Current Events: Health Crisis and Education

Current Events Worksheet Overview

• Quizlet enables online studying, useful for test preparation.
• Current event assignment timeframe is from March 23 to March 27.

Article Selection and Requirements

• Students must find two recent articles from reputable sources (e.g., USA Today, NY Times).
• Articles should be no older than two weeks at the time of assignment.

First Article Highlights

• Topic: Health crisis and homelessness in urban areas.
• Title: "Coronavirus pandemic: She's 10, Homeless, and Eager to Learn. But She Has No Internet."
• Source: The New York Times; article discusses issues faced by homeless students during remote learning.
• Key Individual: Allia and her mother, highlighting challenges of education during the pandemic.
• Location: Borough of Harlem, Manhattan, New York City.
• Date of Story: March 26, 2020.

Facts from the First Article

• Internet access is often lacking in homeless shelters, hindering homework completion.
• Over 1.1 million students in NYC's Department of Education transitioned to remote learning.
• Approximately 114,000 children in shelters struggle with remote education.
• Students in shelters lack adequate space and privacy for studying.
• Schools being closed during the pandemic disproportionately affect low-income families.

Importance and Predictions of the First Article

• The narrative emphasizes the necessity for consistent learning opportunities for homeless students.
• Prediction: NYC will develop targeted solutions for homeless students lacking internet access.

Connection to Personal Experience

• The student relates the article to previous experiences of a homeless family in earlier lessons.

Second Article Highlights

• Topic: Autism diagnosis and progress in closing the racial gap.
• Title: "Autism Diagnosis More Common in the US as Racial Gap Closes."
• Source: The New York Times; discusses increase in autism diagnosis rates among children.
• Key Fact: 1 in 54 U.S. children identified as having autism in 2016, an increase from previous years.
• Location: Nationwide across the United States.
• Date of Story: March 26, 2020.

Facts from the Second Article

• Past disparities exist in diagnosis rates between white and minority children.
• Diagnosis rates are now equal between white and black children, but age disparities persist.
• Early identification facilitates access to important services like therapy.
• Minority children may still lack equitable access to services despite narrowing diagnosis gaps.

Importance and Future Predictions of the Second Article

• Highlights the significance of increasing autism diagnosis diversity across ethnicities.
• Prediction: Continued efforts will likely result in more diagnoses among children in the U.S. over time.

Personal Connection to the Second Article

• The student shares a personal connection to autism, advocating for improved diagnosis and support for all children.