The Great Debate

For our current event project, we chose to use debating as a technique for teaching current events. When I was in elementary school, I remember having to read a current event article and find the 5 W's of that article. We thought that by incorporating debates into current events would make the content more interactive and meaningful for the students.   

First, we went over how to participate in a debate. We model a debate format by showing a video relevant to our audience. Next, we introduced a topic to our "students" and informed them that they would be responsible for debating on this topic. In order for this debate to go smoothly, our students needed to follow the debate format. I felt we learned a valuable strategy for teaching current events to our future elementary students.  

We used NEWSELA as a resource during this project. I enjoyed the NEWSELA website. I felt that they shortened articles enough for students to understand and follow the content. I also liked that there was an option for a quiz after each article. This would allow each student to become independent in their learning. In my future classroom, I can see myself using this resource in my classroom. It is student friendly, informative, and also up-to-date on current issues going on in the world. Our students will be the future citizens voting for laws, presidents, and public offices. They need to be informed of their community and of the world. Teaching them to have an interest in current events at a young age will give them the tools they need to be positive citizens in the future.