UNIT 10

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING

CURRENT EVENTS/GLOBAL ISSUES

INTRODUCTION

This unit will help you discover some practical teaching strategies you
can use when teaching local and global issues in your Araling
Panlipunan classes. Being exposed to various media and through first-hand
experiences, young learners become aware that the things occuring in one
part of the globe affect the other parts.

OBJECTIVES

When you have completed this lesson, you will be able to:
1. demonstrate full knowledge and understanding of current national
and international issues that affect global connections and
interdependence,
2. select strategies for the development of learner’s critical and creative
thinking skills as applied to social studies,
3. create lesson plans that incorporate learning experiences intended
to develop the learners' higher-order thinking skills as applied to
social studies, and
4. utilize both traditional and authentic assessment tools and
techniques.

I have chosen three important local and global issues you and your future students
should have more than a passing knowledge. Your students live in this world just like
everybody else, and they must know what is going on around them. Your classroom
is the best place for them to learn about social issues. Teachers, however, should
take special care on how to impart this information to their learners.
 #1 Global Issue: Global Warming/Climate Change

We have experienced the warmest temperature at the onset of the

21st Century according to the instrumental global temperature record.
Students must understand their role in protecting the environment.
Their future depends on it. As teachers we can start by teaching them
what they need to know. The following are strategies you can use to
teach about global warming.
 https://youtu.be/vy1-R0p3Bts Video presentation

Most of the students at the primary level, enjoy watching animated videos,
whether on television or the internet. So, teachers can incorporate educational videos
into their lessons to make them more interesting to students.
According to one of the principles in selecting and using teaching strategies,
the more senses involved in learning, the more and the better the education will be.
Using Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience, watching videos falls under the level of
Demonstrations. It is a visual explanation of the significant fact, idea, or process using
pictures, drawings, film, and other media types to facilitate clear and effective
learning. According to studies, we tend to remember approximately 50% of what we
see and hear; "seeing" and "hearing" is what students do by watching films or videos.
There are many educational videos about global warming or climate change
available on YouTube, which teachers and students can access for free. One of which
is an animated video called "Climate Change at ang Pag-init ng Mundo." DENR
uploaded this video on YouTube in 2017. In this video, the student will learn the cause
and effect of global warming and the solution to this kind of problem. The video was
made for educational purposes, and the medium of this video is in the Filipino
language. Although this video already contains information and facts, the teacher
must make sure that the students get exactly the presentation's message by asking
high-level questions before, even during, and after watching the video.
 Here are some tips in using a video presentation

 Use appropriate video - make sure the tape is suitable for the primary
grade level.
 Limit the length – In elementary grades, 1hour is usually equivalent to 1
subject. Make sure the video is approximately 8 –10 minutes long so
you will still have time to discuss essential details afterward.
 Note-taking – encourage the students to take down notes, allow them
to write essential facts in their notebooks.
 Audio and Visual – Use good quality speakers to conduct video
presentations for the sake of your students seated at the back. Also,
make sure that the classroom is not too bright.
 Provide questions – before presenting the video, give at least five guide
questions. Providing questions encourages students to watch the
video intently.

Media in the classroom are appropriate for triggering ideas, making

complicated subjects more understandable, and holding attention to essential
concepts. It should lead students to remember ideas by becoming more
involved with them. Critical skills in understanding media are fundamental;
without them, the film, video, record, or slides presented concerning a subject
are only for entertainment value.

#2 Global Issue: Poverty

Poverty is a current issue, both local and global. Poverty means more
than the absence of income and other sources of sustainable livelihoods. Its
manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education
and other essential services, social discrimination and exclusion, and the lack
of participation in decision-making. More than a quarter of the Philippines’
105.7 million people live in dire poverty. It is vital to discuss poverty among
our young learners to understand one of the Philippines' significant economic
and social problems.
 The issue of "poverty" is an excellent topic for Inquiry-Based Learning.
Instead of just giving a lecture on poverty, you can have your students
conduct a simple research activity. It could be done as an individual project or
as a group project.

There are four types of Inquiry-Based Learning you can choose from (Guido,
2017):

!. Confirmation Inquiry -- You give students a question and the answer to

the question including the method used to arrive at the answer. The students'
goal is to build investigation and critical-thinking skills, learning how the
specific process works.

2. Structured Inquiry -- You give students an open question and an

investigation method. They must use the technique to craft an evidence-
backed conclusion.

3. Guided Inquiry -- You give students an open question. Typically, in

groups, they design investigation methods to reach a conclusion.

4. Open Inquiry -- Students pose an original question that they investigate

through their methods and eventually present their results.

Inquiry-based learning promotes a more in-depth understanding of the

topic and encourages initiative and self-direction. If it is to be done as a group
activity, it will likewise inspire cooperation and collaboration among group
members.

The issue of "poverty" can also

be taught in the classroom using the
strategy known as Experiential
Learning. This is a constructivist
approach to learning. Experiential
learning includes any form of education
that focuses on personal experience
during the learning process, in contrast
to learning from books, lectures, or
other more passive means. Research
has shown
that students benefit academically from experiential learning; furthermore, this strategy is also
useful in promoting the development of responsibility, decision-making, and other interpersonal
skills (Davis & McClain, 2003). Some research advocates for more opportunities
to teach social studies outside of the classroom, taking advantage of learning possibilities in an
environment where students can transfer their learned knowledge to the real world and real- life
situations. (Cengelci, 2013).

A poverty simulation is an example of experiential learning activity in which participants take

on the role of different types of people that may experience poverty. The overall aim is to challenge
participants' beliefs about poverty and prompt them to act. The poverty simulation experience will
help participants understand the life of a typical low-income family that is trying to survive. The
simulation is designed to make the participants more sensitive to the realities faced by low-income
people. When used among young learners, teachers should take care to make the activity age-
appropriate and safe for the students. Parents or guardians of their students should be well-
informed of the activity, for it may sometimes entail doing “out-of- classroom” work.

# Global Issue: Pollution

A polluted environment is causing grave and irreparable damage to the natural

world and human society. Approximately 40% of deaths worldwide are caused by
air, water, and soil pollution. Overpopulation is a big contributor to the state of
malnutrition of about 3.7 billion people in the world. A polluted environment breeds
a polluted society - one we created and one only we can renew (Everything
Connects, 2013).

Our students must know the causes and effects of environmental pollution and
what can be done to correct them. In our classrooms, we teach the topic using the
suggested strategy below:

Panel Discussion - Invite some local

government officials or experts in the
environment like environmentalists or
representatives from Greenpeace
Philippines concerned in protecting natural
landscapes, species, and more from
environmental threats such as hazardous
waste imports, coal projects, and illegal
logging. Typically, 3 to 4 experts or
practitioners in the field share facts, offer
their opinions, and answer the questions the
audience ask either directly or through a
moderator.
The moderator of the panel discussion
is the teacher. The teacher will
give the topic for the debate, and the panelist will provide their point of view about the issue.