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It is important to provide students with (1) news sources for understanding current events; (2) opinion and commentary pieces that make an argument in response to current events; and (3) resources to help students critically evaluate the news and analysis they are reading and seeing.
Step 1: Understand What Happened and Why
Step 1: Understand What Happened and Why
Students should begin by turning to news stories that provide context to help understand the event
Students should begin by turning to trusted news sources, not opinion pieces or commentary
Step 2: Understand Different Perspectives
Step 2: Understand Different Perspectives
Sensitive current events point to complicated larger issues, and it is important to consult arguments and analyses from different points of view.
Media Bias Charts like this one from AllSides can help students understand which publications tend to lean toward particular political perspectives and help them identify sources on a topic from a range of perspectives.
Procon.org provides helpful resources on dozens of these complicated issues. This could be a resource for students to consult directly.
Realclearpolitics.com curates daily news/opinion pieces from different perspectives on important current events. These are good materials for teachers to consult if they are interested in providing students with a selection of materials.
Step 3: Critically Evaluate What You are Reading
Step 3: Critically Evaluate What You are Reading
Encourage students to use the SIFT approach to critically evaluate sources.
Stop
Stop
What do you know about this source?
What do you know about this source?
- Who is the author or organization who published the source? Do you know them?
- What is their reputation?
- Can you verify their arguments?
Investigate the Source
Investigate the Source
Who is behind the information?
Who is behind the information?
- What is the expertise of the author or organization?
- Can you identify bias in the source?
Find Other Coverage
Find Other Coverage
What do others say?
What do others say?
- Does other coverage of the information exist?
- Is your source the best resource for what you’re trying to find out (or is other coverage more trustworthy)?
Trace the Information
Trace the Information
Where did the evidence come from?
Where did the evidence come from?
- What source(s) is your source citing? Can you find that original source yourself?
- Is there more context, or information, in the original source(s)?
- Did the source you found leave any original context, or information, out?
After reading through different materials, a set of prompts like those below can be used to help students reflect on how their thinking has changed:
First, what happened and why?
Second, what was my initial reaction to the news?
Third, do people disagree with me? Why do they disagree with me? What are the values that could lead people to disagree on this issue?
Fourth, after learning about different perspectives, has my understanding changed or deepened? What have I learned by studying more about this issue?
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