As teachers, we can likely name a time when we’ve been faced with children’s questions about what’s happening in the world. Though we strive to create a safe and secure environment in school, children may come across news stories that could concern them. The news can be encountered online, on newspaper front pages, or via chatter in the playground.
Yet we can responsibly share current affairs with children to equip them with tools to develop and learn from the world around them. At Picture News, we’ve determined that the news doesn’t have to be something to shelter children from. As educators, we can productively teach current affairs and subsequently observe personal and academic benefits for our pupils. So let’s delve into teaching children about the world and how we can effectively embed current affairs within school.
Teaching the news – what works well?
The foundation of teaching the news is real-life learning, and there are many rich opportunities for learning that can be found in news stories. Utilising the news within your teaching can help you bring real events and happenings to children’s attention. It’s a way to give children tools to look beyond themselves, to discover the experiences and actions of others.
The news can be the backdrop for unpicking wider issues and philosophising big questions, not to mention stirring children’s imagination. The variety of content within current affairs also means that you can apply real-life learning to almost any part of the curriculum. Whether it’s news of a natural disaster for geography or a current gallery exhibition for art, you can apply what’s in the news to what you’re teaching right now to create productive impacts for your pupils.