No, Pero Why?

Bellringers

Bring any clip, song, page or scene. The bellringer still works.

Every prompt here works with the piece you bring: a movie scene, a song verse, a book page, a post or an ad. Each of the 20 lessons has one that practices its skill, and 10 any-day routines fit the days between.

Response slip

10 minutes, 4 steps

  1. 1Watch, read or listen2 min

    Students read the prompt, then take in the piece once without talking. They can jot down anything that helps them answer.

  2. 2Write3 min

    Students answer the prompt on their own, 1 sentence for each part of the prompt (a short list is fine for Lesson 15’s 3-part test). In Grades 9–12 and college, they also write 1 sentence for the level-up or the college stretch. Anyone can use a starter.

  3. 3Share4 min

    Partners read their answers to each other, and each asks the other, “What makes you say that?” Then 2 or 3 students share with the class.

  4. 4Bridge to the lesson1 min

    Students hear how the warm-up connects to today’s lesson.

What you do and say at each step
Watch, read or listen
Read the prompt aloud and put it on screen before you start the piece, so students know what to watch or listen for. Show the piece once. Turn on captions, show the lyrics for a song, read print aloud and describe images out loud. Leave the prompt up while students write.Say: “Here’s today’s question. Keep it in mind while we watch, read or listen once, without talking.”
Write
Keep the room quiet so everyone writes before anyone talks. Post the 2 starters for Grades 6–8 and for anyone who wants them. For Grades 9–12 and college, post the level-up or the college stretch under the prompt.Say: “You have 3 minutes. Answer each part on your own. Use a starter if you want one.”
Share
Take 2 or 3 answers and ask 1 follow-up question. In Grades 9–12 and college, take at least 1 level-up or stretch answer and ask a classmate to push back on it. Listen for the answers under Look for.Say: “Read your answer to your partner. Then ask them, ‘What makes you say that?’ Then switch.”
Bridge to the lesson
Read the lesson’s bridge line aloud, then start the lesson.Say: “Here’s how this connects to today’s lesson.”
More ways to run it

The 5-minute version

On a lesson day in a 45-minute period, run this in place of the lesson’s Opener page. Show a piece under 1 minute with the prompt already on screen (1 minute). Students write (2 minutes). Take 2 answers and ask “What makes you say that?” (1 minute). Then read the bridge (1 minute). Skip partner talk. Run the full 10 minutes on a day between lessons, or to review a lesson the next day.

By grade band

Grades 6–8
Post the starters and ask the first follow-up question on the card. Partners can talk before they write if the class needs it.
Grades 9–12
Starters are optional. Students write the level-up with the prompt. A strong level-up answer takes a position and backs it with a timestamp, a line or a lyric, so ask “Which one, and why?” before “What else?”
College
Skip the starters. Students write the college stretch with the prompt, apply the named idea to the piece and say where it fits badly. When students have devices, add a 2-minute search for the original or an official source.
Multilingual learners
Post the starters, model 1 aloud and take them away as students grow. Partners can talk in any language they share before they write.

Good to know

  • If the piece runs under 1 minute, play it a second time right after Write so partners can check their evidence. Take that time from Share.
  • In Lesson 17, students write their rule before they see the piece and finish their answer after it: Write (2 minutes), Watch, read or listen (2 minutes), Finish your answer (1 minute), Share (4 minutes), then the bridge (1 minute).
  • Keep the talk about the media. No prompt asks students to share anything personal.
  • No media handy? Use the lesson’s own document and its question, listed under fallback on each lesson card.

For a substitute

Leaving this for a substitute: pick the piece, cue it and write down where to stop it. Leave the lesson card open or printed, a class set of slips and the fallback document in case the media won’t play. The substitute reads each Say line aloud and asks the first follow-up question. Partners can be groups of 3.

Pick your media

  • Anything short works

    A movie scene, a trailer, a song verse, a podcast minute, a game cutscene, a sports highlight, a book’s first page, a headline, a post, an ad or this morning’s school announcement. Every prompt on this page works with any of them.

  • Keep it short

    Aim for 30 seconds to 2 minutes of video or audio, 1 verse and the chorus, 1 page, 1 post or 1 image. A full song or trailer runs 2 to 4 minutes, so play 1 verse and the chorus, or stop a trailer at 90 seconds. A short piece gets a close look, and a long one eats the lesson.

  • Pick a piece that makes a claim

    A trailer promises a great movie, an ad promises a result, a headline says what happened and a verse takes a side. A claim gives students something to check.

  • Look for a frame or caption

    A title, caption, voiceover or first line tells people how to read what follows. Students can question that frame.

  • Look for someone left out

    A person who’s talked about but never talks, or someone who can’t see, hear or reach the piece, gives students something to notice.

  • Match it to the lesson when you can

    Each lesson card lists the media it works best with. Some prompts go further with a choice, a rule or a number in the piece, and each of those cards says what to do when the piece doesn’t have one.

  • Stop on purpose

    Pause a clip early, cover half an image or read only the first line. What students can’t see yet gives them something to ask about. Show the rest during Share.

  • Preview it first

    Watch, read or listen all the way through before class, and know where it came from. Follow your school’s rules for showing movies and music: use a clean version of a song and a trailer rated for all audiences. Skip anything with stereotypes, false claims you don’t plan to check or moments that could hurt a student in your room.

  • Make it reachable

    Turn on captions, share lyrics or a transcript for audio, read print aloud and describe images out loud.

  • No media handy

    Use the lesson’s own document. Each lesson card keeps its original question as a fallback.

Filter the bellringers

Unit

Unit 1: Before you run with it

Lesson 1Skill: Find the original source

What’s outside the frame?

Lupa looks for missing context and crops.

Prompt

What came right before or after this, and where would you find the full version?

Sentence starters

  • Right before this, I think ___ happened, because ___.
  • To see the full version, I’d go to ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Write a caption that would make this piece mislead someone. What part of the full version fixes it?

College stretch

Name the framing choice in this excerpt: what it includes and what it cuts. Then apply SIFT’s last step and trace it to its original context. What does the full version change?

Follow-up questions

  1. If you can’t find the full version in 2 minutes, what’s safe to say when you share it?
  2. What would change if you saw the whole version?

Best with

  • Short video clip Pause early, then reveal the rest.
  • Song or verse A verse leaves out the rest.
  • Social post or screenshot Screenshots crop out who posted first.
  • Photo or image Photos get cropped out of a bigger scene.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Separates what the piece shows from what they’re guessing.
  • Names a real place to find the full version, such as the whole episode, the album, the chapter or the original upload.
  • Says what the missing part could change.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: The caption is literally true of the excerpt, and the answer names the moment in the full version that undoes it.

Strong college answer: Names what the excerpt includes and cuts, traces it to the original context and says what the full version changes.

Tip: Stop the piece a few seconds early, or read only the first line, and show the rest during Share.

Bridge to Lesson 1

Today a short clip hits the crew’s group chat right before an event, and you’re the one who finds the full version before anyone reposts it.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The forwarded screenshot and clip in the crew’s group chat

Forwarded screenshot in the crew’s group chat, Friday 4:52 p.m.

“They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?”

Attached clip, 7 seconds.

Coordinator: “…we are removing access—” The clip ends there.

Ask: What does the coordinator say in the clip, and what does the caption add?

Follow-up questions

  1. Where does the clip stop?
  2. What would you need to see before you tell friends the screening is canceled?

Listen for: Students separate the coordinator’s words (“we are removing access”) from the caption’s question (“Screening canceled?”).

Open Lesson 1Lesson 1 plan

Lesson 2Skill: Check what a task is meant to measure

What’s the real test?

Pauta checks what a task asks.

Prompt

Imagine a quiz on this. What should it check, and what could make someone fail even if they got the point?

Sentence starters

  • The quiz should check whether I ___.
  • Someone could get the point and still fail because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Describe 2 kinds of viewers who’d fail your quiz for different reasons, such as someone watching with the sound off or someone who never saw the first movie. Which reason is about the main idea, and which isn’t?

College stretch

Use the idea of construct validity: what is the construct here, and which construct-irrelevant demands, such as speed, sound or background knowledge, get in the way?

Follow-up questions

  1. Who could miss the point for a reason that isn’t about the point?
  2. How would you change it so it checks only the main idea?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene Backstory and fast dialogue add demands.
  • Social post or screenshot Memes assume you know the reference.
  • Book page Vocabulary and speed get tested too.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names the main idea the piece wants people to get.
  • Lists at least 1 extra demand, such as speed, sound, vocabulary, background or language.
  • Sees that failing an extra demand isn’t the same as missing the point.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Gives 2 different failure reasons and sorts them with a reason tied to the main idea.

Strong college answer: Names the construct and at least 1 construct-irrelevant demand, and explains how that demand could make someone who got the point look like they missed it.

Bridge to Lesson 2

Dec can explain a circuit out loud but gets stuck on a worksheet about it, so today you’ll ask what that sheet is really checking.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The circuit practice brief

Circuit practice brief, handed out Monday, period 4

Goal: Explain how a simple circuit works. Read the six paragraphs below before you answer. Use the diagram to trace the path of the current from the battery through the switch and the LED and back. Answer questions 1–4 in complete sentences. (1 small diagram sits below 6 dense paragraphs. No time limit or speed target is listed.)

Ask: What skill does the goal line say this sheet checks?

Follow-up questions

  1. What else does a student have to do before answering the questions?
  2. If a student gets the questions wrong, what are 2 possible reasons?

Listen for: Students notice that reading 6 dense paragraphs is a different skill from explaining how a circuit works.

Open Lesson 2Lesson 2 plan

Lesson 3Skill: Correct a public mistake

Fix the caption

Voz asks who gets heard.

Prompt

What caption could get this wrong, and how would you correct it in 1 line?

Sentence starters

  • The wrong caption says ___.
  • Correction: it’s ___, and you can see that at ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Where should your correction go so the same people who saw the wrong caption see the fix, and who should post it?

College stretch

Hold your correction up to the Society of Professional Journalists’ rule “Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently.” Is yours fast enough, and will as many people see it as saw the mistake?

Follow-up questions

  1. What’s the difference between deleting a wrong caption and correcting it?
  2. What makes a correction easy to trust?

Best with

  • Short video clip Out-of-context moments invite wrong captions fast.
  • Social post or screenshot Captions already frame how people read.
  • Speech or interview A misquote is easy to spot.
  • Photo or image A wrong caption can change what a photo means.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names the wrong claim directly instead of hinting at it.
  • Gives the accurate version and points to where it shows, such as a timestamp, a line or a lyric.
  • Keeps the correction about the post and never about the person who shared it.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Puts the fix in the same place and format as the mistake, such as a pinned reply or an edited caption, and names an owner with a reason.

Strong college answer: Says what “promptly” and “prominently” mean on this platform, and judges their own correction against both with a reason.

Tip: Keep every wrong caption about the media. Nobody writes one about a classmate.

Bridge to Lesson 3

The crew’s own recap caption got something wrong in public, and today you’ll help decide what the correction says and where it goes.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The crew’s published recap caption

The crew’s published recap caption, Saturday 11:08 a.m.

“Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized.”

Ask: Which group does the caption blame for the slow start?

Follow-up questions

  1. What evidence does the caption give for that?
  2. What would you want to know about the night before you repeat this caption?

Listen for: Students point out that the caption names a group (“the younger crowd”) but gives no evidence about what caused the delay.

Open Lesson 3Lesson 3 plan

Lesson 4Skill: Weigh the trade-offs of each option

What’s the catch?

Nexo connects schedules and consequences.

Prompt

What choice shows up in this, and what would your favorite option cost someone?

If nobody in it makes a choice, use the creator’s choice about what to show and what to leave out.

Sentence starters

  • The choice is between ___ and ___.
  • My favorite is ___, and ___ would pay for it with ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

What does each of the other options gain and cost, and which cost falls on someone with no say?

College stretch

Name the opportunity cost of the option you’d pick, then compare how a cost-benefit analysis and a fairness lens would rank the options.

Follow-up questions

  1. Would you still pick it if the cost fell on you?
  2. What would you need to know before you choose?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene Characters make choices with real costs.
  • Ad Buying or skipping is a choice.
  • Game cutscene Cutscenes often turn on 1 decision.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names at least 2 options, including the one they like best.
  • Gives a real cost for their own favorite.
  • Says who carries each cost, as well as what it is.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Gives a gain and a cost for each option, names who pays without a say and keeps or changes their pick with a reason that person could hear.

Strong college answer: Produces 2 different rankings, finds where they split and defends 1 with a stated value.

Bridge to Lesson 4

A board is weighing a change to a room the crew loves, and before it meets you’ll put a cost on every option, including the crew’s favorite.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The nonprofit board agenda

Nonprofit board agenda, board meeting Wednesday 6:30 p.m.

Evening rentals, for discussion. Option A: keep the current free evenings; the funding gap remains. Option B: replace Tuesday and Thursday evenings with paid rentals. Option C: pilot one rental evening for six weeks while seeking additional funding. No vote has been taken.

Ask: Is the board voting on evening rentals at this meeting, and which words tell you?

Follow-up questions

  1. What are the 3 options?
  2. Who would be affected if Tuesday and Thursday evenings became paid rentals?

Listen for: Students quote “for discussion” and “No vote has been taken.”

Open Lesson 4Lesson 4 plan

Unit 2: Read the fine print

Lesson 5Skill: Read a pay statement line by line

Does it add up?

Duda pauses to ask first.

Prompt

What number can you find or count in this, and what would you check it against?

No numbers? Count something: how many people talk, how many times a line repeats or how many seconds a shot lasts.

Sentence starters

  • It says ___. I’d check it against ___.
  • The math works (or doesn’t) because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Before you call a number wrong, what else could explain why it doesn’t match what you expected?

College stretch

Reconcile it the way an auditor would: name the source document, the record you’d match it to and 1 legitimate reason the 2 could differ.

Follow-up questions

  1. What record would you trust more than this, and why?
  2. What would change your mind about the number?

Best with

  • Sports highlight Scores, clocks and stats need checking.
  • Ad Prices and discounts hide the math.
  • Social post or screenshot Views, dates and totals travel fast.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Does the math before deciding whether something’s wrong.
  • Names a specific record to check against, such as a receipt, a schedule, the scoreboard or the credits.
  • Looks for a legitimate reason 2 numbers might differ.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Shows the math, and the record they name could rule 1 explanation in and the other out.

Strong college answer: Picks a record the maker of the piece doesn’t control, and gives a legitimate reason for a gap, such as timing, rounding or a fee, that the record could confirm or rule out.

Bridge to Lesson 5

Gia’s bank deposit came in smaller than she expected, so you’ll read her pay statement line by line before she writes to payroll.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The pay statement

Pay statement, pay period ending Friday the 12th, paid the following Thursday

Hours: 15.00 at $17.00. Gross pay: $255.00. Social Security tax: $15.81. Medicare tax: $3.70. Federal income tax withheld: $8.40. State and local income tax withheld: $6.10. Net pay: $220.99.

Ask: How much did this worker earn before deductions, and what was the net pay?

Follow-up questions

  1. Which 4 lines are taxes?
  2. The statement lists 15 hours. What would you check if you thought you worked more?

Listen for: Students name gross pay ($255.00) and net pay ($220.99), and the 4 tax lines add up to the $34.01 difference.

Open Lesson 5Lesson 5 plan

Lesson 6Skill: Read a form section by section before you sign

Yes to all of it?

Pauta checks what a task asks.

Prompt

Split this into parts. What is each part asking you to believe, do or give up, and which part would you say no to?

Sentence starters

  • Part ___ asks me to ___.
  • I’d say yes to ___ but no to ___, because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Which part would be easiest to agree to without noticing, and why do you think it sits where it does?

College stretch

Use the idea of bundled consent: which parts ride along with the part you’d happily agree to, and what would unbundling them look like?

Follow-up questions

  1. What changes if you have to say yes to every part at once?
  2. Which part would you ask a question about first?

Best with

  • Ad Ads bundle feelings with a purchase.
  • Song or verse Verse, chorus and bridge ask differently.
  • Social post or screenshot Image, caption and link each ask.
  • Photo or image A poster’s picture, words and fine print each ask.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Treats each part as its own decision.
  • Says what each part asks for: a belief, an action or something given up.
  • Sees that a yes to 1 part isn’t a yes to all of it.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names the easy-to-miss part and ties its placement to a feature of the piece, such as its order, size or speed.

Strong college answer: Names the part that rides along, describes a version with a separate yes for each part and says what the maker loses by splitting them.

Bridge to Lesson 6

Rafa has a form in front of him that asks several questions at once, and you’ll read each section before he signs.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The family access authorization form mailed to Rafa

Parent and family access authorization form mailed to Rafa, October 5

Section 1, Billing and payments: allow the person named below to view account statements and make payments. Yes No.

Section 2, Academic records: allow the person named below to receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Yes No.

Section 3: this authorization stays in effect until the student changes or withdraws it in writing.

Ask: Which section lets a family member see grades?

Follow-up questions

  1. If Rafa checks Yes only in Section 1, what can the person named on the form do?
  2. How can Rafa change the authorization later?

Listen for: Students separate billing (Section 1) from academic records (Section 2) and find that the student can change the form in writing.

Open Lesson 6Lesson 6 plan

Lesson 7Skill: Find what stage a process has reached

Is it over yet?

Nexo connects schedules and consequences.

Prompt

How far along is this, and what might a rumor say already happened that hasn’t?

Sentence starters

  • So far, ___ has happened, but ___ hasn’t yet.
  • Someone might say ___, but this doesn’t show that.

Level up Grades 9–12

Which word would a rumor use to skip a step, like “banned,” “canceled” or “fired,” and what would you need to see before you used it?

College stretch

Map it as a process with named stages, such as filed, reviewed, decided and appealed. Which stage does the evidence support, and where does the evidence stop?

Follow-up questions

  1. What would you need to see to know the next step happened?
  2. Who would know for sure what stage this is at?

Best with

  • Trailer Trailers tease endings they don’t show.
  • Headline or news story News updates often skip middle steps.
  • Book page Chapters often stop mid-process on purpose.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Separates what’s done from what’s still pending.
  • Catches a word that jumps ahead of the evidence, such as “banned” or “canceled.”
  • Names who or what could confirm the next step.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a word that skips a stage the evidence shows and the specific event that would make that word true.

Strong college answer: Lists stages in order, marks the last one the evidence shows and names the document that would prove the next one.

Bridge to Lesson 7

A group chat says a single complaint got a novel banned, and you’ll figure out what step the process is really on.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The group chat message about the novel

Group chat, Thursday 10:12 p.m.

“One parent complained, so that novel is banned. It’s gone from the library.”

Ask: What 2 things does this message claim happened?

Follow-up questions

  1. Which claim could you check by looking at the library’s catalog?
  2. What would you need to see before you repeat the word “banned”?

Listen for: Students separate the complaint (1 event) from “banned” and “gone from the library” (results the message does not show).

Open Lesson 7Lesson 7 plan

Lesson 8Skill: Spot and disclose a material connection

Who wins if you like it?

Lupa looks for missing context and crops.

Prompt

Who gets something if you like this, and where should it say so?

Sentence starters

  • I noticed ___, so ___ might get ___ from this.
  • It should say so at ___, because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Does a free product count as a connection if nobody was paid? What if the creator loved it anyway?

College stretch

Apply the FTC’s idea of a “material connection,” a relationship that could change how people weigh an endorsement. Is there one here, and would a note at the very end be “clear and conspicuous”?

Follow-up questions

  1. Would knowing about the connection change how you see it?
  2. Where would people see a disclosure first?

Best with

  • Social post or screenshot Creators often get free products first.
  • Movie or TV scene Product placement hides inside the scene.
  • Podcast minute Hosts read ads in their voice.
  • Speech or interview Guests often promote something they got for free.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Finds at least 1 possible connection, such as a brand, a label, a studio, a publisher or a free product.
  • Says what the maker might get: money, free stuff, access or attention.
  • Puts the disclosure where people will see it first, in plain words.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Takes a side on a small connection and ties the answer to how a viewer would weigh the praise.

Strong college answer: Names a specific spot and format for the disclosure, such as on screen at the start or said aloud before the review.

Bridge to Lesson 8

Gia loves a novel and wants to review it, and you’ll work out what her viewers deserve to know before they trust her.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The publisher’s email offering Gia a review copy

Publisher email offering a review copy, sent 2 weeks before posting

“Hi Gia, we love your book reviews! We’d be glad to send you a free copy of our spring novel for review. There’s no obligation to post, but if you do, we’d appreciate a tag. Best, the publicity team”

Ask: What does the publisher offer Gia, and what does it ask for?

Follow-up questions

  1. Does “no obligation to post” mean Gia has no connection to the publisher?
  2. If Gia posts a review, what should her viewers know?

Listen for: Students name the free copy as a connection viewers should know about, even though Gia does not have to post.

Open Lesson 8Lesson 8 plan

Unit 3: Find who’s responsible

Lesson 9Skill: Check an official source for your own area

Does it work that way here?

Onda asks who is affected and who can get in.

Prompt

If this happened where you live, which rule would apply, and where’s the official place to check it?

No rule in it? Pick 1 thing someone does in it, such as driving, filming, selling or voting, and ask whether it’s allowed where you live.

Sentence starters

  • If this happened here, the rule about ___ would matter.
  • The official place to check is ___, because ___ runs it.

Level up Grades 9–12

Why might the rule be different in another state or city, and who could get hurt by following the wrong one?

College stretch

Name the level of government that sets this rule, such as city, county, state or federal, and explain why federalism means the answer can change from place to place.

Follow-up questions

  1. Where would you check next if the first official site didn’t answer it?
  2. Who might believe a rule from somewhere else applies here?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene Stories set elsewhere follow other rules.
  • Social post or screenshot Rules go viral without a location.
  • Headline or news story News from 1 state misleads another.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names a kind of official source, such as a state, county or city website, a school handbook or a league rulebook.
  • Sees that rules can change from place to place.
  • Says why a post or a story can’t settle it alone.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Gives a real reason rules differ, such as a state or city law, and names someone specific the wrong rule would hurt.

Strong college answer: Names the right level and a real override path, such as a state law that sets limits for cities, and explains why the answer changes from place to place.

Tip: Students name a kind of official source. Nobody shares an address.

Bridge to Lesson 9

Dec is about to vote for the first time and his feed shows him only 1 race, so you’ll find the official place to see everything on his ballot.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The sample ballot

Sample ballot, November general election

Federal: U.S. Representative. State: State Senator; Superior Court judge (retention). Local: Board of Education, District 3 (vote for two); City Council, Ward 5. Measures: Measure T, transit improvements bond.

Ask: Which contests on this ballot are local?

Follow-up questions

  1. How many Board of Education candidates can a voter choose?
  2. Which contest could affect a student’s school, and which could affect their bus?

Listen for: Students list the Board of Education and City Council races and Measure T, not only the race for Congress.

Open Lesson 9Lesson 9 plan

Lesson 10Skill: Report a problem to the office responsible

Whose job is it?

Voz asks who gets heard.

Prompt

What’s 1 problem in this, where and when does it happen, and whose job is it to fix it?

Sentence starters

  • At ___, on ___, ___ happened.
  • Fixing it is the job of ___, because they’re in charge of ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Rewrite your report so someone who wasn’t there could act on it today. What did you cut, and what did you add?

College stretch

Identify the responsible office and its jurisdiction, then compare filing a report with that office to posting about it. Which is more likely to get a documented response, and why?

Follow-up questions

  1. What makes a report easy to act on?
  2. Who else is affected but might not report it?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene City scenes are full of problems.
  • Game cutscene Game worlds show who fixes what.
  • School announcement Announcements often name the responsible office.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Gives facts first, what, where and when, before feelings.
  • Names the office or person whose job it is, instead of whoever is loudest.
  • Keeps the report to 1 problem at a time.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: The rewrite adds a checkable detail, such as an exact spot or time, cuts an opinion, and the student can say why each change helps.

Strong college answer: Names a real case where posting beats filing, such as an ignored report, and a real cost, such as showing someone who didn’t agree to be shown.

Bridge to Lesson 10

A detour sends Sami toward stairs on her way to a city case, and you’ll describe the problem so the right office can fix it.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The detour sign at the corner

Construction detour sign at the corner, posted Monday, photographed Tuesday 4:05 p.m.

“SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR,” with an arrow. The arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs.

Ask: Where does the detour sign send people?

Follow-up questions

  1. Who cannot use that route?
  2. Whom could you ask about a detour without stairs?

Listen for: Students notice that a detour that starts with a flight of stairs does not work for everyone, such as wheelchair users.

Open Lesson 10Lesson 10 plan

Lesson 11Skill: Compare 2 cases on the same terms

Side by side

Onda asks who is affected and who can get in.

Prompt

Pick 2 people or groups in this and compare them on the same facts. Does the difference between them look fair?

Only 1 person in it? Compare 2 moments in it, or this piece and another version of it, on the same facts.

Sentence starters

  • Both ___, but ___ got ___ and ___ got ___.
  • That looks fair (or unfair) because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Which fact is missing for 1 of them, and how would you find it before you judge?

College stretch

Name the comparison you chose and defend it, the way the Equal Pay Act compares jobs on skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. Which of those would matter here?

Follow-up questions

  1. Which fact would change your answer if it were different?
  2. Did you compare the same facts for both, or different ones?

Best with

  • Sports highlight Stats put players side by side.
  • Book page Pairs of characters invite fair comparisons.
  • Ad Compare 2 products on equal terms.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Compares the same facts for both before judging.
  • Notices when a fact is missing for 1 side.
  • Names which fact matters most to the fairness question.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a fact that’s missing for only 1 side and a real way to find it, and holds off on a fairness call until they have it.

Strong college answer: Uses the 4 factors for both, then tests 1 allowed reason against evidence.

Bridge to Lesson 11

Jordy and Gia worked the same event at different rates, and you’ll line up both shifts before Jordy asks why.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: Jordy’s pay statement

Jordy’s pay statement, Saturday event, paid the following Friday

Event crew, Saturday. Hours: 8.0 at $16.50. Gross pay for the event: $132.00.

Ask: What hourly rate and how many hours does this statement show?

Follow-up questions

  1. Check the math: does 8 hours at $16.50 come to $132.00?
  2. What does this statement not tell you about how the rate was set?

Listen for: Students confirm the $132.00 total and say that the statement shows the rate but not the reason for it.

Open Lesson 11Lesson 11 plan

Lesson 12Skill: Apply a precedent by comparing fact patterns

Do the facts match?

Nexo connects schedules and consequences.

Prompt

What does this remind you of, and are the facts close enough that it should end the same way?

Sentence starters

  • This is like ___ because both ___.
  • It’s different because ___, so it should (or shouldn’t) end the same way.

Level up Grades 9–12

Which difference matters most, and what fact would have to change for the 2 to match?

College stretch

Use the legal terms analogous and distinguishable: name the key facts of the earlier case, then argue which one this is.

Follow-up questions

  1. What fact would someone on the other side point to?
  2. Is it fair to apply the earlier outcome here?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene Sequels and remakes invite fact comparisons.
  • Song or verse Covers and samples echo earlier songs.
  • Headline or news story News often cites what happened before.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Lists matching facts and different facts before deciding.
  • Says which difference matters and why.
  • Ties the outcome to the facts instead of to the side they like.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Picks 1 difference, explains why it would change the outcome and names the fact that would erase it.

Strong college answer: Writes both arguments fairly and tells a material fact from a surface match with a reason.

Bridge to Lesson 12

Anika’s poster and a walkout plan run into an old court case, and you’ll test how far that case reaches, fact by fact.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: Anika’s poster, first version

Anika’s poster, first version, printed Tuesday 3:15 p.m.

“KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.” A photo of the school’s sign and logo runs across the top. No student name or group appears anywhere on the poster.

Ask: Who does this poster look like it comes from?

Follow-up questions

  1. What is missing that would show who made it?
  2. What does the poster ask people to do?

Listen for: Students point to the school’s sign and logo and to the missing student or group name.

Open Lesson 12Lesson 12 plan

Unit 4: Put it to the test

Lesson 13Skill: Count a starting point before you claim a change works

Show me the before

Duda pauses to ask first.

Prompt

What change does this show or promise, and what would you count before and after to prove it?

No change in it? Pick 1 change you’d want to make to it and say what you’d count first.

Sentence starters

  • The claim is that ___ got better.
  • Before, I’d count ___. After, I’d count it again.

Level up Grades 9–12

What else could explain the change, and how big a claim does your count support?

College stretch

Name the baseline and 1 possible confound, then say whether a before-and-after count is enough or whether you’d need a comparison group.

Follow-up questions

  1. What was the starting point, and who measured it?
  2. What word would you use if the count improved only a little?

Best with

  • Ad Ads love before-and-after claims without numbers.
  • Sports highlight Stats before and after a change show whether it worked.
  • Social post or screenshot Transformation posts usually skip the baseline.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names a starting point to count before any change.
  • Picks 1 specific item or event to count the same way twice.
  • Shrinks the claim to fit the count, such as “fewer” instead of “fixed.”
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a rival cause and shrinks the claim to fit the count, such as “fewer” or “at 1 event.”

Strong college answer: The comparison group shares the confound but not the change, so it can rule the confound out.

Bridge to Lesson 13

The crew wants to cut waste at the next screening, and you’ll decide what to count before they change anything.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The screening supply list

Screening supply list, last Friday’s event

Single-use cups (plastic-lined paper, labeled “recyclable”): about 120. Paper plates: 80. Printed flyers: 150. Paper straws, on request: 40. Folding chairs: borrowed from the bookshop.

Ask: Which item did the event use the most of?

Follow-up questions

  1. Which items could be reused or borrowed next time, the way the chairs were?
  2. The cups are labeled “recyclable.” What would you check before trusting that label?

Listen for: Students find the largest count (150 printed flyers) and suggest cutting or reusing items before recycling them.

Open Lesson 13Lesson 13 plan

Lesson 14Skill: Check permission, not just credit

Who owns that?

Voz asks who gets heard.

Prompt

Which pieces of this did someone else make, and would a credit be enough for you to reuse them?

Sentence starters

  • ___ was made by ___.
  • A credit says who made it, but permission comes from ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Where would you look to find who holds the rights to each piece, and which piece would you ask about first?

College stretch

Name the 4 fair use factors and say which one this reuse would struggle with most, then say what a license would let you skip.

Follow-up questions

  1. What’s the difference between a credit and a license?
  2. Which piece would be easiest to replace with something you made yourself?

Best with

  • Short video clip Edits and remixes borrow many pieces.
  • Song or verse Samples and covers raise rights questions.
  • Social post or screenshot Memes reuse images someone else owns.
  • Photo or image Photos and art belong to someone.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Lists pieces someone else made, such as music, clips, images, fonts or quotes.
  • Separates credit, which names the maker, from permission, which comes from a license or the owner’s OK.
  • Names where to look for the rights holder: the credits, the license, the label or the publisher.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a real place to find each rights holder and picks the piece to ask about first, with a reason tied to ownership, license terms or amount used.

Strong college answer: Applies each factor to the specific reuse and explains that a license settles permission up front, while fair use is argued after a dispute.

Bridge to Lesson 14

Mateo wants to post the crew’s film tonight with the song’s artist credited, and you’ll check what that credit does and doesn’t cover.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: Caio’s rough cut (edit timeline)

Caio’s rough cut, Friday 9:40 p.m. (edit timeline)

0:00–0:18 crew footage, no music. 0:18–0:38 sampled track, pitched up slightly, under the setup montage. 0:38–1:52 crew footage and interviews. 1:40–1:46 a 6-second clip downloaded from a stitched TikTok post.

Ask: Which parts of this cut did the crew not make?

Follow-up questions

  1. How many seconds of the sampled track are in the cut?
  2. Would a credit in the caption give the crew permission to use those parts?

Listen for: Students name the 20-second sampled track and the 6-second clip from a TikTok post.

Open Lesson 14Lesson 14 plan

Lesson 15Skill: Apply a legal test factor by factor

Factor by factor

Pauta checks what a task asks.

Prompt

Run this through the 3-part test. For each part, write yes, no or missing, and name the fact that decides it.

Fair media test

  1. Is it accurate?
  2. Is it fair to the people in it?
  3. Does it say who made it?

Sentence starters

  • Part ___: ___ (yes, no or missing), because ___.
  • The fact that decides part ___ is ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Which part did you want to answer before you had a fact for it, and what missing fact would you go find first?

College stretch

Use the idea of a totality-of-the-circumstances test: why might a judge weigh all the factors together instead of letting 1 factor decide?

Follow-up questions

  1. Which part was hardest to match to a fact?
  2. Would your answer change if 1 part came out the other way?

Best with

  • Headline or news story News makes claims you can test.
  • Ad Ad claims split cleanly into factors.
  • Movie or TV scene Scenes from real events test accuracy.
  • Speech or interview Interview claims split into parts you can test.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Takes 1 factor at a time instead of deciding all at once.
  • Ties each factor to 1 specific fact.
  • Writes “missing” instead of guessing when there’s no fact yet.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Admits a part they answered early and names a fact they could actually go find.

Strong college answer: Gives 1 overall call that weighs the parts, and names a spot in this piece where 1 part alone would give the wrong answer.

Tip: Post the 3 parts of the test with the prompt. You can swap in any 3-part test that suits the media, such as a test for a fair ad or a fair game. What matters is taking 1 part at a time.

Bridge to Lesson 15

Rafa has an unpaid internship offer, and you’ll put it through a real legal test 1 factor at a time before he says yes.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The studio internship listing

Studio internship listing, posted on the campus job board in April

“Summer Editing Intern (unpaid). Join our fast-paced studio! You’ll run the customer inbox all summer, help with client files and get great exposure to the industry. College credit available.”

Ask: What will the intern do all summer, according to the listing?

Follow-up questions

  1. Which words describe learning, and which describe work?
  2. What does the listing leave out?

Listen for: Students notice that the listed duties are work (the customer inbox and client files) and that the listing names no training.

Open Lesson 15Lesson 15 plan

Lesson 16Skill: Find who has the authority to make a rule

Says who?

Pauta checks what a task asks.

Prompt

What rule can you spot in this, who made it, and what gives them the power to make it?

No rule stated? Look for an unwritten one, such as who talks first, who sits where or what nobody does.

Sentence starters

  • The rule is ___, and ___ made it.
  • They can make it because ___. To change it, you’d go to ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Is the rule written down anywhere, and what bigger rule does it sit under or replace?

College stretch

Trace the chain of authority: what law, contract, election or terms of service gives this rule-maker power, and what higher authority could overrule it?

Follow-up questions

  1. What makes a rule look official even when it isn’t?
  2. Could anyone change this rule, and how?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene School movies run on unwritten rules.
  • Sports highlight Refs enforce rules someone else wrote.
  • Social post or screenshot Platforms set rules most people skip.
  • Speech or interview Speakers say where their power comes from.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names who made the rule instead of who enforces it.
  • Says where the power comes from, such as an election, a job, a contract, a law or a platform’s terms.
  • Tells a written rule from an unwritten one.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a specific higher rule, such as a lease, a rulebook or a law, and says whether this rule fits inside it.

Strong college answer: Names each link in the chain, such as a law, a contract or terms of service, and a specific higher authority that could overrule the rule.

Bridge to Lesson 16

An unsigned notice with a new rule shows up in Sami’s building, and you’ll find out who has the power behind it.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The unsigned notice by the common-room door

Unsigned notice beside the common-room door, found Monday morning

“NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS. Effective immediately, the rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. nightly. The common room is for resident social use only. NO BUSINESS USE.” No issuer, date or contact appears on the page.

Ask: What 2 rules does this notice announce?

Follow-up questions

  1. Who wrote the notice, and how could you find out?
  2. Which features make it sound official?

Listen for: Students name both rules and point out that the notice has no issuer, date or contact.

Open Lesson 16Lesson 16 plan

Unit 5: Take it public

Lesson 17Skill: Set fair criteria before choosing

Set your rule first

Onda asks who is affected and who can get in.

Students write before they see the piece.

Prompt

Before you see it, write 1 rule for what makes a piece like this good. Who or what could that rule leave out?

Sentence starters

  • My rule: the best ___ is the one that ___.
  • My rule picks ___ and leaves out ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Would you keep your rule if it picked something you didn’t like? Rewrite it to be fairer, and say what the new version costs.

College stretch

Compare 2 ways to set criteria, such as merit, need or a lottery, and name the values each puts first, using a fairness idea you know, such as Rawls’s veil of ignorance.

Follow-up questions

  1. Did your rule change once you saw it, and why?
  2. Who would write a different rule, and what would theirs pick?

Best with

  • Trailer Judge it before the hype hits.
  • Song or verse Taste tempts you to bend rules.
  • Ad Ads push you to decide fast.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Sets the rule before seeing the media and sticks to it.
  • Names honestly who or what the rule leaves out.
  • Changes the rule only for a reason they can say out loud.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Revises the rule for a stated reason and names a real cost of the new version, such as a slower pick or a new group left out.

Strong college answer: Judges their own rule from the left-out position and names the value each rule puts first, such as merit, need or equal chance.

Tip: This is the only bellringer where students write before the media. Tell students what kind of piece is coming, such as a trailer or a song, but not which one. Give 2 minutes to write a rule, then show the piece and ask who or what the rule leaves out.

Bridge to Lesson 17

The crew has 10 free seats and 30 people who want them, so you’ll set a fair rule before anyone picks a name.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The case sign-up sheet

Case sign-up sheet, opened Monday 9 a.m.

“Free case: 10 seats. Add your name to show interest. How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” 30 names by Wednesday; the first 22 were added before 10 a.m. on Monday.

Ask: How many seats are there, and how many people signed up?

Follow-up questions

  1. If the seats went to the first 10 names, how early would you have had to sign up?
  2. Who might see a sign-up sheet late?

Listen for: Students notice that first come, first served would give all 10 seats to people who signed up in the first hour.

Open Lesson 17Lesson 17 plan

Lesson 18Skill: Compare numbers on the same scale

Total or per person?

Lupa looks for missing context and crops.

Prompt

Find or count 2 numbers here. Which is bigger in total, and which is bigger per person or per minute?

No numbers? Time it: how long is each person on screen, and how many lines do they get? Who gets the most lines per minute?

Sentence starters

  • In total, ___ is bigger.
  • Per ___, ___ is bigger, so ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Which scale is fairest here, and what would a misleading chart of the same numbers look like?

College stretch

Name the denominator you chose and defend it, then show how a different one, such as per capita or per hour, would change the story.

Follow-up questions

  1. Why would someone share the total instead of the rate?
  2. What number would you need to find to make the comparison fair?

Best with

  • Sports highlight Totals and averages tell different stories.
  • Social post or screenshot Likes mean more next to followers.
  • Headline or news story Budgets and totals hide per-person costs.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Turns totals into the same unit before comparing.
  • Says why their unit fits the question.
  • Notices when a big total shrinks, or a small one grows, on the same scale.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Picks a scale that fits the question and describes a specific chart trick, such as a cut-off axis or totals in place of rates.

Strong college answer: Shows the same numbers telling 2 stories and links each version to who gains from it.

Bridge to Lesson 18

A huge budget total is going around, and you’ll turn it into a number that tells Dec something about his school’s broken curtain.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The district’s proposed budget, facilities excerpt

District proposed budget, facilities excerpt, posted in spring for next school year

PROPOSED BUDGET, NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. Total proposed budget: $48,000,000. Projected enrollment: 3,200 students. Facilities, building repairs (all schools): $310,000. Note: figures are proposed and may change before the board adopts the budget.

Ask: Is this what the district spent, or what it plans to spend?

Follow-up questions

  1. How much is proposed for building repairs at all schools?
  2. What would you need to know to find out whether the stage curtain will be fixed?

Listen for: Students read “proposed” and “may change before the board adopts the budget” and find the $310,000 repair line.

Open Lesson 18Lesson 18 plan

Lesson 19Skill: Fit a request to the body’s remit and time limit

You get 30 seconds

Voz asks who gets heard.

Prompt

You get 30 seconds with whoever has power over this: what 1 request could they say yes to?

Nobody in charge in it? Make your request to whoever made or shared the piece.

Sentence starters

  • I’m asking ___ to ___.
  • They can say yes because ___ is their job.

Level up Grades 9–12

Time yourself reading it aloud. If it runs over 30 seconds, what do you cut first, and why that part?

College stretch

Name the remit of the person or body you picked, what it can and can’t decide, and rewrite your request so it fits inside it, the way many public meetings limit comments to items on the agenda.

Follow-up questions

  1. Does the person you picked have the power to do this?
  2. What would you send in writing instead of saying out loud?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene Scenes show who’s really in charge.
  • School announcement Announcements already name who’s in charge.
  • Headline or news story News names the officials who decide.
  • Speech or interview Speakers show how much fits in a short time.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Picks someone with the power to act on the request.
  • Makes 1 request that person can grant.
  • Fits the time limit by cutting, not by talking faster.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Reads it at a normal pace, cuts a whole part instead of talking faster and says why that part matters least to the request.

Strong college answer: Names 1 thing the body can decide and 1 it can’t, and the rewritten request asks only for the first.

Bridge to Lesson 19

Gia gets 2 minutes at a public meeting and has 3 pages to say, so you’ll help her cut it down to 1 request.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The parks committee agenda, item 4

Parks committee agenda, Tuesday 6 p.m., item 4

Item 4. Evening court hours. Proposal to turn off the court lights and close the lighted courts at 8:00 p.m. Background: complaints about evening noise from nearby residents. Action: committee recommendation to the full council.

Ask: What does the proposal in item 4 change?

Follow-up questions

  1. Does this committee make the final decision?
  2. Who might want to speak about this item?

Listen for: Students say that the committee makes a recommendation and the full council decides.

Open Lesson 19Lesson 19 plan

Lesson 20Skill: Confirm an image with independent sources

Who else has it?

Duda pauses to ask first.

Prompt

If this landed in your feed with no name on it, what 2 separate sources would you check first?

If it’s a story, pick 1 real-world detail in it, such as a place, a date or a fact, and say which 2 sources would confirm it.

Sentence starters

  • Before I share it, I’d check ___ and ___.
  • I’d share it only if ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Why do your 2 sources need to be independent, and what would you post if you could confirm only part of it?

College stretch

Do a 2-minute lateral read: leave the piece, search for who else reports it and explain the difference between corroboration and repetition.

Follow-up questions

  1. What would count as a yes?
  2. How is a repost different from a second source?

Best with

  • Photo or image Photos travel far from their origin.
  • Short video clip Short clips lose their original source.
  • Social post or screenshot Screenshots can be edited in seconds.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names 2 independent sources instead of 2 reposts of the same post.
  • Says what each source would confirm.
  • Plans to share only what they checked and says what’s still unconfirmed.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Explains that 2 reposts of 1 source count as 1, and writes a post that says what’s confirmed and what isn’t.

Strong college answer: Names at least 1 source found by leaving the piece, and says whether it confirms the claim on its own or only repeats the same source.

Bridge to Lesson 20

A realistic image of a flooded courtyard is going around, and you’ll decide what the crew’s 6 p.m. recap can say about it.

No media handy

Project the lesson’s own document and ask its question. Document: The courtyard flood image and its caption

Courtyard flood image with caption, shared Wednesday 2:48 p.m.

Image, described: a photo-like view of the campus courtyard with water over the paving and benches; a person in the foreground holds up a phone.

Caption: “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” No link, no date on the image and no original poster named.

Ask: What does the caption claim, and what information is missing from the post?

Follow-up questions

  1. Can a picture alone show that something happened today?
  2. Where could you check whether the courtyard flooded?

Listen for: Students list what is missing (a link, a date and the original poster) before they judge how real the image looks.

Open Lesson 20Lesson 20 plan

Any-day routines

10 routines for a day between lessons, a review day or a day with a great clip. Each one lists the lesson skills it practices.

Any day

3-word headline

Voz asks who gets heard.

Practices

Prompt

What 3-word headline would you give this, and what detail proves it’s fair?

Sentence starters

  • My headline: ___ ___ ___.
  • It’s fair because ___ shows ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Now write a 3-word headline that’s true but misleading. What makes it misleading?

College stretch

Use the idea of framing: what does your headline put in the spotlight, and what does it push out of view?

Follow-up questions

  1. Whose headline would look different, and why?
  2. What did you have to leave out to fit 3 words?

Best with

  • Headline or news story Compare yours with the real headline.
  • Song or verse Songs compress stories into a hook.
  • Sports highlight Highlights beg for a quick headline.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Captures the main point in exactly 3 words.
  • Backs the headline with 1 specific detail.
  • Notices what the headline leaves out.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Every word of the headline is true of the piece, and the answer names what it leaves out or puts first that leads readers wrong.

Strong college answer: Names what the headline puts first and what it drops, and says how a reader’s take would change with the dropped part back in.

Any day

Who’s missing?

Voz asks who gets heard.

Practices

  • Lesson 10: Report a problem to the office responsible
  • Lesson 17: Set fair criteria before choosing
  • Lesson 19: Fit a request to the body’s remit and time limit

Prompt

Who’s talked about in this but never talks, and what do you think they’d say?

Sentence starters

  • ___ is talked about but never talks.
  • If they could talk, they might say ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Who’s missing entirely, not even mentioned, and how would the piece change if they were in it?

College stretch

Use Project Look Sharp’s question “Whose voices are omitted or silenced?” and name 1 structural reason for the gap, such as who owns the outlet or who was in the room.

Follow-up questions

  1. Who gets the most time or lines in this?
  2. Whose side would you want to hear next?

Best with

  • Song or verse The “you” in songs never answers.
  • Headline or news story Quotes show who got a call.
  • Movie or TV scene Background characters rarely get any lines.
  • Photo or image A photo shows some people and cuts out others.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names a specific person or group who’s talked about but silent.
  • Gives them a believable line based on what the piece shows.
  • Says how the piece would change with their voice in it.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names someone with a real stake who’s never mentioned, and a specific way the piece would change with them in it.

Strong college answer: Ties the gap to a structural reason, such as ownership, access or who was in the room, rather than to 1 person’s choice.

Any day

Ad or not?

Pauta checks what a task asks.

Practices

  • Lesson 6: Read a form section by section before you sign
  • Lesson 8: Spot and disclose a material connection

Prompt

Is this trying to sell you something, even an idea, and what’s the clue?

Sentence starters

  • It’s selling ___.
  • The clue is ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

If it’s selling something, who paid for it to reach you, and how would you know?

College stretch

Apply NAMLE’s questions “Who paid for this?” and “Who makes money from this?” and decide whether it counts as native advertising.

Follow-up questions

  1. What does it want you to do, think or buy?
  2. Would you trust it more or less if it said it was an ad?

Best with

  • Social post or screenshot Sponsored posts blend into your feed.
  • Movie or TV scene Product placement sells without saying so.
  • Podcast minute Host-read ads sound like regular talk.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names what’s being sold, whether it’s a product, a brand, an idea or a person.
  • Points to a specific clue, such as a logo, a link, a discount code or a close-up.
  • Tells a labeled ad from an unlabeled one.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a likely payer and a clue that would confirm it, such as a “sponsored” label, a discount code or the credits.

Strong college answer: Answers both questions with evidence from the piece and makes a clear call on native advertising, with the clue that decides it.

Any day

Who decides?

Pauta checks what a task asks.

Practices

  • Lesson 10: Report a problem to the office responsible
  • Lesson 16: Find who has the authority to make a rule
  • Lesson 19: Fit a request to the body’s remit and time limit

Prompt

Who do you think decided how this turned out, and who else should’ve had a say?

Sentence starters

  • ___ made the call.
  • ___ should get a say too, because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

What gives the decider the power to make that call, and who could overrule them?

College stretch

Map the decision onto a chain of authority, such as creator, platform, company and law, and say where accountability sits at each level.

Follow-up questions

  1. Was the decision written down, or just made?
  2. Who lives with the result but didn’t get a say?

Best with

  • Movie or TV scene Directors and characters both make calls.
  • School announcement Announcements hide who made the decision.
  • Sports highlight Referees make calls everyone can see.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names a specific decider instead of “they.”
  • Separates who decided from who has to live with it.
  • Suggests who else should get a say and why.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Says where the decider’s power comes from, such as a job, a contract or a rulebook, and names a specific person or body that could overrule them.

Strong college answer: Places the decision at a specific level of the chain and says who answers for it at each level, and to whom.

Any day

Feelings or facts?

Duda pauses to ask first.

Practices

  • Lesson 7: Find what stage a process has reached
  • Lesson 10: Report a problem to the office responsible
  • Lesson 15: Apply a legal test factor by factor

Prompt

What does this want you to feel, and what facts does it give you?

Sentence starters

  • It wants me to feel ___.
  • The facts it gives are ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Which feeling shows up before any fact does, and how would the piece hold up if you stripped out the mood?

College stretch

Use Project Zero’s Reporter’s Notebook: sort facts and events from thoughts and feelings, then make your best judgment and say what evidence it rests on.

Follow-up questions

  1. Which fact could you check, and where?
  2. When does making you feel something go too far?

Best with

  • Song or verse Songs lead with feeling every time.
  • Ad Ads often trade facts for mood.
  • Headline or news story Headlines mix facts with loaded words.
  • Speech or interview Speeches mix feelings and facts on purpose.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names a specific feeling and what creates it, such as music, word choice or a close-up.
  • Lists facts separately from feelings.
  • Notices when a feeling is doing the work a fact should do.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names the first feeling and what creates it, then judges whether the facts alone still support the point.

Strong college answer: Keeps facts and feelings in separate lists and bases the judgment only on the facts list.

Any day

Number check

Lupa looks for missing context and crops.

Practices

  • Lesson 5: Read a pay statement line by line
  • Lesson 11: Compare 2 cases on the same terms
  • Lesson 13: Count a starting point before you claim a change works
  • Lesson 18: Compare numbers on the same scale

Prompt

Find or count 1 number here: is it big or small, and compared with what?

Sentence starters

  • The number is ___.
  • Compared with ___, it looks ___ (big or small).

Level up Grades 9–12

Put it on a per-person, per-day or per-minute scale. Does it still look the same size?

College stretch

Name the base rate or denominator that would make this number mean something, and say where you’d find it.

Follow-up questions

  1. What number is missing that would help you judge this one?
  2. Why might someone share this number without a comparison?

Best with

  • Sports highlight Stats mean little without a comparison.
  • Ad Prices and percentages need a baseline.
  • Social post or screenshot View counts sound big without followers.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Finds or counts a specific number.
  • Compares it with something on the same scale.
  • Says what the number can and can’t show.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Shows the math for the new scale and says whether the number looks bigger or smaller than it did.

Strong college answer: Names a denominator that fits the claim and a real source for it, and says how the number could look different once it’s applied.

Any day

Trace it back

Lupa looks for missing context and crops.

Practices

  • Lesson 1: Find the original source
  • Lesson 9: Check an official source for your own area
  • Lesson 20: Confirm an image with independent sources

Prompt

Before you share this, where did it first come from, and how could you check?

Sentence starters

  • It first came from ___.
  • I’d check by ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Find 1 way this could have changed on its way to you, such as a crop, a new caption or a remix, and say how you’d spot it.

College stretch

Run Mike Caulfield’s SIFT: stop, investigate the source, find better coverage and trace to the original. Which step would take longest here, and why?

Follow-up questions

  1. What’s the difference between who shared it and who made it?
  2. What would you post if you couldn’t find where it started?

Best with

  • Short video clip Clips get reuploaded far from home.
  • Photo or image Images lose their captions when reposted.
  • Social post or screenshot Screenshots hide the original poster’s name.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Separates who shared it from who made it.
  • Names a real way to find the original, such as an official account, the full episode or a reverse image search.
  • Holds off sharing until they can say where it started.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a specific change, such as a crop, a new caption or a remix, and a real way to spot it, such as comparing it with the original upload.

Strong college answer: Applies each SIFT step to this piece and picks the slowest step with a reason tied to the piece, such as no poster name or no date.

Any day

Follow the money

Nexo connects schedules and consequences.

Practices

  • Lesson 8: Spot and disclose a material connection
  • Lesson 14: Check permission, not just credit
  • Lesson 15: Apply a legal test factor by factor

Prompt

Who paid for this to reach you, and who makes money if you like it?

Sentence starters

  • ___ paid for this to reach me.
  • ___ makes money if I like it, because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Who worked on this without getting paid, or got paid in something other than money, such as free stuff or exposure?

College stretch

Map the revenue model, such as ads, subscriptions, sales or sponsorship, and say how it might shape what the piece includes or leaves out.

Follow-up questions

  1. Does knowing who paid change how you see it?
  2. Who gets paid the least for their part?

Best with

  • Podcast minute Podcasts read their sponsors out loud.
  • Movie or TV scene Credits list every company that paid.
  • Social post or screenshot Creators earn from views and brands.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names at least 1 specific company, person or platform that gets paid.
  • Connects the money to a choice in the piece.
  • Notices people who worked on it for little or no pay.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a specific role, such as an extra, a fan editor or a reviewer, and what they got instead of money.

Strong college answer: Names the revenue model and ties it to 1 specific choice in the piece, such as its length, a product shot or what it leaves out.

Any day

Who feels it?

Onda asks who is affected and who can get in.

Practices

  • Lesson 2: Check what a task is meant to measure
  • Lesson 4: Weigh the trade-offs of each option
  • Lesson 17: Set fair criteria before choosing

Prompt

Who do you think this lands on hardest, and who can’t see, hear or reach it?

Sentence starters

  • This lands hardest on ___, because ___.
  • ___ can’t see, hear or reach it, because ___.

Level up Grades 9–12

Step inside the person it lands on: what can they see, what do they know, and what do they care about?

College stretch

Use Project Zero’s Circle of Viewpoints to take 3 viewpoints on this, then name 1 access barrier, such as disability, language, cost or location, and a fix.

Follow-up questions

  1. Who doesn’t notice it at all, and why?
  2. What 1 change would let more people get to it?

Best with

  • School announcement Announcements miss people outside the room.
  • Headline or news story News lands unevenly across different neighborhoods.
  • Short video clip Captions and audio decide who’s included.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Names someone affected who isn’t the main person in it.
  • Describes the effect from where that person stands.
  • Names a specific barrier, such as sound, language, cost or distance.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Answers all 3 from that person’s position, using details from the piece rather than guesses.

Strong college answer: Gives 3 distinct viewpoints and pairs 1 specific barrier with a fix that would reach the people it blocks.

Any day

What happens next?

Nexo connects schedules and consequences.

Practices

  • Lesson 4: Weigh the trade-offs of each option
  • Lesson 7: Find what stage a process has reached
  • Lesson 12: Apply a precedent by comparing fact patterns

Prompt

Is this a beginning, middle or end, and what do you think has to happen next?

Sentence starters

  • This is the ___ of something.
  • Because of it, ___ has to happen next.

Level up Grades 9–12

What earlier event does this connect to, and what deadline or schedule shapes what comes next?

College stretch

Draw the causal chain: 1 cause before this, 1 consequence after and 1 place the chain could break. Which effects are first-order and which are second-order?

Follow-up questions

  1. Who has to act next, and by when?
  2. What would change the ending?

Best with

  • Trailer Trailers stop right before the payoff.
  • Book page Pages sit inside a longer story.
  • Game cutscene Cutscenes set up the next level.
Educator notes

Look for

  • Places the piece in a sequence and says why.
  • Names a consequence that follows from what’s shown.
  • Connects it to a time, a deadline or an earlier event.
  • Points to a moment, line, lyric or image in the piece as evidence.

Strong level-up answer: Names a specific earlier event and a deadline or schedule, and explains how the timing limits what can happen next.

Strong college answer: Gives a cause, a consequence and a break point in order, and labels 1 first-order and 1 second-order effect correctly.

Response slip

A half-sheet that works with any bellringer. Print 2 to a page. Students fill it in during Write and Share, and you can collect it as an exit ticket.

Bellringer slip

Name
Date
What we watched, read or heard
My answer
What makes me say that
Level up or college stretch
Something a classmate said
A question I still have

Bellringer slip

Name
Date
What we watched, read or heard
My answer
What makes me say that
Level up or college stretch
Something a classmate said
A question I still have