The Power of Student Voice:

Why Writing Still Matters in Today’s IM World

September 24, 2024

In today’s fast-paced world, students have many ways to express themselves—through social media, videos, memes, and instant messaging. Yet, one skill remains essential: writing. Writing empowers students to express their ideas thoughtfully, reflect on important issues, and engage in meaningful conversations.

As educators, we know writing is far more than just a method to complete assignments. It’s a way for students to clarify their thoughts, organize their arguments, and contribute to the world around them. Developing strong writing skills is crucial, not just for academic success but for personal growth and civic participation.

Writing Provides Structure for Thinking

Writing gives students the chance to express their opinions in a clear, structured way. While they may be comfortable sharing thoughts informally through conversations or social media, writing challenges them to think critically about what they want to say and how they’ll say it. (Including sentence structure, grammar, and many other skills not normally practiced while instant messaging!)

Whether through persuasive essays, creative writing, or research papers, students learn to communicate their ideas effectively. For instance, a persuasive essay on a current event encourages them to explore multiple perspectives and build a strong argument. In creative writing, students can delve into their emotions and develop empathy. No matter the form, writing helps students engage deeply with their own thoughts.

Engage with Important Issues

Writing also connects students to real-world issues. With so many complex topics shaping the world—immigration, minimum wage, censorship and cancel culture…—it’s more important than ever that students engage thoughtfully. Writing about these issues pushes them to research, reflect, and form their own opinions.

By assigning real-world topics, educators can help students connect classroom learning with the broader world. Writing doesn’t just help them understand these issues—it encourages them to actively participate in important conversations about the numerous challenges we face.

Civic Engagement

Writing has always been a powerful tool for civic engagement. Whether it’s a letter to a representative, an opinion piece, or a social media post, writing allows students to participate in public discourse. Students who learn to express their views through writing are better equipped to advocate for causes they care about and make a difference in their communities.

From arguing for policy changes to championing social justice, writing helps students channel their passions into action. When they see that their words can influence others and spark change, they begin to recognize the full power of their voice.

Purposeful Writing – Essay Contests as a Tool

The opportunity to write for a real-world purpose brings an entire new level to student voice. When students know that there is an audience beyond “just their teacher,” it provides additional motivation. (Prizes can also motivate!)

Essay contests are a great method to provide real-world purpose for student writing. Our Stossel in the Classroom essay contest is a prime example, a great opportunity for students to write about important issues and win cash prizes. There are four essay prompts from which students can choose.

 Teachers can also win prizes for having students participate! (Does that motivate you? We hope so!) 

For more information about rules and prizes, check out https://stosselintheclassroom.org/essay-contest/. Want to see some of our prior winners in action? Check out the video Outlawing Price Gouging.

Want to find more writing contests for your students? Here’s a place to start: https://www.indigoresearch.org/blog/writing-contests-high-school-students 

By supporting students in their writing journeys, we’re not just helping them succeed academically—we’re helping them grow into thoughtful, engaged citizens who can contribute to the world around them.

UNDIVIDE US: Exploring Civil Discourse and Political Divisions in America

September 20, 2024

UNDIVIDE US, a documentary film written, directed, and produced by Kristi Kendall, presents an ideal opportunity for educators to explore America’s political divisions and the power of civil discourse. This documentary challenges the media-fueled narrative that our country is on the brink of civil war. Instead, it highlights the ability of citizens to engage in respectful, productive conversations despite their differences. With expert insights, the film suggests solutions to bridge divides locally and nationally.

“What Is the ‘UNDIVIDE US’ Documentary About?”

As news and social media amplify a narrative of an America on the brink of civil war, politicians in Washington, DC stir conflict: red against blue, rich against poor, urban against rural, race against race, and man against woman. They cast us as enemies locked in battle, usurping power and posing as our saviors.

UNDIVIDE US challenges the idea that citizens who disagree are not capable of civil conversation and demonstrates the truth that, even in our differences, the American experiment is still alive and well.

It exposes the power players in Washington DC as the true disruptors of peace, driving our legitimate differences to the brink of disaster. Hear from experts about the roots of this toxic polarization and learn how to counteract it in our local communities and lives.

Classroom Resources: Teach Civil Discourse and Political Polarization

UNDIVIDE US is an essential tool for educators, students, and anyone seeking to understand and counter the political and social divides shaping today’s America. Whether you’re looking to bring these discussions into the classroom or your community, this documentary provides the resources to start meaningful conversations that bridge the gap between political ideologies.

Encourage your students to think critically about the role of media and politics in shaping public opinion. Use the resources and lesson plans below to get you started:

Watch the Undivide Us documentary and learn how to foster civil discourse in your classroom or community.

Lesson Plan Lifeline: Ready-Made Resources for Substitute Teachers

July 17, 2024

Are you a substitute teacher looking for engaging and effective resources to use in your middle or high school social studies, civics, history, or economics classes? We understand the unique challenges you face when stepping into a classroom. That’s why we’ve provide a collection of teacher guides and short videos that can be seamlessly integrated into your lessons, sparking meaningful discussions and enhancing student learning.

Let’s explain!

Your Substitute Teacher Toolkit

We understand that as a substitute teacher, you need resources that are ready to use right away.

That’s why our materials are designed with simplicity and effectiveness in mind.

  1. Effortless Integration. Our teacher guides and videos are user-friendly and require minimal prep time. You can jump right into teaching without missing a beat.
  2. Aligned with Standards. We’ve done the legwork to ensure our resources meet curriculum standards so you can be confident you’re providing valuable and relevant content.
  3. Adaptable to Your Style. Whether you’re teaching social studies, civics, history, or economics, our materials can be tailored to different grade levels and teaching methods.

Make Learning Fun with Games and Quizzes

Want to make learning even more exciting? Our teaching resources have you covered!

Kahoot! Learning Games

We use Kahoot! to create interactive learning games that complement our videos. These games are a fantastic way to engage students and make learning a blast.

Online Quizzes

Our online quizzes are a great way to reinforce what students have learned from our videos. They’re available as Google Quizzes for seamless integration with Google Classroom, or you can use our on-site quizzes for quick and easy assessment.

Teacher’s Guides

We know teachers appreciate extra support, so we offer free teacher’s guides for many of our videos. These guides include discussion questions, viewing guides, activities, and more to help you maximize the educational value of each video.

Spark Lively Discussion with Short Videos

Our short videos are designed to get your students thinking and talking. They’re a great way to introduce tricky topics, start class discussions, and develop strong arguments.

A glimpse into our video library:

  • Unintended Consequences. What happens when things don’t go as planned? 
  • Energy Policy. Learn about how the government makes decisions about energy, the different types of energy sources available, and the debates surrounding their use. Understand why these decisions are important and how they impact our daily lives.
  • Economic Insights. Need to explain how the economy works? These videos break down concepts like supply and demand, inflation, and economic systems, using real-world examples to show how they affect businesses, individuals, and countries.
  • Civic Participation. Explain the importance of voting, civic engagement, and how citizens and each student can make a difference in their community.

Access Your Free Resources

Ready to try our educational resources out?

It’s easy:

  1. Visit Our Website. Go to sitc.org to see everything we have to offer.
  2. Sign Up (It’s Free!). Create an account to download resources and get updates on new materials.
  3. Find What You Need. Use our handy categories to find exactly what you’re looking for.Getting started with our free educational resources is simple and easy.

Empower Your Teaching Journey

At Stossel in the Classroom, we’re committed to supporting educators like you.

We believe every student deserves a quality education, even when their regular teacher is absent.

With our ready-to-use resources, you can confidently walk into any classroom, knowing you have the tools to make a positive impact.

Ready to Make Subbing a Breeze?

Being a substitute teacher is an important job. You keep the learning going, even when lesson plans get shuffled.

Register today and explore the fantastic collection of free resources waiting for you!

When you register for an account you will receive new lesson plan releases, helping you stay on top of current event topics for engaging classroom discussion.

Empowering Educators: Free Educational Resources

for Middle and High School Teachers

October 15, 2023

Are you a middle or high school teacher looking to ignite passion in your students with fresh and innovative teaching resources?

As educators, we understand that finding engaging and high-quality materials can be a real challenge. Searching for adequate resources can be time-consuming, costly, and downright frustrating.

We’re here to help!

At Stossel in the Classroom, we offer a comprehensive collection of free educational resources for middle or high school teachers like you.

Our mission is to provide engaging lesson plans and thought-provoking videos that can help you teach critical thinking, media literacy, economics, civics, and more.

Use our site to transform your classroom into a hub of knowledge and excitement!

Let’s dive in and see what this is all about.

What We Offer                          

We are dedicated to providing teachers and students with balanced and objective lesson plans and discussion guides on current issues and topics.

Our website features a variety of free educational resources that you can use in your classroom or online learning environment.

These include:

Video Library

This collection of over 300 videos (featuring award-winning journalist John Stossel and other partner organizations) includes various topics related to economics, politics, society, and more. They are informative, entertaining, and provocative.

Teacher’s Guides

These ready-made lesson plans accompany many of our videos and cover various subjects and themes. They include standards-aligned activities, worksheets, quizzes, answer keys, and more.

Quizzes

Our quizzes, available in PDF, Google Forms, and Kahoot!, test your students’ knowledge and comprehension of the videos. You can assign them to your students online or print them out.

Both Sides of the Issue

These are video pairings that present opposing views on a variety of topics. They are designed to spark debate and discussion among your students and help them develop critical thinking skills.

Additional Resources

This list of additional websites provides even more resources to supplement your teaching. But more than enhancing the classroom, you’ll also find information on pursuing further education.

How You Can Benefit                     

By using our free educational resources, you can:

Save time and money.

You don’t have to spend hours searching for reliable and relevant resources or pay for expensive subscriptions or licenses. You can access all our content for free on our website.

Enhance your curriculum.

Enrich your existing curriculum with our videos or customize the lesson plans and quizzes to fit your needs and preferences.

Engage your students.

Capture your students’ attention and interest with short videos that challenge them to think critically, creatively, and independently.

Empower your teaching.

Incorporating our current, accurate, balanced content into your lesson plans can also help improve your overall teaching skills.

How You Can Get Started             

Getting started with our free educational resources is simple and easy.

All you have to do is:

We also welcome suggestions on topics and feedback on improving our website and content.

Please feel free to contact us anytime.

We look forward to empowering your teaching journey.