Use these teacher-produced resources and lesson plans to create your own packets for students. We will keep this document updated, especially around current events. We have five sections to choose from, plus additional resources. Do you have resources you’d like to recommend to other teachers to use in the event school is closed or teachers/students have to miss class? Write Vic at vpasquantonio@newshour.org to share ideas for resources.
1. Current events resources
2. Super Civics 2020 election collection
3. Invention Education: Extra’s hands-on invention lesson you can do at home
4. PBS Student Reporting Labs (SRL) issues-based youth videos
5. NewsHour Extra blogs for students AND teachers
6. Teacher-created and recommended curriculum
7. Additional resources (write vpasquantonio@newshour to add!)
1. Current Events
Check out Extra’s current events resources here:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/daily-videos/
For example: Coronavirus student guide: Virus explainer and news updates
2. Government and Election 2020 lessons
Looking for classroom resources for the 2020 elections?
Extra’s “Super Civics 2020” election series: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/tag/super-civics-2020/
Check out these 7 video-based lesson plans on key issues like political parties, voting rights, media bias and local & state elections.
3. STEM “InventED” lesson series – Design your own invention
Students, learn how you can solve real-world problems through the power of invention and innovation. Check out these 15 lesson plans to explore inventions that are battling invasive species and climate change and building empathy in young people.
4. Student Reporting Labs (SRL)
SRL is a PBS NewsHour video storytelling and journalism program made up of teens across the country who cover a variety of topics important to young people. Check out their website here.
SRL created this easy-to-use curriculum (https://bit.ly/2xj0iMW) for teachers which allows students to share their own stories about how the coronavirus has affected them. Options for different levels of video-making are available.
For additional video series from SRL, check out:
How to break down stereotypes video lesson from SRL’s latest series No Labels:
For more Student Reporting Labs classroom resources on Extra, check out:
To watch more videos from SRL by series:
https://www.youtube.com/user/StudentReportingLabs/playlists
Take a look at SRL’s Election Toolkit made up of how to’s, lessons and student challenges on ways students can cover local politics and national elections:
https://sites.google.com/view/srlelection2020toolkit
5. Student and teacher blogs
How do current issues and events affect your life in school? This is the question we have students and teachers address on our Student Voice and Educator Voice blogs, respectively.
Write Victoria Pasquantonio at vpasquantonio@newshour.org. We’d love to hear from you! Take a look at some past Student Voice blogs like this one on the Iowa caucuses or this one on gun violence. And this Educator Voice blog on using comics in the classroom.
6. Teacher-created and recommended curriculum
A. History Comics and Comics in Education http://www.historycomics.net/free-comics-1 by Tim Smyth, social studies teacher at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania
B. Read the World: Distance Learning Support https://sites.google.com/view/rtwdistancelearning/home by Kristin Ziemke and Katie Muhtaris
C. Parental Control http://bit.ly/2WimQYq From @DreadedEnglish Teacher M. Ed. who started a Youtube channel with her son for mother-son gaming.
D. List of social studies-related podcasts created by Chris Hitchcock, social studies teacher, #sschat co-moderator and co-host of @TalkinSS. If you have suggestion to add, fill out this form: http://bit.ly/2TWEgbD.
E. Civics 101: A Podcast https://www.civics101podcast.org/ produced by New Hampshire Public Radio
F. Twitter bookmark list http://bit.ly/2WlyfqD compiled by Jessica Hunsberger, history, debate and theatre teacher. List includes lots of resources, strategies and examples of online teaching and technology use.
7. Additional resources we recommend:![]()
A. Be sure to check your state’s Department of Education website for resources.
For example, Maine’s website has great information for teachers and parents: Maine Department of Education Coronavirus Update–>>Continuity of Learning by Content Area–>>Continuity of Learning – Social Studies https://www.maine.gov/doe/continuityoflearning/social
