Good morning! Until March 15, your students have a chance to ask questions of the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Nicholas Kristof. What can they learn from him about making compelling arguments? — The Learning NetworkAsk Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof Questions
Nicholas Kristof is joining us this month to talk to teenagers all about making compelling arguments — just in time for students who are entering our Open Letter Contest. Mr. Kristof won two Pulitzer Prizes — one for coverage of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown in China and another for coverage of the Darfur genocide. He has also written several books and won an Emmy for a video about Covid. “I try to shine a light on topics that aren’t necessarily in the headlines but should be,” he writes. Invite your students to read some of his latest work, on the war in Iran as well as on schools, young people and learning, then post their comments and questions by March 15. Recent Times reporting about education
More teaching resources from The Learning Network
Women’s History Month Student Activity
To honor Women’s History Month, The New York Times revisited the obituaries of more than 100 remarkable women across generations to re-examine their lives with the benefit of distance. In this post, we’ve linked to the project so students can access many of them for free, and then share their thoughts about our related questions. Then, visit our Teaching and Learning About Women’s History With The New York Times collection to find more evergreen activities for thinking about the roles of women today, in the past and in the future. Before you go, see what teens are saying about the best advice they ever received.
We received some excellent tips from teenagers who have learned how to live better via wisdom from their parents, coaches, teachers and friends. Here are just a few, but click here to enjoy the full collection. Life starts outside your comfort zone. This advice was given to me by my band director in the midst of a motivational speech about how we shouldn’t be scared to take chances in our music. However, he didn’t say this phrase with just music in mind. He tells us all the time that what we do in class isn’t just about notes and rhythms, but about real life.— Melanie, Ellisville Don’t shrink yourself to fit other people’s expectations. I used to worry constantly about how I came across, adjusting the way I talked, acted, even joked, depending on who I was with. It took a long time to realize that no amount of shape‑shifting guarantees acceptance. People will form their opinions regardless, and chasing their approval only leaves you exhausted. What actually matters is being able to look at yourself and feel at peace with who you are. — Michael, VSN If you can’t think about what to write, write about that. It applies to much more than writing. It stuck with me because it isn’t just about writing — it’s about how, even in moments that feel blank or hopeless, there’s always something to begin with. — Sahil, Aitchison College Lahore It’s OK to not be OK. I think one of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard was, “It is OK to not be OK.” So many people think that when something is wrong, they have to hide it and not talk about it. I used to think that, but found it was so much easier to find someone who will be there for you. — Chloe, Valley Stream North High School Slow down. My favorite piece of advice never came from a parent or grandparent; it came from Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Arguably one of the most famous movie quotes ever, it resonates with me. I try to slow my life down, focus on living in the moment, not in the past or the future. — Sam, St. Peter We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to LNfeedback@nytimes.com. More next week.
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