Government class is not just about memorizing amendments or learning how a bill becomes a law; it is about understanding how those ideas show up in the real world. At Woodgrove High School, government teachers are bringing their lessons to life by pulling in current events and connecting them directly to what students are learning in class. By tying classroom concepts to what is happening right now, they are helping students see that government is not something theoretical or distant, it is something unfolding everyday, and something they are already a part of.
In order to understand how the government works around the world, it is important to have a teacher who can explain concepts thoroughly and help students make connections to the content. At Woodgrove, there are three options for seniors when it comes to a mandatory government class: Academic United States (U.S.) and Comparative Government, Dual Enrollment (DE) U.S. and Comparative Government, and Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. and Comparative Government.
Current teacher of both AP and DE Government classes, Mrs. Diana Shea has taught students about government for 20 years. An advocate about the importance of government as a required class for graduation, Shea explained, “Civic engagement is such an important part of citizenship. Students, of course, need to be made aware of their rights, and then also the importance of things like voting. Across the country, you are seeing a variety of studies that are showing that civic engagement and civics courses should be a fundamental part of all high school curriculum, [although] not all states require it.”
Also teaching on this subject for 20 years, Mr. Alex Bennett is a current teacher of the DE Government class. Bennett shares Shea’s passion for teaching the subject to high school students. He noted, “The goal [of teaching government] is to make each generation have more rights and protections than the previous, and you can’t do that when you don’t have any civic knowledge.”
Both Bennett and Shea find ways to connect current events to their lessons, but they do so in different ways. Bennett often uses current events in an unplanned way, based on what is happening at the time or what students bring up. He explained, “It really depends on the day and what’s happening.” Bennet will also “let the kids decide” which events are talked about when possible. Bennett brings up specific events when they align with a topic, like the First Amendment, showing how real situations link to classroom concepts.
In contrast, Shea intentionally connects current events with her curriculum. She tries to “match [the events] with the curriculum as much as possible” and focuses on events that are “so significant that they need to be discussed.” Even though she plans her lessons ahead of time, she expressed that major news can interrupt those plans. This forces her to go back and adjust them to include important developments. Despite their different styles, with Bennett’s inclusion of events being spontaneous and Shea’s more structured, both teachers use current events to make government more relevant. They help students understand how what they learn in class applies to the real world.
Many seniors currently enrolled in a government class have noticed that their ability to apply world events has increased their understanding of government. Senior and AP Government student, Ella Bober, explained, “I think applying terms to real life is incredibly useful, because it makes you much more aware of what is happening in your government and other countries’ governments. I feel like my understanding of what’s happening in my government has improved incredibly, and I feel like a much more educated voter.” Bober explained that Shea has included various major events in her lesson plans, such as the Iranian war, the State of the Union Address, and cartel violence in Mexico. Bober also noted that she has “learned certain news, like what’s going on in comparative countries, in class first,” as she does not actively read international news.
Similarly, senior and DE government student, Matthew McKeon, shared, “Applying terms to real life current events is crucial for learning more about what’s happening and the reasons for them,” emphasizing how connecting coursework to real world situations deepens understanding. McKeon also added that government class has helped him view issues from different angles, explaining, “I think government class has kept me thinking on multiple perspectives of current events rather than serving as my personal source of information.”
As breaking news on national and foreign affairs continue to be headlined, Shea and Bennett are sure to continue featuring events that are relevant to the understanding of government in their lesson plans.