| Since at least 1928, when "My Weekly Reader" | | | | disputed war in Iraq, the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, |
| debuted in elementary school classrooms, publishers | | | | possibly for political reasons, and the health care |
| have been attempting to cover current events for | | | | insurance crisis. The issues involve homeland security, |
| children. "My Weekly Reader" was an accepted and | | | | the separation of powers, and the basis of the |
| unquestioned part of children's lives for decades. I | | | | economic structure in this country-big topics for |
| remember looking forward to each issue, which got | | | | ten-year-olds. |
| passed out once a week and which I got to keep. | | | | It's important, when bringing current and often |
| Looking back, I remember the weekly newspaper a | | | | controversial topics into the classroom, for teachers |
| bit differently. I remember one story that told of | | | | to avoid imposing their own personal views onto the |
| children in communist Southeast Asia being | | | | students, to provide a variety of age-appropriate |
| encouraged to turn in their parents for alleged | | | | written materials that offer a factual basis for the |
| subversive activity, and another piece about the | | | | discussions, and to allow students to discuss the |
| wonders of nuclear energy, which was touted as | | | | issues and express their own views without criticism. |
| "clean" and the wave of the future. | | | | Teachers should also make an effort to include local, |
| News or propaganda? The problems in Southeast | | | | as well as national, issues in the discussion. |
| Asia grew into the seemingly unending Vietnam War, | | | | Teaching students to approach issues in an intelligent, |
| and nuclear energy was later attacked for its | | | | rational way will benefit them and society in the |
| potential dangers and its anything but clean waste | | | | future; and dealing with current events in the |
| products. Information that was being fed to fourth- | | | | classroom in a responsible way is a great opportunity |
| and fifth-graders as settled fact was anything but. | | | | for teachers to begin the process of developing |
| Which brings us to the question-how do we bring | | | | students into informed, active citizens. It's a tough |
| current events into the classroom? Do we discuss | | | | assignment for today's teachers, but well worth the |
| the social and political events happening in the world | | | | effort. |
| today, and how? Current events include the much | | | | |