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

• Create Your Own Investigative Link Board: This resource is designed to help students think deeply about how authentic questions about information should guide the investigative process.  

Note: The link above will prompt you to make your own copy of this Jamboard. You will need to change the share settings on your own copy before sharing with students. Additionally, you’ll need to duplicate the second board in the Jamboard as many times as required to accommodate the number of students/groups you are working with. 

1. This resource was designed to use with information (an article, video, etc.) of your choosing.  
2. Working in groups of 2-3 have students use the directions on the first board to create their own linkboard related to the information you’ve provided. As a scaffold, refer to the [INFOGRAPHIC] “questions types” for learners who might need extra help.

• What Makes A Good Question Meme? Use this activity to have Digital Detectives reflect on what makes a good question. 

The link above will force you to make your own copy. As a reminder, you will need to change the share settings on your copy before distributing to students.

• The purpose of this activity is to have students reflect on how to form good questions to guide an investigation.
• Student responses should focus on how red flags in the content lead to robust questions that help them consider elements that require deeper examination.

Instructions:

1. Have students select a meme to work with. (Note you may need to duplicate slides to accommodate the number of students/groups you are working with).
2. Once Digital Detectives have completed their meme, they can be shared using the side deck or individual slides can be downloaded as image files to be posted elsehwere.

Word Choice + Triggers – This activity is designed to help students:

• • understand that all media messages are constructed.
  • understand how word choice can be used to drive engagement.

Word Choice + Triggers: PDF (for printing)

Word Choice + Triggers: PNG (for digital use)

This activity consists of three parts, with sections one and two scaffolding students towards independent thinking in section three.

Part 1: The first section should be completed within the context of a whole class discussion to help Digital Detectives understand how the use of specific wording in access points to information (such as headlines or photo/video captions) can do all of the following:

• • shape our understanding of an event, person or group
  • confirm our own biases about an event, person or group
  • trigger emotional responses that, in turn…
  • drive engagement

Part 2: The second section was designed for Digital Detectives to complete in pairs or small groups. This section challenges students to apply their understanding of word choice as an engagement driver to a current event of their choice.

Part 3: The third section of this activity was designed for Digital Detectives to complete independently.