Chapter 6 Current Events and Public Issues & Chapter 7 Planning Units, Lessons, and Activities

Question

Response

-What kinds of current events and issues could be explored by students in the elementary grades vs. middle school grades? What are students interested in? How do you build student interest in current affairs? -Locate a current event and bring it to class. Consider how it could be used to launch a discussion with your students. -What components and decisions have to be made when developing instructional units?

-The use of current events is important at the elementary school level. It teaches the current events in conjunction with the social studies curriculum. In the elementary school classroom, it can lead a daily discussion about the news, helps the students realize important decision making on controversial issues, teaches different kinds of controversy, and allows for students to write about issues. The level of maturity and understanding is different for students in elementary school vs. middle school. The students in middle school can go more in depth with controversial articles. In elementary school, students can discuss poverty, justice, peace, and diversity. As the students get older, they can go more in depth with these topics and how it involves the world. The students are interested in topics that pertain to them or they see valuable. The human-environment, crime and rule of law, peace and global perspective, and diversity, fairness, and prejudice all are of interest to students. The best way to build student interest in current affairs is to make it interesting for the students and engaging. Show the students how it affects them and their learning. - Current event attached http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100317/BUSINESS/3170319/-1/NEWSFRONT2/Bleskin-Motors-makes-way-for-new-building -When designing an instructional unit, it is important to make sure key components are there. The curriculum needs to be guided and talked about with colleagues. The learning objectives should be what the final results are for the unit. The assessment should be included in the unit. It is important to keep in mind the age of the students to which a person is teaching. The unit should have flexible measures to teach to all students in different levels of comprehension. The more that is thought through to begin with, the more the students will be able to learn.