Any ideas on what to teach in a "Life & Everyday Events" Class? Please help me out - Thanks!!!?

Question

I was recently repositioned from being a Freshmen English teacher to teaching students of 9th to 12th grade about current news, dynamics of people, cultures, etc. I basically want to come up with different topics of daily occurrences in the world and/or what the students may experience through their present lives, such as peer pressure.

Could you please assist me with any great ideas, topics, activites, discussions, debates, etc., for this class? It will mainly be targeted towards troubled teens and those who are sent to in-school suspension on a regular basis.

This class varies from just about anything. Sort of like a "You name it, We talk about it enviroment".

I want to try an get them interested in learning, while at the same time not exactly punishing them but giving them another chance to get back on track as education can be fun.

Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer 1

I'm wondering if these are the troubled kids how much they know about the real world?  And not the streets either.  I teach Special education and do lessons with my kids all the time on the real world.....how to read the want ads, look for an apartment, a job,  what kind of job can you get?  What if you had a vocational skill?  What do you need to do to get that skill?  How does the news in the business section effect how the job market will be by summer.  We do a great lesson on checkbooks and balancing your account.  If they are interested in college then a web tour of some of the campuses might make a good and inspiring lesson.  

We have a program that we do jointly with our ELD department called the Role Model Program.  We bring in people who may have been where these kids are but found a way to succeed and they talk about their life experiences.  And just ask the kids what they are interested in and how they think that will play out as an adult.

Just a couple of ideas, Good luck

Answer 2

Mock trials - with real cases - maybe from the violations within your classroom.  (You can assign the judge, jury, etc...)

Debate different topics (maybe controversial) - BUT make them defend the position that they are assigned.  This could be good for small group work too.  

Make posters/propaganda on different assigned subjects trying to influence others belief systems, have them present to the class.

You could use a questionnaire to get some basic info. on what most kids are interested in & go from there, you could even have them write questions on cards (nameless) one day - do some research yourself and have a Q & A day...(Yeah, I know...the questions they will ask....you can sift through them)

Topics: ethics, race, tolerance/intolerance, s*x, birth control, appropriate/inappropriate clothing & why, vocations (never too early to start investigating here), cooking/food, having a personal belief system/moral compass...

Answer 3

I do a great system with micro economics in which they recieve fake pay checks.  They learn to cash them deposit them .. withdraw money and eventually how to open a fake checking account to store their earned checks in.  They loved it because then I charged the to use the bathroom if they forgot pencils and things like that.. I don't know if you can fit this style in but my high school kids enjoyed it.