Learning Network: Extreme Heat, Water Crisis, Salem Witch Trials

Plus, student debt and A.I.-generated art

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story September 21, 2022 Dear Reader, How can we use statistics to better understand extreme heat? What is the purpose of teaching U.S. history? Are A.I.-generated pictures art? How are the Salem witch trials relevant today? These are just some of the many questions our lesson plans and writing prompts posed this week. Sincerely, The Learning Network WRITING PROMPTS Student Opinion What Is Your Reaction to the Growing Fight Over What Young People Can Read? Parents, activists, school board officials and lawmakers are challenging books about race, gender and sexuality at a pace not seen in decades. What is your opinion of this? By Katherine Schulten Glenn Harvey Message Bubbles What do you think this image is communicating? By The Learning Network Al Drago for The New York Times Should the Government Cancel Student Debt? President Biden announced on Aug. 24 that the federal government would cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans. Is debt forgiveness the right approach? By Jeremy Engle Guillem Casasús Picture Prompts Annoying Noises What sounds do you hate? By The Learning Network Eleanor Davis How Competitive Are You? What are the merits of trying to be the best? By Shannon Doyne Mitch Blunt Football Season Will you be watching or playing this fall? By The Learning Network via Jason Allen Are A.I.-Generated Pictures Art? A man won an art competition with an image he created using an artificial intelligence program. Was it "cheating"? By Natalie Proulx Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Picture Prompts Broadway Favorites What are your favorite Broadway musicals, whether you've seen them live or not? By The Learning Network Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT LESSON PLANS AND TEACHING IDEAS Harish Tyagi/EPA, via Shutterstock Math Lesson Plan: Using Statistics to Understand Extreme Heat Why are heat waves becoming hotter and more frequent? In this lesson, students will analyze historical temperature data and create box-and-whisker plots to find out. By Taylor Kockenmeister Edmund D. Fountain for The New York Times Current Events Lesson Plan: The Mississippi Water Crisis and What It Means for the Rest of the Nation In this lesson, students will learn how more than 150,000 people were without safe, reliable drinking water for weeks and how climate change has emerged as a growing threat to water systems across the country. By Jeremy Engle Brian Rea Mentor Texts How to Write a 100-Word Narrative: A Guide for Our Tiny Memoir Contest Step-by-step directions for telling a meaningful, interesting and short true story from your life — with 25 mentor texts to help. By Katherine Schulten Wikimedia Commons Current Events Lesson Plan: How an Eighth-Grade Civics Class Helped Reverse the Last Conviction in the Salem Witch Trials Students will learn about the power of civic action to achieve justice — even 329 years later. Then, they will propose their own plan to rectify a wrong in their own community. By Jeremy Engle Brian Rea Contests Tiny Memoir Contest for Students: Write a 100-Word Personal Narrative We invite teenagers to tell a true story about a meaningful life experience in just 100 words. Contest dates: Sept. 14 to Oct. 12. By The Learning Network VOCABULARY RESOURCES Word of the day Word of the Day: tawny This word has appeared in 18 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? By The Learning Network Word of the day Word of the Day: inimical This word has appeared in eight articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? By The Learning Network Word of the day Word of the Day: precipice This word has appeared in 115 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? By The Learning Network Word of the day Word of the Day: attenuate This word has appeared in 48 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? By The Learning Network Word of the day Word of the Day: reprimand This word has appeared in 98 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence? By The Learning Network Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. How are we doing? We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to LNfeedback@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Learning Network from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018