$14
weeklyU.S. Current Events in Context: Government, Politics, Elections & History
Completed by 243 learners
Ages 13-18
Live Group Class
Live video meetings
1x per week
2-15 learners per class
55 min
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per weekClass Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Do you wish you understood more about how the United States government works? Are you intrigued by the U.S. elections process? Do you want to be able to watch or read the news and understand the context and the history of what is going on? Then this class is for you! This class is a fascinating combination of history, politics, economics, sociology, critical thinking, and media analysis. Each week, using current news events, we will explore different aspects of the U.S. government, U.S. politics, and U.S. elections. Topics will vary week by week, depending on the headlines in the news. After an overview of the headline or article that is driving our discussion, we will look beyond the headline to learn more. For example, if Congress is debating a funding bill, we might look at the content of the bill, information about the bill's sponsor, and information about why a finance bill has to start in the House of Representatives. If the President is giving a foreign policy speech, we might discuss the tools and goals of foreign policy, why foreign policy is the responsibility of the Executive branch, and what the speech is about and its history. If the Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case, we might talk about the history of the case, the appeals process in federal courts, and the history of similar decisions. During election season, we will examine how campaigns and elections work. The class will be both lecture and discussion. No prior knowledge is required to take part in the class. Curiosity and questions are welcomed and encouraged! The more a student brings to the class, the more they will take away. If a student is interested in a particular news article, I encourage them to let me know that in advance so that their interest can be incorporated into the discussion. As in all of my social studies classes, I strive to help students find the answer to the "so what" question. Why does all of this matter? How does this puzzle piece fit with all of the other pieces I can already see and understand? I work to help students develop critical thinking skills including how to find the links between ideas and events, and how to identify errors or inconsistencies in thinking. I encourage learners to apply what we are learning to what they already know. Articles and topics will come from a variety of news sources, including Reuters, The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, Forbes, and more. Students will regularly be provided with additional information after class to allow additional in-depth exploration of issues touched on in class.
Learning Goals
Students will develop critical thinking skills.
Students will develop skills in media analysis, historical thinking, contextualization, interpretation, and understanding cause and effect.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
In this class, we will discuss a wide variety of current news events. The very nature of current news topics may, on occasion, lead us to discuss difficult topics like war, climate change, migration and refugees, religious or ethnic persecution, LGBTQ+ issues, etc.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
News websites used regularly in this class include the following: Reuters, Associated Press, National Public Radio, PBSNewshour, Semaphor, ProPublica, Politifact, NewsNation, Pew Research, Ballotpedia, Open Secrets, Vote.org, Whitehouse.gov, CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, ABCNews, CBSNews, NBCNews, and Vox. Media bias is checked using the AdFontes media bias chart.
Meet the teacher
Teacher expertise and credentials
3 Degrees
Master's Degree in American Studies from The University of Alabama
Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from Birmingham-Southern College
Bachelor's Degree in History from Birmingham-Southern College
I have a BA in Political Science, History, and Secondary Education and a MA in American Studies. I have over 10 years of experience teaching high school and college students social studies and critical thinking skills, and have been developing curriculum for homeschooled students for the last 7 years. I am currently serving as a Teacher Ambassador for Retro Report. and served as an Education Ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations for 3 years. My expertise in teaching is in helping students see the many ways that history, geography, politics, and economics intersect.
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