Covering Current Events for Children’s Publications Can Be Tricky

Since at least 1928, when "My Weekly Reader" debuted in elementary school classrooms, publishers have been attempting to cover current events for children. "My Weekly Reader" was an accepted and unquestioned part of children’s lives for decades. I remember looking forward to each issue, which got passed out once a week and which I got to keep.

Looking back, I remember the weekly newspaper a bit differently. I remember one story that told of children in communist Southeast Asia being encouraged to turn in their parents for alleged subversive activity, and another piece about the wonders of nuclear energy, which was touted as "clean" and the wave of the future.

News or propaganda? The problems in Southeast Asia grew into the seemingly unending Vietnam War, and nuclear energy was later attacked for its potential dangers and its anything but clean waste products. Information that was being fed to fourth- and fifth-graders as settled fact was anything but.

Which brings us to the question—how do we bring current events into the classroom? Do we discuss the social and political events happening in the world today, and how? Current events include the much disputed war in Iraq, the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, possibly for political reasons, and the health care insurance crisis. The issues involve homeland security, the separation of powers, and the basis of the economic structure in this country—big topics for ten-year-olds.

It’s important, when bringing current and often controversial topics into the classroom, for teachers to avoid imposing their own personal views onto the students, to provide a variety of age-appropriate written materials that offer a factual basis for the discussions, and to allow students to discuss the issues and express their own views without criticism. Teachers should also make an effort to include local, as well as national, issues in the discussion.

Teaching students to approach issues in an intelligent, rational way will benefit them and society in the future; and dealing with current events in the classroom in a responsible way is a great opportunity for teachers to begin the process of developing students into informed, active citizens. It’s a tough assignment for today’s teachers, but well worth the effort.