Ever assign a Current News Event to your students? Do you want more than cutting out an article from a newspaper or copying and pasting an online one? Do you want deeper thinking than regurgitating a summary of "What Happened"? In comes Google Maps. Students can connect the events to geography, cultures and categories. Discuss how individual events are interrelated to each other? Where do the news sources come from? How do news stories differ in perspective according to their geographic origin or media source?

1. Why? Keys to Success?How?

2. Why?

3. Why do YOU think Current Events
are important to integrate?

4. How have YOU taught
Current Events?

5. 21st Century Planet?

6. Traditional Media?

7. New (Social) Media?

8. Coup d’Etat Ecuador?
Miners’ Accident in Chile?

9. Ethnocentric

10. English Spoken Here

11. Bias of News Sources

12. Local/National News

13. Teen Culture Events

14. How?

15. Login to Google Maps

16. Create New Map

17. Title, Description, Collaborate

18. Invite Collaborators

19. Edit

20. Placemark Content

21. Link & Placemark

22. Keys to Success?

23. Successes

24. News in Other Parts of the World

26. Proofing & Editing

27. Unexpected Success

28. Desire to Research More Sites

29. Discussion

30. Restriction of 140 Characters

31. Pitfalls

32. Value, Interest and Understanding of
Current Events

33. Deeper Knowledge

34. Looking Ahead

35. Google Translator

36. Collaboration Partners

37. Wordle

38. Resources
• How-To-Guide: Creating Current Events on Google
Maps
http://langwitches.org/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2009/09/Current-Events-on-Google-
Maps.pdf
• Langwitches Wikihttp://langwitches.wikispaces.com
• Geography, a separate subject. Really?
http://langwitches.org/blog/2010/03/27/geography-is-
a-separate-subject-really/
• News Events Assignment with a Twist
http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/09/02/news-events-
and-global-awareness/
• The Logistics of Creating a Current News Event Google
Map
http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/09/26/the-logistics-
of-creating-a-current-news-events-google-map/

39. Image Credits
Licensed under Creative Commons
• Social Media image adapted from Matth Hamm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthamm/2945559128/
• We are not alone image by My Wonderful World
http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/gaw.html
• English Spoken Here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sh0rty/2355148509/
• All About Me- Ethnocentric by Ben Sutherland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bensutherland/3208641755/
• Local/National News
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbcworldservice/4605886510
• Banana
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freakingnoob/3438012333/
• Miners in Chile by Gobierno de Chile
http://flickr.com/photos/50371131@N04/4917269713
• President Correa by Agência Brasil