Current Events Help Teach More than Just History
One of the best assignments I ever created for my kids was a weekly current event project. Our school had a subscription to Time for Kids and I would create daily assignments students had to complete and turn in by Friday morning. The articles in Time for Kids were age appropriate and enlightening to what was happening all around the world. Kiddos were practicing their reading fluency with non-fiction text as well as locating key information in order to provide accurate summaries and conclusions. I noticed their newly learned knowledge spilling over into other areas of learning and equipping them with confidence in class discussions. Parents absolutely adored the assignment and learned a TON by hearing their kid’s express solutions for environmental and community concerns.
However, I did reach quite a disconnect when September 11th rolled around every year. My students had NO IDEA what this day was all about and parents had no interest in informing their children due to the graphic nature of the historical event. I get this, but knowledge is power. Just like the Time for Kids magazines are age appropriate and informative, so is teaching all current events in the classroom, despite the awkwardness or sensitivity of the circumstances.
As educators, we would never present information to kids that was more than they could handle. We differentiate our lessons every day to meet the needs of our kids, and teaching current events is no different. We take into account student backgrounds, learning levels, and current knowledge on the topic. We are missing a BIG opportunity to educate our youth by picking and choosing what current events we teach. What might have good intentions of protecting our youth, but it can actually have quite damaging effects.
I recently published a podcast episode about the importance of discussing current crisis’ that surround our students so that they are prepared to face them. Ignorance may be bliss, but it does nothing to prepare a child to be successful in the real world. Check out the episode here.
Being from the New York area, the historical September 11th event hits home with me and I want to share that part of myself with my students. I share magazine clippings to show just how “real” this day was for many of us. I was in high school when school was dismissed due to the first tower being struck. Many of our parents worked in the World Trade Center and we needed to be home with our families. Hearing these personal accounts help students connect to this historical event. I am sure to censure which pictures they see and focus on content that connects to our state standards, like character motivation, cause and effect, and sequencing.
I often heard from parents that their child did not need to know about the event since it happened in another state and did not affect their family. (Thank goodness I gave a heads up to parents I would be teaching about this topic so they could opt out if necessary!) This perspective saddens me because a lot of history does not necessarily happen in our backyard, but it has long lasting effects on our lives. To shut our eyes and ears because its not happening right in front of us to people we know is devastatingly dangerous for personal development in empathy and problem solving. How can a child learn to come together as a collective unit for a good cause and do their part in the community if they only focus on what’s happening in their personal bubble?
It does not matter how young your child is, history needs to be taught at their appropriate level. Trust the teachers to know how and what to share so that your child is equipped to reach their potential in the world instead of hindering their growth by shielding such truths.
For you educators out there, I created a resource to help you teach about the September 11th tragedy.
Use this packet of activities to help students express their knowledge about the tragic, historical event of September 11th. It includes questions that encourage students to think deeply about its effects on the community and how they can help in a positive way as a responsible citizen. Click the photo above to access this resource in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
How do you teach your students about the events of September 11th?
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.