How can you help students understand what’s happening in the world (without overwhelming them)?

In this episode, we’re diving into how to teach current events in the classroom in an age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful way. You’ll learn practical strategies for connecting real-world news to social studies standards while helping students build critical-thinking and empathy skills.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ Why teaching current events matters for social studies and citizenship

✅ Common challenges (and how to handle them)

✅ Recommendations for kid-friendly news sources

✅ Ways to connect headlines to history, geography, and culture

✅ How to use videos, podcasts, and visuals to make the news come alive

💡 Perfect for:

• Upper elementary and middle school social studies teachers
• Classrooms with limited time for social studies
• Teachers who want to foster curiosity and civic awareness

Even short, structured current-events discussions can help your students think critically, stay informed, and see the connections between history and the present day.

Action Tip: Pick one kid-friendly news story this week and bring it into your classroom, and see how your students connect and engage!

Related Links:

Blog Post: Episode 117

Recommended Resources:

Recommended Current Events Sources:

CNN 10 https://www.youtube.com/cnn10

Scholastic News https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/

Newsla https://newsela.com/

Time for Kids https://www.timeforkids.com/

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Social Studies Guided Curriculum

Easy-to-follow lesson plans and activities for social studies - just print and teach! The complete bundles for Communities, Texas History, and U.S. History are available. Click the link to learn more!

Learn more about the Smart and Simple Social Studies Guided Curriculum!

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