Millions of people move from one place to another. When it isn’t just the city that changes but the language and culture, it can be difficult to feel at home. A doormat says “Home Sweet Home.” (Credit: Andy Dean Photography) This article, by high...
Psychologists call it cognitive dissonance when you disconnect beef from the killing of a cow. But some think you need to know the animal you eat. Cows look on as someone is about to eat a fat, juicy hamburger. (Photo illustration by News Decoder) This article, by...
Like their parents before them, thousands of U.S. teens head to camp this summer. But for many, this R&R combines relaxation with religion. Two generations of kids at Jewish summer camp. Joshua Glazer, shown right, and his mother, when she was about the same age....
There isn’t much of a gender gap in Iceland, except in its maritime industry. But go back in time, and you’ll find women pulling in nets and steering the helm. A painting of Foreman Thurídur by Marian McConnell. Habitually clad in trousers, a rust-coloured...
For the world’s most gender-equal country, Iceland has a maritime industry that is surprisingly gender inequitable. Why and how has the status of Icelandic seafaring women regressed over the years? This piece by Ashley Perl gives an overview. In the article’s accompanying classroom activity, have students try their hand at uncovering the history of traditionally gendered professions in a research assignment well-suited for Women’s History Month.
Exercise: Read the article as a class, and then discuss the factors that have contributed to an increasing gender gap in the fishing and maritime industries in Iceland. Afterwards, have students select a profession that has a large gender imbalance in your country (perhaps teaching, nursing, engineering, etc.). Instruct students to research the history of the profession to see if these gender imbalances were the case historically, too. As part of this assignment, you may consider teaching research skills like assessing source credibility and using databases like Google Scholar.
In more regions around the world people want to keep some books out of the hands of youth. But these are the books that engage kids the most. A heavy chain and lock covers three novels at the heart of book banning controversies. (Illustration by News Decoder) This...
Book bans have historically been linked to authoritarian regimes. In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of book bans in democratic countries, too. This is a disturbing trend, and young people are noticing, too. In this piece from high schooler Emily Ireland of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in the U.S. state of Mississippi, prompt student thinking on censorship and banning books with an evidence-based reasoning activity.
Exercise: Read the article with your class. Then, launch a class discussion on whether there are book topics that should or shouldn’t be banned in public schools in your country. Be sure to get into the nuances of this complicated topic: if some topics are inappropriate for certain audiences, who should be responsible for restricting access? Should it be governments, parents, schools? How might these parameters change from country to country, depending on context? This activity is well-suited to be a complementary teaching tool on a lesson about civil liberties (e.g. in the United States, the Bill of Rights).
Selling books in English in Montreal is a political statement, unless you are simply someone who loves books in any language. Caution tape warns bookstore shoppers that the books are in English. (Photo illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced...
For two centuries Great Britain and Greece have fought over artifacts taken from the Acropolis. In Athens, the matter of the Elgin Marbles is complicated. Ancient stones at the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. (Credit: tilialucida) We climbed to the top...
News Decoder editorial intern Kaja Andrić covers the contested rights to the Greek Elgin Marbles in this text. In our present day, should the Elgin Marbles be returned from England to their historical home in Greece? Help students learn to suspend biases and adopt multiple perspectives in this accompanying classroom activity.
Exercise: Read the article as a class, instructing students to make two lists: (1) why the Elgin Marbles should remain in England and (2) why the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece. Then, have students draft a resolution to this dispute. If one country gives up the rights to the sculptures, what stipulations should be in place to ensure both sides are satisfied?
In Sikh culture, the turban is a symbol of spirituality, holiness, respect and self-honor. Why then do some people react to it with fear and anger? Members of the Sikh community walk during the Parliament of World Religion Parade of Faiths in Chicago, 13 August 2023....
Millions of people trek to famous museums like the Louvre in Paris and Tate Modern in London. But what you’ll find in Oslo and Riga might also be worth a visit. An exhibit of brains in jars at the Rīga Stradiņš University Anatomy Museum, Riga, Latvia. (Photo by...
For one Canadian artist, the vibrancy of Japanese washi pulled her out of the darkness of mental illness. Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka and Ashoona Ashoona with their collaborative art piece at the Fogo Island Arts gallery in 2023. The piece, “Uummatima tillirninga, I can...