Just wondering, how many of you use current events in your school as part of geography/history? I know it isn't history, but someday in the future it will be. I also think that sometimes when we only concentrate on the normal scope and sequence of a history curriculum we are losing the real importance of studying history. Does that make sense? History is a very important thing to study and the fact that so many things are being repeated (many of them bad) shows the sad fact that people are not really "learning" from the past. I think a prime example is the "bail-out" mentality. I don't think it is wrong to want to help people, but this is not the right way to do it. This mentality started IMO back in the Great Depression. Please don't get me wrong-people needed help. But, somewhere down the line the help became hand-outs. I am all for helping people, but not for handing out things endlessly for someone unwilling to work. Why not give people financial help and put them to work in whatever they can qualify for and let them know that if they do this work, they get the help--if they quit, they don't.
We have not used current events for school put plan on doing it next year. Next year's curriculum, Sonlight, calls for using current events. Next weekend I plan to buy the Sunday paper and look at the ads and cartoons. We will try to find different propaganda that is being used. That should be fun. I agree that everyone should know history if for no other reason so that we do not make the same mistakes. I also agree with you that helping people is good, but endlessly giving things away to someone who is unwilling to work is not good.
We do current events as current events. It's just as important to know and understand what is happening today as it is to examine to days world in contrast to yesterdays world. History helps us understand today, but I use current events as a means of teaching "this is the world we live in, can we make it better and how?" The hardest part in teaching current events is finding reliable news sources that actually give the news rather than the latest expose on Tiger Wood;s mistresses! (I'm at the point where even typing his name made me throw up a little I am so sick of seeing/hearing it!) At the moment, we are looking at the Mandatory internet filter the Australian government is forcing upon us. I'm all for a filter, but I do think it should be opt in, NOT mandatory. And the fact that the Government tried to sneak this one in without any real information for the general public raised all my red flags. But that's really how we do current events. I ask them what they think of the filter and how they feel that will affect us. (ie. as far as net browsing goes, not a great deal) But the long term ramifications are frightening. Australians do not have freedom of speech. We are the only western nation in the world that has no political/legal protection for our rights in regards to freedom of speech and information. A mandatory filter, run by an organisation that has no legal obligation to supply the public with a list of banned sites (it's all protected by new laws) has the potential for gross abuse by a government with an agenda. Once the filter goes on, there's no stopping this government or a future one from censoring us as severely as the likes of China, Saudi Arabia, and other nations like them.
Wow, and I thought you all had pretty much the same freedoms we did. Little did I know. That in itself is a lesson in current events. I learned something today. I hope things turn around there.
Most Australians are under the misguided belief that we have freedom of speech. I'm not sure I am allowed to post links yet, but when I am if anyone is interested I will link to the Australian Parliamentary Library that explains how despite being a Western Nation and a democracy that signed the Universal Human Rights Act, we some how missed out on the right to freedom of speech.
We watch the news daily and discuss it, I don't really use it as a lesson but we do refer to it if our lessons have similar issues.
We don't do it formally. But my kids have a firm understanding about health care, and we talked the other day about Obama "opening" the drilling. Often when I'm in the car, I have talk radio on, and will often stop and ask, "Did you understand what he just said...?" and then go and explain something to them.
Jackie your kids and mind could probably carry on a good conversation and actually understand one another! I am suprised at the kids in my drama class who do not know what is going on in the world let alone where a location of a country in the news is. These are older kids so I would expect them to know something about Geography by now. Thats one reason I want to stress it with ds too is that I want him to really know whats out there where.
It depends on the perspective you want. Things like Time Jr and such exist. We use God's World News which has several levels of appropriateness depending on the age of your child. I have my kids read two pages a day and then we discuss the articles. Some are fluff stories, some are not. It's very thought provoking and creates many opportunities for discussions. Right now we use the level called "News Current". Next year, my oldest will probably move up to the next level, and my youngest will be ready for the youngest level. I HATE reading/watching news. BUT, I do it because i feel as a citizen of the world, I need to be informed. I think my kids should be also.
An Aussies - although our Constitution SAYS we have the right to free speech...it really all depends on what you're saying if it's entirely true. For example, in the US right now, if you say ANYTHING against the current government you are considered a bigot, racist and homophobic. It has NOTHING to do with disagreeing with the policies or politics (or at least that's what's SAID). As long as you tow the party line, you speech is free. Otherwise it comes with a cost. I fear the days ahead.
People may call you names like bigot, racist etc but your fundamental right to freedom of speech is protected by law. Ours aren't. We don't have that constitutional right because it's NOT in our constitution, Australia doesn't have a bill of Rights. We have the implied right, and we enjoy it. But we can actually be incarcerated if the Government of the day decided that we needed to be censored and stopped. Yours can't do that. The worst they can do is publicly vilify you. They can't make you stop.
actually I think what she was saying is that they are not upholding that law here. Unfortunately the way things are our government is breaking our laws to make laws that are illegal for them to make. So who knows what they will do. Generaly though they throw you in jail over night or at least 72 hours for saying something too bad here. Protesters etc.
I am talking about personal rights and freedoms enforceable by a court of law. You have those. We don't. The only personal rights we have are the right to a fair trial and freedom of religion. Protests fall into a dicey area because though you have the right to express your disagreement, you do not have the right to disrupt the peace, displace business or destroy property that isn't technically yours. And protests tend to do this, peaceful or not. You can be legally imprisoned for up to 72 hours for those types of infringements.
I subscribed to God's World news also, but I subscribed to the 10th and up level. I am actually thinking of subscribing to the next lower one also for my son (I think 6th -9th). He is in 9th and I got a sample copy and I really thought it would be cool for him. I just don't like that it is only once a month. So, I haven't fully decided yet. The bad news is, the first issue I got (last week), I took to work and someone stole it or threw it away.
I know several people here who have been arrested simply for saying things... soooo no we don't have the freedom of speech. As far as current events.. it's something I plan(ned) on adding if Garrett is home next year. I don't think my little ones are ready to have to face the harshness of our world. ETA.. we did subscribe to Nat Geo Kids.. which I was surprised with since I didn't really expect it to hit on current events.. but it did!
Right now, I think my kids are too young (3 and 6) to really do much focus on current events but I may share some of the good news, current events, and we do sometimes discuss that not everyone all around the world is as blessed as us, they don't have the same freedoms and rights we do. They don't have the same standard of housing and food available to them as we do. (or toys! LOL) But, once they are older I will most def include current events in social studies, not history, but a course on government/current events I think does need to be included for older kids for a good education and understanding of the world and human rights.
Next year I plan to include the study of current events on a regular basis. My son will be in 9th grade. I was wondering what to use to read about current events. I do not want to only use the newspaper or the TV. My son does not like what he calls the angry news, bad news, or sad news. Does anyone know of some resource/news that will be more up beat? I am going to look into God's World for his age group.
I think what Belle is saying is that because our right is spelled out in our founding documents, we have legal recourse and a leg to stand on, whereas a country without that has nothing to stand on in a court of law. Enforcement and legal recourse are separate issues. I do believe our freedom of speech is being trampled and that most of the Constitution is wholly ignored these days... but for now, we have means of recourse. For now. I think the biggest threat to all of our rights now is the fact that rights are being redefined as "whatever the people vote them to be" which defeats the entire purpose of having rights that are inherent and puts them all in jeopardy. If we don't stick to a definition of rights similar to that in the Declaration of Independence which claims our rights are inherent - people can create or deny any right they wish to and minority rights will be vulnerable.
Yes ChelC that is exactly what I mean! Thank you for finding the eloquence I was lacking! We are the only western nation to not have any legal recourse for freedom of speech. And should this mandatory filter actually go ahead, we will be officially listed on the Reporters Without Borders - Enemies of the Internet list along with 45 other countries. (I would list them here for you, but already, Australians are being denied access to certain sites and I am no longer able to view the article online.)
I usually listen to NPR in the morning while cleaning the house. My plan is to discuss issues that we heard about from NPR during our classroom day. My hope is that it may sometimes turn into a greater project that requires research for both of us!
