GUESTS:
Mary Ellen Wessels - Middle school social studies and humanities teacher at Gate City Charter School for the Arts, a public charter school in Merrimack that integrates art into the curriculum.
Benjamin Bacote - High school English and social studies teacher at Waterville Valley Academy, a private school for snowsport student-athletes.
For social studies teachers looking for additional resources, check out the New Hampshire Institute for Civics Education and the #sschat, a national resource for teachers.
Also check out the N.H. Civics: Mikva Challenge, a program that enables students to identify, research, and find solutions for issues that are important to them.
For schools, Jan. 6 riot is a complex teachable moment
Sarah Wong, a middle school social studies teacher in Exeter, teaches most of her students remotely. She says her district has encouraged her and other teachers to discuss current events in class. Courtesy of Sarah Wong
Published: 1/20/2021 5:18:54 PM
In the two weeks since a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, many people in New Hampshire have been trying to make sense of the news. That includes kids, who are still learning the basics of government and politics. And it also includes many families and teachers, who say with the right approach, the events of this month can become teaching opportunities.
Listen to the broadcast version of this story.
The day after the Capitol riot, 14-year old Elijah Bacote went to class at Plymouth Regional High School, and he said no one - not his teachers, nor any of his peers - brought up the news.
“It’s historic, but at the same time, no one’s really talking about it,” he said. “That’s just school, I guess.”
The superintendent in Plymouth, Kyla Welch, said she left it up to teachers to decide whether to discuss the riot. That has been the case in a lot of New Hampshire schools, which means many teenagers are processing current events online, at home, or not at all - and not in school.