Newseum: A Tool for Current Events

During my senior year of high school, I took a course called Contemporary Studies, which discussed weekly current events and how they impacted the US government and legal system. I remember one of the most enjoyable parts of the class was coming in and tearing into the newspapers to search and read about current events. My teacher was a legend and was known for bombarding his students with current events through newspaper and we loved it!

I still have a fondness to the newspaper to this day. As I have moved into the classroom myself, I have always appreciated the value of a front page and the story that it tells to readers. Recently, I came across a site called Newseum, which allows you to browse the front pages of newspapers from around the country. Want to see what's the political climate in Alabama versus California? This site could help enhance your typical current event discussion and allow students to see firsthand the climate of the country.

A Math teacher could have students gather data and statistics, comparing topics from across the country. Science classrooms could explore environmental issues and how they are impacting different parts of the country. Newspapers aren't just for History or Social Studies. The best part is that this site is free to use and the possibilities are limitless. How can they be used in your classroom?