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Current Events as Empowering Literacy: For English and Social Studies Teachers
Author(s) -
Pescatore Christine
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of adolescent and adult literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1936-2706
pISSN - 1081-3004
DOI - 10.1598/jaal.51.4.4
Subject(s) - literacy , reading (process) , psychology , tone (literature) , mathematics education , social studies , pedagogy , citizenship , test (biology) , accountability , point (geometry) , critical literacy , politics , sociology , social psychology , political science , linguistics , paleontology , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , law , biology
In the current climate of high‐stakes tests and teacher accountability, how do teachers avoid teaching to the test? With respect to high school social studies and English teachers, the answer lies with critically analyzing items in current events. By carefully reading news stories, students can determine an author's bias through his or her use of the techniques of point of view and tone. A determination of missing points of view leads students to research other aspects of the story and to consider the reliability of their sources. The use of this genre, in conjunction with critical thinking strategies, provides the students not only with the skills necessary for effective document and literary analysis, but also with an awareness of the dynamics and complexity involved in the political, social, and economic layers of society. This is an empowering literacy that can lead to student activism and responsible citizenship.