+

Focusing on Civics/Citizenship/News Literacy

December 2, 2010

+Not Just Civics

Students think civics is government or history which equals boring to them.

Citizenship Taking action Making a difference Exercising your freedom

News Literacy Investigating Finding the truth Reporting

+Putting a Face to an Idea

“Changing lives, one game at a time.”

Rights for Handicapped Individuals--Interview Mrs. Markley

How could her story be a game?

+Becoming an Investigator

Default should be all news/data is false

Learn to investigate to proof correct Print Photography Video 

+Print

Do a Google search for tree octopus

+Looks Real

+Iran Launches Missiles

+Actual Photo

+ http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/in-an-iranian-image-a-missile-too-many/

+Russians Refuse to Shake Obama’s Hand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDx_OD50ia8

+Center for News Literacy

http://www.stonybrook.edu/journalism/newsliteracy/index.html

Summer Institute at Stony Brook University (for secondary teachers)

http://www.newsu.org/ (Video clips shown on NewsU are operating under Fair Use and most of the NewsU modules are free) Teachers and students can sign up for free accounts

+New Terms

Echo Chamber-people tend to find information that reflects (or echoes) their own beliefs

Ethical Protocol—no set rules but guidelines to follow for investigating and reporting information

News Literacy—The ability to sort fact from fiction

News literacy is a part of citizenship. Students make decisions, take action, and make judgments.

Consumers of News—News has become a business and individuals are consumers/buyers of their product

News consumers—readers/viewers must be vigilant, motivated, skeptical, well-informed, look for hidden agendas, be responsible, think critically and look at a variety of sources

+Exploring how STEM can be Civic

Local Issues People of West Virginia—

public assistance, lower class, middle class, upper class, retirees

Windmills Coal mining Lumber industry Tourism

National Issues Stem Cell Research Border Patrol Health Care Unemployment Gun control

Global Issues Climate Change Wars/Conflicts Poverty