Learning Network: Our Coming of Age in 2020 Contest and Unit Plan

Plus, a webinar, lesson plan and writing prompts.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 11, 2020 Dear Reader, This week we announced the most ambitious contest we’ve ever run: a special invitation to teenagers all over the United States to document their lives during this generation-defining year. Called Coming of Age in 2020, it acknowledges the tumultuous events of 2020 and their outsize impact on young people — and invites teenagers to respond creatively, whether in words or images, audio or video. To go with it, we’ve also published a full writing unit, with a step-by-step guide to documenting this year, a list of writing prompts, a free Sept. 24 webinar, and more. What can students submit? Nearly anything they can think of that will show us what it’s like to be a teenager today — diary entries, personal essays, photos, poems, podcasts, comics, songs, illustrations, graphs or anything else original and not previously published that they can upload digitally. We aim to create the richest portrait we can of what it’s like to be a teenager in America in 2020, but to do that, we’ll need your help. We want to reach young people in every corner of the country — from a variety of backgrounds and communities and circumstances — and invite them to add their points of view to a collective portrait of what happened this year and what it means. So please, spread the word. Sincerely, Katherine Schulten, editor RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS contests Coming of Age in 2020: A Special Multimedia Contest for Teenagers in the U.S. An invitation to show us — in words or images, video or audio — how the events of this extraordinary year have affected you. By Katherine Schulten writing curriculum Documenting Teenage Lives in 2020: A Guide for Participating in Our Contest Four practical steps for cataloging what you already have, deciding what you most want to express, and playing with medium and genre. By Katherine Schulten writing curriculum Unit 1: Documenting Your Life in Extraordinary Times This special unit acknowledges both the tumultuous events of 2020 and their outsize impact on young people — and invites teenagers to respond creatively. By The Learning Network current events Lesson of the Day: ‘How Black Lives Matter Reached Every Corner of America’ In this lesson, students will use more than 200 photographs to learn about the protests that swept across the United States in late May and June. By The Learning Network What’s Going On in This Graph? | Sept. 16, 2020 How is Covid-19 affecting where you live? What do you notice and wonder about these two maps? By The Learning Network current events Lesson of the Day: ‘A Picture of Change for a World in Constant Motion’ In this lesson, students will examine a masterpiece of Japanese printmaking and consider the power of visual literacy and “close looking.” By Jeremy Engle current events Lesson of the Day: ‘Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires?’ In this lesson, students will learn about four key factors that have exacerbated the California wildfires. Then, they will consider how climate is changing in their hometown. By Nicole Daniels current events Lesson of the Day: ‘High Schoolers Across the Country Are Seeking “Teenager Therapy’’’ In this lesson, students will learn about a podcast started by five teenagers from a bedroom that has become a lifeline for other kids. Then they will consider what kind of podcast they would want to create. By Jeremy Engle Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WRITING PROMPTS student opinion A Year of Challenge and Change: Writing Prompts to Help You Reflect on 2020 An ongoing list of questions to help teenagers document their lives during a year that will define their generation. By Katherine Schulten student opinion How Has 2020 Challenged or Changed You? What impact has the upheaval of this year had on your life and the lives of those you love? Historians tell us to reflect and document now. By Katherine Schulten student opinion How Should We Balance Safety and Urgency in Developing a Covid-19 Vaccine? Should drug manufacturers push ahead to make and distribute a coronavirus vaccine, even if it means skipping or shortening trials? Or is a rigorous — and perhaps slower — process more important? By Nicole Daniels student opinion What Are Your Hopes and Concerns for the New School Year? This school year will be unlike any other, with in-person, remote and hybrid experiences. What does school look like where you live? By Jeremy Engle student opinion Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? We can never perfectly inhabit another person’s experience, but should we still try? By Nicole Daniels picture prompts Baby Bonds Should the government give money to babies? By The Learning Network picture prompts Dueling Doors What is this image saying? By The Learning Network picture prompts Unofficial End of Summer How did you celebrate Labor Day weekend? By The Learning Network 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 How Are You Keeping Your Students Engaged? Teachers: We want to hear your strategies. By The New York Times Website Crashes and Cyberattacks Welcome Students Back to School With many districts across the country opting for online learning, a range of technical issues marred the first day of classes. By Dan Levin and Kate Taylor 11 Students on a First Day of School Like No Other Students across the country discussed math, masks and managing anxiety as the year begins. By Dan Levin and The New York Times The Inanity of Zoom School Suspensions Disciplinary action is often needless and discriminatory. The patchwork of in-person and virtual schooling is making things worse. By Aaricka Washington 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. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018