by Daniel Warner | 21 Nov 2023 | Decoders, Educators' Catalog, History, Israel-Palestine, Politics, Russia, Ukraine
There is an evolving global consensus that some acts of violence in warfare are not acceptable. But how in the world can we enforce that? Headquarters of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. This article was produced exclusively for News...
Headlines about today’s international conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine paint atrocious pictures of war crimes and violent attacks. Are these actions sanctioned in the eyes of international humanitarian law? Correspondent and political science professor Daniel Warner of the Graduate Institute in Geneva gives an overview.
Exercise: Using this summary document from the Red Cross, print out 30-40 articles from the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. Cut each article out separately. Then, prepare a large board/poster for sorting and pasting the articles, divided into four sections: civilians, prisoners of war, wounded/sick, critical infrastructure. Have students read through each article and sort them within the four categories. As they learn more about the Conventions, you may consider bringing in current headlines to evaluate whether or not today’s conflicts have abided by these international humanitarian laws. Note: Consider creating 4-5 sets of article texts and sorting posters if you have a large class, or create a digital version via Google Slides.
by Tiziana Barghini | 6 Nov 2023 | Economy, Educators' Catalog, Italy, Nationalism
Depopulation threatens the long term economic health of developed nations. At some point they will have to open their borders. An Italian Coast Guard boat carries migrants as tourists on boat, foreground, watch, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa,...
In this Decoder, correspondent Tiziana Barghini covers why changing demographics, increased life expectancy and outdated public policies may spell trouble for developed nations. Migration may be the solution.
Exercise: Using a word cloud generator or class participation tool like Mentimeter, have students contribute words that they think of when they hear the word “immigration” or “migration”. Create a word cloud with these words before reading the article as a class. Then, after reading the article, have students consider how their perspective on migration might have changed. Create a post-read word cloud and discuss what new insights students have learned from the article.
by Karolina Krakowiak | 3 Nov 2023 | Decoders, Educators' Catalog, History, Poland, Politics
Polish voters in three different political parties united to wrest control of the government from the conservative Law and Justice party. What happens now? People gather at a rally conducted by the opposition party ahead of the general election in Warsaw, Poland on 1...
Parliament, propaganda and political parties in Poland. In this Decoder, guest writer and former ND intern Karolina Krakowiak reflects on democracy in her home country — and the immense power of voting as a means to change.
Exercise: After reading the article, have a discussion about civic engagement with your class. What does that look like in your country? How can young people get involved in improving the world around them? Why might some be disillusioned with the political system they are a part of? Then, divide students into groups of 3-4. Each group will come up with a slogan to encourage civic engagement in your local community. The class will vote on the best one.
by Alistair Lyon | 23 Oct 2023 | Decoders, Educators' Catalog, History, Israel-Palestine, Middle East, Politics
Hamas shatters the illusion of Israeli control. Palestinian militants attend a funeral of people killed during an Israeli military raid on a Palestinian refugee camp, Nur Shams, in the West Bank 20 October, 2023. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) This article was produced...
Context matters and history matters. In this text from ND correspondent and Middle East expert Alistair Lyon, help your students understand the history behind the headlines surrounding Israel and Palestine.
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then have students create a timeline of key events mentioned in the text. Events may include: Hamas takes control of Gaza, Balfour Declaration, creation of Israel, British mandate to rule Palestine, British withdrawal from Middle East, the Holocaust, the Nakba, PLO 1988 declaration, founding of Hamas, Hamas wins parliamentary election, Oslo Accords, assassination of Itzhak Rabin, second Palestinian intifada, Israel withdraws from Gaza, Gaza blockade by Israel and Egypt. Is this long and complex history represented in social media posts and news stories about the conflict, or is it largely absent? Why and how does context matter?
by Enock Wanderema | 13 Oct 2023 | Africa, Educators' Catalog, Environment
To prove they have what it takes to combat poachers, Uganda rangers race 21 km in scorching heat. They vow: No species will disappear under their watch. A hippo in the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, September 2008. (Photo by Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0...
Big problems can be addressed with outside-the-box, collective solutions. In this article from guest writer Enock Wanderema, we dive into the world of hippo conservation in Uganda. How can your students also engage locally to support causes that are important to them?
Exercise: After reading the article, students should brainstorm a couple of causes that they care about. Then, they should look up local events and organizations that work to support these causes. How can they get involved with these solutions-based actions? You may consider discussing the importance of civic engagement with your class as a follow-up to this activity.
by Tom Heneghan | 11 Oct 2023 | Educators' Catalog, Journalism, Media Literacy
The 24/7 news cycle turns every news item into a headline without context. The more we consume the news the less we understand. Can we break out of that cycle? A TV screen fills with the words “Breaking News” while headlines scroll over. (Illustration by...
In this article, ND correspondent Tom Heneghan explains the tension between the immediate and the eventual in journalistic reporting. In this vein, what is “urgent incrementalism”? Help boost students’ media literacy skills with this text and accompanying classroom activity.
Exercise: Read the article and define “urgent incrementalism” as a class. Then, have students scan today’s headlines and each pick one story to read. Does their story lean “urgent” or “incremental”? How might that change the way a reader understands the issue at hand?
by Liana Hwang | 4 Oct 2023 | Educators' Catalog, Environment, Health and Wellness
To reduce your stress your doctor might prescribe a walk in the woods. Careful, though. This type of medicine is definitely addictive. A medicine cabinet includes a bottle that contains nature. Illustration by News Decoder. Photo on the medicine bottle of Comox Lake,...
In this text, ND correspondent and family physician Liana Hwang sheds light on the importance of spending time in nature as a way to promote positive mental and physical health. Plus, learn more about how spending time outdoors is an effective way to boost planetary health, too.
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then have students map out their schedule on a typical school day. How much time do they spend outdoors versus indoors? How can they intentionally carve out time to spend in nature? Have students set a SMART goal for increasing their time spent outdoors. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound.
by Enrique Shore | 27 Sep 2023 | Educators' Catalog, Politics, Russia, Ukraine, World
Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the UN for failing to stop Russia’s invasion. But to do more would mean changing how the United Nations works. Ukraine’s president Zelensky criticizes the United Nations for not doing enough to stop the war, during...
ND photojournalist Enrique Shore takes us to the 78th UN General Assembly in his piece covering Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech condemning Russia’s invasion of his country. Is holding Russia accountable for its “unprovoked aggression” possible given the current United Nations structure?
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then have students analyze this political cartoon (symbolism, captions, dialogue, etc.). What parallels can students draw between the information in the article and the symbols in the political cartoon? How likely is reform of the current UN structure? Students can then create their own political cartoons depicting the structural tensions detailed in the article.
by Susanne Courtney | 22 Sep 2023 | Climate decoders, Decoders, Economy, Educators' Catalog, Environment, Politics, World
The small island nation of Barbados is leading the call for international finance reform needed to fight the impacts of global warming. The world is listening. From the left, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, Netherlands’ Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag,...
June to August 2023 were the world’s hottest months on record, meaning the stakes are high to address climate change for all. This is especially true for small island nations and developing countries who do little to contribute to climate change, but disproportionately suffer its consequences. Correspondent Susanne Courtney digs into Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s plan to level the climate financing playing field in this Decoder.
Exercise: Inequities in climate financing loom large. Read the article with students, then have them explore this interactive visualization of historical greenhouse gas emissions by country and region. How does your country or region’s emissions compare to those of the world’s largest emitters? Create an infographic depicting this information, including a call to action for students to promote climate action in their local communities.
by Bernd Debusmann | 18 Sep 2023 | Decoders, Educators' Catalog, History, Politics, Ukraine, World
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the “international community” stood back. But is there such a thing? What, if anything, can bring the world together? The entrance to the United Nations in Geneva is obscured by the emblems of a dozen international economic and...
Blaming the “international community” for inaction is easy. But does this community actually exist, or is it just tantamount to the United States and company? Correspondent Bernd Debusmann runs it down in this Decoder.
Exercise: Divide students into nine groups. Each group will be assigned one of the regional organizations mentioned in the article: NATO, European Union, Arab League, G-7, G-20, ASEAN, OAS, African Union, BRICS. Groups should research their assigned organization and identify the organization’s main objectives and stance on current international tensions (e.g. war in Ukraine, economic sanctions on North Korea, nuclear proliferation, etc.). Can these regional groups work together to create a true international community, or are their interests too disparate?
