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oops...meant to add that while they sell a FABULOUS and well priced curriculum - there is a FREE podcast online for most of their programs with short relevant video episodes that go GREAT with class...just look them up on iTunes "The Choices Program"

Texas Freedom Network

Great article. I find myself everyday in the classroom wondering if my choice of content, my presentation of it, my choices of words, etc. leans to the left or the right. It's impossible to provide unbiased commentary, but I sure do try. Nothing is worse than a social studies teacher who insists on forcing their political views on students!

I hear you! I come from a background on the left, and sometimes quite suddenly when I'm explaining something to the class I'll hear my own voice and realise how partisan what I'm saying sounds. I found an excellent diagram of left and right ( http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/left-vs-right/ ) which I put up on the door so that at least the students might become more aware of the political spectrum and how it influences people's beliefs. Perhaps the best we can do is show the students how their political assumptions play out in their opinions so that as self-aware citizens they can at least make conscious choices... The right doesn't have much sway in education in Australia; I think the district board system over there in some areas (if you don't mind me saying...) gets hijacked sometimes by extremists by the looks of it. I've read some fascinating articles on how textbooks are approved in parts of the States which was quite surprising (the Intelligent Design debate I guess is an example).

Hi Mary, Thank you for this amazing share. Down here in Australia there has been a similar event regarding monuments in the news, just after the Charlottesville monument events unfolded. We can definately incorporate and contextualise this for Australia as a combined or global event. A link to an Australian news article that could also be utilised to expand young American minds in understanding that this is a global issue also. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-26/australia-day-argument-intensifies-as-vandals-hit-captain-cook/8845064 Thanks again Faye Goodwin pre service teacher

Dear Faye, Thank you for your comment and the link you posted. It will be interesting to look at this as a global issue. Recently I also saw some articles about similar events in Canada. Hope you have a good school year! Mary

While to get the full version you must buy the curriculum for any given topic (which I will say I have found to be VERY worth the money they charge if you are interested in purchasing), for any given curriculum set, when you select it, on the right side you will see a box that says "supplemental materials". This is a link that gives you access to graphic organizers, video clips by historians, etc all good stuff you can use in your lessons!

Are you looking for a quick economic relief during your cash crisis? Asking for the help from friends and family does not seem to be feasible choice?

Check out games and activities on the topic of your choice!

for use with Choices Learning in the News

Multiple choice quizes. Nice, always handy for a 5 minute filler

" China is a majestic* country (note: links followed by * go to a dictionary definition) with a long and interesting history. If, like most people in the Occidental* world, you've never been to this fascinating land, you might want to take a brief tour. Go ahead and walk a few kilometers of The Great Wall or step foot into The Forbidden City or voyage to the Yellow Mountains. But beyond these tourist stops lives another, more complex, China. Currently, the people of China are experiencing great economic and social upheavals*. Such things as the situation in Tibet, Tiananmen Square massacre, and a scandal about treatment of orphans have brought some people to call for boycotts against China. Being faced with the task of understanding something as complex as a nation, you might want to give up. Sometimes in life you have that choice. But to give up trying to understand the China would mean giving up chances to benefit financially, to help people, to save some of the world's natural and artistic treasures, to protect the safety and security of millions of people, or to enlighten people's lives with greater religious insight. You see, you can't give up. So, if you're ready to begin, you might want to read a Travel Advisory before embarking* on our journey."

Almost every US History teacher tells students about Manifest Destiny, boiling down an explanation of the term to about eight words in a bullet point of a 18 slides presentation that students dutifully copy and recognize out of four other distractors in a multiple choice question. This is the article the phrase comes from - teachers should be forced to read it and explain why they think their teaching of the phrase does any justice to history at all

Beautiful photographs which catch the dignity of everyday work. Sorry, had a poetic moment. The pics are choice.

Has some choice images of ancient and medieval Italy which would be useful for assessment design, classroom resources or research. I found some of the information accompanying the images a little superficial, however.

History Professor curated six excerpts from testimony before Congress about KKK intimidation of teachers and students at black schools during reconstruction.