🌏 News Reading & Discussion: Empowering Critical Thinkers 🌍
✅  Designed for Ages 9 - 11 (born November 2015 or older)
✅  ESL: Advanced / Fluent (B2 or higher)
🛑  Age exemptions currently unavailable for 7 or 8 year olds. If you child is younger, you are welcome to enrol in the 1-to-1 version of this class! https://bit.ly/outschool_megan_news

📣 If you're using Outschool for the first time, you can use code →  HxRxXxhi  ← for a $20 credit toward any class!

My name is Megan and I am an independent teacher. I am proud to offer my classes on the Outschool marketplace, and I look forward to meeting your learner!

Welcome to Megan's News Room - I have some interesting news for you this week!
⪼ Engaging Non-Fiction News Articles, Sample Article - https://bit.ly/3IkVuYu
⪼ Small Group! Maximum 5 students per class
⪼ Lexile Level: Each article is different, and the Lexile can vary between 900-1100 depending on the complexity of the topic
⪼ Complex Conversation and Challenging Vocabulary

🌏  Prefer a 1-to-1 class? Check out my Private News Class  🌏 
https://bit.ly/outschool_megan_news

Upcoming Topics:
⪼ November 20 - 22: Radioactive Rhinos Could be Answer to Poaching
⪼ November 25 - 29: TEACHER HOLIDAY, No Classes
⪼ December 4 - 6: [Topic Coming Soon!]
⪼ December 11 - 13: [Topic Coming Soon!]
⪼ December 18 - 20: [Topic Coming Soon!]
⪼ December 21: End of classes for 2024 🎄 
⚠️ January and February: No classes
⪼ March 5 - 7, 2025: New classes for 2025 begin!

Each week in class, children will be introduced to the topic of our non-fiction article written in newspaper style. In class, we will:
⪼ discuss the key information
⪼ have class discussions about the news topic
⪼ review vocabulary
⪼ read the article together aloud
⪼ answer questions to develop understanding

2 days before class, children will receive a PDF document of our reading text. This document does not need to be printed because I will share the screen in class, however it can be printed if that is your preference. After class, children will receive an optional worksheet which can be used to review the article.

Our news reading and discussions each week will vary based on recent or current events. Topics of news articles may include: sports, science, technology, culture, world news, environment, and more!

Intermediate and Advanced ESL students (B2+) are welcome in this class! Your child should be prepared to read aloud and speak during our conversation and discussion of the news article. It is recommended that ESL students read and study the article before class.

★ ★ Why is "Frontloading" an excellent teaching strategy? ★ ★
In this class, I utilise a teaching strategy known as “frontloading” before we read the article together. This instructional strategy provides students with the necessary background knowledge, vocabulary, and context before starting a new lesson or topic. The goal of frontloading is to help students better understand new information by giving them a framework to build upon. Frontloading in my classes consists of providing materials in advance, conducting brainstorming through photographs and diagrams to activate prior knowledge, reviewing relevant concepts, and connecting vocabulary to relevant images. By frontloading, my students become more engaged in the learning process and improve their ability to retain new information. This technique can also help students feel more confident and prepared for the lesson ahead, leading to more successful learning outcomes.

2024's Previous Class Topics:
⪼  Chocolate Breakthrough Cuts Cocoa Waste
⪼  Stinky Secrets of the World’s Oldest Cheese
⪼  Found! Rare ‘Ghost Shark’ on Ocean Floor
⪼  Sacred Cloak Given Back to Brazil After 300 Years
⪼  New Fort Reveals Secrets of Ancient Egyptians
⪼  Wild Horses Gallop Free After 200 Years
⪼  Two Astronauts Stuck in Space Until February
⪼  World's Oldest Man Celebrates 112th Birthday
⪼  Ants Perform Surgery on Others to Save Lives
⪼  Fire-Breathing Robot Dog Hits the Shelves
⪼  The Pro Gamer Who Plays Everything by Ear
⪼  Inventor’s Plan Turns Cow Burps into Diamonds
⪼  Scientist Calls for Warning on Processed Foods
⪼  Chess Prodigy Aged 9
⪼  Scientists Spy on Fish to Learn Their Secrets
⪼  Found! New Dinosaur with Fierce Blades
⪼  Polar Explorer’s Long Lost Shipwreck
⪼  'Ghostbusters' Gadget to Catch E-Bike Thieves
⪼  Wild Orangutan Seen Using Plant as Medicine
⪼  Great-Grandma Goes to Primary School
⪼  Robotic Octopus Super Suckers Coming Soon
⪼  Discovered! Ancient City Beneath the Amazon
⪼  How Elephants Grew Their Trunks
⪼  Space Junk Crashes to Earth
⪼  Olympic Torch Sets Sail
⪼  A City That Could Float on Water
⪼  New Roald Dahl Books in 2024
⪼  Found! Frog Smaller than your Fingernail
⪼  Scientists Discover Ancient Dolphin Skull
⪼  Volunteers to Pretend to go to Mars



CLASS POLICIES
⪼  I offer several dates/times for this ongoing class each week. Each class section taught in a single week will be based on the same material.
⪼  Class will begin on time and I respectfully ask that children arrive on time as well. 
⪼  Mute Button: Children will be unmuted during class and will be able to ask questions and share their opinions. I only use the Mute Button in the event of excessive background noise or excessive distraction. Please ensure that your child knows how to mute and unmute their microphone.
⪼  Chat Box: The Chat Box will not be open during class in order to limit distractions.
⪼  Class recordings are available for 7 days after each completed class.
⪼  Transfers: Transfer requests must be made with a minimum of 24 hours notice and must be within the same calendar week.
⪼  Cancellations: All Ongoing classes have a standard refund policy: "Cancel subscription at any point, no refund for past subscriptions. Payments can be refunded within 24 hours of purchase."
⪼  Age Policy: This class has a strict age policy for enrollment to ensure a productive and enjoyable learning environment for all students. If a student does not meet the minimum age requirement but the parent enrols by misrepresenting the child's age in the Outschool system, I am required to report the enrollment to Outschool's Trust and Safety Team, who will then withdraw the student from the class. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!