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News & Current Events Sites for Kids

Friday, September 30, 2011


Concise high-interest informational articles are not only excellent to use in building students' non-fiction reading comprehension strategies, but also as models of expository writing.  They help students to connect with their local, state, national and global communities and can be useful for classroom inquiry & research too.

Here are a few great sources:
  • DOGO News: is a safe friendly environment for young kids to stay informed about current events. 'Dogo' means small or young in Swahili. Articles are short and focused with interactive videos and an integrated dictionary. (Sample  Article: If the World Were a Village of 100 People...)
  • Wonderopolis offers terrific inquiry-based models of this genre. Browse 'wonder' categories along the right-hand side of each page or explore their awesome archive of past wonders.  Notice the structure that kids could adapt and draw upon to inspire both their research and writing organization. Questions grab the reader's attention and are always followed by an explanation and some how-to advice. 'Words to know and use' help to build understanding and increase vocabulary. (Sample  Article: Why Do Airplanes Leave Tracks in the Sky?)
  • KidsPost is a kid-friendly extension of the Washington Post. (Sample  Article: Ever Wonder...How Animals Clean Themselves?)
  • A Smart Exchange keyword search for expository writing is another great source. There are many notebook files to download & adapt that will build student's conceptual understanding.
  • Find more resources on the ROE Tech. Toolbox and ROE Library Magazines pages. Also, do a keyword search of the Searchasaurus database. Many articles from kid's magazines are available in both PDF and HTML formats.

Resources for Teachers: 
25 Great Ideas for Teaching Current Events
10 Ways to Use Current Events in the Classroom (Big Universe)
Article of Week with Middle Schoolers (adaptable for elementary students)

September 17, 2011: Constitution Day

Monday, September 12, 2011


Constitution Day and Freedom Week are here! Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the September 17, 1787 signing of the United States Constitution. The purpose of Freedom Week is to educate students about the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of our country and the values on which it was founded. There are many excellent online resources to support learning about this document. Here are just a few: