A group of about 60 educators from the St. Louis area recently attended the Educators for Social Justice teach-in held at a school to discuss how to teach students about social change. Supporters say such a curriculum is needed to help students interpret current events, become critical thinkers and consider how to make a difference in the world.
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Teacher-supervised discussions through remote connections on world issues such as pandemics, sustainability and food insecurity can keep students engaged, writes Marjorie Tiven. Instead of mastering predefined material by trying to replicate in-classroom teaching, educators can share subject knowledge through collaboration via web conferencing, she writes.
The College Board is planning to limit the scope of its Advanced Placement world history course by starting with events in 1450. Under the change, earlier time periods would not be included in the AP exam, a move that has drawn criticism from many teachers who say this is creating a lopsided view of history.
Students at a New York City school recently learned about continents, oceans and hemispheres with a geography-focused remix of the song "Bodak Yellow" by hip-hop artist Cardi B. Teacher Erica Buddington, who posted her video on Twitter, rewrote the lyrics after noticing how much her students enjoyed the original song.
An Arizona middle school's seventh-graders, who recently sent care packages to newly arrived refugee students from Sudan, Syria and Congo but who now live in their state, recently received thank-you letters. The US students were inspired to help after learning about refugee families during a world cultures/world geography lesson.
Intercultural competence helps students develop as global citizens, writes Melissa Liles, chief education officer for AFS Intercultural Programs. In this blog post, she offers advice for helping students broaden their views of the world and evaluate perspectives and cultures that differ from their own.