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...
China’s economy steamed along until Covid. But government policies decades old are pulling it down. It might already be past its peak. A worker arranges raw filaments at the production base of Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd. in the city of Xining on 22...
With an influx of migrants over the past decade, Germany is reconciling to rapidly changing demographics. The idea of German identity is evolving. A woman holds a German flag high. Photo illustration by News Decoder. This article was produced exclusively for News...
Western nations worry about the bond between Russia and China. But perhaps they should consider the possible consequences if this friendship breaks down. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during a summit in Uzbekistan on 16 Sept....
The alliance between Russia and China is more fragile than their purported “friendship without limits”. What can history tell us about the Moscow-Beijing connection? And why does it matter? Decode the geopolitical context for your students in this article by Braden Holt of News Decoder partner institution Indiana University.
Exercise: After reading the article, students should select one paragraph that they feel best captures the central idea of the text. Then, they should pare this paragraph down to one sentence, then one phrase and one word. Through this process, students learn to discern and communicate the main idea of a complicated text, a skill they can use in all disciplines. Have students share their final word with classmates. Can the class come to a consensus for one word that best describes the text?
Young climate activists met with experts at the American Library in Paris to discuss how to protect rivers, trees, wildlife and people through legislation. The sixth Ecologues discussion featured Tim Crosland and moderator Alice McCrum, with Linda Sheehan and Irmak...
The upcoming U.S. presidential election might already seem like déjà vu, but in many ways it will be unprecedented. What’s in it for the rest of the world? This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s global news service. It is through articles like...
When the business model for news corporations depends on blurring the lines between fact and opinion, how can we move from partisanship to problem solving? Photo illustration by News Decoder. In 2017, the political landscape collectively scoffed at Donald...
With news media inundating our feeds with content, youth guest author Skyler Kelley Duval dissects the blurred lines between fact and fiction. Central to being able to responsibly consume media is investment in critical thinking and media literacy education in schools. Are your students media literate?
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then introduce the CRAAP test to your students as a tool to evaluate media sources. The CRAAP test assesses sources for Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose — with a goal of determining trustworthiness. You can find an example of the CRAAP test here. Consider analyzing a media source together as a class using the test.
Brexit gave the British people independence from Europe. But can the value of national sovereignty be quantified and is it worth more than economic stability? A line of trucks wait at Dover to cross the British Channel into Europe post-Brexit in December 2020. AP...
ND correspondent Alexander Nicoll dives into the post-Brexit world in this article, assessing the balancing act between national sovereignty and strong economic growth. He gets into the past, present and future Britain faces as it navigates its independence from the European Union.
Exercise: In an exercise to teach students synthesis skills, have students create a political cartoon illustrating the central tension in this article — the balance between national sovereignty and economic growth in Britain post-Brexit. How students choose to portray this tension is up to them, but they should consider including: a meaningful caption, public figures, symbols, dialogue, etc. It may be worthwhile to show the class examples of successful political cartoons to inspire ideas.
Even as the U.S. and China stare each other down, China is bridging conflicts in regions the U.S. once dominated. Are we looking at a new world order? Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, hold hands with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince...
Some experts say that the world is entering a period of a renewed Cold War. This Decoder from ND correspondent Jim Wolf dives into the role China plays as new allegiances are formed and countries take ideological stands on democracy versus autocracy. Help your students draw the connection between past and present with this classroom article.
Exercise: After reading the article as a class, have students create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting what the article describes as a potential “new world order” and the first Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union. For both past and present, students should consider: major world powers, alliances (including non-aligned nations), proxy conflicts/Cold War “hotspots”, effectiveness of diplomacy, ideological conflicts, etc.
The relationship between China and Russia seems to grow closer as the U.S. and China look at each other with hostile eyes. At what point does this become scary? Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, toasts with Chinese President Xi Jinping prior to the Conference...
Especially pertinent after Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow last week, this article from correspondent Jane Macartney decodes the Russian-Chinese relationship — and its effects on the war in Ukraine and beyond. While China has stopped short of providing lethal material support to Moscow, its overall trade with Russia reached a record high in 2022. Help your students understand all the moving pieces of this geopolitical puzzle with this Decoder.
Exercise: After reading the article, show students this political cartoon of Putin and Xi Jinping. Students should draw parallels between the article and the cartoon’s symbols, characters and captions. Prompting questions: Who are the characters in the cartoon? Why does Xi appear conflicted in the image? How does the image represent what Macartney described in her article? Explain to students that this cartoon was published in 2022. How has the Russian-Chinese relationship evolved since then, with Xi’s latest state visit to Moscow?