This Lens In Action: Mini-lessons to Try Tomorrow!

• Fill In The Blanks – Community Reading Experience TAKE 2: This tool can be used to help Digital Detectives think metacognitively about the the specific elements of the community reading experience are most triggering for them (given the right information).

1. For this activity, you can select a topic for Digital Detectives to work with, or you can have them select their own – based on what they know about what topics may evoke strong emotional responses in others.
2. Then have Digital Detectives consider each element of the community reading experience and have them fill in the blanks with content that could potentially affect their urge to trust or share that information with fully vetting it.
3. To extend the learning, assign your Digital Detectives a figure from history or a character from a book. Then have them complete the same activity, but from the perspective of the individual they’ve chosen.

• Fill In The Blanks – Community Reading Experience TAKE 3: This tool can be used to help Digital Detectives think deeply about how content creators use the community reading experience to generate revenue

For this activity, have Digital Detectives work in pairs.

1. First have each learner complete the worksheet from the perspective of a social media influencer: imaging content, surrounded by the community reading experience, that an influence would consider successful.  
2. Then, using the following infographics (above) “To Inform or Influence?” and “Following The Money,” have Digital Detectives switch products with their partner. 
3. Next, have each generate a list of suggested steps to increase engagement on the post. These recommendations should first identify the elements of the community reading experience that indicate increased engagement, followed by specific suggestions for affecting those measures (resulting in more revenue).
4. To extend the learning, have Digital Detectives reflect on real examples they’ve seen of engagement metrics at work in the media they consume.
5. A follow up question for reflection could relate to how these can inform public debate when the content is related to politics, etc.

• Compare and Contrast: Mobile VS Traditional – This activity can help Digital Detectives outline the steps for locating clues to credibility on different devices, while also thinking deeply about how/why information looks different depending on the device through which it is accessed.

1. Specific instructions for this activity can be found page one.
2. The second page can be printed for student use.

Mobile VS Traditional: Can You Spot The Difference?*

[TEMPLATE] Can You Spot The Difference?

• PDF (for printing)
• PNG (for digital use) 

*Inspired by #DigitalDetectiveSquad member @pattylois

Use the Can You Spot The Difference Template (above) to help learners think about how the same story (from the same source!) may look different on a mobile device than it does on a traditional desktop or laptop computer. 

1. In the corresponding space(s) provided on the template, add a screenshot of the same news story or post (one as seen in the browser on a desktop of laptop; one as seen in an app, on a mobile device). Then…
2. Instruct learners to follow the directions on the template to identify the differences between each version. Then…
3. Once all differences have been identified, instruct learners to develop a hypothesis about why those differences exist. 
4. Discuss their findings as a class (or in small groups). 

To use digitally, upload image file to Google Slide deck. Set that image as the slide background. Then follow the directions above, having learners use tool options within Google Slides to complete tasks. 

Potential extension:

1. Have learners locate and add screenshots to the template for their classmates to review. Then… 
2. Follow directions in steps 2-4 as written.

Device Hacks:

Tips for taking control of your device (so that your device doesn’t take control of you)!

Slide Deck (Note: this link will force you to make your own copy).

You asked and we listened!

Several members of the #digitaldetectivesquad requested a slidedeck to help them lead a digital litercy workshop/event for parents or other community members. The focus of this workshop is helping adult (or teen!) learners understand and manage their device settings to:

• reduce notifications
• disrupt tracking
• burst filter bubbles

Note: There are several slides that are place holders for you to add content to help your audience engage with their devices and one another! 

[GOOGLE JAMBOARD] What makes you most likely to trust and share? –  Community Reading Experience Edition

• Note: this link will force you to make a copy of the Jamboard. Once you’ve created your own copy, you’ll be able to make edits to customize this activity for your own Digital Detectives.

This activity was designed to be used with a teacher designated research topic. However, it could be adapted to have learners choose their own topics. The ultimate goal of this activity is for students to use each of the provided Jamboards to create a list of ways the Community Reading Experience might infuence their urge to trust, share or engage with content  (related to this topic) without fully investigating it first. Directions for students are included in the Jamboard – linked above.

1. 1. After providing students with a research topic, have them individually brainstorm a list of ways the Community Reading Experience might trigger the emotion on each Jamboard in a way that would make them more likely to trust and share content without fully investigating it. NOTE: These emotions can be changed by the teacher.
   2. Next, have students work in pairs to:
      1. 1. share/explain their lists with one another.
         2. Work together to combine and refine their work into a single list.
         3. Share their list on the Jamboard.
   3. In a whole group debrief, have students reflect on:
      1. 1. The common threads seen throughout their classmates’ work.
         2. Why the Community Reading Experience is important to content creators.
         3. How the appearance of the factors they’ve identified through this activity might serve as red flags/a signal for students to press pause before engaging with content.