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CBC Kids News
Pros: Real and reliable news stories that are accessible, vibrant, and easy to understand.
Cons: No additional lessons or templates for teachers, and few opportunities for students to discuss or collaborate.
Bottom Line: This is a robust resource for real and accessibly-written news stories students, but don't expect interactive elements or supporting materials.
How Can I Teach with This Tool?
CBC Kids News is news for kids, reported on by kids -- but don't let that fool you: These are real news stories on real topics going on in the world around us. The stories range from difficult subjects like war, mental health, and climate change to more lighthearted ones about pop culture and celebrations. The stories are written by kids and are accessibly designed but not oversimplified. The stories come in a variety of formats such as photos, Instagram-like stories, videos, and standard blog articles. The content focuses on many different topics, but the focus is on Canadian content (CBC is the Canadian Broadcast Corporation).
Teachers could use this site to encourage their students to look for news stories to write about, analyze, and discuss. The stories on CBC Kids News could make great starting points for discussions or be jumping-off points for larger topics or research projects. The content is well vetted and from a reliable source.
There is diverse representation from both the youth journalists and those that they interview, which helps to broaden perspectives and add variety to classroom discussions or to social studies curriculum. You can even invite CBC Kids News reporters to your classroom via Zoom for a 45-minute behind-the-scenes look at how news is produced.
Sometimes reflection questions follow the videos and invite students to submit their responses, which are then curated and shared on the platform each week. The articles can easily be shared to Google Classroom with a click to spark discussion. Another possibility: Start class by having students check for new news stories and discuss what is going on in the world around them.