Learning to Give, Philanthropy education resources that teach giving and civic engagement
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Purpose:
Students are introduced to the concept of current events. Current events are placed on a timeline and become a part of their daily routine. This builds a sense of time, chronological order and news events over the course of the school year. Students also become familiar with the purpose of news and the contents of a newspaper in particular looking for articles based on Acts of Philanthropy. Parents are encouraged to share news stories with their children.
Duration:
Two Forty-Five Minute Class Periods
Objectives:
The learner will:
- define news and current events.
- illustrate the concept of past, present and future.
- recognize that "news" is a service that helps people understand the world and prepare for the day.
- place events on a timeline.
- create and maintain a current events journal to be used throughout the year.
- observe and create illustrations for events throughout the year.
Materials:
- Fake microphone (a tube with a ball on top is sufficient)
- Large, white paper and crayons
- Samples of newspapers/newsletters: classroom, school and community news
- Read aloud copy of The Furry News: How to Make a Newspaper (see Bibliographical References)
- Internet access
- Student copies of (Attachment One: Current Events Journal)
- Letter to families (Attachment Two: Current Events Articles)
- Blank timeline for the classroom wall (large enough for illustrated events to be visible from a distance)
Teacher Preparation:
In Lesson Two: Turning Literature into News, you will invite a guest into the classroom to talk about writing the school or district newsletter. You may wish to contact that person now.Teacher Note:
Instructional Procedure(s):
Day One:
Anticipatory Set:
Use a fake microphone to make a brief news report of current events in the classroom, school, community and world. Include some events from the recent past, the present and the future (forecasts). Use the rhythm, vocabulary and enunciation of a reporter.
- Explain that you were giving a news report of current events. Define the term current events as things presently happening in the community or world. Define news as significant new information shared with others. This news can be about past, present or future events.
- Ask the students to recall some of the features of your news report. Write down their observations and guide the discussion with the following questions:
- How was the information I gave you helpful?
- Which of the events I described were from the past, which were in the present, and which were in the future? What do those terms mean?
- What vocabulary made it sound like a news report and not just typical classroom talk?
- Where might you hear (or read) a news report?
- How do we get our classroom and school news?
- Discuss the importance of knowing about what is going on in your community (and world). Lead the students to recognize that "news" is a service that helps people understand the world and prepare for the day (or future).
- Tell the students that they are going to make a simple news report including an event from the past, an event from the present and an event in the future. These events may be personal or from the classroom, community or world. Pass out paper to students and tell them to fold it into three panels. In the first panel, tell them to illustrate (and label) a significant event from the past. In the second panel they illustrate an event from the present. The third panel is for a future event. (e.g. My aunt flew to Greece last week. The road to school is torn up for construction. Tomorrow the school talent show tryouts will be held.)
- Give students time to practice with a partner before they describe their illustrated news report to the whole class. Encourage them to use the vocabulary of a news report. Refer to their observations of your news report.
Day Two:
- Visit the Time for Kids Website with the students. Point out the organization of the information: current news is reported in general categories (world, sports, entertainment, etc.) Read an article together and ask the students to verbally recall the important facts (who, what, where, when and why).
- Distribute examples of newspapers and newsletters and ask the students to observe the parts of the paper, the organization and the design. Call attention to the purpose of the different parts: to entertain, inform, persuade and communicate about events. Students may volunteer to read the comics and short articles aloud and identify the purpose.
- Discuss what information is provided in a newsletter or newspaper and review why that information is important to its readers. What would the world be like without news?
- Read aloud Furry News: How to Make a Newspaper by Loreen Leedy. This may inspire the students to make their own classroom newsletter (see Extension). It also will help students understand the parts of the paper.
Day Three:
- Read aloud an article from the local newspaper telling about a current event that is meaningful to the students (look for one related to an act of philanthropy). In response, the students summarize the important facts: who, what, where, when and why. You may do this on a piece of chart paper as a whole class or have students record these facts in their current events journal. See Attachment One: Current Events Journal. They should also illustrate the main idea from the article.
- Draw—or ask one student to draw—a simple illustration of the article (main idea). Place the illustration on a large timeline that will be used throughout the year. The dates of the timeline can go back several months and should go forward to the end of the school year (and beyond). Explain the timeline and show the students where the present day is. Talk about why you placed the article where you did on the timeline.
- Tell the students that they will continue to fill up the timeline with illustrations and labels of other events throughout the year. Tell them they may bring in interesting articles of current events at any time. See School/Home Connection for information about getting articles for current events. Make the current events articles (and journal and timeline) part of your weekly routine.
Assessment:
- Observe student participation in discussions.
- Student journals should include a picture of the main idea of the article and list the five Ws.
- Rubric for student news reports (Day One) has six possible points:
- Report includes illustrations that clearly show what the event is.
- The illustrations include labels.
- There is an illustration of an event from the past.
- There is an illustration of an event in the present.
- There is an illustration of an event in the future.
- The events are significant to others.
School/Home Connection:
Send a letter home asking families to look for kid-friendly current events articles. Encourage families to look particularly for articles about people helping others. See Attachment Two: Current Events Articles.Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
Cross-Curriculum Extensions:
Make a classroom newspaper or newsletter.
Bibliographical References:
- Leedy, Loreen. The Furry News: How to Make a Newspaper. Holiday House, 1993. ISBN: 0823410269
- Gibbons, Gail. Deadline! From News to Newspaper. HaperCollins, 1987. ISBN: 0690046022
- Time Magazine for Children www.timeforkids.com (for second grade and up)
Lesson Developed By:
Kimberly FoxAlbion Public Schools
Albion Open School
Albion, MI 49224
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Current Events Journal
Draw:
What is the article mostly about?
Write:
Who:
What:
When:
Where:
How:
Handout 2Print Handout 2
Current Events Articles
Dear Families,
We are learning about current events and the news. We have learned that "news" provides a service that we all need in order to understand the world and prepare for the day (or longer). We are making current events a regular part of our weekly routine.
In addition, we are learning about philanthropy, which is the voluntary action of giving of your time, talent and treasure for the common good. We think that helping others is an important part of our world. This is something we hope to find in the news.
At this time, we are asking for family involvement in this project. While you are reading the newspaper, please share interesting stories with your child. Keep your eyes open for articles about people helping others. Briefly discuss the article with your child using the following questions as a guide:
- What was the date of this event?
- Did it happen in the past, present or future?
- What happened and where?
- Who benefited from the act of kindness?
Between now and the end of the school year, we would appreciate it if you would send in any current events articles from the paper that are age-appropriate and tell about an act of philanthropy. We will read and discuss each article and place the event on a class timeline.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Unit Contents:
Overview:Inquiring Minds: News and Philanthropy Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- What's the News?
- 2.
- Turning Literature into News
- 3.
- Philanthropy News
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
Comments
(The positive aspects of using this lesson were) The students gain understanding of the importance of knowing local and world news. They realize that news helps us understand what is going on in our world. The integration of students using technology is good also.