Lesson Plans

What the World Did on Summer Vacation

Kim Il-sung Square, against a backdrop of the Taedong river and the Juche Tower on the other side.  Image by Laya Maheshwari. North Korea, 2016.

Kim Il-sung Square, against a backdrop of the Taedong river and the Juche Tower on the other side. Image by Laya Maheshwari. North Korea, 2016.

Image by Tomas van Houtryve/VII.

Moayad Alsaour lived in an abandoned sleeper car in Idomeni refugee camp in northern Greece. Image by Jeanne Carstensen. Greece, 2016.

Moayad Alsaour lived in an abandoned sleeper car in Idomeni refugee camp in northern Greece. Image by Jeanne Carstensen. Greece, 2016.

Taimma Abazli, 24, holds her new baby Heln in their tent at the Karamalis camp in Thessaloniki. Image by Lynsey Addario for TIME. Greece, September 2016.

Taimma Abazli, 24, holds her new baby Heln in their tent at the Karamalis camp in Thessaloniki. Image by Lynsey Addario for TIME. Greece, September 2016.

A violinist plays in front of Venezuelan National Guard during an anti-government protest in Caracas. Image by Bruno Federico. Venezuela, 2017.

A violinist plays in front of Venezuelan National Guard during an anti-government protest in Caracas. Image by Bruno Federico. Venezuela, 2017.

A young pregnant woman in her room in El Carpintero, a section of Petare, Caracas one of the largest Barrios in Latin America. Venezuela

A young pregnant woman in her room in El Carpintero, a section of Petare, Caracas one of the largest Barrios in Latin America. At right, a rainbow arches over the Avila mountains which divide the city from the sea. Image by Natalie Keyssar. Venezuela, 2015.

Workers assemble a solar panel inside of a factory in Haining, Zhejiang province, China.

Workers assemble a solar panel at Jinko Solar’s factory in Haining, Zhejiang province. China is in the midst of the world’s biggest-ever investment in renewable power, seeking to reduce its reliance on coal and ease air pollution that is estimated to kill more than a million people in the country every year. Image by Beth Gardiner. China, 2017.

Image by Lisa Palmer. India, 2015.

North Korea

1. Did you think about North Korea this summer? Why?

2. What do you know about the country? What is North Korea's relationship with other countries such as the United States, South Korea, China, and Japan?

3. View the following pictures from reporting on North Korea and guess what is going on in each picture.

4. Click on the picture to read more about the context of each image.

5. Does the description of the image match what you thought? Why or why not?

Syria

1. Did you think about Syria this summer? Why?

2. What do you know about the country?

3. Why are people leaving Syria?

4. Where are refugees going when they leave?

5. View the following pictures from reporting on refugees and guess what is going on in each picture.

6. Click on the picture to read more about the context of each image.

7. Does the description of the image match what you thought? Why or why not?

Venezuela

1. Did you think about Venezuela this summer? Why?

2. What do you know about the country and what is going on with its economy and government?

3. View the following pictures from reporting on Venezuela and guess what is going on in each picture.

4. Click on the picture to read more about the context of each image.

5. Does the description of the image match what you thought? Why or why not?

Climate Change

1. Did you think about climate change this summer? Why?

2. What do you know about climate change?

3. What is the current United State administration's stance on climate change?

4. What about other countries?

5. View the following pictures from reporting on climate change and guess what is going on in each picture.

6. Click on the picture to read more about the context of each image.

7. Does the description of the image match what you thought? Why or why not?

Educator Notes: 

At the start of the school year, students might want to discuss some of the global issues that arose over the summer including the threat of nuclear war with North Korea, the ongoing war in Syria and the resulting refugee crisis, the turmoil in Venezuela, and the United States pulling out of the Paris climate accord. This lesson is intended to spark discussion, but not to provide in-depth knowledge about these issues. Educators can use the Pulitzer Center funded projects in the Resource section to design additional activities that further explore each topic.

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