Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup Nov. 5 – 12
Good afternoon,
This newsletter is crafted just for high school educators like you. We hand-pick stories that we believe will spark meaningful discussions in your classroom. You’ll also find highlights of our diverse resources, including our upcoming journalism scholarship program, lesson plans and curriculum, in-class workshops, and more. Our goal is to make integrating Lookout into your classroom as effortless and impactful as possible. Enjoy!
Elections have passed and the results of those elections are available on our 2024 Election coverage. If your students have opinions about the election or anything else, we are launching our student stories page. This is a space for students to share their stories, opinions, club events, and more.
We also want to present the opportunity to schedule in-class workshops on different topics relating to journalism, misinformation/disinformation, and more workshops that are on the way. These workshops are the length of one class period and require no previous preparatory work from you, the teacher, just your time. We are starting to book visits now. If you are interested please reach out to me at jamie@lookoutlocal.com.
Finally, I would love to invite you, as an educator and Lookout member, to join us as we celebrate Lookout’s fourth anniversary at our downtown Santa Cruz office this Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. Over bites and drinks, you can learn more about the next wave of Lookout – new products, our upcoming expansion and our ongoing educational programs. RSVP to save your spot!
Current events to use in your classroom
Here’s a roundup of recent articles you could use in your classroom. Explore the linked lesson plans below for simple ways to facilitate reflection on these local events. Interested in more stories? Browse all our recent coverage here.
LOCAL NEWS
Santa Cruz County needs to rethink rural wildland fire protection – county fire needs to become an independent fire district
By Sanjay Khandelwal
For years, Santa Cruz County has not paid enough attention to community fire protection and safe movement, particularly in the rural wildland districts that ring the county, writes Sanjay Khandelwal. Now, he writes, it’s time. Lessons from the 2020 CZU fire mean we need an urgent rethink of how we handle fire protection. For Khandelwal, a Summit resident who served as the last chair of the county’s fire department advisory commission, an important step is converting county fire, which has a $10.8 million budget, into an independent fire district. The board of supervisors is considering this, and Khandelwal hopes the […]
Continue reading…
CALIFORNIA NEWS
Student Opportunities
Lookout Journalism Scholarship
The very successful Journalism Scholarship is back for the 2024-25 school year! Lookout’s journalism scholarship invites all high school students in Santa Cruz County to apply. The top three winners will each receive $500, and the top 10 will be featured on our site. Students can enter individually or as part of a class project if you want to learn more click here. Teachers interested in having their class participate this year should contact me, Jamie Garfield, at jamie@lookoutlocal.com.
Second Harvest Sponsored 2024 Video Contest
“Calling all creators! You are invited to create a video promoting our 2024 Holiday Food & Fund Drive Students 13 years of age and older of Santa Cruz County: This is your chance to be creative and show your support for your community and Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County. Gather some friends and create a 15–25 second video that could be featured on our social media platforms.”
EDUCATOR RESOURCES
Teach Me, Teacher Podcast
“The Teach Me, Teacher Podcast is a no-nonsense podcast designed for educators seeking professional development on the go. Host Jacob Chastain interviews top education experts, including Kim Bearden, Donalyn Miller, and Kevin Stoller. Explore all aspects of teaching, from the challenging realities to the uplifting moments that make the profession rewarding. New for 2023: Join Jacob Chastain in 2023 as he continues to bring you the latest insights and inspiration from educators in today’s classrooms.”
Lookout Current Event Discussion Guide
- Our current event discussion guide is a great activity to engage with local news and can be used for any article. Below is the lesson plan and the bilingual guide.
Lookout Educator Page
- You can find more resources on our Educator Page, including a media literacy guide, specific new quizzes and more.
Reminder on student access
Thank you for all the hard work you do in the community and for supporting our educational programs, helping the younger generations learn media literacy skills and become invested community members and democratic citizens. If you’d like to learn more about our school programs, get more involved or have any questions, please reach out to me jamie@lookoutlocal.com.
Best,
Jamie
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