by Helen Womack | 12 Sep 2023 | Education, Educators' Catalog, Journalism, Media Literacy, News Decoder Tips, Russia
A blank page confronts every writer on deadline. Turning that empty space into an article someone might read takes more than simply hitting keys on a keyboard. Two images of a woman at a typewriter trying to find an idea. Photo illustration by News Decoder. This...
ND correspondent Helen Womack takes us through her process of going from a blank page to a published article in this piece on confronting writer’s block. How can we help students find their voice?
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then have students brainstorm pitches that they can submit to News Decoder. How might their initial ideas be transformed into a publishable piece? Consider: global/local relevance of pitches, at least two sources to interview to investigate the topic, students’ unique angle on the topic. Students should then submit a pitch for an opportunity to work with our editors to be published on our global news site.
For further tips on interviewing and drafting, direct students to our asynchronous E-Learning courses. If you’re not a member of our school network, contact us to learn more about these members-only resources.
by Braden Holt | 15 Aug 2023 | Asia, China, Educators' Catalog, History, Politics, Russia, Ukraine
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...
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?
by Rafiullah Nikzad | 27 Jul 2023 | Art, Journalism, Russia, Ukraine
One Ukrainian journalist in exile sells art to help colleagues in peril back home as she waits for the war to end. Ukrainian journalist and artist Lyudmila Makei examines a painting of flowers on exhibit at the National Museum of Kosovo in June 2023. (Photo by...
by John West | 23 Jun 2023 | Asia, Decoders, Educators' Catalog, Japan, World
Japan remains a global economic powerhouse and is becoming an ever closer political partner of the West. People walk at a pedestrian crossing in Ginza shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, 31 March 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) This article was produced exclusively...
ND correspondent and Asia specialist John West takes students to Japan in this Decoder explaining the island nation’s growing geopolitical importance and evolving defense strategy. Ranked the 17th-most democratic country in the world ahead of both the United States and France, Japan remains a key Western ally in a region fraught with tension.
Exercise: Geography has always played a significant role in the founding of civilizations and countries, shaping a nation’s economy and security. Launch a class discussion about how Japan’s geographic location and topography may have influenced the developments described in the article. Then, have students brainstorm how your country’s own geographic location (and geographic features like mountains, water sources, etc.) affects its role and influence on a world stage. This exercise is particularly well-suited to be a complementary lesson after students learn about the conditions of Japan’s surrender after World War II, highlighting the lasting effects of history in the present day.
by Jessica Moody | 10 May 2023 | Africa, Decoders, Educators' Catalog, Human Rights
Sudan is surrounded by unstable nations. A humanitarian crisis could result in refugees flooding into countries ill-equipped to handle the crisis. 150 evacuees from Sudan on a relief flight returning to Qatar, 5 May 2023. (AP Photo/Lujain Jo) This article was...
Conflict in Sudan is causing a humanitarian crisis. Correspondent Jessica Moody decodes what’s going on in Africa’s third largest country with a look at the past, present and future implications of the conflict. Could what’s happening in Sudan expand throughout the region?
Exercise: In an exercise to grow students’ synthesis skills, have them read the article, then come up with their own headline for the text. Their headline should synthesize the most important takeaways from the article. As a follow-up, ask students to consider how this headline has changed as a result of reading the article. How does students’ view of the Sudanese conflict differ from what they would have said yesterday? (Exercise adapted from Ron Ritchhart’s Making Thinking Visible).
