How does a problem extremely far away affect students at MHS? As a response to the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro, the President of Venezuela, Mr. Larsson’s Modern World Culture class stepped outside of the school curriculum and analyzed this distant but crucial event, along with the history of the United States and its idea of control over South America.

In class, students learned that Nicolas Maduro caused life to worsen for Venezuela.When Maduro was put in charge of Venezuela, he was accused of rigging elections, as well as killing the protesters who stood against him. In the past ten years, more than one fourth of Venezuelans have left their home country, according to the resources used in Mr. Larsson’s lessons such as the New York Times and other news outlets.  

Although the event was not directly written into the curriculum, students found that there is value in learning about current events in classes. “I thought it was great that it wasn't supposed to be in our curriculum and great of him to make a lesson for us to learn more about it” said Julianna Ruzzo, a freshman in Larsson’s Modern World Cultures, “it's an important issue facing our government and country and not everyone at our age is always aware of what's going on in the world and with our country,” 

“Not only does it [current events] promote student engagement,” Larsson said, “I think it humanizes the people who we study, that may have lived hundreds of years ago, because they also lived through similar history.”

Many students, he explained, just think about the past. However, when students are learning about current events, he believes that history classes become more dynamic and interesting. Learning about current events also reminds students that they are living history, and history is happening all around them. 

Freshmen have recently begun their unit on World War One, in which the ethics of the war are a prominent part of the unit. Larsson had his students look at the ethics of the event in Venezuela, blending what students were learning in textbooks with real life. One of his students, freshman Burmah Kearns said, “I enjoyed it [the Venezuelan lesson], and I thought it was very informative and I liked how it connected back to what we are learning in class.” 

Yet, Larsson expressed that he would have taught the lesson even if the students had not been learning something directly connected to the Venezuela kidnapping. He asks himself, “Is it really bad if my students don't know about what's going on in Venezuela?” 

Moreover, the lesson emphasized the importance of staying informed about what is going on in the world, if not for people’s safety, but also to question the right or wrong of the events. Freshman Yael Goldstein, commented on this sentiment, “I think it can be frustrating when teachers don’t teach us about the things that are happening in our world right now, some of which can also affect us and our lives so to have a teacher thoughtfully teach us about current events was really important and interesting.” 

Mr. Larsson put in the effort to go off the curriculum and teach students about the modern world. His students recognize his effort and enjoy it. “ I thought that he made a good point and that teachers actually informing their students on the  ‘Modern World’ is super important especially with an event this big and traumatic, "said freshman Deacon O’Riodean.

Additionally, remaining unbiased, especially when the events, such as the Venezuelan kidnapping can be very difficult with a political issue. To remain impartial, Larsson explained that the main way to do so is by using primary sources. This approach allowed students to use critical thinking skills and form their own opinions as they were tasked with analyzing and summarizing the most important information on a slide.

In the case of the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration wants him to answer to drug trafficking charges. However, earlier in the year, the administration accused Maduro of being part of a cartel that does not actually exist. Students also noted that the Trump administration has taken an interest in the oil in Venezuela, a crucial aspect of the country’s infrastructure. With the South American country relies on the oil industry to pay for healthcare, and education, being stripped of the resource completely would further plunge the country into poverty. 

As of Monday January 5th, Nicolas Maduro and his wife have pleaded not guilty for the drug trafficking charges and other charges in a federal courthouse in Manhattan; their next court date is set to be on March 17, 2026. Until then, President Maduro and his wife remained held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.