical Thinking of Current Events

  • Something Happened in Our Town: A Child's Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano (ISBN 9781433846847)
    • The United States has a long history of racial inequities. The news is overwhelmed by stories of police using excessive force on people of color.
    • Ask and answer open-ended questions.
      • The Arab American National Museum created a read-aloud guide for educators that shares open-ended questions.
    • Connect different ideas and examine the relationship between them.
    • Examine different points of view.
    • Collaborate with others.
      • Work in pairs or small groups to develop the ideal community. What would policing look like?
    • Use evidence to create questions.
      • The District of Columbia Public Schools created a resource for teachers to help facilitate discussions and formulate questions.
  • We Are the Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (ISBN 9781250203557)
    • In 2016-2017, Native Americans protested the construction of the Dakota Pipeline. This 1,000-mile pipeline carries oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Thousands of people protested the pipeline because of environmental concerns and the proximity to sacred Native American sites. The Standing Rock Reservation was the location of the largest and longest protests.
    • Ask and answer open-ended questions.
    • Connect different ideas and examine the relationship between them.
    • Examine different points of view.
    • Collaborate with others.
      • Have a snowball fight. Either prepopulate sheets of paper with cause and effect relationships, arguments and counterarguments, or facts and opinions. Consider statements from a Venn diagram as well. Students have a snowball fight and then pair up to discuss their statements.
      • Use Kialo Edu (reviewed here) to create focused online discussions that encourage students to consider both sides of an argument or current event.
    • Use evidence to create questions.
      • Ask students to research the Dakota Access Pipeline. As they find factual evidence, they can create questions to ask one side of the debate or the other. They can then present these questions as a debate in the classroom.
      • Mind Maps are an excellent tool for visualizing information. Use MindMap AI (reviewed here) to create a mind map for students to explore and discuss.
      • MyLens (reviewed here) offers several methods for visualizing complex topics. Use MyLens to create mind maps, timelines, infographics, and more.
  • When Aiden Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff (ISBN 9781620148372)
    • Each June, Pride Month is celebrated in America. Beginning as a commemoration of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, it has morphed into a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride Month, recognized by a presidential proclamation in 2021, raises awareness, promotes equality, and increases visibility for the millions of LGBTQIA+ Americans.
    • Ask and answer open-ended questions.
      • This book has multiple themes. This discussion guide focuses on the theme of forgiveness. Lee and Low created a teacher’s guide for the book. The extension questions and the reader’s response questions offer 19 open-ended prompts to spark discussion and encourage students to think of Aiden as both a brother and a person.
    • Connect different ideas and examine the relationship between them.
      • Read Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (ISBN 9780763690458). Compare and contrast Aiden and Julian.
      • From the Lee and Low teacher’s guide - explore the concepts of “girl” and “boy.” Before reading When Aidan Became a Brother, create a circle with two sections labeled “boy” and “girl” with a line separating them (preferably with dry-erase or something that can be removed). Have students brainstorm characteristics they associate with “boys” and “girls” in their respective sections. After reading When Aidan Became a Brother, ask students if they would change any of the qualities they mentioned. After students make the modifications, erase the middle line in the circle. Ask students why they think the line was erased. What do they think of the circle now? Encourage students to think about how people can be all of these things, not just things specific to “boys” or “girls.”
    • Examine different points of view.
      • Read Sparkle Boy by Leslea Newman (ISBN 9781620142851). Compare Jessie’s point of view with Mom’s, Dad’s, and Abuela’s. Compare Jessie’s point of view with the boys in the library. Ask students to compare Jessie’s point of view with their own. For a technology-based approach, use Slido (reviewed here) to engage students and allow them to share their thoughts via polls or open-ended questions.
    • Collaborate with others.
      • Encourage students to write a sequel to this book. What happens after Jessie’s opinion changes? Students can work in pairs or small groups to tell the new story. Try using Elementari (reviewed here) for digital storytelling.
    • Use evidence to create questions.
  • From North to South/Del Norte al Sur by Rene Lainez (ISBN 9780892393046)
    • Over 40 million people living in America were born elsewhere. More people immigrate to America than to any other country in the world. Many of these immigrants come to America with proper documentation. Some do not leave when their paperwork expires. Others enter the country without proper documentation. Each presidential administration takes a different stance on immigration, and the topic remains at the forefront of political discussions.
    • Ask and answer open-ended questions.
      • Lee and Low created a teacher’s guide for the book. The extension questions and the reader’s response questions offer 24 open-ended questions to spark discussion and encourage students to think about Jose and his family and immigration in America.
    • Connect different ideas and examine the relationship between them.
    • Examine different points of view.
    • Collaborate with others.
      • Could you pass the US Citizenship Test? Students work together to answer the questions on the US Customs and Immigration Civics test. Try the official 2008 test or the 2020 questions from USCI. Encourage students to discuss their feelings and thoughts about the experience.
    • Use evidence to create questions.
      • Examine the Immigration Myths Lesson (reviewed here) to encourage students to analyze and question the myths.
  • The Fog by Kyo Maclear (ISBN 9781770494923)
    • Climate change has long-term impacts on Earth’s global weather patterns and climate. Weather events - stronger hurricanes, droughts, storms, etc. - become more severe and more frequent. Human activity is the leading cause of climate change.
    • Ask and answer open-ended questions.
      • PBS presents a lesson plan about climate change.
      • This archived article from the EPA offers the answers to the questions, but they are great questions to open discussion.
    • Collaborate with others.
      • Encourage students to have a conversation about climate change with this resource designed for multilingual learners. Split students into two groups - an A group and a B group. Each A will have a set of questions, and each B will have a set of different questions. Pair an A with a B and encourage the students to ask and answer each other's questions.
    • Use evidence to create questions.
  • A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart by Zetta Elliott (ISBN 9780374307417)
    • On April 29, 1992, a Ventura County jury acquitted the police officers who beat Rodney King after a traffic stop. The acquittal was the beginning of years of conversations about police brutality. It was also the beginning of 5 days of unrest in Los Angeles, now known as the LA Riots. The discussion about police brutality and racial injustice has spanned decades, peaking again in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd was killed under the knee of a former Minneapolis police officer for trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.
      • Ask and answer open-ended questions.
        • How do the author and illustrator depict the emotions within the text?
        • What nuances do you see in the different emotions?
        • How can we use this text to enact change in our community?
      • Connect different ideas and examine the relationship between them.
      • Compare the emotions presented concerning the initial shooting to other times students have felt those emotions. Compare the events. (For example, the book says, “there is pride inside of me.”) Students can identify another time they felt proud. Then they can compare and contrast their experiences with the experiences presented in the book.
    • Examine different points of view.
      • Show a video of the author reading the book. What is her point of view?
    • Collaborate with others.
      • Working in pairs or small groups, choose a different moment or event. This event can be personal or connected to the content. Describe the moment or event through the lens of emotions.
    • Use evidence to create questions.
      • As Zetta Elliott points out in her commentary and reading of the book, notice the pictures. With assistance, students can identify elements in the images. Once they identify elements, they can learn more and use their findings to ask questions.

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List of Current Event Topics

EXTENSIONS

  1. Extend the conversation to chapter books.
  2. Connect to research to learn more about the current events.
  3. Share frameworks with students to help them evaluate online content.
    • The SIFT Method: (Stop, Investigate, Find better coverage, Trace claims). This is a faster, modern alternative for evaluating online info.
    • The IMVAIN Method: (Independent, Multiple, Verify, Authoritative, Informed, Named sources). This method helps users check the reliability of their sources.
    • The RADAR Framework: (Relevance, Authority, Date, Appearance, Reason). Use this method for formal research to assess the quality and relevance of resources.

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Boy looks into mirror and sees girl

CORRELATION TO STANDARDS

  • AASL National School Library Standards
    • Inquire Shared Foundation, Think Domain - Learners display curiosity and initiative by:
      • 1. Formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.
      • 2. Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.
    • Inquire Shared Foundation, Share Domain - Learners adapt, communicate, and exchange learning products with others in a cycle that includes:
      • 1. Interacting with content presented by others.
      • 2. Providing constructive feedback.
      • 3. Acting on feedback to improve.
      • 4. Sharing products with an authentic audience.
    • Include Shared Foundation, Share Domain - Learners exhibit empathy with and tolerance for diverse ideas by:
      • 1. Engaging in informed conversation and active debate.
      • 2. Contributing to discussions in which multiple viewpoints on a topic are expressed.
    • Include Shared Foundation, Grow Domain - Learners demonstrate empathy and equity in knowledge building within the global learning community by:
      • 1. Seeking interactions with a range of learners.
    • Engage Shared Foundation, Think Domain: Learners follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information by:
      • 1. Responsibly applying information, technology, and media to learning.
      • 2. Understanding the ethical use of information, technology, and media.
    • Engage Shared Foundation, Create Domain: Learners use valid information and reasoned conclusions to make ethical decisions in the creation of knowledge by:
      • 1. Ethically using and reproducing others’ work.
      • 2. Acknowledging authorship and demonstrating respect for the intellectual property of others.
      • 3. Including elements in personal-knowledge products that allow others to credit content appropriately.
    • Engage Shared Foundation, Grow Domain: Learners engage with information to extend personal learning by:
      • 1. Personalizing their use of information and information technologies.
      • 2. Reflecting on the process of ethical generation of knowledge.
      • 3. Inspiring others to engage in safe, responsible, ethical, and legal information behaviors.
    • Collaborate Shared Foundation, Think Domain - Learners identify collaborative opportunities by:
      • 1. Demonstrating their desire to broaden and deepen understandings.
      • 2. Developing new understandings through engagement in a learning group.
      • 3. Deciding to solve problems informed by group interaction.
    • Collaborate Shared Foundation, Create Domain - Learners participate in personal, social, and intellectual networks by:
      • 1. Using a variety of communication tools and resources.
      • 2. Establishing connections with other learners to build on their own prior knowledge and create new knowledge.
    • Collaborate Shared Foundation, Grow Domain - Learners actively participate with others in learning situations by:
      • 2. Recognizing learning as a social responsibility.
    • Explore Shared Foundation, Think Domain - Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by:
      • 1. Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and writing and creating for a variety of purposes.
    • Explore Shared Foundation, Create Domain - Learners construct new knowledge by:
      • 1. Problem solving through cycles of design, implementation, and reflection.
    • Explore Shared Foundation, Share Domain - Learners engage with the learning community by:
      • 3. Collaboratively identifying innovative solutions to a challenge or problem.
    • Explore Shared Foundation, Grow Domain - Learners develop through experience and reflection by:
      • 1. Iteratively responding to challenges.
      • 2. Recognizing capabilities and skills that can be developed, improved, and expanded.
      • 3. Open-mindedly accepting feedback for positive and constructive growth.
  • ISTE Standards for Students
    • Empowered Learner 1.1
      • 1.1.b. Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
      • 1.1.c. Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
    • Digital Citizen 1.2
      • 1.2.c. Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.
    • Knowledge Constructor 1.3
      • 1.3.d. Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions.
    • Innovative Designer 1.4
      • 1.4.d. Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance, and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.
    • Global Collaborator 1.7
      • 1.7.c. Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.

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