Talking to Students About Ukraine

It is not hard to notice how much our OJCS students have been talking to one another about what’s happening in Ukraine.  When they enter the classroom in the mornings, when they play outside at recess, and as they walk in the halls, they are talking about the things they’ve heard, the TikTok videos they’ve seen, and the news they’ve managed to see on tv or hear in the car with their parents.  It is really important that we don’t ignore this show of concern in our students, but instead, try to offer opportunities to discuss the invasion sensitively with them so that they have an opportunity to voice their anxieties and other feelings, and to help them gain context and understanding.  It is also a great way we can bring news literacy into the classroom by discussing the ways in which social media can lead to misinformation about what is going on.

Here are some resources you can use to help you navigate these discussions;

How to Talk to Kids About What is Happening In Ukraine Right Now – CBC
Talking to Kids About The War in the Ukraine (this link includes historical context, maps, and other learning tools.) https://www.aps.edu/news/news-from-2021-2022/talking-to-kids-about-the-war-in-ukraine
How to Talk to Kids About Ukraine – NYT
How to Spot Misinformation About Russia and Ukraine – News Nation (a great way to inject news literacy into the subject.)
Watching the World’s “First TikTok War” – The New Yorker 
TikTok Was Designed for War – Wired Magazine 

A great NBC news story about TikTok’s role in Ukraine.  Appropriate for middle school and high school. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/tiktok-suspends-new-content-live-streaming-platform-russia-rcna18913

UkraineFacts.org is a great fact checking site to help combat all of the disinformation circulating about the invasion. Ukrainefacts.org

Relevant OJCS Library Nearpod Lessons

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