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Grade: Elementary
Subject: Social Studies
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Hello -
I am writing from the Communications Department of Scholastic Publishers, a recognized name in children's book and magazine publications. One of our publications, Scholastic News, America's leading classroom news weekly for grades 3 through 6, is providing students with a forum to express their opinions about the President through its online counterpart Scholastic News Online. This is the first extensive site for children that marries a print product with a unique online material and provides teachers and parents with a way to integrate Internet activities at home and in the classroom with the current events of the newspaper.
The online magazine, with its carefully researched internet activities and guideline concerning Clinton and other current news can be accessed at www.scholasticnews.com, or accessed through the corporate web site's homepage.For more information please see the attached Scholastic News Online press release.
Thanks for your attention. If you have any questions, please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you -
Jill Giordano
212 - 343 - 6427
jgiordano@scholastic.comFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Aimee Spengler 212-343-6570
aspengler@scholastic.comKIDS SPEAK OUT ON SCHOLASTIC NEWS ONLINE ABOUT WHETHER PRESIDENT CLINTON SHOULD LOSE HIS JOB
Teachers And Parents Get Expert Advice
On How To Discuss The White House Crisis In The Classroom And At HomeScholastic News Online Offers One-of-a-Kind Learning Opportunities for Teachers, Kids and Parents
New York, NY September 23, 1998 - - Scholastic Inc., a global children's publishing and media company in both education and entertainment, has provided kids, through America's leading classroom news weekly, Scholastic News, with an opportunity to speak out on the current White House Crisis. Children from across the country answer the question, "Should the President lose his job?," at Scholastic News Online, the magazine's online counterpart, at www.scholasticnews.com.
The White House controversy presents a challenge to those who must decide in the classroom and at the dinner table, what to discuss, and how to discuss it. Scholastic News and Scholastic News Online - with the help of its editors, teacher advisors and experts in adolescent development/child psychologist - have prepared teacher and parent advice on how to talk about the controversy with children. These guidelines can be found immediately at
www. scholasticnews.com, and in the next issue of the newspaper. In addition, this information can be accessed through Scholastic's corporate web site, www.scholastic.com.A sample of what kids are saying about whether the President should lose his job:
"I think he should be censured," says Brooks L., age 10, from West Virginia. "There have been a lot of allegations, but there has been no credible evidence to prove that he lied under oath."
"I think that the President should be impeached because he was lying. He might hurt the American people by lying, like he hurt his wife and his daughter," says Toriel S. age 10 from Pennsylvania
"He should definitely be forgiven. The media is killing him. He deserves privacy. The media got their story, now they should shut up," says Kevin K. age 11, from New York.
"No other world or national event in recent years more threatens to undermine young students' faith in the wisdom of the adult world and belief in our democratic system of government.
This controversy places an enormous responsibility on those of us whose mission it is to report on the world for students and teachers, and to draw connections between students' lives and the public world around them. Scholastic News and Scholastic News Online will not mimic the adult media in all its rumor-spreading, pack mentality and disregard for the impact of its reporting, but to continue to report news for education's sake," says David Goddy, editor-in chief, Scholastic Magazine Group.
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Scholastic editors have been in constant contact with its large network of teacher advisors to discuss the best way to report on the White House crisis. All agreed that because there is now solid evidence to report, it is appropriate to discuss the controversy in the classroom in a contained, responsible manner. In addition, continued coverage of the news will be updated on a regular basis on Scholastic News Online.
Scholastic's stable of magazines bring the contemporary world into the classroom, reaching more than 20 million students nationwide in grades pre K to 12th grade.
The blend of Scholastic News, the award-winning print newspaper reaching four million students, with Scholastic News Online offers the first extensive site for children that marries a print product with unique online material that is updated daily for grades 3 to 6. This provides teachers and parents a way to integrate Internet activities at home and in the classroom with the newspaper. Using Scholastic News Online also offers children a chance to enhance their ability to use the Internet as a research tool and to further develop kids' familiarity with computers. Some of the activities Scholastic News Online users can look forward to:
· Self-scoring news quizzes
· Internet scavenger hunts (grades 4 and 5/6 only)
· Daily news updates (grades 4 and 5/6 only)
· On-line surveys that allow kids to vote individually or as a classAdditional Scholastic News Online content includes:
· The Library - an archive of more than 500 articles from the 1996, 1997 and 1998 issues of Scholastic News. Kids and teachers can search for articles by broad topic (animals, pollution, world affairs) or they may search a very specific word (say, butterfly). Many stories also have links to related web sites. (grades 4 and 5/6 only)
· Check the Web - hot links to appropriate, kid-safe web sites related to the cover story.
· Fun Facts - cool information about the cover story, complete with activities teachers can assign or that kids can do at home with parents. (grade 3 only)
· Write to Us - students can email their thoughts and ideas and read other students' opinions.For 78 years, Scholastic has served education through its classroom magazines, books and other educational materials reaching children and parents through teachers. Now a global children's publishing and media company in both education and entertainment, Scholastic has used its proven system to develop successful children's books and sell them through its dominant school-based distribution channels, then build these brands into multimedia assets. The Company also has a strong franchise in school publishing, especially in literacy and technology where it has core and supplementary programs, classroom magazines and the leading Internet subscription service for schools. The Company's international operations include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Mexico, India and Hong Kong. Scholastic also sponsors the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the National Teacher of the Year program.
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