Pairing longer books (novels, memoirs, biographies) with informational texts and current events articles is a great instructional strategy for ELA or English educators to not only support reading comprehension, but also to help students develop empathy, boost critical thinking and drive engagement.
Build Background and Deepen Understanding
Assigning students current events articles prior to reading a novel can support students in building background on a topic. Further, it provides students with important historical, cultural, social or political context that may influence a character or conflict in a book.
Broaden Perspective
Reading about an issue from both a fiction and nonfiction lens helps students learn about a topic or issue from multiple angles, broadening their perspective and creating a more well-rounded understanding of an issue or topic. Students may learn about a historical event through the eyes of a fictional character and develop a broader perspective after learning about the historical event through nonfiction.
Drive Engagement
It is often easier to engage students in novels where they are invested in the character or storyline. This engagement can extend to current events articles where students can start to make the connections between what they are reading in the text and how these issues are affecting real people in our society.
Support Critical Thinking
Current events articles are great for helping students develop their critical thinking skills when making comparisons to the novels or fiction texts they are reading. By pairing the two, educators can help students analyze how an author incorporated elements of the truth, developed a theme across the story or decipher between fact and fiction.
Explore how our current event articles can be paired with popular middle grade and YA novels. With 5 articles published each day, our database contains thousands of articles and is growing each day. Teachers can easily search by topic to find additional articles to pair with novels that may not be included in this list. This list along with other content bundles can be found under Teacher Resources.
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Refugee Stories (Fiction and Nonfiction)
Find a list of current event articles and Extra Juices that cover refugees over the past few years and pair them with a novel or refugee memoir.
Examples of books to pair with articles:
- Refugee by Alan Gratz
- Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
- The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
- When Scars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson
- Shooting Kabul by N. H Senzai
- Escape from Aleppo by H. H Senzai
- A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Parks
Articles:
- Extra Juice: The European Refugee Crisis
- Extra Juice: Crisis in Ethiopia
- January 17, 2023: Abuses in Ukraine, Ethiopian Wars Focus of Annual Human Rights Watch Report
- May 31, 2022: Across the World, Heroes Open Hearts – and Homes – to Ukrainian Refugees
- April 21, 2022: Ukrainian Exodus Now Tops 5 Million
- April 14, 2022: Canadians Turn Estate into Luxurious Refuge for Ukrainians
- March 25, 2022: Russian Journalist Auctions Peace Prize Medal to Help Ukraine Refugees
- March 25, 2022: Biden Says US Will Take In 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees
- March 17, 2022: Teen’s Website Links Desperate Ukraine Refugees with Hosts Offering Housing
- March 7, 2022: Hero Chef Feeds Ukraine Refugees Hot Meals – and Hope
- January 19, 2021: Flood of Honduran Refugees to US Facing Obstacles
Additional Articles that Provide Historical Background for the following books:
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Articles that cover Cuba:
- Extra Juice: Cuba
- December 16, 2022: Pandemic, US Sanctions Stoke Cuban Exodus From Island
- July 13, 2021: Unprecedented Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Cuba
- April 20, 2021: Raul Castro Stepping Down in Cuba, Ending an Era
Articles that cover Syria:
- Extra Juice: Syria
- July 13, 2022: US Says Terrorist Leader Killed by Drone in Syria
- January 14, 2021: Israeli Airstrikes in Syria Kill Dozens, Reportedly with US Aid
Articles that cover Germany:
- Extra Juice: Germany
- Extra Juice: The Holocaust
- June 29, 2022: German Court Sentences 101-Year-Old Former Nazi Guard to Prison
- October 1, 2021: Germany Hunts Down Nazi War Crimes Suspect Who Fled Trial
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga, Escape from Aleppo by H. H Senzai
Articles that Cover Syria:
- Extra Juice: Syria
- July 13, 2022: US Says Terrorist Leader Killed by Drone in Syria
- January 14, 2021: Israeli Airstrikes in Syria Kill Dozens, Reportedly with US Aid
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
Articles that Cover the Partition of India:
- Extra Juice: Pakistan
- Extra Juice: India
- August 16, 2022: India at 75: South Asian Country Celebrates Independence from Britain
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Parks
Articles that Cover Sudan and The Water Crisis:
- Extra Juice: Sudan
- Extra Juice: Crisis in Ethiopia
- Extra Juice: South Sudan and its history with Sudan
- April 24, 2023: Sudan Civil War Deepens as Americans, Others Evacuate
- April 17, 2023: Sudan Again Descends into Bloody Civil Warfare
- March 23, 2023: 2 Billion People Lack Access to Safe Drinking Water, UN Says
- October 22, 2022:18-Year-Old Wins Barron Prize for Invention that Detects Water Contamination
- January 26, 2022: Two Friends from Africa Send Clean Water Back Home
- October 26, 2021: Military Forcefully Grabs Power in Africa’s Sudan
- April 30, 2021: Ethiopian Rebels Forced into Detention Centers
- April 18, 2022: Horn of Africa Faces Drought, Potential Famine
Historical Fiction/ Memoirs- WWII/ Holocaust
Pair the following articles with books that are set during WWII to engage students in discussion or provide additional historical context on the Holocaust.
Examples of Books to Pair:
- Book Thief by Markus Zusak
- Night by Ellie Wiesel
- Number The Stars by Lois Lowery
- Diary of Anne Frank
Articles:
- Extra Juice: Germany
- Extra Juice: The Holocaust
- Extra Juice: Antisemitism
- June 29, 2022: German Court Sentences 101-Year-Old Former Nazi Guard to Prison
- April 5, 2022: Long-Lost Holocaust Survivors Reunited After 8 Decades
- January 27, 2022: On Holocaust Remembrance Day, World Pledges Never to Forget
- October 7, 2021: WWII Letter Connects Families of Jewish Sisters, Polish Farmer Who Hid Them from Nazis
- October 1, 2021: Germany Hunts Down Nazi War Crimes Suspect Who Fled Trial
- March 15, 2021: After 82 Years, “Miracle” Reunites Best Friends Ripped Apart by Holocaust
Social Justice: Racism and Police Violence
The following articles focus on racism and police shootings in recent years and can be paired with the following fiction texts that highlight similar themes.
Examples of Books to Pair:
- Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
- All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
- The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
Articles:
- Extra Juice: Policing Communities of Color
- Extra Juice: The Trial of Derek Chauvin
- January 30, 2023: Motorist Beating by Memphis Police Spurs Protests, Calls for Reform
- July 6, 2022: Woman at Center of Emmett Till Case Should Be Tried, Family Says
- May 23, 2022: As Killings Surge, An Epidemic of Gun Violence In America
- April 21, 2021: Chauvin Convicted of Murder in George Floyd’s Death
- March 30, 2021: Murder Trial Opens in Police-Involved Death of George Floyd
- March 5, 2021: Controversial Police Reform Bill Passed by House
