Headlines: Poverty: Teaching Controversial Issues

by Molly Potter

Poverty is one of a series of books and accompanying CD-ROMs which offer primary school teachers much-needed support for teaching controversial issues. Published in association with the Citizenship Foundation, the Headlines titles provide background knowledge and practical teaching resources to introduce and appropriately manage discussions of sensitive, controversial and topical issues with confidence. Children of all ages are now regularly exposed to media coverage of controversial topics. When a news story hits the headlines, schools will naturally want to respond to the questions, fears and concerns of their pupils with sensitivity, accuracy and balance. The Headlines titles have been produced specifically to help teachers face this challenge. Features topic background knowledge and presentation of opposing arguments and viewpoints; advice on how to avoid bias; lively lesson plans; reproducible pupil resources including activity sheets, information sheets, case studies and news reports. Each accompanying CD-ROM editable versions of the activity sheets, so they can be adapted in response to topical news stories; additional resource materials and photographs to display on a whiteboard as a focus for discussion; additional background information for teachers.

Paperback

About the author

Molly Potter started out as a scientist. However, she soon realised that chemistry did not have abundant opportunities for working with people and they were what really interested her - so she jumped ship and trained as a primary school teacher. She has subsequently worked with children and in education in a variety of guises for a long time, including working to support teachers to deliver an effective PSHE/RSE programme.

The first books Molly had published were in creative thinking, problem solving and personal, social and health education (PSHE) and aimed at teachers. Later, she moved on to write picture books that help young children with tricky emotions and situations. Her honest, open, down-to-earth approach leaves children informed and reassured.