When we compare ourselves to others we feel lesser. But it is what makes you different that people will appreciate. Embrace what really makes you you. A teenager sits alone, head down, hugging her knees. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article, by high school...
Playing on a different team in a different country is disorienting. But on the field the only question is this: Can you play? Two images of the author playing soccer during her first year of high school. (Photos courtesy of Helen Milito) This article, by high school...
A trip to Bordeaux, France opened the eyes of three U.S. teens in ways they hadn’t expected. The Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. (Photo by Christopher “Breck” DuPaul) This article was produced out of News Decoder’s school...
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...
Everyone has an origin story. For one woman, that story begins with the love between a husband and wife. And a petri dish. Lab staff prepare small petri dishes, each holding several 1-7-day-old embryos, at the Aspire Houston Fertility Institute in vitro fertilization...
Young people are caught in the crossfire in war. Those who survive are left with long term consequences. But we don’t think to include them in peace making. Ukrainian youth huddle in prayer on 8 April 2022, as the group disbands after spending nearly a week...
Your opinion matters. But how you express that opinion in print can mean a yawning reader or one who can’t stop thinking about your ideas. Girl reads by flashlight under the covers. Illustration by News Decoder. If you go to a gathering and someone starts to...
We carry complicated identities inside us. But others see only the outside and they carry their own biases. That can result in privilege or prejudice. A man holds a placard. Photo illustration by News Decoder. This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s...
The way we perceive others and ourselves shapes our lived experiences and may result in privilege or prejudice. In this article, correspondent Jeremy Solomons reflects on his own identity as a Jewish man who grew up in England with Lebanese and Persian heritage.
Exercise: Read the article with your class. Then, introduce the Big 8 Identities as a framework for understanding the complexities of identity. Independently, students should identify their Big 8, then discuss the implications of these identities in small groups of three or four. Which elements of your students’ “Big 8” may grant them privilege or subject them to prejudice? How might this change given various cultural contexts? Note: A level of trust and comfort is required for this activity to run effectively.
Living in a globalized world means appreciating the nuance of diverse perspectives and shared experiences. Global Citizenship Education (Canva). The field of education loves its buzzphrases. Standards-based grading. Project-based learning. Media literacy education. ...
Think of Paris and your mind brings up the scent of fresh baked baguettes, not the reek of rubbish on the Rue de Rivoli. Trash accumulates meters away from the Notre Dame Church in Paris, 16 March 2023. Typically, my morning commute to the News Decoder co-working...