World Language Program Turns 10!

from Journeys Summer 2022

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year’s winter break. “It's an intense topic, but an important one to discuss with our rising ninth graders,” writes Dr. Oskins. “This is why all of our units in eighth grade start in the past and end in the present—to allow our kids to have a good understanding of historical context in order to understand the complex issues of today.” Middle school Deputy Principal Dr. Betsy Hall notes that “this thoughtful, well-designed lesson doesn't force anyone to take a side. It asks students to read and reflect and make meaning based on their own perspectives and the perspectives of others.” Eighth grade teacher Jennifer Koltutsky adds that “the lesson encourages students to reflect on their use of social media and the ‘personal digital footprint’ each person’s internet use creates.”

By the end of their middle school years, SAS students have learned how to assess news sources and why it’s important to gain multiple perspectives and research context. High school classes—particularly English, social studies, and world language courses—offer many opportunities to learn about current issues and analyze how they are presented. Ninth grade World History, for example, includes a major fourth-quarter project where students research a current global issue of importance to them. After exploring the current Russia–Ukraine conflict as a model, students generate research questions about global issues, identify credible sources that provide information on various perspectives, and use this information to formulate potential answers. “Students are pushed to deepen their understanding of perspectives by analyzing the complex and interacting political, social, cultural, economic, and geographical factors that have influenced people’s perspectives today and in the past,” says ninth grade social studies teacher and high school department chair Cassandra Summerton. “This research will be used to support evidence-based written arguments in World History class and to craft final presentations in English class, as well. We intend to carry this interdisciplinary project over to our new Humanities 9 curriculum as the culminating project.”

Brenda Baisley, who teaches AP English Language and Composition, says that students are encouraged to develop healthy current events reading habits by regularly reading and analyzing news stories of their choice. Students also read a classic dystopian novel and then write a research paper on the novel’s parallels to the real world. “No two students tackle the same topic in the same way,” Baisley notes, “and so students are able to see just how many different connections there are to be made to current events. From privacy and surveillance to censorship and freedom of speech, conformity and rebellion to the roles of government and religion, students examine how these ideas are relevant today, as well as how they differ from the novel’s speculation.” The course also covers how controversial topics can shape society. “Using the topic of race as our illustrative example, students read a number of texts that provide both historical and contemporary perspectives on the issue,” Baisley explains. Later, each student researches a topic that intrigues them and creates a video commentary to share their learning with their peers. “Our hope is that students will come to recognize that there is no ‘simple’ issue and that we should seek to understand before forming our own opinions,” Baisley says.

When it comes to the Ukraine–Russia conflict, some AP English Language and Composition classes have examined how various media are covering the conflict and how the language used to discuss it compares to the language used to discuss other conflicts. Students also analyzed Volodymyr Zelensky’s rhetoric in his address to the US Congress. “One of the expectations of the College Board is that students learn how to examine topics in a nuanced way, seeking to explore the complexities, tensions, limitations, and broader implications of each topic they discuss,” explains Baisley. “Because of this, as teachers, we try to look deeply at a single topic, exploring multiple perspectives and ‘takes’ on the issue. We model this with an example and then ask students to use that skill independently as they prepare for discussions, research, essays, and projects.”

From circle chats in elementary school to media literacy in middle school to in-depth analysis of news items, perspectives, and media decisions in high school, SAS students steadily develop the skills necessary to become regular and discerning media consumers. Being able to understand news items beyond the headlines is a life skill that SAS wants all students to develop. With the relevant tools and knowledge, SAS students are well positioned to move into the world as responsible citizens who can make their world a better place.

What Can We Do At Home?

While very young children may not grasp the difference between fact and fantasy, by age seven or eight, most know the news is real. Here are some ways parents can help their children become interested and responsible news consumers:

Learn together

Set aside time regularly each week to watch, listen, or read about the news with your child, using age-appropriate sources. Model an interest in current events and an open-minded attitude.

Model good habits

Let your child see you consuming news responsibly: limit TV time, discuss current events calmly, and demonstrate a willingness to understand others’ perspectives.

Invest in a newspaper or magazine subscription

Consider subscribing to a source that is reliable, age-appropriate, and attractive to your child—print media sources promote reading skills, an added bonus! Talk to your child’s teacher or librarian for suggestions.

Ask and answer

Ask your child what they know, correct misconceptions and falsehoods, and answer their questions as best you can. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know— let’s find out together!”

Set limits and discuss sources

Limit how much time your child spends watching TV news shows or on news sites. Know what they are looking at, and reinforce what they are learning about source reliability.

Review digital safety for online media use

SAS counselors do presentations every year about digital safety, so browse our counseling pages or email your child’s counselor for details on what the school recommends in terms of time online, settings, and parental oversight for different age groups.

Social Social Justice Unit: Justice Unit: Podcasts for Podcasts for Change Change

By DIDI HARI KRISHNAN Communications Writer

What are some social justice issues we face today? How can students guide their own journey toward understanding these issues on a deeper level? Eighth grade English language arts students share how their social justice unit has helped them understand the paramount importance of these topics to cultivate a just society.

At Singapore American School we are committed to being a world leader in education, cultivating exceptional thinkers who are prepared for the future. This tall task is accomplished through our identified learning aspirations. While all seven learning aspirations are essential, educators at SAS understand that it is crucial in our global society that students develop their cultural competency and are able to function effectively with people of different cultures and backgrounds. Our shared goal is to help build awareness of their cultural worldview, develop cross-cultural skills, and positively embrace cultural differences.

In a quest to mold our students into lifelong learners ready to face the rapidly evolving world, eighth grade English language arts students engage deeply with the topic of social justice. At the beginning of their second semester of the 2021–22 school year, they began their journey in social justice reading, writing, and inquiry centered around cultural competence.

Eight broad social justice topics from the Learning for Justice website were used to frame students' understanding of social issues: race and ethnicity, religion, [socioeconomic] class, immigration, bullying and bias, rights and activism, gender and sexual identity, and ability. Each student then chose a subject area of interest to them such as migrant workers’ rights and inequalities, access to health care, mental health, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.

Social issues have to be talked about. Society as a whole tends to forget others due to the extreme focus we place on our own problems. However, when we learn (about the social issues present today), we rise to a place where we can act. Isn’t that the end goal?

KAREN O., 8A STUDENT

STUDENTS WENT THROUGH A FOUR-STEP PROCESS TO PREPARE

RESEARCH

In order to gain some background knowledge on their chosen topics, students conducted specific research to align with the different perspectives they explored. This step was an iterative process as students developed the skills to research when they discovered something new throughout the unit. For example, some students gathered new findings during the interview, leading them to conduct new research to gather more insights on the particular topic.

I think that our research process wasn't particularly challenging when it came to gathering information because what we needed was readily available. I truly believe that the independent research we conducted was a crucial factor that changed the result of our final product. It encouraged us to take our own initiatives and to discover diverse sources that we would curate and interpret.

ALEX L., 8C STUDENT

My learning process began with a deep dive into the state of the war in modern society—the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This, in turn, gave me a greater insight into the current state of just how prevalent violence is in the world right now. In addition to the desk research, I also interviewed experts. I interviewed SAS social studies teacher Dr. Scott Oskins to connect past wars to modern conflicts; Matt Friedman, a human rights activist, to sharpen my focus on how the lives of individuals are affected by violence; and finally, Chaitan Rao, an investment analyst, to understand the relation of war and economics.

VIR R., 8B STUDENT

READING

Students were given a list of fiction or nonfiction books on social justice issues in our world today, which they read in class book clubs. They then had productive conversations about how human rights and equity intersect with the themes of their chosen books—taking on a variety of perspectives, engaging in their own inquiry process, and building empathy.

WRITING

Students went through a deliberative process where they listened to model podcasts as mentor texts to help them plan their script. Students then created their transcripts, carefully writing an original script that covered the topics or information discussed within the genre of their choice.

A challenge that came after the research and interviewing stage was evaluating which soundbites and perspectives I needed versus wanted to include—a skill many eighth graders improved on this year. From this podcast-building process, I ultimately learned that following an organic investigative journey, letting all evidence directly lead you to a stance, is an important skill in both writing and life.

REBECCA N., 8C STUDENT

EDITING

Students worked on creating a well-prepared, fully developed podcast that includes an introduction, sound bites, bridges, wrapup, and a sign-off. Soundbites that offered context and examined different perspectives on the topic chosen were captured and included in their final podcast.

Gender inequality in sports was my choice. After gathering information on our topics, we began choosing people we wanted to interview. We also had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with a group of panelists regarding our topic. Finally, we created our final social justice podcasts based on our research, interviews, and panel discussions. I believe SAS should continue with this project since not only was it a lot of fun, but it also taught us a lot about social justice problems and how to make and edit our podcasts.

AARYA M., 8C STUDENT

I appreciated the opportunity to create an engaging product for the listeners. The amount of time and fine-tuning required to create the podcast via GarageBand surprised me. However, this wasn’t a problem, as I enjoyed being able to personalize my podcast. I have learned the importance of planning podcasts, and this could be applied to other formats, such as an essay or even a video.

LUKE N., 8B STUDENT

The process resulted in a robust collection of podcasts, spanning essential social justice topics and reinforcing critical thinking skills as our students assessed and analyzed complex problems within their society. This learning journey has helped broaden their understanding of the world and enrich their international and cross-cultural perspectives here in Singapore and the region. While we all view every social justice issue through the lens of our very own experiences, these students have shown that the conversations they had throughout this unit have helped them understand these issues on a deeper level—engaging them in discussions that will encourage them to be individuals who will stand up to exclusion, prejudice, and injustice.

Through this unit I discovered a lot of things about the world we live in. But most of all I learned how connected the world's issues are. I did my podcast about Covid-19 and the healthcare system, but I was able to connect my learning when I listened to another podcast about racism.