Part Two: Activities

In chapters seven through eleven, the activities are designed to help students take what they’ve learned in this chapter, combine it with the knowledge they acquired across the first five chapters, and apply the lessons to their final project. As always, you can decide which (and how many) activities you’d like students to complete.

Bias in Science Media: 

Summary: Students will analyze two science articles for accuracy and bias.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to help students recognize bias in science coverage and develop critical thinking skills to better assess the validity of information they come across, whether conducting research in this class or reading a post on social media. This activity will also help students understand how their own biases can shape their opinions on bias and fact.

Skills:

• Critical thinking
• Research
• Analysis
• Communication
• Bias and fact
• Empathy
• Understanding different perspectives

Instructions:

Part One:

1. Introduce the concept of bias to the class, using the overview provided, and explain how it can impact our attitudes, behaviours and decisions.
2. Instruct students to look through the Curated Library to find two science articles that have a similar theme or message.
3. Now ask students to answer the questions listed in the activity for each story in order to analyze bias.

Part Two:

1. Once students have completed Part One, instruct them to compare the analyses and answer the questions provided.
2. Encourage students to discuss their findings and opinions with a partner, or in a small groups, in order to challenge their perspectives and assumptions.
3. Ask students to share their insights and observations with the class, leading a discussion on how to recognize bias in the media.
4. Wrap-up the activity by emphasizing the importance of being aware of bias in the news and other forms of media in order to make informed decisions.

Assessment: You can assess students by reviewing their activity answers, checking to see if they understand the concept of bias and how they deployed their critical thinking skills. You can also assign a written reflection on how bias impacts journalism and public opinion, and the importance of seeking different sources of information.

Self Reflection:

Summary: In this activity, students will reflect on their own biases and values.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to have students reflect on and recognize their own values, beliefs and biases, and how they’re shaped by family, experiences and cultural influences. Additionally, the activity should demonstrate that not all biases are bad or wrong, but that it’s important to listen and weigh the values of others. This activity builds on the work students did in Chapter Two and is intended to help them recognize how far they’ve come in this course.

• Self-reflection
• Critical thinking
• Analysis
• Self-awareness
• Empathy
• Communication

Instructions:

1. Begin the activity by explaining to students that our beliefs and values are shaped by a variety of factors, including personal experiences, family background and cultural influences.
2. Ask students to reflect on their own values, beliefs and biases by answering the Values Self-Reflection questions 1-5, and completing the Values Test at the bottom of the activity.
3. Gather as a class, create a safe space and discuss how personal values, beliefs and upbringing helps form our biases. Encourage students to share some of their self-reflections in order to foster empathy for different perspectives.

Assessment: Formative assessment can include evaluating students based on their ability to reflect on and articulate their personal values, beliefs and biases, and how they are shaped by personal experiences, family background and cultural influences. Encourage students to use specific examples to support their reflections.

Bias Analysis:

Summary: In this activity, students will apply their understanding of bias to assess short-comings or blind-spots in their final project.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to help students reflect on their personal biases and apply this reflection to their final project. This activity builds on the work students did in chapter two, as well as the last two activities, providing them with the time and space to assess their final project for bias.

Skills:

• Self-reflection
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Analysis
• Self-awareness
• Empathy
• Communication

Instructions:

1. Ask students to reflect on the role of bias in their final project by working through tasks 1-4 in the activity. Encourage students to consider their background, upbringing and values, and how these factors are influencing their project and the assumptions behind it.
2. Gather as a class, or in small groups, and ask students to discuss why everyone has bias and why having bias is not necessarily a bad thing. Also encourage students to share their reflections on how bias has influenced their project in order for them to get feedback on whether their project is too biased or not.
3. Summarize the key takeaways from the activity and encourage students to keep reflecting on their biases as they continue to build their project.

Assessment: During class discussions, you can observe student participation and engagement. You can also assess student reflections, evaluating their critical thinking skills, whether they demonstrated self-awareness, the depth and clarity of their reflections and how they listened and incorporated feedback from others.

Find Common Ground:

Summary: In this activity, students will work to find common ground with perspectives they instinctively disagree with.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to help students find value in differing opinions and perspectives. Students will be asked to consider and analyze multiple perspectives and find positive attributes in the example they disagree with, helping foster mutual understanding and respect. By the end of the activity, students should have more empathy for, or more common ground with, contrary perspectives, and be more open to questioning their own assumptions.

Skills:

• Critical thinking
• Relationship-building
• Communication
• Research and analysis
• Open-mindedness

Instructions:

1. Explain to your students that finding common ground is important in order to build understanding, trust, and respect across society. Inform them that, in this activity, students will select two articles, ideas or works that relate to their final project – one that they agree with and one that they very much don’t.
2. Ask your students to answer the questions listed in the activity.
3. Bring your students together as a group and ask them to share their findings. Encourage them to discuss how they can use the lessons they learned in this activity to build bridges and demonstrate respect for differing views, whether as part of their final project or in their lives more broadly.

Assessment: Assess your students based on the quality of their responses to the questions, their ability to find common ground with those they disagree with and their participation in the group discussion. You can also ask them to write a reflective essay on the experience, sharing what they learned about finding common ground.

The Art of Disagreeing:

Summary: In this activity, students will work to apply what they’ve learned by conversing with a peer who has a different perspective than their own.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to help students understand the importance of confronting conflict, developing skills to resolve disagreements in a constructive and respectful manner, and fostering open-mindedness towards diverse perspectives. By working with a partner who disagrees with them, students will practice active listening, seek to understand the other person’s perspective, and engage in constructive dialogue to potentially resolve a conflict before it begins. By the end of the activity, students should be able to disagree without being disagreeable and, potentially, gain new ideas to help them make their final project more inclusive.

Skills:

• Communication
• Relationship-building
• Active listening
• Conflict resolution
• Open-mindedness
• Problem solving

Instructions:

1. Start by introducing the concept of conflict resolution, and explain why it’s important to disagree respectfully in a diverse community. You can use the ideas and resources provided in the activity to help guide your explanation.
2. Ask students to pair up with someone in the class who disagrees with the premise of their final project.
3. Walk around the classroom and monitor the conversations, checking-in on each pair of students to ensure they are following the instructions and engaging in constructive dialogue.
4. After time is up, bring the class back together and ask students to share their experiences. You can ask questions such as:

• What did you learn from your partner’s perspective?
• Was it difficult to be open-minded and listen to someone with a different opinion?
• Were you able to disagree respectfully and resolve any potential conflict?

Encourage students to reflect on what they learned in this activity and how they can apply this skillset to their personal and professional lives.

Assessment:

1. Observation: Observe the conversations and take note of how well students are able to follow instructions and engage in constructive dialogue with their partner.
2. Feedback: You can ask students to provide feedback on the activity, such as what they learned, what challenges they faced and how they felt about the experience. This feedback can be collected through written reflections or group discussions.
3. Peer review: You can ask students to assess each other’s performance, based on how well they listened, if they communicated respectfully and if they asked questions that sought to better understand the different perspective.

Extensions:

1. Have students role-play a conflict resolution scenario, either individually or in groups, to demonstrate their understanding of the skills and strategies learned in the activity.
2. Assign a written reflection or essay that asks students to reflect on what they learned in this activity and how they can apply this skillset to their personal and professional lives. This assignment can be graded based on the quality of their reflection and their ability to articulate the key takeaways from the activity.

Fake News:

Summary: In this activity, students will learn about fake news and how to identify it.

Objective: The aim of this activity is to help students better understand what fake news is and why it exists. Students will also gain skills to identify and avoid fake news, learn how to check sources, verify information, be aware of biases/agendas and use fact-checking tools.

Skills:

• Research and analysis
• Identifying bias
• Critical thinking
• Communication

Instructions:

1. Start the activity by defining fake news as false or misleading information intentionally created to misinform, manipulate or deceive the public. Explain that in today’s digital age, it’s easy for fake news to spread quickly and impact our beliefs and actions.
2. Go over the tips for avoiding fake news listed in the activity. Emphasize that it’s essential to be a vigilant and skeptical consumer of information, especially on social media – and to always check sources and verify information before sharing or acting on it.
3. Ask students if they know of confirmed fake news stories and have them share their examples, discussing why fake news is harder to pinpoint in the age of social media.
4. Showcase and demonstrate how to use the resources listed to help students check sources and verify information.
5. As a class or individually, have the students work through the questions and tasks listed in the ‘What’s Fake???’ section of the activity.
6. After the activity is complete, facilitate a class discussion where students can share their thoughts and ideas about fake news and ask any questions they may have.

Assessment:

Formative Assessments:

1. Class Discussion: The discussion will help you gauge student understanding of the topic and identify any misconceptions that need to be addressed.
2. Peer Feedback: Pair students up and have them give each other feedback on their work. This can be a simple discussion about what they learned and what they still need help with.
3. Exit Tickets: At the end of the class or session, ask students to write a short response to a prompt related to the activity. For example: “What is one thing you learned about fake news today?”

Summative Assessments:

1. Written Reflection: Ask students to write a reflection paper on what they learned about fake news and how they will apply fact-checking and critical thinking skills in their daily lives.
2. Group Presentation: Divide students into groups and have them create a presentation on a specific aspect of the activity, such as how to verify sources or the dangers of fake news. This will give students the opportunity to practice their communication skills and showcase what they learned.