FUNCTION: The following lesson provides kids the opportunity to reveal the important things that are on their mind and explore concerns they have about their news. The lesson structure is best for those days when “the world hands you your curriculum” (@katricequitter) or as a routine, daily/weekly SEL check-in. Analyzing trainees news assists them to process whats taking place worldwide around them and to practice essential social comprehension abilities as they listen and dialogue with others..
PREP: Create a space for trainees to record their news. They can compose in a note pad, on an anchor chart (with or without instructor assistance), or through a digital platform like Google Slides. Label one side of the page, “What remains in My News?” and the opposite, “My Thinking.”.
These may be as huge as existing occasions and news headlines, or as individual as a household birthday coming up or a trip to the vet with your family pet.
Link to blank Google Slides design template and example.
2. TRAINEES WRITE: Now offer trainees a chance to document whats on their mind by asking, “Whats in your news?” This can be done individually, as students record by themselves papers or as a group, contacting a couple of students to share aloud..
SHARE YOUR NEWS: Whether the routine is done individually or as a group, be sure to hold space for trainees to share their news, a connection to the news of others, feelings, wonderings, questions, etc. Remember, you dont have to have responses to students concerns or find solutions to their difficulties. The lesson is actually about inspecting in with kids and honoring what they observe, hear, see, and feel.
EXTENDING THE LESSON:.

Keep the newsfeed lesson alive by revisiting it weekly or on celebration..

Enable kids to initiate the exploration of topics they care about, and.

When our students enter our classrooms, they come with bits and pieces of news from home, their social media feeds, and from conversations with friends. In spite of the uncertainty of what to say, its imperative that we honor our kids news and engage in dialogue that explores their concerns.
So for those of you committed to anti-bias anti-racist work “beyond the binary,” were sharing a great lesson structure that will:.

Looking for assistance to continue anti-bias anti-racist work in your classroom? Not sure how to deal with hard subjects such as race, gender, politics, religious beliefs and sexuality in a developmentally appropriate method?
5107: Empathy and Social Comprehension for a Compassionate Classroom.
Based upon the text, Being the Change, by Sara K. Ahmed, the course will offer you and your students the confidence, skills, and tools to help with and check out hard questions discussion courageously in your learning environment. Covering topics like identity, perspective-taking, intent, and bias vs. impact, you will come away with specific lessons and strategies to help you nurture your trainees comprehension of social issues..
5128: Creating an Anti-Racist Classroom.
Discussing race, however difficult, is required, no matter your background, race, or comfort level. In this effective course, you will examine your own racial socializing and discover the complex history of race in America. When youve made these important connections between present and previous, you will explore methods to assist in productive discussion around race and identity, and discover anti-biased/anti-racist approaches to classroom direction..

Link student news to their individual identity (gender identity, race, ethnic background, culture, faith, sexual identity/orientation, language, interests, personality, etc). This assists kids see how their understanding of the world can change and grow as they view it from different perspectives.

Move your class from student-centered to socially minded,.

Help with a more educated understanding of current events..

Whats in Our News? Adapted from Being the Change (@SaraKAhmed).

When our trainees enter our class, they come with bits and pieces of news from home, their social media feeds, and from discussions with pals. Despite the unpredictability of what to state, its vital that we honor our kids news and engage in dialogue that explores their concerns. PREP: Create a space for students to tape their news. These might be as big as existing events and news headlines, or as individual as a household birthday coming up or a trip to the vet with your family pet. SHARE YOUR NEWS: Whether the regimen is done individually or as a group, be sure to hold area for students to share their news, a connection to the news of others, feelings, wonderings, questions, and so on.

After a year of difficulty, there is hope on the horizon. The vaccine is reaching communities in need, schools are making strategies to resume in-person learning, and households are finding greater monetary stability.
Anti-racist educator Dena Simmons recently wrote in reaction to the rise in anti-Asian hate criminal activities,.

” We need to keep in mind racial justice and anti-bias work exist beyond a Black and white binary. The Asian, Indigenous, and Latinx communities must be a part of any work labeled diverse, culturally responsive, and anti-racist.”.