In today’s educational landscape, the integration of cross-discipline articles into daily lessons is paramount no matter what subject you teach. Whether you teach social studies, history, math, or science, it’s not just about building content knowledge, education in 2024 is also about developing reading skills across the board. With The Juice’s latest feature, educators can now navigate this terrain with precision using content tags that filter informational text articles by standards-aligned categories in Social Studies, Math, and Science.
This month we’re releasing content tags in 3 key subjects: Social Studies, Math, and Science. Using these content tags, teachers will be able to source real-world textual examples of curriculum concepts, all while developing critical thinking skills and improving their students’ contextual knowledge.
What are Content Tags?
Content Tags are the latest addition to The Juice’s learning platform, enabling teachers to filter leveled news articles by specific curriculum categories in Social Studies, Math, and Science. Gone are the days of endless searching; now, educators can effortlessly access relevant content aligned with their teaching standards.
How to Utilize Content Tags
Navigate with Ease: Simply select your desired curriculum category — whether it’s Social Studies, Math, or Science.
Enhance ELA Reading with Cross-Discipline Articles: Integrating informational text into ELA reading activities is crucial for academic growth. With Content Tags, ELA teachers can effortlessly incorporate engaging articles into their online ELA curriculum that touches on concepts they are learning in other classes like math, science, and social studies.
Foster Critical Thinking Skills: Informational text is the cornerstone of developing critical thinking skills. By exposing students to diverse topics within their curriculum categories, educators can stimulate the critical thinking part of the brain, fostering analytical skills essential for success in today’s world.
Using Content Tags in a Social Studies Classroom
Let’s say a Social Studies teacher wants to incorporate articles related to Civics into their lesson plan. With Content Tags, they can select the “Social Studies” category and further refine their search by choosing a C3-aligned civics subtopic like Civil and Political Institutions, Participation and Deliberation, or Processes, Riles, and Laws.
Content tags allow teachers to access articles that specifically address the concepts in their lessons with recent and relevant articles written by real journalists, providing students with a deeper understanding and easier engagement. Here are some ways social studies teachers can easily integrate The Juice into their lessons using content tags:
Bellringer Activities: Start class with a thought-provoking article related to the day’s topic, selected using the Content Tags feature. This sets the stage for meaningful discussions and primes students for active participation.
Research Projects: Encourage students to explore different perspectives on historical events by assigning research projects based on articles filtered by specific Content Tags.
Current Events Discussions: Stay up-to-date with current events and filter articles by the C3 standard being covered. Tying your current standard to the latest world news provides the opportunity for your students to think critically about contemporary issues.
Interdisciplinary Connections: Integrate articles from other disciplines, such as Science or Math, to explore the intersectionality of social, scientific, and mathematical concepts with historical context (and support school-wide literacy at the same time).
Building Critical Thinking Skills in a Science Classroom
Critical thinking is an essential skill that transcends subject boundaries. Science teachers can use Content Tags to expose students to articles on scientific inquiry, experimentation, and problem-solving. By selecting the “Science” category and filtering articles by subtopics like “Earth and Space Science” or “Life Science,” educators can facilitate discussions that encourage students to evaluate evidence, draw logical conclusions, and apply scientific principles to real-world scenarios.
STEM Challenges: Integrate articles related to engineering and technology from the “Engineering” and “Life Science” subtopics to inspire hands-on STEM challenges. For example, students can read about innovative solutions to real-world problems and then design and build prototypes to address similar challenges in their local communities.
Science Debates: Use articles tagged under controversial topics such as “Heredity” or “Earth and Human Activity” to facilitate structured debates in the classroom. Students can critically analyze scientific evidence presented in the articles and engage in respectful discourse to explore different perspectives on complex scientific issues.
STEM Career Exploration: Utilize articles tagged under “Science” to introduce students to diverse career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students can learn about different career paths, educational requirements, and the impact of STEM professionals on society, inspiring future aspirations in STEM fields.
Using Content Tags in Math Classrooms
Content Tags are an invaluable resource in math classes. Math-related articles can help teachers enrich their lesson plans and engage students in meaningful real-world experiences.
Here are some ways math teachers can use content tags to find informational text for their classes:
Bellringer Activities: Start class with a relevant article on a mathematical concept aligned with the day’s lesson objectives, selected using the “Math” category and filtered by subtopics such as “Reasoning Mathematically” or “Representing Data.”
Real-World Applications: Integrate articles showcasing practical applications of mathematical concepts in fields like engineering, finance, or architecture to demonstrate the relevance of math in everyday life.
Problem-Solving Challenges: Present students with articles featuring ways math is used to analyze and solve real-world challenges throughout society.
By leveraging Content Tags in math classrooms, educators can easily inspire curiosity, promote critical thinking, and cultivate a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts among their students.
The Importance of Informational Text
Informational text isn’t just about conveying facts — it’s about empowering students with knowledge to navigate the complexities of the world around them. By integrating informational text into lesson plans across subjects, educators provide students with the tools they need to thrive in academic and real-world settings alike.
The introduction of Content Tags marks a significant leap forward in educational innovation. Embrace the power of Content Tags today and unlock the full potential of educational enrichment.
The introduction of Content Tags on The Juice empowers educators to customize their lesson plans with precision and efficiency. By leveraging Content Tags to filter informational text articles by curriculum categories and subtopics, teachers can enhance student learning experiences, promote critical thinking skills, and foster interdisciplinary connections. Elevate your teaching strategies to new heights!
