ESL etc.

Teach UNICEF is a new website that shares a bunch of UNICEF teaching materials by topic and grade level. Topics include child labor, armed conflict, poverty and sanitation, to name a few. Most topics offer materials for grades 6-8 and 9-12, and some include K-2 or 3-5. You can also browse by media type. I [...]

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EarthPulse is a great website by National Geographic that provides an overview of many global issues. It starts with a series of essays by Thomas Hayden. He takes a much more strongly anti-consumerism stance than I expected from National Geographic. …here we are, too far into the new century to pretend any longer that a [...]

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A new study just came out in the UK drawing a connection between learning about global issues and taking action on them. Global education also plays a part in increasing tolerance. The study suggests that people who learn about global issues feel more empowered to tackle them, rather than being overwhelmed by the extent of [...]

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The Institute for Humane Education has a great collection of activities, many of which could be used with English language learners. Most of them are aimed at younger learners, but many could also be used effectively with adults. I haven’t yet had a chance to go through the whole site, but I took a look [...]

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I was recently asked for suggestions for materials that could be used with younger learners. Here are a few of my favorites. Facing the Future has a collection of activity-based, global issues lesson plans for students of all ages. In addition to the great stuff they offer for sale, they have a ton of materials [...]

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IATEFL’s Global Issues special interest group just launched a social network (using Ning). I have found this group’s email list to be a tremendous resource, and I look forward to seeing how this site develops. Thanks to Nik Peachey for setting it up!

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The International School Studies Association at the University of Denver has a large collection of links to lesson plans that deal with global issues. They break them down thematically (Cultural Studies, Environmental Studies, Economics, etc.) and by grade level. There are tons of lessons available here, so there are bound to be some good ones. [...]

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The 43rd annual IATEFL conference is happening in Cardiff from March 31st to April 4th. The global issues special interest group has launched an online discussion forum for all things global issues / ESL related. IATEFL’s GISIG is a good group, so I imagine the forum will be pretty active.

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The Center for Exchange and Solidarity is an organization in El Salvador supporting education, organizing, and social justice. One component is an English school, staffed by volunteers, focused on using popular education/participatory methodology to discuss social, economic, political, and environmental issues. It seems like a wonderful learning opportunity for both the students and the teachers.

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Materials Used Glassbooth Handouts Agree / Disagree Handout Where Do They Stand Handout Last week, I decided to cover election issues with my class. Students had expressed an interest in politics, and it seemed like a good time for it, and also a good way to introduce a variety of global issues fairly quickly. Before [...]

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