What stories in the news have you been paying attention to recently?
Perhaps you’ve been following headlines in a newspaper like The New York Times or watching breaking news on CNN. Maybe you’ve been seeing videos or reading links people have posted in your social feeds. Perhaps you’re having current events discussions with your classmates in the cafeteria or with your family around the dinner table. Or maybe you’ve been exchanging texts with your friends about what’s going on in your school or community.
News can be many different things: reporting on major events or political issues; sports features or theater reviews; or even news you can use, like exercise tips or financial advice. And it can be global, national or local.
No matter where you get your news, or what kind of news you’ve been following, simply tell us about one story that has interested you lately, where you learned about it, and why it got your attention. You can post your response as a written comment OR as a 90-second video.
This prompt is inspired by our Summer Reading Contest, where, every week for 10 weeks, we’ll be inviting you to tell us what you’re reading, watching and listening to — specifically in The New York Times — and why. You can use this space to practice before it begins, and if you enjoy this exercise, we hope you’ll join us this summer!
If you’re not sure where to start …
As we said, you can tell us about any news story you’re following from any source. But here are some recent articles, features and multimedia articles in The New York Times if you’re looking for inspiration.
Check out these recent front-page headlines:
What to Know About the Trial Donald Trump Faces in Manhattan
Iran’s Strikes on Israel Open a Dangerous New Chapter for Old Rivals
O.J. Simpson, Football Star Whose Trial Riveted the Nation, Dies at 76
What to Know About the Turmoil at Colleges Over the Israel-Hamas War
‘Waiting for My Time to Come’: Ukraine’s New Draft Law Unsettles the Young
Drought Pushes Millions Into ‘Acute Hunger’ in Southern Africa
Mount Etna Puffs Perfect Smoke Rings Into Sicilian Sky
Now Hiring: Sophisticated (but Part-Time) Chatbot Tutors
Explore articles from the Style, International, Sports, Business, Arts, U.S., Travel, Science or Well sections:
Four Wild Ways to Save the Koala (That Just Might Work)
Up to a Trillion Cicadas Are About to Emerge in the U.S.
A Soccer Team Stopped Charging for Tickets. Should Others Do the Same?
‘A Different World’ Hits the Road to Help Historically Black Colleges
A Little Bit of Dirt Is Good for You
A Principal Confronted a Teenage Girl. Now He Could Face Time in Prison.
A Millennial Weaver Carries a Centuries-Old Craft Forward
Sticks. And the People Who Love Them.
Perfectionism Is a Trap. Here’s How to Escape.
Can Nicotine Pouches Like Zyn Harm Your Health?
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review: Apocalypse Later
The Retro Music Genre That Will Change Your Life
Watch These Cute Videos of Babies (and Learn Something, Too)
Will the French Olympic Team Be Best Dressed at the Opening Ceremony?
36 Hours in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Why Do We Age? Scientists Are Figuring It Out
Watch videos, listen to podcasts and look at photos and graphics:
What (We Think) We Know About Taylor Swift’s New Album (Audio)
A Bee’s-Eye View of the World (Photos)
Sculpture Doesn’t Get Much Smaller Than This (Photos)
Criminalizing Homelessness Won’t Make It Go Away (Video)
Watching the Total Eclipse (Photos)
Finding Happiness Through Many Mediums (Comic)
A.I.’s Original Sin (Podcast)
Ocean Heat Has Shattered Records for More Than a Year. What’s Happening? (Graph)
Or read essays from the Opinion section:
Some Words Feel Truer in Spanish
The Atmosphere of the ‘Manosphere’ Is Toxic
Get Tech Out of the Classroom Before It’s Too Late
How the SAT Changed My Life
What Is Lost When Freshmen Choose Their Roommates
Anxious Parents Are the Ones Who Need Help
How a Vacant Lot Became Our Own Dirtbag Narnia
The Case for Saying ‘I Do’
Even Clarkenomics Can’t Solve Sexism in Sports
Now, here’s your challenge:
Choose one article, essay, photo, video or podcast published in The Times or elsewhere that interests you. (Just make sure it’s something that’s appropriate for a family newspaper.)
Tell us about it and why it got your attention, either in a written comment of up to 1,500 characters (about 250 words) or in a 90-second video. (If you choose to make a video response, you’ll need to upload it to a third-party site, such as YouTube or TikTok, and then post the link in the comments section. Make sure your settings are public, and please take care not to use any copyrighted images or music.)
If you’re not sure what to write or talk about, here are some prompts to help:
Why did you choose the piece you chose? What about it got your attention?
What connection, if any, does it have to your life and your experiences?
How did this piece affect you? Did it teach you something? Challenge you? Reassure you? Move you? Make you angry? What emotions did it stir, and why?
What happened as you read? What was going through your mind? What specific lines, quotes, words or details stood out? Why?
What questions did it raise for you? What does it make you want to know more about?
What connections can you make between this piece or topic and something else you know about? Why? For instance, does it remind you of something else you’ve read, seen or heard? Something you’ve studied in school?
What did you think of the piece overall? What were its strengths and weaknesses? Did you agree or disagree with what it said?
What would you most like to remember from this piece? Why?
What ideas or information from this piece can you apply to your own life?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
