Learning Network: Giving Students the Freedom to Choose

Our Choice Board

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story May 15, 2020 Dear Reader, For many years I was a high school history teacher, so I’m well aware that too often school doesn’t give students much room for choice. Do this assignment, read this book, answer these questions. But having choice can be incredibly motivating, for adults as well as teenagers; we all appreciate the opportunity to read, study or write about what we want. This week we announced our favorite comments for our Special April Challenge, in which we invited students to read, watch or listen to whatever they wanted in The Times and explain why. That challenge, just like our Summer Reading Contest, which begins on June 12, was all about empowering students to make their own choices. We also published a Choice Board — a menu of 10 activities using Times journalism, including telling a story, analyzing a photo and watching a short film, for students to try at home or in school. We hope that when you think of The Learning Network, you consider it a resource that’s useful, informative, engaging — and full of many possible choices for teaching and learning. All the best, Michael Gonchar, Editor ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS What’s Going On in This Graph? | May 20, 2020 When easing social-distancing rules during the pandemic, should certain businesses and public places reopen first, while others remain closed? By The Learning Network student opinion Should National Service Be Required for All Young Americans? Do you think that serving your country — for example, by working with children or training for emergencies — should be mandatory? By Nicole Daniels picture prompts Teenage Drivers Nearly 20,000 Georgia teens were recently issued driver’s licenses without a road test. What do you think of that decision? By The Learning Network student opinion What’s the Craziest Thing You Did as a Kid? A 5-year-old boy is stopped by a trooper driving a car on the highway. What’s the wildest story from your childhood? By Jeremy Engle weekly news quiz for students Weekly News Quiz for Students: Unemployment Rate, Dropped Criminal Case, ESPN How well did you follow the news this past week? How many of these 10 questions can you get right? Compiled by Jeremy Engle and John Otis student opinion Should Students Be Monitored When Taking Online Tests? Is surveillance necessary to prevent students from cheating during online exams, or does it violate students’ privacy? By Nicole Daniels student opinion What’s the Best Book You Ever Read for School? Do you generally like the books your teachers assign? Are they similar to or different from the books you choose to read on your own? By Shannon Doyne What’s Going On in This Picture? | May 11, 2020 Look closely at this image, stripped of its caption, and join the moderated conversation about what you and other students see. By The Learning Network Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS current events conversation What Students Are Saying About Post-Quarantine Plans, Leadership and Masks Teenage comments in response to our recent writing prompts, and an invitation to join the ongoing conversation. By The Learning Network A Choice Board for Teaching and Learning With The New York Times A menu of 10 activities — including telling a story, analyzing a photo and watching a short film — for students to try at home or in school. By The Learning Network 33 Teen-Chosen Quarantine Reads: The Results of Our Special April Challenge We asked students to tell us what they’re reading in The Times right now, and learned that, like many of us, they are both trying to understand this crisis — and distract themselves from it. By The Learning Network current events Lesson of the Day: ‘A Heartbreak for Children: When the County Fair Is Canceled’ In this lesson, students will learn about the importance of annual summer fairs and livestock shows and how local farm clubs are adapting in the face of the coronavirus. By Jeremy Engle current events Lesson of the Day: ‘Here’s What the First Night of the Subway Shutdown Looked Like’ In this lesson, students will learn about the impact of shutting New York’s subway down overnight and reflect on ways to support transit workers, homeless people and daily subway riders. By Nicole Daniels current events Lesson of the Day: ‘What We Know About the Shooting Death of Ahmaud Arbery’ In this lesson, students will honor Mr. Arbery’s memory and consider what his case says about life in America today. By Natalie Proulx current events Lesson of the Day: ‘Teenager, an Aspiring Detective, Returns $135,000 He Found’ In this lesson, students will learn what decision made Jose Nuñez Romaniz a “hero in the town,” and why he initially didn’t understand why a police officer characterized him that way. By Shannon Doyne current events Lesson of the Day: ‘Gaps in Amazon’s Response as Virus Spreads to More Than 50 Warehouses’ In this lesson, students will learn about essential workers fighting for protective equipment and better benefits. By Nicole Daniels Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. ELSEWHERE IN THE TIMES The Class Divide: Remote Learning at 2 Schools, Private and Public Some private schools provide online luxury learning during the pandemic. As many public schools struggle to adjust, the nation’s educational gaps widen. By Dana Goldstein This Brooklyn High School Found a Way to Honor Its Graduating Seniors With almost all Class of 2020 ceremonies canceled, high schools like James Madison have devised creative methods to celebrate their departing students. By Elizabeth A. Harris economic view The School Year Really Ended in March Abrupt closings have stalled the learning of millions of students. U.S. education needs a rescue, an economist says, and it won’t be cheap. By Susan Dynarski How are we doing? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to LNfeedback@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Learning Network from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. 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