Past, Present, Future: Current Events

    In my classroom, I was required to choose a current events article and create a lesson to which would be reflective of how we could possibly introduce current events into the classroom. This activity was really interesting and fun to create and I never realized how many various ways that current events can tie into the curriculum and relate to social studies and other content areas such as ELA. This type of lesson and activity could be considered an inquiry lesson because of constant questioning and development of understanding throughout the presentation. This lesson could be presented in lower or higher grade levels depending on the main idea and difficulty of the article. The article I choose was one that was near and dear to my heart. Recently, Sesame Street introduced a character on their show named Julia. No big deal, another character, right? WRONG! Julia has autism. This incorporation of a character with a disability is amazing for each and every child in the world. By creating Julia, Sesame Street did not only create a new fun loving character, but also a relatable character that can inspire children to love everyone disabled or not and be aware of diversity. Since someday I will be a special education teacher as well as a elementary teacher, I would consider this a turning point in pop culture. Please view my Current Events Project that connects this wonderful article with the elementary curriculum. One thing I forgot to mention is that after presenting to my peers, they provided constructive feedback that will allow me to develop my presentation skills. Please see their comments here.