Listen Edition Worksheets

This week, Monica Brady-Myerov, founder and CEO, visited Susan Balogh’s  7^th grade Social Studies class in Brookline, Massachusetts to see how she and her student teacher, Chris Adams, use Listen Edition.  They were teaching the importance of rivers for ancient civilization.  The lesson plan on Who Owns the Rivers of the Fertile Crescent fit perfectly, but the teachers went further by adding three worksheets to the activity.

Listening Guide

First they created a Listening Guide with English Language Learner (ELL) scaffolding.  It clearly explained what the public radio story was about and then directed the students to listen closely and highlight key phrases that were listed on the worksheet.  This allowed students to focus better on the content of the audio story.

Project Organizer

The second worksheet was a Project Organizer.  It asked students to answer the question: Why is the Ilisu Dam Project being considered?  It also broke the page into two sections and asked students to list the pros and cons. Students finished this worksheet for homework.

More Considerations

The following day teachers created another worksheet called More Considerations. It encouraged students to think deeply about imaginary scenarios surrounding the dam project.  Then students debated and moved to “corners” of the room and shared their informed options.  The teachers also mentioned a connection to water rights in the American West, which is suffering a drought, and the water pollution crisis in West Virginia this week.  And to think it all started with a great story from Listen Edition.