The roller coaster of events this school year has students looking back with mixed emotions and a hearty drive to get involved in issues of social justice and reform. As the school year comes to a close, instead of watching that “end of year movie” that’s always so tempting, try instead to give students space to read, reflect on, and write about memorable events from this past school year. Help them grapple with current events so that their reading and writing activities in class feel purposeful to them. This could aid in keeping them engaged well into June! You could even collaborate with the history teacher down the hall or adapt this project for younger students in middle and elementary schools. I also really love Anderson Cooper’s book Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival to get students interested in news and journalism!
Today we’ve collected one 10th grade student’s thoughts on what she holds as the most memorable and influential events of the past year. You can read her thoughts below for today’s “Friday Five” entry. She was asked to brainstorm important events, research five of them, and then write both a summary and a personal reflection for each event. This is just one example of a mini-research assignment you could use this week to keep your students interacting with text, but there are many ways to use reading, writing, and literacy standards to engage students in thinking critically about current events during this challenging last week of school!
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First Event (ongoing): NFL PLAYERS PROTEST THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
In 2017 NFL players would refuse to stand for the National Anthem because they thought white cops were treating black people wrong. Later in the year, President Trump spoke up to say that he is completely opposed to kneeling during the Anthem.
This event had a lasting effect on me and will have a lasting effect on me. Its come up many times in my Public Safety course at votech school. My classmates and I disagree with kneeling during the Anthem. Since we’re all in a Public Safety class, we all really respect those who serve and those who did serve. To us, kneeling feels disrespectful.
Second Event (1 Oct 2017): MASS SHOOTING AT MUSIC FESTIVAL IN LAS VEGAS
The Las Vegas shooting was one of the biggest mass shootings in modern U.S. history. The shooter killed almost 60 people.
This event is important because I remember scrolling through social media and finding out what had happened the night before. When it comes to shootings or terrorism it is a horrible topic to talk about but effects everyone in our nation. This event was so horrific that I will remember this shooting.
Third Event (4 Feb 2018): EAGLES WIN THE SUPERBOWL
On February 4, 2018 the Philadelphia Eagles won Superbowl LII in Minneapolis versing the New England Patriots. They won 41-33 and it’s their first win ever!
I remember this event because it was a huge deal for the Eagles to go into the Superbowl. They have not been there since 2004. I am a big fan of the Eagles and it was very exciting to watch franchise history happen. I was with family that night squeezed into a living room closely and carefully watching the game. We were all anxious for the win, but when it happened we all were jumping up and down while celebrating the win! After the game I remember the celebratory riots that occurred and the city seemed destroyed. Now waiting for the 2018/2019 season to happen we all have high hopes for the Eagles this year.
Fourth Event (7-25 Feb 2018): 2018 PYEONGCHANG WINTER OLYMPICS
Another sports event also happened a few days after the SuperBowl. This one grabbed the attention of millions of people around the world. The 2018 Winter Olympics occurred in PyeongChang Korea. The last Winter Olympics took place four years ago in Russia.
I remember one certain sport from the rest of the sports, snowboarding. I enjoy watching extreme sports and snowboarding is one of those sports. The most exciting part for myself was watching Shaun White get the gold medal. I have been watching Shaun White for a long time. He is one of my favorite snowboarders along with others. He didn’t get a medal in Sochi Russia. I am glad he pulled through this time and did not disappoint!
Fifth Event (14 Feb 2018): STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING
Another event that occurred in February was a very devastating shooting in Florida at a high school.
I remember coming home with my best friend from school that Wednesday afternoon. We decided to turn on the TV after a long day from school and we see another school shooting has occurred. The silence in the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Scrolling through social media it was breaking news and nothing else was happening. I remember having a 2-3 day discussion about how we felt and how it should be prevented in school. Between the walkouts and the conversation all I could feel was anger and sadness. February had good times such as the Superbowl and Winter Olympics, but something bad can always happen and unfortunately this was one of those moments.
PCTELA News 