“Current Event Connection” posts will connect educators with news stories and relevant discussion ideas featuring content from the NG Education website.
UNITED STATES Trains are different than planes. Yet at some high-traffic stations, the boarding process is strangely, mysteriously, similar. (Vox) Use our resources to engineer better access to public transportation. Discussion Ideas Read through the fun Vox article. (Keep in mind that a “queue” is a line of people waiting their turn, and “queuing” simply means “lining up.”) Why is the boarding process for a … Continue reading Getting on Board with Amtrak
FOOD A shortage of whitefish in the Great Lakes is coming at an inconvenient time for Jewish families: the Passover holiday, perhaps the only time of year when demand for gefilte fish (where whitefish is a key ingredient) exceeds supply. “It may taste like cat food, but that’s why I love it,” says one man. (Associated Press) Use our resources to better understand Passover, food, … Continue reading Why Is This Year Different From All Other Years?
SCIENCE You would think that someone would have come up with the definitive answer by now, but, in fact, the reason zebras have stripes remains a biological mystery. Scientists have a pretty good idea, however. (New Yorker) Use our resources to read between the lines of evolution and natural selection. Discussion Ideas Read the fascinating New Yorker blog post, then read the first page of … Continue reading Why Zebras Got Their Stripes
WORLD Of the 143 native languages in Mexico, 60 are at risk of being silenced forever, linguists say. (National Geographic News) Use our resources to learn about Zapotec, Chatino, Seri, and other languages of the Americas. Discussion Ideas Take a look at the “Language Diversity Index” map layer in our MapMaker Interactive. The Language Diversity Index measures the diversity of languages spoken in a country. How linguistically diverse … Continue reading Mexican Languages at Risk of Extinction
WORLD Scientists have challenged the idea that the Titanic was unlucky for sailing in a year when there were an exceptional number of icebergs in the North Atlantic. (BBC) Find more Titanic resources than you could ever possibly use. Discussion Ideas Read through our short, terrific media spotlight on the “Sinking of the Titanic.” Work through the first two questions in the “Questions” tab. What was … Continue reading Minor Tweak to Titanic Theory
