A global perspective with young adult learners...

A recent topic with one of my classes was where they get their news from. The responses were predictably depressing & illustrated an almost non-existent exposure to anything & anywhere outside their algorythms on Youtube/school club/Spotify/Instagram. None of them had apparently EVER read a newspaper.

Guardian reader

I recently restarted my subscription the the Guardian Weekly...which I used to read pre-internet/smart phone days. Now a magazine & in colour, the quality of the writing remains excellent, balanced and thoughtful.

I am trying to get my daughter & high school students interested in reading it - but it is a bit daunting in terms of length and depth. The items are recent and varied, from headlines to opinion pieces; book & film reviews, recipes, and other looks at 'culture'...there's almost no sport and the position wrt conflict/politics/religion etc is factual & unbiased.

The pages that I've used with my student body = the Global Report. This 'Top 20" if you like, of news items from around the world takes my learners to all kinds of places they've never considered & news issues they're completely unaware of. I really want to trigger interest in the wider world, a wider horizon for my young adults to at least be aware of, if not interested and want to find out more - even if that's just looking for a country on the map.

I've gamified the 4 pages using Wordwall, making a reading comprehension challenge. Students match a short headline (mine) to wherever in the world the news item is from (headlined in the magazine). I've tried to paraphrase using synonyms for unfamiliar/unknown vocabulary, and asked students so far to work together. 

Due to copyright, I can't share the pages from the magazine, but I hope you'll get the idea, and maybe even get a subscription for your school/home?

Here's the quiz for Nov 9: https://wordwall.net/resource/82519867

Here's the quiz for Nov 15: https://wordwall.net/resource/83219932

Here's the quiz for Nov 22: https://wordwall.net/resource/83257721

Here's a sample for Nov 29:

J.K. Rowling - a biography

J.K. Rowling's journey to success was filled with hardship & resilience.

Born in England in 1965, she loved writing stories from a young age. After university, she worked various jobs but never felt fully satisfied. She dreamed of becoming an author, yet life presented challenges. Her mother passed away, her marriage failed, and she returned to England as a single mother, struggling financially & emotionally. Despite these challenges, Rowling started working on a story about a young wizard named Harry Potter.

Sitting in cafes, she carefully wrote while her baby daughter slept beside her. Rejection after rejection came from publishers, but Rowling didn't give up. Finally, in 1997, a small publisher took a chance on her manuscript. The first Harry Potter became an instant success, transforming Rowling's life.

The Harry Potter series went on to become one of the best-selling book series in history, leading to films, merchandise, and a dedicated fan base worldwide. Rowling;'s story is a powerful example of perseverance, proving that even in the hardest times, holding onto your dreams can lead to amazing outcomes.

Posted for Miki