Geography and Current Events

Lesson Plan #: AELP-CUR0006

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Sharon Norris
School or Affiliation: Holy Trinity School, Okarche, OK
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.

Date: May 1994

Grade Level(s): 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Subject(s):

Social Studies/Current Events/Issues
Social Studies/Geography

Overview: Students need to be aware of the events that are happening in their world. The best way to accomplish this is by reading the newspaper and becoming informed.

Objectives:

Students will become familiar with the newspaper.
Students will become aware of the events happening in their city, state, nation and world.
Students will learn to summarize.
Students will find locations on a map.
Students will compute distances using map scales.
Students will learn to ask thought-provoking questions.

Resources/Materials: A newspaper for each student, maps, rulers

Activities and Procedures:

First thing in the morning each student chooses an article from the newspaper. You may want to set a minimum length. Students write titles on board to prevent duplication. During the day, as the students have time, they read their article, summarize it, find the story location on a map and compute the distance from their city.

At the appropriate class time each student points out the location on the map and gives the distance. Then the student gives his or her short summary of the article. The class follows along in their own newspaper and asks the presenter questions from the article (you may want to limit the number of questions).

Tying It All Together: Give students a chance to discuss articles that are of particular interest of them. Challenge brighter students to try to choose articles that may have follow-up stories. Or have them summarize TV reports on their articles. Encourage students to become involved in the world around them.