What's More Real-World Than the News?

By Ria Mastromatteo, Educational Technology Consultant ()

Why should we encourage students to have an interest in the news? There are many reasons. First, news is multidisciplinary, encompassing the development of language, vocabulary, reading comprehension, problem solving, listening, oral expression and maybe a little math too. News encourages students to look "beyond themselves" to a bigger reality. Vast amounts of information are available, but it's information that is presented through the eyes of the reporter, so critical reading or listening is an essential skill that can be developed. News allows students to model the writing or presentation techniques of excellent writers and presenters.

Of course, the question is, "What are some ways to help to make kids excited about the news?" There are tons of news resources on the Web. I've listed a few that I think are especially good.

The New York Times Learning Network has both teacher and student connections. Here you'll find news summaries, daily quizzes, daily lesson plans and so much more. Go to http://www.nytimes.com/learning. (Grades 3 and up).
CNN Student News has text and activities that accompany CNN news broadcasts. It's updated daily. (Middle School and up) You'll find the site at http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/fyi. (Grades 3 and up).
USAToday Education has a daily lesson plan (in PDF format) that contains the day's news, graphs, articles and challenges. It's four pages and packed with information, lots of articles, curriculum resources and career education activities. Go to http://www.usatoday.com/educate/home.htm. (Grades 4 and up)
Mondo Times gives you newspapers from around the world. You get other countries' perspectives on current events. Go to http://www.mondotimes.com. (Middle School and up)

If you want to use local news, try these sites to get digital copies of your local newspaper: Home Town News at http://www.hometownnews.com and Gebbie Press at http://www.gebbieinc. com/dailyint.htm.

Are you "hooked" on using the news and/or newspapers with your students? Why not let them create their own newspaper? For activities that will help students understand the process of writing a news story, try going to Let's Write a Newspaper Story at http://www.jhuapl.edu/education/elementary/newspapercourse/index.htm. This site gives you four story ideas and information on writing good newspaper articles. Who knows! Maybe you'll inspire the next Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein.