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Issue 36, March 2013 – Good Jobs, Not Just Any Jobs! - [PDF 11.3mb]
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Many adults are attending school to get the skills they need to get a better job. But will they be able to find a good job? Speaking of which...what is a good job? And how do you get one? In this issue, The Change Agent explores these questions and more. Students share compelling stories of satisfying work, as well as dangerous and demeaning work and those jobs that are a mixture of both. Their advice and stories will inspire readers to make goals, learn skills, and think critically about the world of work. In addition to providing food for thought, this issue shares concrete examples of ordinary people—alone and with others—taking steps to be agents of change in the workplace.
Watch a recording of the tips & tricks webinar on issue 36.
Download webinar slides (pdf)
Issue 35, September 2012 – Tales of Resilience - [PDF 14.8mb]
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What inspires us to try to respond to and recover from difficulties? What actually enables us to respond and recover? In this inspiring issue of The Change Agent, writers explore how our communities and families often rally to soften or deflect a blow…and perhaps even change the conditions that created the blow. Read stories about how individuals, neighborhoods, and whole communities have drawn strength and persevered to respond to challenges and create change. Whether it's a story about a newly diagnosed HIV patient, an ESOL class that's lost the only bus line in their neighborhood, or a community that's been deserted by its principal employer, these stories will inspire you, build your resolve, equip you with action steps, and encourage you to notice the resiliency and strength in yourself and in the people and communities around you.
Watch a recording of the tips & tricks webinar on issue 35.
Issue 34, March 2012 – What's Age Got To Do With It? [PDF 9mb]
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In this often humorous and always illuminating new issue, students and practitioners ask and answer: What does age have to do with learning? With more and more young people (ages 16-24) in ABE, dynamics are shifting in the classroom and in programs. What happens when teenagers and 40-somethings tackle Shakespeare together? Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Why are so many high schoolers choosing adult education instead of traditional secondary school? Read inspiring stories of older and younger getting past their preconceptions and reaching out to make friends, share struggles, and learn from each other across generational lines.
Issue 33, September 2011 – Peaceful Tomorrows [PDF 14.5mb]
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This issue of The Change Agent, breaks new ground. Done in collaboration with September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, it teaches the history of 9/11, wrestles with important legal and moral questions related to security and liberty, examines the "rule of law" in the context of terrorism, provides a forum for the profound voices of people seeking justice and reconciliation, and includes extremely moving stories - many of them written by adult learners - about 9/11 and the aftermath.
Issue 32, March 2011 – Staying Safe In A Toxic World [PDF 16.5mb]
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This issue of The Change Agent, produced in collaboration with TERC's Statistics for Action project, will explore the local environment and will tell our stories of environmental clean-ups and community efforts to identify pollution sources and deal with them. Includes inspiring articles by learners and lots of math and science, as well as reading and writing and opportunities for critical thinking.
Issue 31, September 2010 – Fashion: The Power, The Peril, and The Passion [PDF 3mb]
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Fashion is a topic that can be both fun and serious. In this thought provoking, visually appealing issue of The Change Agent, we examine: how our clothes make us feel, bathing suits through the ages, extreme body art, how to make fashion small talk in the ESOL classroom, rules for shopping, fashion and female body image, dressing for success, clothing and stereotypes, the hidden cost of cheap clothes, how to have fun with fashion without breaking the budget, who makes our clothes and where, the problem with fur, how parents and kids work out their fashion conflicts, and much more!
Issue 30, March 2010 – Coming Home From War [PDF 13mb]
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With this issue of The Change Agent, "Coming Home from War," we open our pages to veterans, family members of veterans, and war refugees. In their own voices, they talk about what it’s like to come home from war (or, for some, to have to seek a new home), what it’s like to welcome their veteran home, and how they remember and memorialize the soldiers who did not make it home. Using poetry, short narratives, interviews, cartoons, illustrations, and photo stories, this issue roots reading, writing, and math lessons in content that is intensely moving and relevant to adult learners. Background pieces, maps, and quick facts about the war(s) provide opportunities for students to extend their learning. Lesson plans and discussion questions give teachers classroom-ready material that will engage students and provide an important forum for critical thinking, sharing, and achieving understanding across diverse experiences. And as always with The Change Agent, we feature the positive ways that veterans and community members have organized and advocated on behalf of veterans to promote healing, to ensure benefits, and to acknowledge society’s overall responsibility for the human cost of war. Extra in this issue: a special feature by Heather Lash called "Listening to Refugees" – for teachers who are looking for guidance when it comes to responding to the trauma and sadness that sometimes comes out in students’ stories.
Issue 29, September 2009 – The Economy [PDF 21mb]
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What exactly happened when Wall Street crashed in 2008? What led to the crisis? What exactly is a housing bubble? A bank bailout? A stimulus package? Using clear language accompanied by illustrations and graphics, the September 2009 issue of The Change Agent explains the roots of the crisis, tells how people are responding, gives voice to the unemployed, and tells inspiring stories of what we could do to create an economy that works for everyone. True stories by learners shed light on how people are coping, what they are doing to address financial stresses and injustices, and how they are staying hopeful. Use this issue of The Change Agent to teach math, grammar, writing, and critical thinking skills. Students will appreciate having these lessons rooted in relevant social issues and communicated in articles, essays, and cartoons that help demystify difficult economic concepts.
Issue 28, March 2009 – Health: The Big Picture [PDF 21mb]
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Explore students' experiences dealing with health challenges and their individual and community-based responses to those challenges. Learn about the U.S. health insurance industry, student-recommended home remedies, students' experiences of health disparities, the connection between mental and physical health, and much more.
Issue 27, September 2008 – Climate Change [PDF 20mb]
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This issue is filled with pictures, illustrations, short articles, cartoons, math lessons, and quizzes to break down the science and economics of climate change. Learn about greenhouse gases, energy-saving tricks that also save money, green jobs, and how adult learners are teaching their kids about conservation, saying no to junk mail, and lobbying their mayors to do more for the environment. Read student writing exploring responses to climate change and things that can be done to make a positive impact. As one Hurricane Katrina survivor reminds us, hope comes from "learning more about a problem and participating directly in the solution." This idea - that understanding and participation are at the root of hopefulness - is a central theme in this issue's articles, graphics, and lesson plans.
Issue 26, March 2008 – Democracy In Action [PDF 9.5mb]
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Thinking about how to integrate all the election-year buzz into your classroom? Wondering how to invite students into a conversation about civic participation that includes voting but goes beyond it as well? In this issue you'll find lessons that evoke deep thinking about the meaning of democracy and the many ways adults participate in public life.
Issue 25, September 2007 – Taking Action to Stay in School [PDF 3.5mb]
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How do students support each other to stay in school? How do they work together to find personal and collective solutions? How do they inspire, motivate, and encourage each other to balance a multitude of demands so that they can stay in school? Download the current issue to find the answer to these questions plus much more.
Issue 24, March 2007 – Caring
for Our Children [PDF 1mb]
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In this issue read about issues surrounding parenting, helping children learn, work and family, adjusting to life in the U.S. and much more. Questions explored range from how programs can prepare parents to advocate and be active in their children’s education to the pros and cons of bilingual education.
Issue 23, September 2006 – Immigration [PDF
3mb]
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It's right now, it's emotional, it's complex, and it's uncertain. This issue offers a broad array of information, lessons, opinions, and provocative articles aimed at helping readers sort through the current debate.
Issue 22, March 2006 – Values [PDF
3mb]
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This issue aims at understanding the examining the important intersection between values and politics. It includes material about the personal expression of values and moves readers to also carefully examine the values in our society and how they are expressed in public policy.
Issue 21, September 2005 – Building
Peace [PDF - 2mb]
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Students, teachers and others write about the building blocks of peace and invite readers to consider taking action in their lives. Starting with ourselves and our families, then thinking about our communities, and the world, this issue offers humble suggestions for building peace.
Issue 20, March 2005 – Transitions [PDf
- 1mb]
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In this issue, we highlight those internal changes that move people from one way of living to another and look at the societal barriers that can prevent us from changing our lives.
Issue 19, September 2004 – Women & Literacy [PDF-
2mb]
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Read about the challenges women face and the strengths they bring to the literacy classroom from student and teacher writing. Find lessons you can use in class to explore these issues further.
Issue 18, March 2004 – Voting
in the 2004 Elections [PDF- 1mb]
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This issue was developed to help readers sort out the issues of the 2004 elections, but contains lots of general voting activities and exercises that could be used for any election. Explore with students why they do or don’t vote, learn about voting history and explore some of the hot issues that come up in many election years.
Issue 17, September 2003 – Housing & Home [PDF-
1mb]
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Learn about housing struggles, images of and desires for home, homelessness, and people and organizations creating healthy housing options.
Issue 16, March 2003 – Language & Power [PDF=
1mb]
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How do we use language to wield power, both with and over others? How does this play out as individuals, in our families, and in social structures like schools, the government, and the media? These questions and more are examined in this issue.
Issue 15, September 2002 – Creativity & Change [PDF-
2mb]
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This issue contains exciting examples, activities, and models for using creativity as a means for creating change–both personal change and societal change.
Issue 14, March 2002 – Food [PDF-
1mb]
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Find articles and activities that explore how the food choices we make impact the lives of people around the world, our environment, and the health of our planet.
Issue 13, September 2001 – Economic
Security & Justice [PDF- 1mb]
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This issue interprets economic security as having basic human rights that guarantee a certain level of economic stability and personal dignity. Read stories about people fighting for their rights and challenging power plus lots of analysis in this issue.
Issue 12, March 2001– Media
and You [PDF- 1mb]
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In this issue we look at how media are made, how and why we consume so much of it, and what impact the media have on our society and the world.
Issue 11, September 2000 – Immigration [PDF-
1mb]
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Who exactly is an American? What do immigrants have to give up to become American? What do they bring to our sense of who an American is? How do immigrants contribute to the American economy and workforce? In this issue you can share the tensions, difficulties, joys, fears, and dreams of immigrants who come to America.
Issue 10, March 2000 – Connections
to Our Environment: Taking Action [PDF-
1mb]
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Sometimes the environmental problems we hear about seem so huge, and it feels like it’s too late to make a difference – the harm is already done. However, we do have some stories that help us realize that it’s never too late and it is worth continuing to push for solutions.
Issue 9, September 1999 – Looking
In, Looking Out: Reflections on Adult Basic Education [PDF-
1mb]
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This issue, geared toward teachers and administrators, explores some of the current and controversial topics in our field, including: the growing emphasis on accountability, the increasing number of teens in ABE, funding, the role of volunteers in adult education, and the challenges facing participatory classrooms and programs.
Issue 8, February 1999 – Working
Together Across Differences [PDF- 1mb]
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This issue presents articles and activities on a few particular differences: race, class, disabilities, and sexual orientation and encourages readers to both acknowledge these differences and bridge them.
Issue 7, September 1998 – The
Changing World of Work [PDF- 1mb]
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In this issue we consider how changes in the economy, advances in technology, and political and social reforms affect individuals and society.
Issue 6, February 1998 – Civic
Participation [PDF- 1mb]
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This issue touches on key topics such as understanding rights and responsibilities, identifying community needs and resources, working to eliminate discrimination and prejudice, and others.
Issue 5, September 1997 – Crime & Violence [PDF-
1mb]
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Read about the many factors that contribute to crime and violence: unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, poor education systems, inequality, environmental destruction, and how to contribute to making our public life healthy and peaceful.
Issue 4, February 1997 – Health & Literacy [PDF-
1mb]
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Poor literacy leads to poor health. This issue looks at collaborations between health care providers and literacy practitioners to address this critical problem.
Issue 3, September 1996 – Can
We Really Make A Difference? [PDF- 1mb]
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Read about students bringing changes to their communities and families by taking action on issue important to them. You can also learn how to make a difference in the local community and the nation through voting and advocacy when reading this issue of The Change Agent.
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