ThinkGlobally
It’simportanttoknowaboutplacesintheworldtomaketheworldabetterplace.Geographyplaysabigroleinthat.Doyouknowwheredifferentcities,countries,andcontinentsare?Thiswillhelpyoumakesenseofstoriesyoureadandnewsyou hear.
Whenyoulearnaboutanewplace,finditonamap.Seewhereitis,whatbigcitiesarenearby,andifit’sclosetoabodyofwater.Whatlanguageorlanguagesarespokenthere?Lookupthemostpopularfoodseatenthere.Gettingasenseofthepeoplewholivetherewillmakethatplacemorethanadotona map!
Listen
Everypersonhasastory.Itmightbeabouttheirpast.Itcouldbeabouttheirhopesfortheirfuture.Itcouldbeabouttheirfearsorwhatmakesthemsad.Whenpeoplesharetheirstory,theyaretellingyouwhothey are.
Beingagoodlistenermeansbeingcuriousaboutotherpeopleandcaringabouttheirthoughtsandfeelings.Itcanmaketheworldbetterbyhelpingyouhavemore compassion.
Herearefivewaystoboostyourlisteningskills:
1.
TRYTOUNDERSTAND.Don’tworrytoomuchabouthavingaresponseready.Instead,trytofigureoutwhatapersonistryingto say.
2.
FOCUS.Thatmeansputtingawayalldistractionsandgivingwhoever’stalkingyourfull attention.
3.
DON’TINTERRUPT.Givethespeakerthespaceandtimetoexpressthemselvesthewaytheywant to.
4.
BEOPEN-MINDED.Whensomeoneistellingyousomethingpersonal,they’retrustingyouwiththeirtruth.They’regivingyoualittlepeekintotheirheartandtheirmind.Berespectfulofthatandtrynottorushto judgment.
5.
LETTHEMKNOWTHATYOUUNDERSTAND.(Orthatmaybeyoudon’t.)Whenyouwanttoletsomeoneknowtheyarebeingheard,youcansaysomethinglike,“Itsoundslikewhatyouaresayingis….”Or,“Doyoumean…?”Ifyoudon’tunderstand,try,“Couldyousaythatinanother way?”
ThinkAboutThingsCritically
Beingacriticalthinkermeansyouconsiderthefactsandevidence.Forexample,alotoftheinformationontheinternethasnotbeenfact-checked.Double-checkit!Findanotherreliablesourcetoverifythe information.
Howdoyouknowwhetherornottotrustasourceortheinformationprovided?Considerthese questions:
1.
Whoistheinformationcomingfrom?Whoistheoriginal source?
2.
Isthissourcereliable?Whyorwhy not?
3.
Doesthissourcehaveanagendaoramotiveforsharingthis information?
4.
Whatdoesthissourcegainfrommybeliefinthis information?
5.
Dootherreliablesourcesconfirmoragreewiththis information?
