{
  "id": 12945287,
  "title": "Zombies help an Indiana teacher bring civic lessons back to life",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/zombies-help-an-indiana-teacher-bring-civic-lessons-back-to-life",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T20:15:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Chalkbeat",
    "slug": "chalkbeat",
    "url": "https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2026/10/08/teacher-uses-zombie-apocalypse-for-civics-lessons/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Crotthersville, Indiana witnessed an innovative teaching method as Jared Kempton, a sixth-grade teacher, turned the topic of zombies into a platform for comprehensive civic education. Kempton's \"Tinker\" project, inspired by the CREATE 250 initiative from Ball State University, used a zombie apocalypse scenario to engage students in discussions about microbiology, engineering, and U.S. constitutional rights. The students were tasked with rebuilding society post-apocalypse, using historical documents as guidelines. The lesson, which also included building imaginary firewood, aimed to reignite students' interest in learning that had reportedly waned in middle school. Kempton's approach fostered debates on civil liberties, safety vs. rights, and the relevance of current events, highlighting the importance of civic engagement beyond traditional voting and jury duty.",
  "summary": "Did you know search engines like Google are changing the way you see news? Keep Chalkbeat’s valuable education coverage at the top of your feeds by clicking here and checking the box next to our name. CROTHERSVILLE, Ind. — Jared Kempton sized up the plastic buckets outside his classroom like a teacher grading a quiz. His sixth graders had only gathered enough kindling to fill each bucket halfway…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}