Current Events Toolkit

CURRENT EVENTS TOOLKIT

This Current Events Toolkit provides a structure for bringing current events into the cur-

riculum. It includes strategies for educating students on ways to analyze the media they’re

consuming, including checking for bias. This toolkit also provides teachers with support for

promoting civil discussions in the classroom.

Distinguish Fact and Opinion 2

Identify Point of View 4

Identify Perspectives 6

Recognize Bias 8

Analyze Primary and Secondary Sources 10

Analyze Photographs and Other Images 12

Analyze Current Events 14

Main Idea / Detail 15

The 5W’s 16

Evaluation Web 17

Argument Support Chart 18

Issue Poster 19

Discuss Current Events 20

Current Events Toolkit

2 Current Events Toolkit

Distinguish Fact and Opinion

When students separate facts and opinions, they begin by analyzing what they

read and hear in order to separate what is true, or able to be verified or proven,

from what is believed, felt, or judged. Practice with this skill helps students be-

come more critical readers and listeners.

Teach the Skill Begin with students’ ideas about the difference between a fact

and an opinion to elicit the idea that a fact is often a date, a statistic, or other

record of events that they can look up to be sure it is true. On the other hand, an

opinion expresses beliefs or feelings about a subject. Students cannot look opin-

ions up in a reference source to be sure that they are true. In addition, opinions

are sometimes stated using clue words, such as think, believe, or feel, that suggest

the ideas presented are not certain. Opinions also sometimes include describing

words that show the writer’s judgment of the subject; for example, they may use

the words best, worst, good, okay, bad, lucky, great, most, and so on. Write some

facts and opinions about a topic under study. Include clue words in some, but not

in all. For example, write:

Making maps is an interesting job.

I feel that economists are the most important social scientists.

An economist uses data, such as the prices of items, in his or her work.

Have students tell which statements they think are opinions and which are

facts. Project Two-Column Chart, label the columns Fact and Opinion, and record

students’ ideas. Review why each statement is a fact or opinion. Circle the clue

words feel and most important in the opinion.

Practice the Skill Give students written text that includes both fact and

opinion statements, such as the following, on any topic under study:

Ben Franklin was born in 1706.

Ben Franklin was the greatest founder of our country.

Ben Franklin wrote funny newspaper stories.

Ben Franklin moved to Philadelphia.

Ben Franklin was a great scientist.

Ben Franklin was lucky at business.

Ben Franklin helped Philadelphia become the greatest city in America.

Ben Franklin helped write the Declaration of Independence.

I think that the United States became independent because of

Ben Franklin.

Ben Franklin died in 1790.

Ask students to look for characteristics that will help them decide if the state-

ments are facts or opinions. Remind them that statements of fact can be proven

true. Opinions are statements that express a person’s belief or feeling. Distribute

copies of Two-Column Chart, have students label the headings Fact and Opinion,

and ask them to record the statements of fact and opinion in the correct column.

In addition, have students circle any clue words that tell them the statements are

opinions. Discuss their choices.

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 3

Two-Column Char t

Current Events Toolkit

4 Current Events Toolkit

Identify Point of View

When students determine point of view, they ask who is writing and why. They

also examine what effect the identity of the author and the author’s purpose have

on the information conveyed. Identifying first-person point of view can be a first

step in recognizing bias.

Teach the Skill As needed, begin with some background information and

examples. Explain that point of view is the relationship of a person to his or her

subject. For example, a person who is writing about global trade may have the

point of view of someone who has lost his or her job as a result of global trade or

someone who is now making a lot more money because of global trade. Some-

times, pronouns help reveal a person’s attitude toward his or her subject. When

a writer uses the first person, employing words such as I, me, my, mine, we, us,

and our, the writing is often subjective and based more on personal experience

and feelings than on broad experience or accepted facts. When a writer uses the

third person, employing words such as he, she, it, they, them and never inserting

himself or herself into the text, the writing may be objective; that is, it may be

more factual or more universally accepted as true.

Another way to approach the concept of point of view, as well as to teach primary

and secondary sources, is to assign students to small groups and distribute a copy

of Timeline/Judgment Graphic to each group. Have students use the organizer as

a continuum, labeling one end True and the other end Not As True. Ask students

to work as group to rank sources such as diaries, biographies, autobiographies,

newspaper accounts, and textbooks and place them on the continuum or judg-

ment graphic. Encourage a variety of ideas and opinions about the meaning of

true. For example, a person who witnessed an event may have the truest idea of

it—or not. If a person was at a march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he or she

knows what the march was like, or the small part of it he or she witnessed, but

is not an expert on Martin Luther King, Jr., and is probably not an expert on the

march either. Yet, he or she knows things firsthand that people who were not

there do not know. Note that this person’s account is a primary source. Review

that primary sources are written by people who were at the events or lived at the

time that the events were taking place. All other sources, such as the words in a

textbook or history book that appeared later, are secondary sources, because they

were written by people who did not witness the events. Use discussions about the

sources on the continuum to reinforce the idea that different sources have differ-

ent weaknesses and strengths.

Practice the Skill Find a first-person account for students to read. Ask them

to identify clues to the point of view, such as the use of first-person pronouns;

evidence of feelings or emotions; many opinions, or more opinions than facts;

and information they infer about how close to the subject the writer is. Present a

third-person treatment on a similar subject, and have students identify clues to

point of view. Alternatively, use a textbook example that includes an example of

first-person point of view within copy that is written from the third-person point

of view.

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 5

Timeline/Judgment Graphic

Title:

Current Events Toolkit

6 Current Events Toolkit

Identify Perspectives

Identifying perspectives helps students understand how others see things. De-

termining how a person in a particular place or time saw or experienced events,

as well as how people today might have different ideas about an issue because of

their different backgrounds, beliefs, jobs, or other factors, helps students develop

a richer, fuller sense of the topics they study.

Teach the Skill Put students in groups of four and assign each one a different

role based on content you are now teaching or reviewing. For example, to teach

or review regions, you might assign these roles: someone who lives in a home on

a cattle ranch; someone who lives in a skyscraper in New York; someone who

lives in a fishing boat off the Gulf Coast; and someone who lives in a mobile

home in the desert. Tell students that each person should feel proud of the place

where he or she lives. Then have a group role-play a discussion about the best

place to live and why. Ask each student in the group to present ideas from his

or her perspective: that is, based on his or her own experiences, knowledge, and

feelings. (For this role-play, students can assume that people playing each role

have never been to or lived in the other places or types of homes.) When students

are finished, have them talk about how each perspective was limited; that is,

how each person knew facts and details only about, or mainly about, his or her

own place and type of home. Also discuss what was positive about the different

perspectives, including how each person was a kind of expert for his or her own

region and experience.

Practice the Skill When you introduce, teach, or review a topic that centers on

human interactions, such as families and family members, you can deepen

the discussion of content and concepts by asking students to think about each

person’s own or unique perspective. For example, how would a mother or father’s

perspective about needs or wants be different from a child’s perspective?

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 7

Perspectives in Current Events

Article Title:

Date: Author:

Topic: What is the event or issue?

Author’s Perspective: What does the author think about this event or

issue?

Different Perspective: Who might have a different viewpoint? Why?

My Perspective: What do you think? Discuss with an adult.

Current Events Toolkit

8 Current Events Toolkit

Recognize Bias

When students learn to recognize bias, they begin to understand how writ-

ers and speakers can influence others by presenting information that is unfair,

one sided, or written for a purpose that is not directly stated. To recognize bias,

students must first determine the point of view from which the piece is written.

They must also use other skills, such as making inferences and drawing conclu-

sions, to uncover a hidden agenda.

Teach the Skill Explain to students that bias is a one-sided point of view. All

people have biases. When we vote in an election for one candidate, that is our

bias. Bias becomes a problem when it is covered up, or when a writer presents his

or her views as if they are fair and objective when they are not. Offer this exam-

ple: suppose a writer discusses two candidates, pretending to like both equally.

But, in truth, the writer prefers one. Without saying this directly, the writer may

make many more positive comments about the candidate he or she prefers. Bias

can also be more obvious. Bias is often expressed through very negative or very

positive statements. Biased views typically leave out facts that go against the

writer’s opinion. Finally, a biased view also often overstates or understates. The

writer tries to make something bigger and better, or smaller and worse, than it

really is. Project Recognize Bias Checklist and review what it shows. Note that

students should place a checkmark in the right-hand column for any question

that can be answered yes. A completed organizer with one checkmark suggests

there is a chance of bias. Completed organizers with two or more checkmarks

suggests that there is probably bias.

Practice the Skill Distribute the passage below and read it with students. Tell

them it is from a very early description of Louisiana that can be found on the

Library of Congress Web site. Explain that it was written in 1720 by John Law,

a man whose company controlled all the trade in Louisiana. Ask students to

underline anything in the passage that they think shows bias. Then hand out

copies of Recognize Bias Checklist. Have students use the checklist to determine

whether and/or in what ways the passage is biased. Review the completed check-

lists, requiring students to name their support for each checkmark they placed in

the chart.

Corn, vines, and almost all the fruits of France grow there perfectly

well. Tis one of the finest countries in the world, [filled] with gold,

silver, copper, and lead mines. . . . There we will surely draw pieces

of silver out of the earth. . . Soon we shall find healing remedies for

most dangerous wounds. . . The wild bulls, of which there is great

plenty, . . . the hair is very long, and like wool, only finer. There is a

[great] number of deer and some bears that do no harm.

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 9

Recognize Bias Checklist

Author

Words

Ideas

Completeness

To ne

Does the author belong to a group, hold beliefs,

or have interests that would result in a one-sided

view of this subject?

Does the author use very negative or very positive

words?

Does the author exaggerate or understate any facts?

Does the author leave out everything that might

argue against his or her ideas?

Does the writing seem full of emotion and based

mainly on feelings?

Current Events Toolkit

10 Current Events Toolkit

Analyze Primary and Secondary Sources

An important part of the study of history is distinguishing between the sources

we rely on to tell us what happened. When students make distinctions between

sources, they begin to understand that some historical accounts are closer to or

farther away from the truth than others are. They also begin to understand that

people must often use many sources, from both close up and far away, to get a

more balanced and complete view of what happened.

Teach the Skill Ask students how they learn about history. Develop a list on the

board based on students’ replies, such as textbook writing, pictures, stories that

older adults tell, museums, and so on. Then talk about how these sources are

different by asking students to compare and contrast one primary and secondary

source. Project Venn Diagram and use it to compare and contrast two sources

such as the information in a textbook about an event and a story they learned

from an older adult who was at the event. Lead up to a definition of a primary

source as a “you are there” or eyewitness account and a secon-dary source as

writing or other information created by people who did not live through the

event or time period.

Next, project Two-Column Chart, and label the headings, Primary Sources and

Secondary Sources. Write and say this list of sources: diary, newspaper story, pho-

tographs, autobiography, biography, and textbook writing. Talk about who would

have written each source and when it would have been written. Then ask stu-

dents to decide which source goes in which column. Record students’ answers,

being sure to qualify some of the sources by noting, for example, that biographies

can go in both columns, depending on when they were written.

Practice the Skill Give students a primary source on a topic you are studying

or have studied as a class, such as a photograph of George Washington Carver

teaching his students, as well as a secondary source on the same topic, which

could be the textbook writing or another account. Divide the class into small

groups and have them come up with one or more reasons why a primary source

could be a good source of information and also why a secon-dary source could

be a good source of information. Then ask them to come up with one way in

which each type of source is limited, or lacks something that the other has. Also,

ask them to think about how the sources work together to give a more complete

picture than just one source alone could give. Have each group present its ideas,

and use them to discuss the differences between and uses of primary and sec-

ondary sources.

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 11

Venn Diagram

Title:

Current Events Toolkit

12 Current Events Toolkit

Analyze Photographs and Other Images

Students can learn about history by analyzing photographs, illustrations, and

other images. Sometimes, visual information can express ideas or emotions that

the text alone does not convey. Sometimes, visual information also adds to what

the text says or presents a slightly different angle on it.

Teach the Skill Display a photo or two from the text that shows something you

are teaching or reviewing now, such as pictures of an old schoolhouse and school

room. Ask, What is going on in the picture? Encourage your students to give as

much detail as possible, as well as to decide what seems most important in the

picture and what seems less or least important. Note that, occasionally, a visual

will have a title; usually, it will have a caption. Ask students to identify these ele-

ments, if present, and explain what they tell. Discuss how the photo or photos tell

some of the same things that the textbook writing tells. Discuss how the photos

or photos give new information, too. Remind students always to relate what they

see in a photograph or illustration to what they are reading and learning about

a topic. Write and read these steps in analyzing a photo or other visual: 1) Study

the photo. Look at all the details. 2) Decide what is most important. Decide what

is not as important, too. 3) Make connections between the photo and what you are

learning. Does it repeat what the text says? If so, how? What new information does

it give?

Practice the Skill Have pairs of students select a photograph from a chapter of

the textbook that they have recently studied and use the process above to analyze

it. Have pairs share their photograph and analysis with other pairs. When both

pairs agree about what each photograph shows, have them present their analysis

to the class.

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 13

Analyzing an Image

1. Observe: Study the image. Does it have a caption? What details do you

see? What words describe the image?

2. Analyze: What is happening in the image? What parts of the image are

important?

3. Make Sense: What connections can you make to what you’re learning?

How does the photo or image relate to today?

4. Extend: What new questions do you have? How could you ﬁnd out more

information?

Current Events Toolkit

14 Current Events Toolkit

Analyze Current Events

Addressing current events in your classroom is a great way to engage students in

the world around them. Current events can include print, audio, or visual news

stories. They may also be topics that students have heard adults at home discuss-

ing and have questions about.

Teach the Skill Over the course of a few weeks, model how to use each of these

Current Events graphic organizers: Main Idea / Detail, 5W’s, and Evaluation

Web. Consider using a mix of different types of media as your sources.

• For the Main Idea / Detail organizer, read a short article together as a class.

Then ask, What was the point of this article? What do you think the author

would want us to remember? After holding a discussion, fill out the Main

Idea box together. Then have pairs summarize the main idea to each other to

ensure that they understand it. To help students identify supporting details,

list one detail from the article that supports the main idea and one detail that

is irrelevant, such as the color of a car in the article. Have students explain

which detail supports the main idea and why. Then hold a class discussion

where students attempt to find other supporting details.

• For the 5Ws organizer, watch a short news report together as a class. Tell

students you are going to take on the role of a news reporter. Introduce the

5W’s as one way to organize key information for a report. Work together to

fill out the organizer using the current events article. Then read the answers

dramatically as though you were reporting for the news. Then have students

practice sharing the story with a partner.

• For the Evaluation Web organizer, read an article together as a class. Then

conduct a think-aloud as you model how to complete each box of the orga-

nizer. After you complete a box, give students time to talk to a partner and

then complete the box on their own. Repeat for the remaining boxes.

Practice the Skill Have pairs of students choose a current event that interests

them. Consider providing grade-appropriate articles or having students choose

from a news website appropriate for your students. Either assign, or allow pairs

to choose, one of the Current Events graphic organizers to fill out. Afterward,

have them use either the Argument Chart or Poster to record ideas in a way that

they can share their opinion about the current event with other classmates. To

have students take additional action related to this current event, use the tools

provided in the Citizenship Toolkit.

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 15

Current Events: Main Idea / Detail

Article Title:

Date: Source:

Main Idea

What is the

point of the

article?

Details

What details

support the

main idea?

I think this current event is important because

Current Events Toolkit

16 Current Events Toolkit

Current Events: 5W’s

Article Title:

Date: Source:

Who is the

article about?

What event

happened?

When did it

happen?

Where did it

happen?

Why did it

happen?

I think this current event is important because

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 17

Current Events: Evaluation Web

Summary of the Main Idea

Connection to Me

Connection to What We’re Learning

in Class

Why This Current Event Is

Signiﬁcant

Article Title:

Date:

Source:

Current Events Toolkit

18 Current Events Toolkit

Current Events: Argument Chart

Evidence

Claim

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 19

Current Events: Poster

Choose a current event that you think is important. Create a poster to show

how you feel about it. Your poster should include:

• two or three drawings

• a short slogan that is easy to remember

Current Events Toolkit

20 Current Events Toolkit

Discuss Current Events

Although current events are a great way to engage your students, some issues

may be difficult for students to process individually or to grapple with as a class.

Before Teaching the Skill Prior to conducting class discussions on current

events, consider teaching the skills earlier in this toolkit, such as how to distin-

guish fact from opinion and how to identify different perspectives. It will also

help if students have had practice using the various graphic organizers to sum-

marize and analyze current event articles. Finally, it is imperative that you create

a classroom environment where students feel safe to share ideas with each other.

Use the steps in TCI’s Cooperative, Inclusive Classroom training to set up and

maintain a positive classroom community.

Teach the Skill Share a current event article or video. Allow students time to

complete one of the current events graphic organizers. If it is a controversial or

sensitive topic, give students time to journal their feelings and thoughts about the

issue rather than using one of the graphic organizers. Then break students into

small groups. Provide and review the Speaking Checklist and Listening Checklist.

Then have each student in the group choose and share two key ideas they wrote

down. Other students should listen but not yet respond in any way—simply lis-

ten. Once all students have shared, then groups should have an open discussion.

To help students during their small group discussions, provide and model the use

of sentence frames such as these:

For example, . In other words, . My evidence is .

As a result, . This is why . In the text/article, it says .

Practice the Skill To wrap-up, have groups present their ideas to the full class.

Then conduct a class discussion, following these Rules for Civil Discussion:

1. Stand and let the class know which group you are representing.

2. Begin with the statement, “ (previous group), our

group agrees/ disagrees with your group’s ideas because…”

3. Base your argument on evidence or information from the lesson, reading, or

personal experiences.

4. Ask the remaining groups’ presenters to raise their hand if they want to ex-

press their opinions and thoughts.

5. Call on the next presenter by name.

6. Sit and listen to the remaining groups.

7. The role of the presenter rotates until every person in the group has pre-

sented.

Current Events Toolkit

Current Events Toolkit 21

Speaking Checklist

Before I Speak

I think about my audience and my purpose.

I plan what I will say, write it, and revise it.

I create note cards or an outline and practice out loud in front of

an audience.

I listen to feedback from my audience.

I revise and practice again.

As I Speak

I stand or sit straight and tall and look at my listeners as much as I

can.

I use hand and arm movements where they fit with my words.

I use complete sentences.

I speak at a normal rate of speed, not too fast and not too slow.

I speak loud enough for my audience to hear me.

I show that I am interested in my topic by the look on my face.

I pause between main ideas, steps in a process, or events.

I point to any pictures, maps, charts, or other visuals I use.

After I Speak

I listen carefully to questions and comments.

I answer questions and comments politely, slowly, and clearly.

I think about ways to improve my speaking next time.

Current Events Toolkit

22 Current Events Toolkit

Listening Checklist

Before I Listen

I ask myself what I already know about the topic.

I think about my listening purpose and set a goal for listening.

As I Listen

I sit up straight and stay focused on the speaker at all times.

If I am listening to a story, I listen for characters, setting, problem,

and solution. If I am listening to something that explains, I listen

for main ideas and details.

I show that I am interested in the topic by the look on my face.

I make connections in my head with what I already know.

I listen for signal words that help me understand the order and

importance of ideas. For example, I listen for words and phrases

such as first, the most important reason is, three types are, and

in conclusion.

I listen for facts and separate them from opinions.

After I Listen

I clap, say thanks, or smile when the speaker is done.

I summarize the main ideas or put the ideas in my own words.

I think about how what I heard relates to me.

I ask questions or say what I like about what I heard. I speak

slowly and clearly.

I think of at least one way to be a better listener next time.