Social Studies/Current Events Sites
10 X 10: 100 Words and Picutres that Define the Time
http://www.tenbyten.org/
10x10 is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that occur in the news all
over the world. Every hour the site collects 100 frequently used words and pictures from
various international news sources and presents them as one large patchwork image. You can
then click on an individual picture to learn more about the story behind it. From this
unique and fresh perspective, you can explore the news from an entirely different angle
and make your own patterns and connections about the world.
Analyzing a TV News Story
http://eolit.hrw.com/hlla/mediascope/newsstory2.jsp
Five elements of TV news are addressed in this Shockwave lesson: selection, purpose,
target audience, pacing, and images. Learn about the elements, then identify them in a
real news story, and take the interactive quiz. If you get an error message when you first
get to the site, just click OK.
BBC Motion Gallery: CBS News
http://www.bbcmotiongallery.com/Customer/Reels.aspx?title=Motion+Gallery%3aShowreels%3aFootage%3aCBS+News
Do your project-making students needs a video clip of the Challenger explosion, the Fall
of the Berlin Wall, Vietnam war protestors, or just about any significant event of the
past 50 years? They can find all of this and much much more at this wonderful repository
of clips from the archives of CBS News. Clips may be downloaded and, under Fair Use
practices, used in any not-for-profit classroom project.
Big Class Action
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/
This site has been created by Online Legal Services Ltd, which states that it receives its
income from fees charged to law firms using its services. If you have a case you want
evaluated, the site claims to forward your case to lawyers who advertise on the site for
free evaluation. The site stipulates that the service is free but that all cases will not
be evaluated. The site is not a lawyer referral service, but cases will be forwarded to
lawyers who advertise on the site. Not all cases will be evaluated. Students of law or
simply those interested in learning about class actions and legal advocacy might find the
site of interest, particularly the link listing current class actions pending and the
"Hot Issues" link.
Breathing Earth
http://www.breathingearth.net/
This fascinating flash site attempts to portray the birth rate, death rate, and amount of
Carbon Dioxide produced by every country on the planet. "Mousing over" a
particular country brings up that country's name and its data. One fun use of the site
would be to play Geography, with students guessing the name of a country before mousing
over its outline. And then there are the possibilities for discussions of global warming,
population density, etc. Math teachers might have the students apply the birth and death
rates to the population figures given (from Augst, 2006) and have students calculate that
country's projected population in the next hour, day, week, etc.
Channel One
http://www.channelone.com/
The winner of several prestigious awards, Channel One has been broadcasting twelve-minute
newscasts for teenagers into high schools and middle schools since 1990. Using video, news
articles, quizzes, polls and games, the Channel One Website is an excellent news site for
teens.
CNN: Education with Student News
http://www.cnn.com/EDUCATION/
CNN Student News provides the latest news from around the world organized into subject
categories with correlating lesson activities. Content includes world events, U.S.
government, science and technology, economics and math, language and fine arts, and
health.
Don't Buy It (PBS)
http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/
Don't Buy It attempts to engage students in media literacy (the ability to access,
evaluate, analyze and produce both electronic and print media) by dissecting pop culture
and advertisements. Media literacy education can help students build critical thinking and
analytic skills, become more discriminating in the use of mass media, distinguish between
reality and fantasy and consider whether media values are their values. The activities
were designed for ages 9-11 and touch on the six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: knowledge,
comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Each lesson is aligned
with the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) Standards. In addition
to the activities, there are guides for teachers and parents, a glossary, downloadables,
and links to related resources.
Free Press
http://www.freepress.net/index.php
Free Press is a national nonpartisan organization working to increase informed public
participation in crucial media policy debates, and to generate policies that will produce
a more competitive and public interest-oriented media system. They hope to open up the
media system to allow more diversity of opinion to be expressed, to present a broader
perspective, and to increase the caliber of information available to everyday people. The
site is huge. The Free Press Library provides books, reports and articles are on media
activism, media policy, society, culture and democracy, indexed by issue area. Fast Facts
supplies quick access to tidbits on a variety of topics such as advertising regulation,
outdoor billboards, commercialism in schools, and much more. Core Concerns which deals
with censorship, election reform, globalization, labor, racism, etc. There's a Beginners
Guide to media issues, and Activitist Issues links to over 40 different media reform issue
areas, listed by category. Each has a summary, headlines, links and other resources for
that issue.
Geek the Vote 2008
http://www.popularmechanics.com/geekthevote08
The 2008 Presidential election process has grabbed everyone's attention—even a techie
type magazine like Popular Mechanics. Despite its inappropriate name, the site attempts to
cover where each candidate stands (or stood, since many have already left the race) on
issues of interest with a focus on science and technology. It could serve as a research
tool for students preparing reports on the candidates. The site also offers related
election news as well.
Global Connections: Putting World Events in
Context
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/
Global Connections: Putting World Events in Context, produced by public broadcasting
station WGBH, is a new Web site designed to provide the background information needed to
understand events occurring in the Middle East. Users can view this site either through a
timeline containing events that span the past 100 years or by looking at single themes
such as economics or religion. This site was designed particularly for educators and
contains lesson plans, activities, and connecting questions which pose higher-level
inquiries. Suitable for high school students.
International Crisis Group
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm
Unfortunately, ours is a world in seemingly constant crisis. This very comprehensive
International Crisis Group site provides reports and analysis on the challenges facing us.
Among the "ripped-from-the-headlines" topics are: Afghanistan, Congo, Darfur,
Iran, Middle East, radical Islamism, and even Zimbabwe. This is an excellent resource for
social studies teachers and others dealing with current events.
Invasion of Iraq (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/invasion/
Invasion of Iraq takes viewers behind the scenes of the allied invasion on Baghdad.
Through interviews with key commanders and soldiers -- U.S., British, and Iraqi -- as well
as Iraqi civilians, the documentary offers a rare battlefield perspective on the war, as
told in first-hand accounts of those who lived it. The website offers interviews,
chronology, analysis, links to further readings, an FAQ, video excerpts from the TV show,
and a teachers guide with lesson plans. From PBS.
KidsNewsRoom.com
http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/
"This site provides children with a safe, kid-friendly Internet site loaded with
stories, pictures, contests and opportunities for learning. Each week, a new issue is
added to the site with the latest news in sports, music & entertainment, health,
history, local events and happenings around the world, all designed with kids in
mind." The Games page has been added to the K-4 Web Sites page.
Multimedia Features (Associated Press)
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/MULTIMEDIA?SITE=NYPOU&SECTION=HOME
AP Digital is a division of The Associated Press, the world's largest news agency. They
produce these short Flash movies, called Multimedia Features, on a variety of topics both
international and domestic including: Focus on Iraq, Weapons of War, Opium's Trail,
Zimbabwe, Raising the Kursk, Homeland Security, Oil Addiction, On the Grill, Drought's
Deadly Grip, Pearl Harbor, and more. Some are quite short, others more complicated.
National Geographic Kids
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/index.html
"National Geographic Kids is an interactive, multitopic magazine covering animals,
entertainment, science, technology, current events, and cultures from around the world.
National Geographic Kids is the magazine that makes it fun to learn about the world."
Topics include Stories, Games, Experiments, Amazing Animals, World News, etc.
Newseum: Today's Front Pages
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/#
The Newseum's popular exhibit, "Today's Front Pages" is now available online.
Select a region and see the newspapers that are available. Click on the paper you are
interested in and see the front page.
News Map
http://www.marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/newsmap.cfm
Newsmap is an application that visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the
Google News news aggregator. A treemap visualization algorithm helps display the enormous
amount of information gathered by the aggregator. Treemaps are traditionally
space-constrained visualizations of information. Newsmap's objective takes that goal a
step further and provides a tool to divide information into quickly recognizable bands
which, when presented together, reveal underlying patterns in news reporting across
cultures and within news segments in constant change around the globe.
NewspaperLinks.com
http://www.newspaperlinks.com/voyager.cfm
New York Times Learning Network
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/
New York Times Student Connections
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/index.html
This is a news site for students in grades 6-12. Sections include News Summaries, Daily
News Quiz, Word of the Day, Test Prep Question of the Day, Science Q & A, etc.
Private See Dispute: Drafting Definitions of Privacy in
the Age of Camera Cellphones
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20031013monday.html
Every kid seems to want their own cell phone; and the more gadgets, the better. But have
they thought about finding themselves plastered on a web page or the subject of thousands
of email jokes? From the NY Times Daily Lesson Plans, this lesson gets students to define
"reasonable expectations" of privacy with regard to camera cellphones and
digital cameras. Then, using their definitions, they work cooperatively to draft
recommendations to send to their representatives in Congress. There is a link to the
article, "Smile, You're on Candid Cellphone Camera," at the top of the page.
Reflections (MIT)
http://web.mit.edu/cms/reconstructions/front.html
A site launched by members of the MIT Comparative Media Studies community in the
emotional, intense, and confusing days following the events of 11 September 2001.
Re:constructions is an on-line resource and study guide, designed to spark discussions and
reflections about the media's role in covering the events of 11 September 2001 and their
aftermath.
Research the News
http://newsconnect.torontopubliclibrary.ca/dynamic/default_research.html
For students confused by or even frightened of the vast amount of information available
online, this is a useful first step — although much of it focuses on Canadian sites.
It will give students a series of portals to databases, archives, and other sources of
information that many of us did not know existed. It is the sort of site worthy of
detailed exploration for the hidden treasures that may pop up.
Run, Lornah, Run
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/kenya/thestory.html
This PBS Frontline world story is about a Kenyan world class runner, Lornah Kiplagat, who
uses her prize money to fund a high altitudes training center in Kenya, a facility that
provides women with an opportunity to better their lives and pursue their goals. In
typical PBS fashion, it also offers links for such important topics as Women and Human
Rights in Kenya and much more.
TIME for Kids: Teachers's Page
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers
TIME for Kids: Student's Page
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids
This is a news site for students in grades K-6. It is divided into K1, 2-3, and 4-6. There
are tons of resources for teachers including Worksheets, Mini-Lessons, and Graphic
Organizers for each level. The student page has Homework Helper, Games, and Around the
World where students can find out about other countries.
Tsunami Disaster in South Asia
http://www.my-ecoach.com/online/activity.php?projectid=3984
What can we do to help the victims and their families of the Asian Tsunamis? Several
countries have been affected by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake centered off the west coast
of northern Sumatra which resulted in devastating tsunamis. One step in lending support to
the victims is awareness. For this activity, you will work with other students to learn
about the countries affected, the impact this devastation has caused, and plan a course of
action your class can collectively take to help the victims and their surviving families
and relatives. Suggested timeframe to complete: 1 hour a day for 3 days.
United States Newspapers
http://www.50states.com/news/
This is a listing of newspapers across the United States. They are listed in folders for
each state, organized alphabetically, with their city in parenthesis next to the link.
USAID: Earthquake and Tsunami Relief
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/tsunami/
The Asian Earthquake and resulting tsunami is being called the worst disaster of our time.
To find out who was affected, check out the section "Current Situation". This
tells you not only who was affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami but also the
International Response to the situation. If you scroll down the page you will find a
section called "Background". This section tells you the facts of what happened
as well as provides and graph with map to show you the scale of the effects. This is a
very helpful site to let people know what's going on.
Weekly Reader Galaxy
http://www.weeklyreader.com/
You probably recall sitting at a schoolroom desk and turning the paper pages of Weekly
Reader. That's so 20th Century! Today's students access their favorite current events
magazine online. The Weekly Reader site offers the latest news, special features, news
event analysis, interactive games, and contests.
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