News Around the World: Business/Science Edition (FLEX)

In this class we will learn how to interpret and analyze the news, beginning with fun / interesting current events that focus on business.  By understanding how business ideas drive economies and how events drive business, your learner will be better prepared with understanding the big picture when participating in the economies and businesses for his/her future.  

There will be a business-oriented news story every week. At the start of the week, I will provide a link to any written article in the news.  I will also make video material available in the form of Nearpod lecture videos that will help your student understand the story and the context.  The students will have written worksheets and games on Nearpod to submit as part of their homework for that week.

We will take on a business or science-oriented current event somewhere in the world and dive into the news!  We will use the WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY and HOW to understand the current event and the context around it.

Colorful worksheets are provided so your learner can track with the class and have all the information at his/her fingertips.  
This is an introductory class and no prerequisite knowledge is required. 

I remember the first time a teacher taught me how to enjoy the news.  He showed me how digging in and understanding the story thoroughly makes it more interesting.  He set my course for a lifetime of being engaged with the news.  I want to do the same for your kids!

Get ready. These classes are high energy and will get your kids wanting to follow the news!

FORMAT OF THE COURSE
1 - Videos with Nearpod  activities - Four weekly lessons are given using video and an online article.  The lessons videos are dynamic and are designed to hold your students' interest with games that will allow the teacher to know the students are keeping up.

2 - Worksheets.- these accompany each lesson. They are self-explanatory with "fill-in-the-blanks" for the student to fill out. The questions on the worksheets will include the context of the news story along with what happened and when.  Students are asked to keep their worksheets organized in a "News Around the World" binder which they can keep with them as they get older.  As they learn more and more about the world, they will always be able to build on what they already know about each area of the world. 

3 - A news report - An additional worksheet produces a report each week. This one is for the student to fill out after class. It's a guide for reporting on the news event. Once completed, the student will each upload these news events reports into the classroom for the teacher to review.

4 - A final project. This project will be fun. The students together will decide on whether 
a - to collaborate on a written newsletter (a template on Google Slides will be available for the students to use), 

b - or to collaborate to create a video news show which an anchorman/anchorwoman and four news stories reported on by reporters in the field.  Each of the students will record their own part and upload it for me.  I will put it together into one "News Around the World" segment.  If all parents agree to share, the video will be available on a private link for classmates to share.

In addition, the students will interact with me and other students on the classroom page.


CONTENT OF THE COURSE
The following syllabus explains the four lessons which each take a science story happening in its own unique area of the world:


Week 1: Businesses Looking for Sand in Cambodia's River Beds Need to Pay Attention to Turtles!
Sand is big business in Asia. Singapore's island keeps growing and needs sand to build out into the sea.  China's population keeps growing and people need apartments, built using sand for the concrete. These businesses turn to the little country of Cambodia that has a rich history and wildlife that businesses need to respect and protect!  Learn about the conservation efforts to protect the royal turtles of Cambodia.

Week 2: Cambodian Entrepreneur Starts Rubbish School
Children in Cambodia who do not learn English have trouble finding work when they are older. And with scarce jobs due to tourism down because of COVID, families turn to collection of plastic rubbish to find a way to bring a small income in.  Children gather the trash and bring them to collection centers where one entrepreneur decided to have the children clean their plastics themselves while learning English.

Week 3: Bicycle Business Booms in Kampala, Uganda!
Business has been good at this Ugandan bicycle repair shop. Join us as we use this current event to learn how a disruption in public transportation changes everything for customers and owners of bicycle shops.

Week 4: Starting a Museum-You Must LOVE what you do!
When Stiyin Butaye found a live WWII bomb on his father farm, the twelve year old had no idea that his fascination with the battles that took place on the very land he grew up on would become the passion for a Museum he would operate as a life passion. Find out how using your passion for something can make a unique business that is only you.


MY TEACHING STYLE
I'm very interactive with the students and I have a great deal of experience teaching all ages of school. My usual feedback from parents and students is that I'm a high energy teacher.  I also find myself enjoying the teaching process the most when I've really dug deep and researched the subject matter, so I'm very comfortable with curious students who want to ask a lot of questions!  I also understand the quiet student. Early in my education, I was that shy one.  It took a teacher to draw me out, and now I want to be that teacher who draws a person out. 

REVIEWS OF MY TEACHING
"We have taken quite a few classes on OS but this is the first time my kid has left a class so excited he is jumping for joy.  Fantastic class! It shows how much time this teacher invested in creating this class. Students were attentive and engaged the whole time. Thank you! 🤩"

"My kids were intrigued by this unusual story! This engaging class made excellent use of a story centered on a young Belgian of my kids’ generation to paint a vivid picture of the WWI experience.   The interactive lecture was packed with fascinating cultural anecdotes that grabbed their imaginations, such as a local Belgian festival involving villagers dressed as cats or a revolution that was kicked off during an opera in Brussels in 1830. And of course, the kids loved the jeopardy review at the end!"