News & Media Literacy
Activity
Read aloud: Let's read the headline pairs below. Then, let's talk about the differences between them and how we or others might react differently to each headline. After each set of headlines, talk about your answers to the discussion questions.
commonsense.org/education
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GRADES 6–8: DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP FAMILY ACTIVITY
Digital citizenship: thinking critically and using technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate
Instructions
It's important to understand our reactions to the news. Examine some headlines and how they might influence someone's reactions. Get one or more family members together to help. Read the setup before doing the activity together!
Setup
Read aloud: The news can cause strong reactions. Sometimes we're reacting to what actually �happened. Sometimes we're only reacting to a headline or how someone else interprets what �happened. It's important to know the difference. Reading some headlines and discussing our �reactions can help us pause and think.
Learn more about how to look carefully at the news at commonsensemedia.org!
Headline No. 1: "Students participate in walkout to protest new district policies"�Headline No. 2: "Angry kids ditch school after district promises more officers to keep students safe"��Headline No. 1: "New research shows link between social media and anxiety in some teens"�Headline No. 2: "Study shows social media major cause of anxiety epidemic among young people"��Headline No. 1: "Teen raises $2,000 to fund new community garden"�Headline No. 2: "Honor student transforms community with thousands in donations"
Discussion questions:�How might someone react to No. 1? How might they react to No. 2? How are the headlines different? How might those differences influence someone's reactions?