Virtual Learning Opportunities

To support students’ understanding of current events and the world around them, Close Up regularly publishes balanced, nonpartisan classroom materials that help teachers and students explore controversial issues and their real-world implications.

What kinds of topics does this library explore?

• The COVID-19 Pandemic: How should the government respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?
• Medicare for All: Should the United States pursue a “Medicare for All” health care system?
• Climate Change: How, if at all, should the United States work to combat climate change?

View a sample of our 2018-2019 topics. For the 2019-20 school year, new topics will be added twice a month.

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Close Up’s lesson plans help educators seamlessly integrate Controversial Issues in the News reading materials into classroom discussions that are productive, engaging, and offer multiple perspectives. Below are examples of lesson plans designed for digital classrooms, beginning with a foundational activity that helps educators establish community guidelines for discussions in a virtual setting.

• Establishing a Virtual Classroom Community: How to set rules and expectations for productive conversation about current issues.
• Faceoff Debate: Learn how to use Controversial Issues in the News to help students debate topics.
• Constructing Media Bias: Teach students how to examine the factors that affect media bias and objectivity.

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Our Current Issues Blog provides weekly updates on current news stories related to COVID-19 and includes relevant context and background information from different media sources such as news articles, podcasts, and infographics.

Students are invited to participate in a weekly discussion on the most recent Current Issues Blog publication with peers nationwide as part of Close Up’s Current Issues Discussions. To register your students for the next student session, click here.

Leadership & Media Engagement in the Digital Age

During this seminar, available on-demand, Close Up’s, Mia Charity discusses ‘Leadership & Media Engagement in the Digital Age’ with David Almacy, Founder of CapitalGig LLC.

Navigating Information Like a Journalist

In this session our partners at the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) will provide an overview of a classroom-ready resource for educators, Slowing the Infodemic: How to Spot COVID-19 Misinformation, to help their students navigate the complex world of misinformation.

Opening the Economy during COVID-19

During this seminar, available on-demand, Close Up’s, Joe Geraghty discusses opening the economy during COVID-19 with Michael Carney, Senior Vice President, Emerging Issues with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Religious Liberty & COVID-19

During this seminar, available on-demand, Close Up’s, Joe Geraghty discusses Religious Liberty & COVID-19 with Benjamin P. Marcus, Religious Literacy Specialist with the Religious Freedom Center of the Freedom Forum Institute.

Spanish Flu & COVID-19

In this session we explore the use of storytelling in instruction and how bringing to life the human element behind our history can yield important lessons for our present.

COVID-19 and Political Reform

During this seminar, available on-demand, Close Up’s, Joe Geraghty discusses COVID-19 and political reform with John Milewski, Director of Digital Programming & Managing Editor and Host of the Wilson Center ON DEMAND from Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

5 Questions to Identify Reliable Media Content

In this session you will become familiar with five specific questions that can be applied to media content to test its reliability.

COVID-19 and the Economy

During this seminar, available on-demand, Close Up’s, Joe Geraghty discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the economy with Arlington County Board Member, Christian Dorsey.

What to do when discourse breaks down?

This session provides teachers with the facilitation skills and strategies to reorient students when discourse becomes challenging.

Building a Virtual Community

This session models establishing expectations for productive online conversations about current issues using a Close Up lesson plan.

Classroom Resource: Building a Virtual Community

Citizenship & Media Literacy

This session models how teachers can use a Close Up lesson plan to help students understand media bias in a virtual classroom.

Classroom Resource: Constructing Media Bias

Facilitating an Online Discussion

This session models how teachers can use Close Up’s blog in a virtual classroom.

Classroom Resource: Humans, Animals, and Viruses

Leading an Online Deliberation on a Policy Discussion

This session models how teachers can use Close Up’s Controversial Issues in the News digital library in a virtual classroom.  For a free trial to our library, register today.

Classroom Resource: The Homelessness Crisis

Online workshops and consultations are available for middle school and high school educators on the following topics: 

• Integrating Diverse Perspectives and Building Awareness: Consult with a Close Up Program Specialist to build a customized virtual program that combines our curricular materials with online seminars, facilitated simulations, and civil discourse with students from other parts of the country. 
• Framing Issues for Debate and Deliberation: Gain the knowledge and competencies to address sensitive topics with students and meaningfully incorporate current issues into your curriculum. 
• Facilitating Online Discussion: This one-hour session demonstrates and allows teachers to practice several digital tools and facilitation techniques to spur student deliberation and critical thinking. 
• Modeling an Online Debate/Deliberation: A Close Up facilitator will lead participants in a discussion of a current controversial issue, demonstrating both our resources and several facilitation techniques. 
• Media Literacy and Citizenship: Develop skills to help students engage with a wide range of sources, read critically, apply media literacy to social and digital media, and understand how to identify active efforts to misinform/provide misinformation.