Scholastic Reads - Episodes Tagged with “Current Events”

Words into Action

Scholastic Inc. — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:00:00 -0500

Students across the U.S. have shown the power and importance of news articles in the classroom. Moved by the resilience of their peers and a desire to help, kids—supported by their teachers—have developed student-led activism initiatives to raise awareness and funding for the causes they’ve read about in Scholastic Classroom Magazines such as Storyworks® for grades 4–6 and Scholastic Scope® for grades 6–8.

This week, we're talking with Lauren Tarshis, editor-in-chief and publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, and Kristin Lewis, editorial director of Scholastic Classroom Magazines, about how they craft the stories that inspire students to become changemakers.

We'll also hear from a third grade teacher in Cleveland, OH, about how her Scholastic News readers have made a real difference at their school with anti-bullying and recycling efforts.

Additional resources:

Guests

Lauren Tarshis is the senior vice president and editor-in-chief/publisher of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. She's also the author of the bestselling I Survived series.
Kristin Lewis is the editorial director of Scholastic Classroom Magazines and the editor of Scholastic Scope
Robin Allen-Palmore is a third grade teacher at Bolton Elementary School in Cleveland, OH.

Meet the 2017-2018 Kids Press

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:00:00 -0400

This week, we're introducing you to some of the incredible members of Scholastic News Kids Press Corps! Each year, 10- to 14-year-olds around the world are selected to be a part of the award-winning program. These young journalists report news for kids, by kids, covering breaking news, sports events, entertainment and more from their hometowns and on the global stage. Since the application for next year is now open, we asked some of our reporters to tell us about their favorite assignments. We'll find out what they've learned from their experiences, which range from covering the Westminster Dog Show in New York City to child labor in India.

Know a kid with a nose for news? The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps is accepting applications through May 31, 2018. Find out more details and apply here!

Additional resources:

Guests:

Amelia Poor is a 12-year-old member of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps from New York. Amelia joined the Kids Press in 2017.
Rohan Saketh Devulapalli is a 13-year-old member of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps from South India. Rohan joined the Kids Press in 2017.
Owen Osborne is a 10-year-old member of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps from Louisiana. Owen joined the Kids Press in 2017.
Lilian Jochmann is a 14-year-old member of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps from Wisconsin. Lilian joined the Kids Press in 2016.
Nolan Pastore is an 11-year-old member of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps from Ohio. Nolan joined the Kids Press in 2017.
Helen Hong is a 13-year-old member of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps from Australia. Helen joined the Kids Press in 2017.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

Talking With Kids About School Violence and Trauma

Scholastic Inc. — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 14:00:00 -0500

Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, the nation's attention has shifted to the issue of school safety. But how do we reassure children after traumatic events? Our guests this week offer advice for parents and educators on helping kids cope with fear and anxiety. First, we speak with Dr. Jamie Howard, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, who shares some of the unique ways that children experience and express trauma. We also talk with Julie Ballew, a fifth-grade teacher from Houston, Texas, who helped her students rebuild a sense of community after Hurricane Harvey devastated their city.

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to our podcast on an iOS device here or an Android device here, and the latest episodes of Scholastic Reads will be automatically delivered to your device.

Additional Resources:

Read the full message from Richard Robinson, Scholastic Chairman and CEO, on the subject of school safety: http://bit.ly/2p0oCvf
Get more resources from Scholastic on responding to violence and tragedy: http://bit.ly/2p0oCvf
Read Julie Ballew's post about her "Rise Up" classroom project: http://bit.ly/2Flarfg
Read more about the Child Mind Institute: http://bit.ly/2oTWlad
See Julie Ballew's Top Teaching bog posts: http://bit.ly/2IcfJY9
Listen to "Rise Up" by Andra Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNKu1uNBVkU

Guests:

Dr. Jamie Howard is a clinical psychologist in the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute and the director of the Center’s Trauma and Resilience Service. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of anxiety and mood disorders in children and adolescents, and has expertise in treating post-traumatic stress and adjustment disorders across the lifespan.
Julie Ballew is a fifth grade language arts and social studies teacher in Houston, Texas. She is in her 12th year in education, including six years as a literacy coach.

Special thanks:

Music composed by Lucas Elliot Eberl
Sound mix and editing by Daniel Jordan and Christopher Johnson
Produced by Emily Morrow

Telling the Stories of Refugees

Scholastic Inc. — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:00:00 -0400

Actors Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, and author Alan Gratz join us this week to talk about the refugee crisis, and how they are giving voice to the children affected.

First, we speak with Alan Gratz, a children's author whose most recent book, Refugee, hits shelves July 25, 2017. The book follows three children from three periods of history fleeing three different evils: Josef, a young Jewish boy fleeing Nazi Germany in the 1930s; Isabel, a Cuban girl whose family sets out on a raft bound for America in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015, who hopes to escape the violence and destruction of his homeland and begin a new life with his family in Europe.

Later in the episode, we talk with Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody. Mandy is an actor and singer whom you may know from his roles in "The Princess Bride," the Showtime series "Homeland," or as the voice of Papa Smurf in the recent movie "Smurfs: The Lost Village." Over the past few years, Mandy and his wife, actress and writer Kathryn Grody, have begun working with the International Rescue Committee, traveling to refugee camps in Greece and Serbia to meet with refugees and listen to their stories. They join us in the studio this week to share some of those stories.