Incorporating current events in your homeschool curriculum can be difficult or easy depending on how you go about it.
Do you remember Weekly Readers from elementary school? Those age-appropriate newspapers would give us some basic information about current events…albeit not terribly current.
In the age of the internet, it's much easier to find up-to-the-minute information about events happening in our world. But sometimes there's just so much information, it's hard to sort through it all.
Student News Daily is a non-profit website that does the sorting for you. In addition to several other resources, Student News Daily offers a daily current news item — usually pulled directly from an online newspaper with very little editing — along with background information and discussion questions about the article. There are also weekly World Briefs which highlight news from three different countries around the world, and even a weekly cartoon, complete with questions for discussion.
Here's an example of some of the subjects my 9-year-old and I have read about on Student News Daily in the last few weeks:
- Your Résumé vs. Oblivion
- Grand Canyon to ban bottled water sales
- Congress Welcomes The Drones
- Flood Victims Languish in Oil Boomtown
- FCC Adds Low-income Internet Subsidy Program
- Suicide Bombers
Student News Daily isn't limited to just current events. You can also find information about how to become an educated voter, including explanations of the election process, a chart describing the differences between Conservative and Liberal beliefs, and an explanation of the different types of media bias.
How We Use Student News Daily
We don't use Student News Daily to its fullest potential, but my 9-year-old and I at least read the daily news items together. I read it aloud to her, we watch any related videos included with the article, and then go through the background information and discussion questions. At times the news article leads to further internet investigations about the topic.
One of the things my daughter loves the most about Student News Daily is that the topics she reads about are often discussed in the news that evening. She feels all grown up when she realizes she understands what's going on better than ever before. Current events has become one of her favorite school subjects, and she makes sure we don't miss it!
I am sure there are more ways to include current events in the homeschool curriculum. Do you do something special?
Thank you for the referral to this resource! My 15 year old son and I will be doing Current Events and Government next year, and this looks like an excellent tool!
Thanks for sharing the link. It is important that our children know what is going on in the world.
Thank you! I have been looking for a way for my son and I to read the news together without getting fluff or too 'mature' of topics. Thank you thank you!
We have been using CNN Student news, which is broadcast online at their website. It has been very beneficial to keep up on the news with my kids. They also have maps and questions to go with each day. But they only broadcast on public school days. I was trying to think of what to do over the summer, this may be the answer. Thanks