836 current-events results | sort by:

2010 Census - US Census Bureau
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): census (19), demographics (19), population (66)
In the Classroom
First, it's important for students to know that the US Constitution requires a census, and second, that the information gathered is used in a variety of important ways that affect them directly. The first data posted looks at how shifts in population density will change the way various geographic areas of the country are represented in the US government. Consider reading the Director's blog for further analysis of how census data is being used on a local, state, and national level. Of course, the data are perfect for using in math and civics classes for teaching graph reading and creation, and for providing real-life information to use in statistical analysis. A civics or sociology class might download a copy of the census form and consider what the questions tell us about how families live in the 21st century. What questions might students add to a future census form that would reflect how things are changing for their generation?You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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State of the Union Address 2011 - guardian.co.uk
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): presidents (123), speech (89), speeches (19)
In the Classroom
Share these word clouds on interactive whiteboard or projector to analyze the presidential agendas in a civics or government class. Have students make their own clouds of text from other speeches using Wordle, reviewed here or similar word cloud tools to add to the comparison options. During political campaigns, share this comparison and invite students to create ones of their own between different candidates. In English/language arts classes, use the word clouds to spark discussion of propaganda techniques, word choice, and effective speech techniques. Share this discussion in debate club, as well, to point out the importance of carefully crafted messages. Have students create and compare clouds of their own speech drafts while studying persuasive writing.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Physics Central- Explore - Physics Central
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): podcasts (57)
In the Classroom
Use this site for students to relate physics to their everyday lives by finding a current event, reading it, and discussing how it is relevant to them. Discussion can be in class, or posted to a class wiki. It would be a good idea to insert the link to the site on your class website or wiki so that students can access it easily in and out of class. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.Reading teachers looking for informational passages to reinforce and practice comprehension skills will find the current events articles on this site well sited for use on an interactive whiteboard to practice main idea, summarizing, etc.
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PolitiFact: Sorting out the truth in politics - St. Petersburg Times
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): advertising (33), elections (73), politics (97)
In the Classroom
This site is a great resource for students researching politicians and their viewpoints. If you're sponsoring a class debate, keep the site handy for each side to check the assertions of their opponents. When students have questions about the content of political advertising, for example, refer them here to find out more. As an assignment, consider having the class pick a political ad, and using the information on this site, write about how the creator of the ad selected the facts that would best portray the viewpoint of the candidate. They could share their critique on a class wiki or on a classroom bulletin board. Have groups create a "mythbuster" political poster on ThingLink, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Congress.org - C-Q Roll Call, Inc
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): congress (32), elections (73), house of representatives (10), senate (10)
In the Classroom
Consider placing this site on your class web page for students to use in researching political viewpoints, both in relation to upcoming elections and in ongoing political debate. It's a site for true politics junkies, but will be useful for those who are looking for concise information collected in a readable, easy-to-access format. Use the site during your study of the legislative branch and have groups follow congressional groups of individuals, creating a timeline of their activities using a tool such as History in Motion,Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Budget Simulator - Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): politics (97)
In the Classroom
This would make a wonderful class team competition. Consider dividing the class into groups, or even pitting different sections of the same course against each other. Encourage the students not to breeze through the choices too quickly. The site might be useful for mature younger students if they have the attention span required to make careful and reasoned choices. Another option is to complete this activity as a class on an interactive whiteboard or projector.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Open Congress - Participatory Politics Foundation
Grades
8 to 12You should be aware, however, that the site includes a wiki. It allows you to create an account to organize the information you're following, and encourages you to "vote" on bills. Check your school's policies for having students participate in this kind of activity, or create a class account and use that function as a group activity.
tag(s): congress (32), house of representatives (10), politics (97), senate (10)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site in your favorites for students as a place to do their own research on all things Congressional. Groups of students in a current events, government, or modern history class could research a bill, a legislator, or the process of passing legislation itself. This site will take them way past "I'm Just A Bill..." from Schoolhouse Rock. Have cooperative learning groups research a topic and create a multimedia presentation such as a podcast using a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Guzzle - Lemonchick
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): news (262), newspapers (96)
In the Classroom
This site is excellent for enrichment, research, or a current events class. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Have students try out this site on individual computers, or as a learning center. This site is ideal for an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have the students open the site and use the whiteboard tools to set up a class selected news offering for each day.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fall 2010 Symposium: The Space Program and Beyond - Lou Frey Institute
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): space (222)
In the Classroom
Share portions of this program in your government/civics classes as an example of the congressional funding/policy process and its impact on economics, scientific development, and more. Assign student groups to trace a single aspect of the space program and its impact on state/local economics, employment, science, and more. Have students create an interactive infographic on the impact of a government program using a tool such as Canva, reviewed here, or stage a debate on the pros and cons of eliminating the space program altogether using ProConIt, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science of NFL Football - NBC Learn and National Science Foundation
Grades
5 to 10In the Classroom
Bring science to life with these great resources. Use the video to pique student interest in the topic and use the lesson plans to really understand the concept to apply to other areas. Use the vectors to understand how science and quarterback throws are related. Follow the lesson plan using the video and the activities. Follow up with actual football throws in the school yard. Measure distances and angles to create data to analyze as groups or a class. Consider creating your own video of explanations using students as the stars of the show explaining the concept. Use a tool such as My Simpleshow, reviewed here, for this project. Invite Math classes to use your data for their understanding of Vectors as well. Brainstorm other sports where this science concept is also used.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The 50 Worst Inventions - Time Magazine
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): inventors and inventions (92)
In the Classroom
Challenge students to create a list of useless inventions or to invent one of their own. Display the slide show on your interactive whiteboard or projector and discuss if students agree with a product's placement on the list. Generate a list of characteristics that would keep an invention OFF this list! Have students create commercials advertising their new product (or the one they researched). Challenge students to create a video commercial and share using a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here). Write letters to the product's inventor to find out their feelings about being included on the list.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ayiti: The Cost of Life - Global Kids and Gamelab
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (123)
In the Classroom
Take your students on a virtual trip to Haiti by sharing this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. The site would work well for individual or pairs of students in a lab or on laptops. Have them record information in current event journals. At the end of the game have students prepare a short presentation using PowerPoint or an online tool like 280 Slides reviewed here to share with the class on how their family did.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Our Endangered Planet - Newsweek
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): conservation (128), erosion (18)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an introduction to a specific continent when studying world geography. Suggest it to students as a research beginner when they are doing projects on conservation and the green movement.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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IndebtEd: We're Broke Let's Fix It - MTV Networks On Campus Inc.
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): money (185)
In the Classroom
Though this site is geared toward college students, it would be a great addition to any economics, math, or social studies class. Use the national debt clock to see how quickly we are accumulating debt and how much every individual is responsible for. Use an interactive whiteboard or projector and share the informational videos for the class to see. Have students journal a response to the videos. In groups have students read the government and people section and using a web 2.0 tool like Voki reviewed here have students choose a presidential figure to tell how they will solve the nation's debt problem. Place the link to the site on your class webpage so students can take the debt quiz or play the debt ski activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learn About Congress - Indiana University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): branches of government (49), congress (32)
In the Classroom
Use these mini lessons on an interactive whiteboard or projector as an introduction to the roles and responsibility of Congress in a history, civics, government or current events class. This could also be part of in-depth looks at all three branches of government. As an alternative, students can work independently or in small groups on these modules, and then report back to the class as a whole on what they've learned. Have groups create podcasts about Congress using a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Futurestates - Independent Television Service
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): computers (102), debate (46), environment (325), ethics (19), immigration (60), migration (58)
In the Classroom
These films would work well for a more unstructured gifted/talented seminar style class, a current issues class, or a Real Life 101-type class. Some may also be appropriate within an economics, biology, or environmental science curriculum. A civics class might debate the proper governmental role in resolving some of the dilemmas presented. Challenge students to create podcasts using a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here), describing other possible future "what ifs."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Historypin - We Are What We Do
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Use as an enhancement to research projects of family, historic events, and world cultures by finding and uploading pictures to the map. Use Historypin as a resource to compare and contrast different time periods in the same geographic area. Demonstrate on the interactive whiteboard or projector how different places have changed over time. Have individual students or cooperative learning groups create podcasts using PodOmatic (reviewed here) to go along with the maps. ESL students will appreciate the ability to upload pictures and/or learn about their country of original.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Climate Change - American Museum of Natural History
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): carbon (23), carbon dioxide (15), climate (95), climate change (70)
In the Classroom
Use this resource for some excellent background information. Search for more information on the Internet to determine facts and how these facts are used. Create Public Service Announcements outlining the key points. Create a campaign for making small changes in our lives that can add up to a big difference. Have students create multimedia presentations such as an interactive online poster using Visme, reviewed here. Research alternative energy sources and create proposals for change within your district.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Youth Leadership Initiative - Center for Politics - University of Virginia
Grades
3 to 12In the Classroom
Use the site with an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students work in cooperative groups and take part in the mock congress. They will develop critical thinking and collaboration skills as they research, draft, and pass original legislation. Use the downloadable campaign simulation software (free), and have your students role play and run a senatorial campaign.br> If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.
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Archive It - Internet Archive
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site to compare info from older websites with the ones today. Ask your students to visit the site and create a multimedia presentation from the information they learn there. Have students compare an "inactive" site and a newer site (on the same topic) and then highlight the differences using the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). Alternatively, elicit ideas from your class about how websites have changed and then have the students take a look to see more differences. More advanced social studies classes can compare the historical perspective on events as recent as five years ago to see how points of view and presentation of information change over time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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