No, Pero Why?

Anchor charts

13 classroom posters, each teaching one skill with numbered steps, a worked example from a case and three sentence frames.

Print at 18 × 24 in to read a chart from the back of the room. The letter size is for desks and binders.

Download all 13 charts, letter PDF (479 KB)

Check evidence

Chart 1Check evidence

Check a post before you share it

Use this when a post makes a big claim and you want to pass it on.

  1. StopNotice how the post makes you feel. Do not share it yet.
  2. Investigate the sourceFind out who posted it first and what they know.
  3. Find better coverageLook for other reports or official pages about the same claim.
  4. Trace to the originalFind the full clip or document and read what surrounds it.

Example from Lesson 1

  1. 1At 4:52 p.m., a post asks “Screening canceled?” Nobody reposts it yet.
  2. 2The clip comes from the coordinator’s Friday meeting.
  3. 3Mateo’s booking email confirms Friday, 6–9 p.m.
  4. 4The transcript adds “through that reader.” Only the broken side door is affected.

Watch out: Do not call a cropped clip fake. This clip is real. It stops mid-sentence.

Sentence frames

  • The post claims ___.
  • The original says ___.
  • I could not confirm ___ yet.

Steps adapted from Mike Caulfield, “SIFT (The Four Moves),” Hapgood, June 19, 2019 (CC BY 4.0). hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (115 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (122 KB)

Used in Lessons 1, 7, 9, 18 and 20

  • Lesson 1 Check a cropped clip before telling friends the screening is canceled.
  • Lesson 7 Check a group-chat claim that one complaint got a novel banned.
  • Lesson 9 Check what is on your ballot with official sources instead of your feed.
  • Lesson 18 Check a post that compares a district total with another district’s per-student amount.
  • Lesson 20 Check a realistic image of a flooded courtyard before anyone posts it as news.

Try saying

  • Wait, where’s the full clip?
  • Who posted this first?
  • Holding off till we check.

Chart 2Check evidence

Back up a claim with evidence

Use this when you answer a case question or explain a choice.

  1. ClaimSay what you think is true in one sentence.
  2. EvidencePoint to a document, quote, number or time that supports it.
  3. ReasoningExplain how the evidence supports the claim. Use “because.”
  4. LimitSay what the evidence does not show yet.

Example from Lesson 1

  1. 1The screening is still on for Friday night.
  2. 2The transcript says “Existing room bookings remain in place.”
  3. 3Mateo’s booking already exists, so it stays in place.
  4. 4Nothing says whether every guest can use the front entrance.

Watch out: A screenshot of a claim does not prove the claim. Point to the document that confirms it.

Sentence frames

  • I think ___ because ___.
  • The ___ shows ___.
  • This does not show ___ yet.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (115 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (121 KB)

Used in all 20 lessons

Every case’s rubric scores Evidence and Reasoning.

Try saying

  • How do you know?
  • Which document says that?
  • What would change your mind?

Chart 3Check evidence

Read a document closely

Use this each time you open a piece of evidence.

  1. Name the documentSay what kind of document it is, who made it and when.
  2. Say what it showsWrite one fact the document confirms, in your own words.
  3. Say what it leaves outWrite one question the document cannot answer.
  4. Ask your next questionName the document or person that could answer it.

Example from Lesson 1

  1. 1A booking confirmation emailed to Mateo on Tuesday at 10:14 a.m.
  2. 2It confirms Friday, 6–9 p.m., and a step-free front entrance.
  3. 3Nothing about the side door. It was sent before Friday’s meeting.
  4. 4What did the coordinator say at Friday’s meeting? Read the transcript.

Watch out: Check the date. An email sent on Tuesday cannot tell you what changed on Friday.

Sentence frames

  • This is a ___ from ___.
  • It shows ___.
  • It leaves out ___.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (114 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (121 KB)

Used in all 20 lessons

Every case has documents to read under “Look at the evidence.”

Try saying

  • When was this sent?
  • What doesn’t it say?
  • Who could fill in the gap?

Rules and decisions

Chart 4Rules and decisions

Name the kind of rule

Use this when you hear “it’s the rule” and want to know who made it.

  1. LawPassed by Congress, a state legislature or a city council.
  2. RegulationWritten by a government agency to carry out a law.
  3. PolicyA school’s, employer’s or platform’s own rule.
  4. Professional codeA standard a profession sets for its members. Some are voluntary, like the codes for journalists. The rules for lawyers are adopted in each state and can lead to discipline.

Example from Lesson 11

  1. 1Real law: The Equal Pay Act (1963) requires equal pay for men and women doing substantially equal work.
  2. 2No regulation appears in the evidence.
  3. 3The company sets rates. The evidence shows no policy.
  4. 4Real code: SHRM’s HR code calls for policies that foster “fair, consistent and equitable treatment for all.”

Watch out: “Illegal” is a claim about a law. Read the law before you say it.

Sentence frames

  • This rule comes from ___.
  • It is a ___, so ___ can change it.
  • To check it, I would read ___.

Equal Pay Act of 1963, 29 U.S.C. § 206(d). Quote from the SHRM Code of Ethics, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). As amended April 24, 2023. shrm.org/legal/bylaws-and-code-of-ethics/code-of-ethics

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (114 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (121 KB)

Used in Lessons 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16

  • Lesson 2 Trace a classroom struggle to an IDEA evaluation, a Section 504 plan or neither.
  • Lesson 6 Separate what FERPA, a federal law, says from your school’s own records process.
  • Lesson 7 Separate the law, the school’s reconsideration policy and professional guidance.
  • Lesson 8 Tell FTC guidance apart from the law it interprets.
  • Lesson 10 Find which government is responsible under the ADA.
  • Lesson 11 Tell the Equal Pay Act apart from an employer’s own pay rates.
  • Lesson 12 Compare a Supreme Court ruling on student speech with a school’s posting policy.
  • Lesson 14 Sort copyright law, a license and a platform’s permission.
  • Lesson 15 Test an unpaid internship against the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Lesson 16 Ask who wrote a building rule and which laws may apply.

Try saying

  • Wait, who made this rule?
  • Law, or company rule?
  • Where’s it written down?

Chart 5Rules and decisions

Find who decides

Use this when a decision affects you and you want to know where to ask.

  1. The deciderName the person, board or office that makes the final call.
  2. The rule behind itFind the rule or process they have to follow.
  3. The people affectedList who lives with the result, including people not in the room.
  4. The way inFind a meeting, comment period or form where you can speak.

Example from Lesson 4

  1. 1The nonprofit’s board decides on evening rentals.
  2. 2The agenda lists rentals “for discussion.” No vote has been taken.
  3. 3Evening users like Sami, Dec and Mari, and a nearby resident.
  4. 4The board meets Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Ask if it takes written comments.

Watch out: Check who holds the vote. The person who posts about a decision may have no say in it.

Sentence frames

  • The decision is made by ___.
  • Their power comes from ___.
  • People affected include ___.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (113 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (121 KB)

Used in Lessons 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 18 and 19

  • Lesson 4 Find who decides what happens to the room’s free evenings.
  • Lesson 7 Trace who decides whether a challenged book stays on the shelf.
  • Lesson 9 Match local offices on a ballot to the decisions each one makes.
  • Lesson 10 Find whose job it is to fix a blocked route.
  • Lesson 11 Find out who sets event-crew pay rates and how.
  • Lesson 16 Find who wrote a new building rule.
  • Lesson 18 Find where the district budget is decided and bring a question there.
  • Lesson 19 Match a public comment to the committee that can act on it.

Try saying

  • Who votes on this?
  • When’s the next meeting?
  • Can we send a comment?

Chart 10Rules and decisions

Check a choice against a code of ethics

Use this when a choice affects the public and a code covers it.

  1. Name the choiceSay what someone is about to do and who it affects.
  2. Find the code that fitsPick the profession closest to the job, such as journalism.
  3. Read the provisionFind the exact words that apply and quote them.
  4. Decide and explainSay whether the choice follows the code, and why.

Example from Lesson 1

  1. 1Should the crew repost the cropped clip?
  2. 2Journalism is closest, so use the SPJ code.
  3. 3Real source: “Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.”SPJ Code of Ethics, “Seek Truth and Report It.”
  4. 4Reposting before reading the transcript would not follow it.

Watch out: Many codes are voluntary. SPJ calls its code “not a set of rules.”

Sentence frames

  • The choice is ___.
  • The ___ code says “___.”
  • It ___ the code, because ___.

Quote from the SPJ Code of Ethics, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Revised September 6, 2014, at SPJ's National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. spj.org/spj-code-of-ethics

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (114 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (121 KB)

Used in all 20 lessons

Every case page has a “Professional standards” section with two or three real codes or official guidelines.

Try saying

  • What would a reporter do?
  • What does the code say?
  • Check the original first.

Chart 11Rules and decisions

Compare options before you choose

Use this when a group has more than one option and each has a cost.

  1. List the optionsWrite each choice, including keeping the current plan.
  2. Pick your criteriaChoose what matters most, such as cost, access and risk.
  3. Score each optionRate each option on each criterion. Mark any guesses.
  4. Name who pays the costSay who loses something under each option.

Example from Lesson 4

  1. 1A: keep free evenings. B: rent Tuesday and Thursday. C: pilot one rental.
  2. 2Cost, evening access and how sure the numbers are.
  3. 3A leaves a $200 weekly gap, C leaves $80, and B closes it only if both book.
  4. 4Under B, Dec loses Thursday rehearsals. Under A, the funding gap stays.

Watch out: Mark every projection. A rental that never books adds nothing to the budget.

Sentence frames

  • The options are ___.
  • Option ___ costs ___, but ___.
  • I choose ___, even though ___.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (117 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (124 KB)

Used in Lessons 4, 6, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18

  • Lesson 4 Compare three options for the room’s evenings on cost, access and uncertainty.
  • Lesson 6 Decide what Rafa should authorize, for whom, and how to change it later.
  • Lesson 13 Pick one change for the next event and plan how to measure it.
  • Lesson 14 Weigh the four fair-use factors and recommend a path.
  • Lesson 15 Weigh an internship offer’s benefits, costs and legal questions.
  • Lesson 17 Compare three ways to give out ten free seats.
  • Lesson 18 Recommend how a district should rank facilities requests.

Try saying

  • What if nobody books it?
  • Who loses out here?
  • Is there another option?

Write for readers

Chart 6Write for readers

Write a holding statement

Use this when people need an answer and you are still checking.

  1. Say what you sawName the post without repeating its claim.
  2. Say what you are checkingName the document you are looking for.
  3. Say when you will post againGive a time, not “soon.”
  4. Say what to do nowTell people whether to wait or keep their plans.

Example from Lesson 1

  1. 1We saw the clip about the Common Room.
  2. 2We’re checking the full meeting update right now.
  3. 3We’ll post again by 5:25.
  4. 4Please hold your plans for a moment.

Watch out: Do not repeat the rumor’s key word, such as “canceled.” Some people read only one word.

Sentence frames

  • We saw ___.
  • We’re checking ___.
  • We’ll post again by ___.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (115 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (122 KB)

Used in Lessons 1, 3 and 20

  • Lesson 1 Tell the group chat what you are checking before you answer.
  • Lesson 3 Write the holding statement in a crisis communications plan.
  • Lesson 20 Post a verification note instead of an image nobody has checked.

Try saying

  • Still checking, back by 5:25.
  • Hold your plans for a sec.
  • Back in 20 with an answer.

Chart 7Write for readers

Write a correction

Use this when people might act on wrong information.

  1. What we saidName the wrong claim once, in plain words.
  2. What is accurateState the correct fact and where it came from.
  3. What to do nowGive the time, place, door or link people need.
  4. Where we checkedName the documents you checked so readers can check too.

Example from Lesson 1

  1. 1A cropped clip made it look like tonight’s screening was off.
  2. 2It is still on, Friday 6–9 p.m. Only the side-door reader is broken.
  3. 3Please use the staffed front entrance. It is step-free.
  4. 4We checked the coordinator’s transcript and Mateo’s booking email.

Watch out: Do not guess why someone posted it. The documents cannot tell you, and a guess starts a new argument.

Sentence frames

  • Update: ___.
  • The ___ says ___.
  • Please ___ now.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (115 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (122 KB)

Used in Lessons 1, 3, 7, 18 and 20

  • Lesson 1 Correct the claim that the screening is canceled.
  • Lesson 3 Correct an error in a recap and plan how to repair it.
  • Lesson 7 Correct a group chat’s claim that a novel was banned.
  • Lesson 18 Correct a post that compares mismatched budget figures.
  • Lesson 20 Plan a correction in case a posted image proves false.

Try saying

  • That clip got cut off.
  • It’s still on. Front door.
  • Transcript’s in the chat.

Chart 8Write for readers

Disclose a relationship

Use this when you got it for free or were paid to post.

  1. Is there a connection?Money, a free product, a job or a family tie all count.
  2. Say it plainlyUse everyday words: “They sent me this for free.”
  3. Say it where people will see itPut it in the video itself, not only in the caption.
  4. Keep your honest opinionYour review can still say what you think of it.

Example from Lesson 8

  1. 1The publisher sent Gia a free copy of its spring novel for review.
  2. 2Plain words: “The publisher sent me this book for free.”
  3. 3Say it in the first three seconds, out loud and on screen.
  4. 4Then Gia says what she thinks. She loved the novel.

Watch out: A brand tag or #booktok does not say the book was free. Viewers need to hear or see it.

Sentence frames

  • They sent me ___ for free.
  • I was paid by ___ to ___.
  • My honest opinion is ___.

Steps based on Federal Trade Commission, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers,” November 2019. ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/disclosures-101-social-media-influencers

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (118 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (125 KB)

Used in Lesson 8

  • Lesson 8 Add a clear disclosure to a review of a book the publisher sent for free.

Try saying

  • Wait, did they send you that?
  • Say it up front.
  • A tag doesn’t say it was free.

Chart 9Write for readers

Ask for the reason behind a decision

Use this when a decision seems unfair and no one has said why.

  1. Say what you noticedDescribe the difference in one sentence. Do not blame anyone.
  2. Say what you knowList facts you can back up: dates, hours, amounts, duties.
  3. Ask one clear questionAsk how the decision was made or what rule it follows.
  4. Keep it polite and specificStay calm and say when you would like a reply.

Example from Lesson 11

  1. 1Hi Dana, I have a question about my pay rate for the Saturday event.
  2. 2I worked setup and closing, 3 to 11 p.m. My statement shows $16.50 an hour.
  3. 3Could you explain how crew rates are set and what the shift-lead role involves?
  4. 4I’d appreciate a reply this week. Thanks, Jordy

Watch out: Share only your own pay. Gia’s statement is hers to share, so Jordy leaves it out.

Sentence frames

  • I noticed ___.
  • Here is what I know: ___.
  • Could you explain how ___?

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (115 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (121 KB)

Used in Lessons 2, 4, 5, 11, 15, 16 and 18

  • Lesson 2 Ask a teacher about support options, in Dec’s voice and with his permission.
  • Lesson 4 Ask the board one budget question and one access question.
  • Lesson 5 Write Gia’s question to payroll about her pay statement.
  • Lesson 11 Ask a supervisor how event-crew rates are set.
  • Lesson 15 Turn the Labor Department’s factors into questions about an internship.
  • Lesson 16 Ask a building manager about a new rule and request access after 8 p.m.
  • Lesson 18 Write one question about the budget for the school board.

Try saying

  • Can I ask how rates get set?
  • Can you walk me through it?
  • What does a shift lead do?

Talk and act

Chart 12Talk and act

Disagree in a discussion

Use this in a class discussion to add to an idea, question it or push back.

  1. BuildAdd to what someone said. Name them first.
  2. AskAsk for the evidence behind an idea.
  3. DisagreeDisagree with the idea, not the person, and give a reason.
  4. ReviseSay when you change your mind, and what changed it.

Example from Lesson 1

Question: Should the crew say why they think the clip was posted?

  1. 1Adding to Ana’s point: no document says who cut the clip.
  2. 2Which document shows the poster wanted drama?
  3. 3I see it differently. A guess could start a new argument.
  4. 4I wanted to call the poster out. Now I’d post only the facts.

Watch out: Talk about the evidence, not about people you know.

Sentence frames

  • I want to add to what ___ said.
  • I see it differently, because ___.
  • I used to think ___. Now I think ___.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (114 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (120 KB)

Used in all 20 lessons

Every case has two to four “Questions to discuss.”

Try saying

  • Wait, say more about that?
  • Where’d you see that?
  • Fair. I changed my mind.

Chart 13Talk and act

Take a safe first step

Use this when you want to fix a problem at school or in town.

  1. NoticeWrite down exactly what is not working, and for whom.
  2. Find outFind who decides and what rule applies.
  3. AskAsk the right person one clear question.
  4. Show upGo to a meeting or join a group, with a trusted adult.
  5. Follow upAsk what changed, and share what you learned.

Example from Lesson 1

  1. 1A cropped clip spread faster than the full meeting update.
  2. 2Mateo finds out who posts the Common Room’s updates.
  3. 3He asks: “Where do room changes appear first?”
  4. 4At the next room meeting, the crew asks for a link to the full update in every post.
  5. 5A week later, Mateo asks what changed.

Watch out: Keep private chats private. Do not share other people’s names or messages.

Sentence frames

  • I noticed ___.
  • Who decides ___?
  • Since we asked, ___ changed.

noperowhy.pages.dev/educators/anchor-charts

No, Pero Why?
Print this chartPrint at 18 × 24 inDownload letter PDF (117 KB)Download 18 × 24 in PDF (124 KB)

Used in all 20 lessons

Every case’s “Going further” list includes a first step at school or in your community.

Try saying

  • Who do I ask about this?
  • Can a teacher come with us?
  • Any update on what we asked?