Grades 6–8 educator edition

Educator edition

Grades 6–8

Grades 6–8 classrooms, advisory periods and after-school groups, and older learners who need more scaffolding.

20 cases

How to use this educator editionGrades 6–8 educator edition

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 18 minutes.

Evidence AGroup-chat post, Friday 4:52 p.m.

The post

They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?” A seven-second clip is attached. In it, the coordinator says “we are removing access,” and the clip ends there.

Look closely: Which word in the caption goes further than the clip itself?

What it shows

Someone thinks the screening is canceled.

One question I still have

What did the coordinator say after “removing access”?

Evidence CBooking email to Mateo, sent Tuesday

The booking email

Friday, 6–9 p.m. Screening confirmed. Front entrance: step-free. Staff member at the desk from 5:30 p.m. Contact the coordinator for arrival support.

Look closely: What does this confirm? What does it not say about the side door?

What it shows

The screening is on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. The front entrance has no steps.

One question I still have

Is the side door working?

8

Lesson 1Look at the evidenceGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 18 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Read the transcript aloud once. Students fill in only the “What it shows” boxes.

Say this

“Listen. Raise your hand at the words the clip cut off: “The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.” — Read it twice. Students do not see Evidence B.

Watch for

Misconception: Students call the clip fake. Listen for: “It’s fake news.” Then: Ask which word in the clip is wrong. None is. The clip is real; the context is missing.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key sentence enlarged.

Read the transcript aloud and offer a recording for replay.

Cognates: context (contexto), evidence (evidencia), original (original), correction (corrección), confirm (confirmar), cancel (cancelar), access (acceso), transcript (transcripción).

Stretch

Ask which document proves the time and which proves the door, and why the email cannot say anything about the side door.

Heat check

Low.

The student page, reduced, with the same page number as in the student edition.
Sample answers are blue, italic and start with a key symbol.
The educator column names the case, the page and this edition.
Blocks for this page, always in the same order.

How to use this educator edition

Each sheet shows one student page on the left and notes for you on the right. Student pages keep their page numbers in this book. Each case starts with a Case plan sheet.

The educator column

Pacing Minutes for the full chapter, and what to cut when you have one period.
Say this Prompts to read aloud, with a note on how to use each one.
Stop and think On reading passage pages: the passage questions and where each one falls.
Watch for A likely misconception, what it sounds like and what to do next.
Support Scaffolds, sentence frames and English and Spanish cognates.
Stretch A harder question or extension for students who are ready.
Heat check How likely the page is to start a hard conversation, and how to cool it down.
Standards The standards the task practices, on the task page.
Answer key Answers that are not printed on the student page.

Answers

A sample answer Each answer is a complete response a strong student could write. Your students’ wording will differ.

Heat check

Low: most students can discuss this without personal stakes.
Medium: the talk can turn personal. Use the cool-down.
High: plan the cool-down before class.

T2

Plan the courseGrades 6–8 educator edition

Plan the course

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
1 Is the screening canceled?	Talk it through, then write a three-sentence group-chat update telling friends whether to come on Friday and which door to use.	Group-chat message, 3–4 sentences	90	45	SPJ Code of Ethics
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?	Redesign Dec’s practice sheet so it still checks circuit understanding, then explain your changes to a partner.	Annotated sketch plus 3–5 sentence explanation	80	45	CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?	Fix Gia’s apology using a four-line template, then read it aloud as Anika would hear it.	Four-sentence correction	79	45	PRSA Code of Ethics
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?	Make a people map of who uses the room, then write a short note to the board asking one budget question and one access question.	People map plus a 4–6 sentence note	76	45	ASPA Code of Ethics
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?	Label a practice pay statement and explain to a partner where the money went.	Labeled statement plus 3–4 sentence explanation	69	45	PayrollOrg Code of Ethics
6 What can your family see in your college records?	Make a “my records, my family” card explaining who holds FERPA rights for a middle-school student and what changes at 18.	Illustrated card, 4–6 sentences	69	45	AACRAO Ethics and Practice
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?	Draw the steps of a book review and write a message correcting the group chat.	Flowchart plus 3–4 sentence message	69	45	ALA Code of Ethics

T3

Plan the course, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?	Add a clear disclosure to Gia’s review script and explain where you put it and why.	Storyboard plus 3–4 sentence explanation	86	45	FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255)
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?	Match offices on a sample ballot to the everyday things they decide, then make a poster for families about finding their own ballot.	Matching sheet plus a poster	86	45	SPJ Code of Ethics
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?	Map Sami’s trip from home to the workshop and mark each place something could go wrong.	Annotated map plus 3–4 sentences	84	45	ASPA Code of Ethics
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?	Make a side-by-side chart of Jordy’s and Gia’s work, then write one question Jordy could ask.	Chart plus a one-sentence question	71	45	SHRM Code of Ethics
12 When can a school limit what students say?	Make a two-column chart comparing the Tinker armbands with Anika’s wear-blue plan, then explain one way they’re alike and one way they’re different.	Chart plus 3–5 sentences	76	45	ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?	Make a materials sheet for the next Common Room screening and pick one change to try.	Materials sheet plus 3–4 sentences	73	45	FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260)

T4

Plan the course, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?	Make a rights log for the crew’s short film and suggest a way to use music they’re allowed to use.	Rights log plus 3–4 sentences	87	45	AIGA Standards of Professional Practice
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?	Sort the internship’s daily tasks into “learning” and “working,” then tell a partner whether it looks more like school or a job.	Sorted chart plus 3–4 sentences	87	45	NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice
16 Who wrote the new building rule?	Rewrite the building notice so every resident knows who wrote it, what changed, when and who to ask.	Rewritten notice, 60–90 words	87	45	ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?	Hold a small-group discussion, then write a short note to the thirty students explaining how the ten seats will be given out.	Note, 4–6 sentences	89	45	The Belmont Report
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?	Make a source card for the district budget and write one question the theater crew could bring to the school board.	Source card plus a 2–3 sentence question	79	45	ASPA Code of Ethics
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?	Write and practice a 60-second comment for the parks committee about the court hours.	60-second comment (about 130 words)	72	45	ASPA Code of Ethics

T5

Plan the course, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
20 Can the crew post this image as true?	With a partner, fill an image-check card and write two sentences telling friends whether to trust the courtyard picture.	Completed card plus 2–3 sentences	67	45	RTDNA Code of Ethics

T6

Standards in this editionGrades 6–8 educator edition

Standards in this edition

Common Core codes come from our standards map for this grade band. Each code links to its official page.

RI.6.1 Use evidence from the text to support what it says directly and what you can infer from it. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

RI.6.7 Combine information from words, images and numbers to build a clear understanding of a topic. Lessons 2 and 4

RI.6.8 Follow an argument in a text and tell which claims are backed by reasons and evidence and which are not. Lessons 1, 3 and 4

RI.7.1 Use several pieces of evidence from the text to support what it says directly and what you can infer. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

RI.7.8 Trace an argument in a text and judge whether its reasons and evidence are sound and sufficient. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

RI.7.9 Analyze how two authors writing on the same topic present key information differently through the evidence or interpretations they choose. Lessons 1, 3 and 4

RI.8.1 Use the evidence that most strongly supports your analysis of what a text says and implies. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

RI.8.7 Weigh the strengths and weaknesses of presenting a topic in print, video or other media. Lesson 2

RI.8.8 Break down an argument, judge whether its reasoning and evidence hold up and spot evidence that does not belong. Lessons 1, 3 and 4

RI.8.9 Find where two texts on the same topic disagree, on facts or on interpretation. Lessons 1 and 3

SL.6.1.c Ask and answer specific questions with details that add to the discussion. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

SL.6.1.d Review the main ideas of a discussion and show you understand other views by reflecting and paraphrasing. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

SL.7.1.c Ask questions that draw out more detail, and respond with relevant ideas that bring the discussion back on topic. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

SL.7.1.d Take in new information from others and change your view when the evidence calls for it. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

SL.8.1.c Ask questions that connect several speakers’ ideas, and respond with relevant evidence and observations. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

SL.8.1.d Take in new information from others and qualify or defend your view based on the evidence. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

W.6.1 Write an argument for a claim, backed by clear reasons and relevant evidence. Lessons 13, 14, 17 and 19

W.6.1.a Open with your claim, then lay out the reasons and evidence in a clear order. Lesson 4

W.6.1.b Support a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence from credible sources. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.6.2 Write an informative text that explains a topic by choosing, organizing and analyzing relevant information. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 20

T7

Standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Standards in this edition, continued

W.6.5 With help from peers and adults, strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

W.7.1 Write an argument for a claim, backed by clear reasons and relevant evidence. Lessons 13, 14, 17 and 19

W.7.1.a State your claim, recognize opposing claims and put the reasons and evidence in a logical order. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.7.1.b Support a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from accurate, credible sources. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.7.2 Write an informative text that explains a topic by choosing, organizing and analyzing relevant information. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 20

W.7.5 With help from peers and adults, strengthen writing by planning and revising, focusing on purpose and audience. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

W.8.1 Write an argument for a claim, backed by clear reasons and relevant evidence. Lessons 13, 14, 17 and 19

W.8.1.a State your claim, show how it differs from opposing claims and put the reasons and evidence in a logical order. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.8.1.b Support a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from accurate, credible sources. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.8.1.c Use words and phrases that show how claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence connect. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.8.2 Write an informative text that explains a topic by choosing, organizing and analyzing relevant information. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 20

W.8.5 With help from peers and adults, strengthen writing by planning and revising, focusing on purpose and audience. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

D1.5.6-8 C3 Framework. Decide which kinds of sources will help answer a question, considering the points of view they represent. Lesson 1

D2.Civ.1.6-8 C3 Framework. Tell apart the powers and responsibilities of citizens, political parties, interest groups and the media. Lesson 8

D2.Civ.10.6-8 C3 Framework. Explain how personal interests, civic virtues and democratic principles matter when people address public problems. Lesson 17

D2.Civ.11.6-8 C3 Framework. Compare how classrooms, schools, civil society and governments make decisions, and what each process is meant to do. Lesson 7

D2.Civ.12.6-8 C3 Framework. Judge specific rules and laws, actual or proposed, as ways to address public problems. Lesson 2

D2.Civ.13.6-8 C3 Framework. Analyze the purposes, carrying out and effects of public policies in different settings. Lessons 5 and 13

D2.Civ.2.6-8 C3 Framework. Explain the roles citizens play, such as voters, jurors, taxpayers, petitioners and protesters. Lessons 9 and 19

D2.Civ.3.6-8 C3 Framework. Examine where constitutions, laws and treaties come from, what they are for and what effects they have. Lesson 6

D2.Civ.4.6-8 C3 Framework. Explain the powers and limits of the branches of government, public officials and agencies at different levels. Lessons 10 and 18

D2.Civ.6.6-8 C3 Framework. Describe how political, civil and economic organizations shape people’s lives. Lesson 4

D2.Civ.7.6-8 C3 Framework. Apply civic virtues and democratic principles at school and in the community. Lessons 3 and 17

D2.Civ.8.6-8 C3 Framework. Analyze the ideas in the founding documents of the United States and how they shape the political system. Lesson 12

T8

Standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Standards in this edition, continued

D3.1.6-8 C3 Framework. Gather information from several sources, using origin, authority, structure, context and corroboration to choose them. Lessons 1 and 20

D4.7.6-8 C3 Framework. Assess what you and others can do about local, regional and global problems, considering strategies and likely outcomes. Lessons 10 and 13

D4.8.6-8 C3 Framework. Use deliberative and democratic procedures to make decisions and act at school and in the community. Lesson 4

T9

Professional standards in this editionGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition

A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. Codes for journalists and public relations are voluntary. The rules of professional conduct for lawyers are adopted in each state and can lead to discipline. The FTC guides are law-related guidance, not ethics codes.

SPJ Code of Ethics, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Professional code.

Revised September 6, 2014, at SPJ's National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Who it binds: No one is legally bound. SPJ calls the code “not a set of rules” and says it is not legally enforceable under the First Amendment. SPJ encourages its use “by all people in all media.”

Seek Truth and Report It: Lessons 1, 9, 18 and 20

Minimize Harm: Lesson 19

spj.org/spj-code-of-ethics

RTDNA Code of Ethics, Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). Professional code.

Revised code adopted June 11, 2015.

Who it binds: Journalists in broadcast and digital news, as guidance. RTDNA says the code “does not dictate what journalists should do in every ethical predicament.” It is not a law.

Truth and accuracy above all: Lessons 1 and 20

Independence and transparency: Lessons 3 and 14

Opening statement (before the guiding principles): Lesson 9

rtdna.org/ethics

T10

Professional standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

PRSSA Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals (professional values and member pledge), Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the student organization of PRSA. Professional code.

No date shown on the page.

Who it binds: PRSSA student members. PRSSA asks members to follow its Code of Ethics and Conduct and encourages chapters to have members sign the pledge when they join. PRSSA lists the same six professional values as PRSA and says it “models its ethics guidelines after those of its parent organization, PRSA.” It does not say it adopts the PRSA Code word for word. The pledge says members who violate it may be barred from PRSA membership.

PRSSA Code of Ethics and Conduct (member pledge): Lesson 1

prsa.org/prssa/about-prssa/ethical-principles

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Professional code.

No adoption date shown on the page.

Who it binds: Special education professionals, who CEC says “are guided by” these principles and standards. It is not a law; IDEA and Section 504 are the laws.

Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment: Lesson 2

Special Education Professional Ethical Principles: Lesson 2

exceptionalchildren.org/standards/ethical-principles-and-practice-standards

T11

Professional standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, National Education Association (NEA). Professional code.

Adopted by the 1975 NEA Representative Assembly. NEA's web page, titled “Code of Ethics for Educators,” was published September 14, 2020.

Who it binds: Educators, including education support professionals. NEA says the code states “the aspiration of all educators” and that only NEA and its affiliates set remedies for violations. It is not a state licensing rule or a law.

Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 8: Lesson 2

Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 2: Lesson 7

nea.org/resource-library/code-ethics-educators

PRSA Code of Ethics, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Professional code.

First developed in 1950. The current code was adopted by PRSA members in October 2000, according to PRSA's Board of Ethics and Professional Standards handbook. The page shows no later revision date.

Who it binds: PRSA members. PRSA says the code “applies to PRSA members.” It is voluntary: PRSA says it has no legislative or government power to enforce it, though its board can bar or expel members sanctioned by a government agency or convicted in court for conduct that breaks the code.

Free Flow of Information: Lessons 3 and 8

Disclosure of Information: Lessons 12 and 20

Competition: Lesson 14

prsa.org/professional-development/prsa-resources/ethics

T12

Professional standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

Credo for Ethical Communication, National Communication Association (NCA). Professional code.

Approved by the NCA Legislative Council in 1999; reaffirmed in 2011; reaffirmed with edits in 2017 and 2024.

Who it binds: NCA members, who “endorse and are committed to practicing” its nine principles. It is a statement of values with no enforcement process.

“We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences of our own communication…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 3

“We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lessons 6 and 9

“We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lessons 7 and 16

“We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 18

“We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and acknowledgement of dissent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 19

natcom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Credo-for-Ethical-Communication-Revised-Clean-2024.pdf

ASPA Code of Ethics, American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Professional code.

Revised 2013. ASPA has promoted ethical standards for public servants since 1984.

Who it binds: ASPA members, who “may be sanctioned” for failing to uphold it. ASPA also aims to raise awareness among “all those who work in public service in all sectors.”

5. Fully Inform and Advise.: Lessons 4 and 18

3. Promote democratic participation.: Lessons 4, 10 and 19

4. Strengthen social equity.: Lesson 17

aspanet.org/ASPA/Code-of-Ethics/ASPA/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics.aspx

ALA Code of Ethics, American Library Association (ALA). Professional code.

Adopted in 1939; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; January 22, 2008; and June 29, 2021.

Who it binds: Librarians, library trustees and library staff, as a framework. ALA says the principles “cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.”

Principle 1 (of 9): Lesson 4

Principle 2 (of 9): Lesson 7

ala.org/tools/ethics

T13

Professional standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics, PayrollOrg. Professional code.

No date shown on the document.

Who it binds: Payroll professionals who belong to PayrollOrg. It is not a law; tax and wage laws are separate.

Item 2: Lesson 5

Item 5: Lesson 5

info.payroll.org/pdfs/members/PAYO-code-of-ethics.pdf

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Professional code.

No date shown on the page.

Who it binds: IABC members, who must agree to the code when they apply and renew. IABC can end the membership of anyone found to have violated it.

“I communicate accurate information”: Lesson 5

“I protect confidential information”: Lesson 11

“I do not guarantee results”: Lesson 13

iabc.com/about/what-we-do/standards/code-of-ethics

AACRAO Ethics and Practice, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). Professional code.

Adopted by the AACRAO Board on December 3, 2009; amended March 31, 2010; ratified by members April 23, 2010; reviewed without changes in 2016 and 2019.

Who it binds: AACRAO members, such as college registrars and admissions officers. It is not a law; FERPA is the federal law on education records.

Standards of professional practice: Lesson 6

Principles of professional ethics: Lesson 6

aacrao.org/resource/ethics-and-practice

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255), Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Law or regulation.

Current text as revised July 26, 2023 (88 FR 48102), read on the eCFR.

Who it binds: Advertisers, endorsers (including influencers and reviewers) and intermediaries such as PR firms, under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Guides are the FTC's “administrative interpretations” of that law. They are law-related guidance, not an ethics code.

§ 255.5 Disclosure of material connections: Lesson 8

§ 255.0 Purpose and definitions, paragraph (f): Lesson 8

ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-255

T14

Professional standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists, National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). Professional code.

No revision date shown on the page.

Who it binds: Visual journalists (news photographers and video journalists) and the people who manage visual news. The code says they “are accountable for upholding” its ten standards. It is not a law.

Code of Ethics, standard 3: Lesson 10

nppa.org/resources/code-ethics

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, American Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility. Professional code.

Adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 1983 and amended since.

Who it binds: Lawyers. The ABA writes the Model Rules as a model. Each state adopts its own rules of professional conduct, most based on this model, and those rules bind the lawyers it licenses. Lawyers can be disciplined for breaking them. The rules do not bind people who are not lawyers.

Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions: Lessons 10 and 16

Rule 2.1 Advisor: Lesson 12

Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others: Lesson 15

Rule 4.3 Dealing with Unrepresented Person: Lesson 15

americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct

T15

Professional standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

SHRM Code of Ethics, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Professional code.

As amended April 24, 2023.

Who it binds: SHRM members (human resources professionals). SHRM's bylaws set disciplinary procedures for violations.

Fairness and Justice: Lesson 11

Use of Information: Lesson 11

shrm.org/legal/bylaws-and-code-of-ethics/code-of-ethics

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice, AIGA, the professional association for design. Professional code.

Text read in AIGA's Design Business + Ethics (2009 edition). AIGA's current web page for the standards could not be opened.

Who it binds: AIGA members. AIGA says the standards “represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design.”

The designer’s responsibility to the public: Lesson 12

The designer’s responsibility to society and the environment: Lesson 13

The designer’s responsibility to other designers: Lesson 14

aiga.org/resources/aiga-standards-of-professional-practice

FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260), Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Law or regulation.

October 11, 2012 (77 FR 62124), current text read on the eCFR.

Who it binds: Marketers who make environmental claims, such as calling a product “recyclable.” The Guides say they “do not operate to bind the FTC or the public,” but the FTC can act under Section 5 of the FTC Act against claims that are deceptive. They are law-related guidance, not an ethics code.

§ 260.12 Recyclable claims: Lesson 13

ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-260

NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Professional code.

Approved by the NACE Board of Directors in 2017; updated 2025.

Who it binds: NACE members: college career-services staff and employers' recruiting staff, who “are expected to use the Principles.”

4. Comply with laws: Lesson 15

naceweb.org/career-development/organizational-structure/principles-for-ethical-professional-practice

T16

Professional standards in this edition, continuedGrades 6–8 educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

The Belmont Report, National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Research ethics.

Published in the Federal Register on April 18, 1979 (44 FR 23192).

Who it binds: Researchers who study people. It is a statement of ethical principles for research with human subjects. It is not a membership code, and by itself it is not a law.

B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice: Lesson 17

C. Applications: 1. Informed Consent: Lesson 17

govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1979-04-18/pdf/FR-1979-04-18.pdf

T17

Access, language and discussionGrades 6–8 educator edition

Access, language and discussion

Supports in this edition

Vocabulary: Pre-teach three or four case concepts with their plain definitions and Spanish terms, and keep the word cards visible throughout.
Read aloud: Read every source aloud at least once and offer a recording for replay; keep each reading segment short.
Bilingual planning: Plan for multilingual learners with the case glossary and the case page’s Spanish explanation, allow first drafts in any language and pair students who share a language. Never ask a student to disclose a disability, immigration status, family finances or private records to take part.
Oral rehearsal: Let students talk before writing every time, using partner rehearsal with the route’s sentence frames.
Other ways to respond: Offer the route’s oral, visual and written options as equal choices, and allow dictation, sentence strips or a labeled sketch.

Cognates

The terms and evidence sheets list English and Spanish cognates in the Support block, such as context (contexto). Point them out before reading. A fluent Spanish reader checks every list before release.

Heat check

Every sheet rates how likely the page is to start a hard conversation.

Low: most students can discuss it without personal stakes.
Medium: use the cool-down if talk turns personal.
High: plan the cool-down before class.

No one has to share

No student needs to share private experiences, create a social media account or post publicly. Students can answer every question with the evidence on the page.

T18

How this book worksGrades 6–8 student edition

How this book works

Each case is a short chapter. The pages follow the same order in every case, so you learn the layout once.

What happened Read the story and the question you will answer.
Key terms Learn the words the case needs, each with its Spanish word.
Reading passage Read a longer passage about the case. Stop and think at each question.
Look at the evidence Read each document. Write what it shows and what it leaves out.
Key idea and In the news Read the idea behind the case, a code of ethics and two real news stories.
Sort the evidence Decide which evidence supports each claim and whose view is missing.
Practice Choose the best response and fix two phrases in a student’s draft.
Your task Follow the numbered steps, plan in the boxes and write your draft.
Check your work Answer yes-or-no questions and mark your level in the rubric.
Questions to discuss Write short answers, then finish My take.
Talk about this case at home Take home a page of questions for your family.

Labels on the page

Evidence AGroup-chat post

A document from the case. Read it closely and compare it with the other documents.

Real sourcePublisherDate

A real news story, code or study. Scan its code to read the original.

Directions on each page

On your ownA short direction under a heading tells you what to do if you work without a teacher, and about how long it takes.

When a page continues

Some sections run onto a second page. Its heading says “continued,” and it keeps the next page number.

Filling in this book

Fill it in on paper or in a PDF app. Save a copy before you type.
What you type stays on your device. Nothing is sent to us.
Do not write private information about yourself or other people.

1

How this book worksGrades 6–8 educator edition

Say this

“Every case in this book follows the same order, so you learn the layout once.” — Point to the list of sections as you say it.

“An “Evidence” label marks a document from the case. A “Real source” label names its publisher and date.” — Ask two students to find one of each in Lesson 1.

Watch for

Misconception: Every document in a chapter comes from the news. Listen for: “Where was this group chat published?” Then: Point to the labels. Evidence documents belong to the case; a real source always names its publisher and date.

Support

Read the page aloud with the class.

Show the “On your own” strip on one case page before students work alone.

Repeat the rule: do not write private information about yourself or other people.

ContentsGrades 6–8 student edition

1 Is the screening canceled?3
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?20
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?38
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?55
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?72
6 What can your family see in your college records?89
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?107
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?125
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?142
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?160
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?177
12 When can a school limit what students say?195
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?213
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?232
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?251
16 Who wrote the new building rule?268
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?286
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?303
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?320
20 Can the crew post this image as true?340

2

Lesson 1Case planGrades 6–8 educator edition

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?

Content note

The optional film clip from The Hunger Games (2012) shows coercion and danger to young people. Preview it before class, or skip it, because students need only the evidence in the story.

Overview

Students read a short story about a neighborhood screening. A cropped seven-second clip in the crew’s group chat seems to say the event is canceled. Students compare the post with two documents, the coordinator’s meeting transcript and a booking email, and decide what the evidence supports. They then write a short group-chat update that corrects the claim and says which entrance to use.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

find a detail in a short text and point to it

tell something they saw from something they guessed

write a complete sentence that answers a question

Objectives

Students will be able to:

separate what a post claims from what the original documents confirm

Objectives, continued

match a fact, such as the time or the door, to the document that proves it

write a 3- or 4-sentence update that says whether to come, which door to use and how they know

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and C on half-pages, one set per pair

The transcript to read aloud, printed in the educator column of the evidence sheet

The task in this edition

Task: Talk it through, then write a three-sentence group-chat update telling friends whether to come on Friday and which door to use.

Students make: Group-chat message, 3–4 sentences

Pacing

Opener (page 3): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the discussion of the opening question.

Key terms (pages 4 and 5): 8 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Pacing, continued

Look at the evidence (pages 8 and 9): 18 min. Short on time: 12 min. Read the transcript aloud once. Students fill in only the “What it shows” boxes.

Key idea (pages 10 and 11): 8 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read the first paragraph of the key idea aloud. Skip the code of ethics.

Sort the evidence (page 12): 10 min. Short on time: 5 min. Do the first row together and stop.

Practice (page 13): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 14 and 15): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Check your work (pages 16 and 17): 5 min. Short on time: skip. Score the messages yourself with the rubric.

Questions to discuss (page 18): 10 min. Short on time: 3 min. Use the first My take frame as an exit ticket.

Talk about this case at home (page 19): at home.

Periods: full chapter 90 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

RI.6.1 Use evidence from the text to support what it says directly and what you can infer from it.

Plan 1

Lesson 1Case planGrades 6–8 educator edition

Lesson 1 plan, continued

Standards, continued

RI.6.8 Follow an argument in a text and tell which claims are backed by reasons and evidence and which are not.

W.6.2 Write an informative text that explains a topic by choosing, organizing and analyzing relevant information.

W.6.1.b Support a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence from credible sources.

SL.6.1.c Ask and answer specific questions with details that add to the discussion.

SL.6.1.d Review the main ideas of a discussion and show you understand other views by reflecting and paraphrasing.

RI.7.1 Use several pieces of evidence from the text to support what it says directly and what you can infer.

RI.7.8 Trace an argument in a text and judge whether its reasons and evidence are sound and sufficient.

RI.7.9 Analyze how two authors writing on the same topic present key information differently through the evidence or interpretations they choose.

W.7.1.a State your claim, recognize opposing claims and put the reasons and evidence in a logical order.

W.7.1.b Support a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from accurate, credible sources.

Standards, continued

SL.7.1.c Ask questions that draw out more detail, and respond with relevant ideas that bring the discussion back on topic.

SL.7.1.d Take in new information from others and change your view when the evidence calls for it.

RI.8.1 Use the evidence that most strongly supports your analysis of what a text says and implies.

RI.8.8 Break down an argument, judge whether its reasoning and evidence hold up and spot evidence that does not belong.

RI.8.9 Find where two texts on the same topic disagree, on facts or on interpretation.

W.8.1.a State your claim, show how it differs from opposing claims and put the reasons and evidence in a logical order.

W.8.1.b Support a claim with logical reasoning and relevant evidence from accurate, credible sources.

W.8.1.c Use words and phrases that show how claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence connect.

SL.8.1.c Ask questions that connect several speakers’ ideas, and respond with relevant evidence and observations.

SL.8.1.d Take in new information from others and qualify or defend your view based on the evidence.

Standards, continued

D1.5.6-8 Decide which kinds of sources will help answer a question, considering the points of view they represent. In this case: Students decide which kinds of sources could answer “Is the screening canceled?”

D3.1.6-8 Gather information from several sources, using origin, authority, structure, context and corroboration to choose them. In this case: Students choose sources by origin and authority: the coordinator’s transcript over a forwarded screenshot.

Codes of ethics

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all

PRSSA Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals (professional values and member pledge): PRSSA Code of Ethics and Conduct (member pledge)

Heat map

Opener (page 3): Low

Key terms (pages 4 and 5): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 8 and 9): Low

Key idea (pages 10 and 11): Low

Sort the evidence (page 12): Medium

Plan 1b

Lesson 1Case planGrades 6–8 educator edition

Lesson 1 plan, continued

Heat map, continued

Practice (page 13): Medium

Check your work (pages 16 and 17): Low

Try it at your school

Find out how your school sends urgent updates.

Ask a teacher or front-office staff which channel carries official changes (email, app, website)

Save the official channel so you can check it before reposting

Next time a screenshot circulates, post “still checking” instead of a verdict

Suggest to your student council that urgent updates include the original link

Who to ask: Front-office staff, a teacher, the student council advisor or a school librarian

Safety: Don’t share other people’s names or messages from a private chat. Check any official source with a trusted adult if it asks for personal information.

Sources

Scholastic, “Sunrise on the Reaping announcement,” June 6, 2024

Robert M. Entman, “Framing,” 1993

Society of Professional Journalists, “SPJ Code of Ethics,” September 6, 2014

Plan 1c

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?

A cropped clip in the group chat seems to cancel the crew’s screening, so you check the original documents and write an update.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the sentence that worries the crew. About 8 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who reads the full transcript before Gia posts. New skill: Find the original source.

Gia and Mateo read the message about tonight’s screening.

What happened

It is Friday afternoon at the Common Room, a shared event space inside a bookshop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Mateo, 22, booked the room for tonight’s 6 p.m. screening, the crew’s first in the neighborhood. He has been moving tables and chairs all afternoon.

Gia, 21, is helping between her class and her shift at a café. Jordy is testing the projector and captions. Sami is on her way from the print shop.

At 4:52 p.m., someone forwards a seven-second clip to the group chat. The clip comes from a meeting about the room. Its caption asks whether the screening is canceled.

Gia wants to warn people before they leave home. Mateo hopes the post is wrong. Gia has about ten minutes before she has to leave for work.

Your question: Is the screening really canceled, and what should the crew tell people?

3

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 8 minutes.

Claim A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.

En español: afirmación

In this case: The caption “Screening canceled?” is a claim. It ends with a question mark, and no document confirms it.

Context Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.

En español: contexto

In this case: The full transcript adds the words “through that reader tonight.” Those words show that only the broken side door is closing.

Framing Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

En español: encuadre

In this case: The crop and the caption choose what viewers notice: “removing access,” not “through that reader.”

Holding statement A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.

En español: comunicado provisional

In this case: Jordy posts: “We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.”

Who is involved

Mateo

Booked the room for tonight

“I’ve been moving these tables all afternoon. Please tell me we didn’t cancel this in a group chat.”

Gia

Leaving soon for a café shift

“Sami’s already on the train from the print shop. “We’re figuring it out” doesn’t tell her whether to keep coming.”

4

Lesson 1Key termsGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will come back to it at the end.” — Keep first guesses private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “claim” as “lie.” Listen for: “The claim is fake.” Then: Reread the definition. A claim can turn out to be true or false; evidence decides.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Frame: “A claim is ___. In this case, the claim is ___.”

Cognates: context (contexto), evidence (evidencia), original (original), correction (corrección), confirm (confirmar), cancel (cancelar), access (acceso), transcript (transcripción).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is going on?

I think the screening is ___ because ___.

I think the screening is canceled because the post says so.

Notes

5

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Reading passage

Seven seconds of video

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Context: Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
Holding statement: A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.

The story: A clip lands in the group chat

It is Friday afternoon at the Common Room, an event space inside a bookshop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Mateo has spent hours setting out chairs for the crew’s first screening at 6 p.m. Jordy is testing the projector and captions. Gia is helping before her café shift. Sami is on the train from the print shop.

At 4:52 p.m., a seven-second clip lands in the group chat. In it, the room coordinator says, “we are removing access.” Then the video stops. The caption asks, “Screening canceled?”

Gia wants to warn everyone, because people are already asking if they should turn around. Mateo hopes the post is wrong. Jordy notices that the clip cuts off in the middle of a sentence. Jordy asks the group to find the rest before anyone reposts.

You are at the counter with them. Your job is to read the full record before Gia posts.

Stop and think. What words would you want to hear right after “we are removing access”?

Checking the full record

The caption makes a claim. A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. The best evidence is the coordinator’s meeting transcript: “The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.”

6

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Checking the full record, continued

Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means. The clip left out “through that reader.” Only one broken side door is closing. Mateo’s booking email agrees that the screening is on. It lists a step-free front entrance with staff at the desk from 5:30 p.m.

Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. The crop brought forward “removing access” and hid the rest. You do not have to prove that anyone meant to trick people. You only need to show what the edit leaves out.

While the crew checks, Jordy posts a holding statement: “We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.” A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. Then Gia posts the correction in the same chat as the rumor. It names the time and the front entrance. Sami needs that detail, because she usually comes in the side way.

Stop and think. Which words did the clip cut off, and how do they change the meaning?

Why this skill matters in real life

In one study, Stanford researchers found that most of 3,446 students judged posts by how they looked. They did not check who made them (Stanford Graduate School of Education, November 18, 2019). Luckily, this skill can be learned. Fact-checkers leave the post, open new tabs and check who made it (CrashCourse, January 22, 2019).

The crew did the same thing with one transcript and one email. This is the first skill in the casebook: find the original source. You will use it again in almost every case that follows.

Stop and think. Why might people trust a post because of how it looks?

Sources

Real sourceStanford Graduate School of EducationNovember 18, 2019

High school students are unprepared to judge the credibility of information on the internet, according to Stanford researchers

Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)January 22, 2019

Check Yourself with Lateral Reading: Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #3

7

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 18 minutes.

Evidence AGroup-chat post, Friday 4:52 p.m.

The post

They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?” A seven-second clip is attached. In it, the coordinator says “we are removing access,” and the clip ends there.

Look closely: Which word in the caption goes further than the clip itself?

What it shows

Someone thinks the screening is canceled.

One question I still have

What did the coordinator say after “removing access”?

Evidence CBooking email to Mateo, sent Tuesday

The booking email

Friday, 6–9 p.m. Screening confirmed. Front entrance: step-free. Staff member at the desk from 5:30 p.m. Contact the coordinator for arrival support.

Look closely: What does this confirm? What does it not say about the side door?

What it shows

The screening is on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. The front entrance has no steps.

One question I still have

Is the side door working?

8

Lesson 1Look at the evidenceGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 18 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Read the transcript aloud once. Students fill in only the “What it shows” boxes.

Say this

“Listen. Raise your hand at the words the clip cut off: “The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.” — Read it twice. Students do not see Evidence B.

Watch for

Misconception: Students call the clip fake. Listen for: “It’s fake news.” Then: Ask which word in the clip is wrong. None is. The clip is real; the context is missing.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key sentence enlarged.

Read the transcript aloud and offer a recording for replay.

Cognates: context (contexto), evidence (evidencia), original (original), correction (corrección), confirm (confirmar), cancel (cancelar), access (acceso), transcript (transcripción).

Stretch

Ask which document proves the time and which proves the door, and why the email cannot say anything about the side door.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

We don’t know if everyone can use the front entrance, or who cut the clip.

Notes

9

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Key idea: framing

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 minutes.

The clip in the group chat is real, but that only tells you the video is authentic. A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means. Here, the clip stops before the rest of the coordinator’s sentence, so the clip alone cannot confirm the caption’s claim.

Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. Media researcher Robert Entman uses this idea to study what messages select and emphasize. The crop makes “removing access” stand out and hides “through that reader,” the words that limit the change to one broken side door. You do not have to prove that anyone meant to mislead people. You only need to show what the edit leaves out.

A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. It gives people a next step while the crew checks the documents. The correction that follows needs the time, the door and a contact for arrival help. People who are already traveling need those details before they arrive.

Professional standards

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

“Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.”

In plain words: Journalists who follow the SPJ code check a claim against the original source before they share it.

Question: What does the full meeting transcript say right after the point where the seven-second clip ends?

Your answer

Right after the clip ends, the transcript says ___.

Right after the clip ends, the transcript says “through that reader tonight.” Only the side door is closing.

10

Lesson 1Key ideaGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 2 min. Read the first paragraph of the key idea aloud. Skip the code of ethics.

Say this

“A frame is what a message chooses to show. What did this clip choose?” — Accept “the scary part” and ask for the exact words.

“The SPJ code says to use original sources whenever possible. Which document here is the original?” — Wait for the transcript.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the SPJ code as a law. Listen for: “They could get arrested for that.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. The SPJ code is not a law.”

Support

Read the code card aloud. Point out the label: it is a quotation from a real code.

Stretch

Read the RTDNA line about going viral. Ask what Jordy can tell Sami right now that they know is accurate.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

In the news

Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)January 22, 2019

Check Yourself with Lateral Reading: Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #3

Shows the move the crew makes: leave the screenshot, open new tabs and check who made it and what other sources say.

Real sourcePolitiFactAugust 1, 2022

Viral image shows fake story from The Atlantic about Biden

A real fact-check of a fabricated news screenshot: the image looked official, but the outlet never published it.

Notes

11

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim. Write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 10 minutes.

Draw an arrow from each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges. Which claim is left standing, and which gap still needs a check before you post?

Evidence	Claim 1The screening is canceled.	Claim 2The screening is on; use the staffed front entrance.
1 The clip: “we are removing access…” ends mid-sentence.	Supports	Neither
2 The transcript: access is removed “through that reader,” and existing bookings remain in place.	Challenges	Neither
3 The booking email: Friday 6–9 p.m., screening confirmed, step-free front entrance.	Challenges	Supports

Still open

Can every visitor use the temporary entrance?

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

Sami’s view is missing. I would ask her if the front entrance works for her.

12

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the message you would send and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.

The post arrived a few minutes ago, and nobody has checked the original yet. What do you send to the group chat?

A Cancel your plans before you travel.
B We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.
C The post is fake. Ignore it.

Why I chose it

B. It says the crew is checking and asks people to wait. It does not say the screening is canceled or that the post is fake.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hey everyone, so there was a clip going around that said the screening was canceled but 1 that is NOT true lol. Someone didn’t watch the whole thing and posted it anyway which is kind of annoying. I checked with Mateo and he said the booking is still good. They are just removing access through one door so everything is fine and 2 you can come like normal. The event is still happening Friday. Bring snacks if you want, Jordy is doing the projector. See you there!! Also if you have questions ask Mateo.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

The clip is real, but it stopped before the coordinator said which door.

Rewrite phrase 2

Please use the front entrance. The side door is closed tonight.

13

Lesson 1PracticeGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Nobody has checked the original yet. Which message do you send?” — Vote first.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose “The post is fake.” Listen for: “Just ignore it.” Then: Ask for a false word in the clip. There is none.

Heat check

Medium. Students may guess why the clip was posted.

Cool-down: Say the documents do not show why. Go back to the options.

Answer key

A revised version: Update on Friday’s screening: it is still on, 6–9 p.m. The clip going around cut off mid-sentence. The full update from the coordinator says the side-door card reader is broken, so that door is closed tonight, but existing bookings are still in place. Please use the staffed front entrance, which is step-free. Staff will be at the desk from 5:30. I checked the coordinator’s transcript and Mateo’s booking email. If you need help arriving, message the coordinator before you leave. Thanks for waiting while we checked. Jordy is still confirming arrival support with the coordinator.

Other notes on the draft:

“Someone didn’t watch the whole thing and posted it anyway” This guesses at the poster’s motive. The sources don’t tell us what they knew.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Grades 6–8

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft.

Talk it through, then write a three-sentence group-chat update telling friends whether to come on Friday and which door to use.

Use: The screenshot and the booking email only, with the transcript read aloud by the educator.

You’ll make: Group-chat message, 3–4 sentences

Time: 45 minutes

Read the post in Evidence A. Circle the word that goes further than the clip.
Listen as your teacher reads the full meeting update. Raise your hand at the words the clip cut off.
Match each fact to its proof. Write which document gives the time and which gives the door.
Tell a partner what your message will say.
Write a group-chat message of 3 or 4 sentences in the Your draft box.
Check your message for the time, the door and the proof.

Show it your way

Write it: Write the 3–4 sentence group-chat message with the frame “The post says __. The email says __. So __.”
Say it: Record a 30-second voice note for the chat that says whether the screening is on, which door to use and how you know.
Show it: Draw two phone screens side by side: the cropped post, then your update, with an arrow to the words the crop cut off.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

14

Lesson 1Your taskGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Your friends need three answers from you: is it on, which door, and how do you know?” — Write the three questions on the board.

“Read your message as if you are on the train. Do you know what to do next?” — Have partners read each other’s message aloud.

Watch for

Misconception: Messages call the poster a liar. Listen for: “Whoever posted that lied.” Then: Point to the fourth success check: correct the post, not the person.

Misconception: Messages tell people to come like normal. Listen for: “Everything’s fine, just come.” Then: Ask which door Sami would use. Name the entrance.

Support

Frame: “The post says __. The email says __. So __.”

Educator reads the transcript aloud twice

Word bank: claim, original, entrance, confirmed

Partner talk before any writing

Stretch

Add one question the crew still can’t answer, like whether everyone can use the front entrance.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Your task, continued

The word that goes too far

canceled

The time, and the document that shows it

The time is ___. It comes from ___.

Friday, 6–9 p.m. It comes from the booking email.

The door to use, and the document that shows it

Use the ___. It comes from ___.

Use the front entrance. It comes from the meeting update.

Your draft

The post says ___. The email says ___. So ___.

The post says the screening is canceled, but the full meeting update says only the side door is closed. The booking email says the screening is on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. Use the front entrance, which is staffed from 5:30. I checked the email and the meeting update.

Notes

15

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 5 minutes.

Does your message say the screening is still on, with the time?
YesNo
Does it name the front entrance?
YesNo
Does it say which document shows this?
YesNo
Does it avoid calling anyone a liar?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Repeats the screenshot’s claim or ignores the documents.	Mentions a source but not the detail that changes the meaning.	Uses the transcript or email to correct the claim accurately.	Uses both documents and names what they still cannot confirm.
Reasoning	Treats the clip as fake or as final.	Corrects the claim but adds a guess about motive.	Explains the difference between an entrance change and a cancellation.	Explains how the crop produced the wrong conclusion and avoids inventing motive.
Audience & purpose	Message would not help someone decide whether to leave.	Gives the verdict but leaves out time or entrance.	Gives time, entrance and a contact.	Anticipates access needs and people who saw only the original post.

16

Lesson 1Check your workGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page. Skip this page. Score the messages yourself with the rubric.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Circulate and ask for one added fact or one removed guess.

Watch for

Misconception: Students make surface edits only. Listen for: “I fixed the spelling.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for one added fact or one removed guess.

Support

Let students mark rubric levels with a partner before they revise.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The educator checks the update against the four success criteria and listens during partner talk for one piece of named evidence.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses the transcript or email to correct the claim accurately.

Reasoning: Explains the difference between an entrance change and a cancellation.

Audience & purpose: Gives time, entrance and a contact.

Revision: Adds a missing fact or removes an unsupported claim.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change after feedback.	Surface edits only.	Adds a missing fact or removes an unsupported claim.	Explains why each edit makes the update more usable.

One change I made

I changed ___ because ___.

I changed “come like normal” to “use the front entrance” because the side door is closed.

Notes

17

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 10 minutes.

1 The clip is real. How did it lead people to the wrong conclusion?

The clip stopped before the coordinator said which door. Then the caption added the word “canceled.”

2 Should the crew say why they think the clip was posted? Why or why not?

No. The documents do not say why it was posted. A guess could start a new argument.

My take

I think the crew should ___ because ___.

I think the crew should tell people the screening is on because the booking email says so.

The evidence that changed my first guess is ___.

The meeting transcript changed my first guess. It says only the side door is closed.

One question I still have is ___.

One question I still have is whether everyone can use the front entrance.

18

Lesson 1Questions to discussGrades 6–8 educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Use the first My take frame as an exit ticket.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a feeling about the poster.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Map how the rumor would travel through three different chats and who would miss the correction.

Going further: Ask who has already changed plans because of the post, and how the crew can reach them. Then write two truthful captions for the correction. What does each one make a reader notice first?

Going further: Trace the clip back to the full meeting transcript. When you share the clip, keep the sentence before it and the words that come right after it.

Going further: Make a 20-second correction video with readable captions and a link to the source.

Going further: Ask a teacher or someone in the front office which channel carries official changes, such as email, an app or the school website. Save that channel so you can check it before you repost a screenshot.

Heat check

Question 2: Medium. Students may guess at the poster’s motive or bring up people they know who post rumors.

Cool-down: Ask what the documents say about why it was posted. They say nothing. Write “unknown” on the board and return to the evidence.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Grades 6–8 student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?

In this case, a short video clip in a group chat makes a group of friends think their movie night is canceled. Your student compared the clip with the full meeting notes and a booking email, then wrote a message that corrects the mix-up.

Questions to talk about

What would you check before you share a screenshot?
Where does your school post official updates, such as closings?
What makes a correction easy to trust?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

19

Lesson 2Case planGrades 6–8 educator edition

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?

Content note

This case discusses disability, evaluations and support plans. No student should share their own grades, diagnosis or support plan, so keep the discussion on Dec’s situation.

Overview

Students read about Dec, a high school senior who explains a circuit well out loud but loses his place on a dense practice sheet. They sort the evidence into what is observed, what might explain it and what is not established, using a summary of the IDEA evaluation rule. They then redesign the practice sheet or draft a support request that Dec could approve.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

find the main point of a short set of directions

tell what someone did from why they did it

write three to five sentences that explain a choice

Objectives

Students will be able to:

name the learning goal of a task in their own words

separate a task’s goal from its format

redesign the format so the same goal is easier to show

Objectives, continued

explain why the new version still tests the same goal

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B on half-pages, with the goal line enlarged

A large printed circuit diagram to mark up, one per pair

The task in this edition

Task: Redesign Dec’s practice sheet so it still checks circuit understanding, then explain your changes to a partner.

Students make: Annotated sketch plus 3–5 sentence explanation

Pacing

Opener (page 20): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Key terms (pages 21 and 22): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (pages 25 and 26): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Read Evidence B aloud. Students fill in only the “What it shows” boxes.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 27 and 28): 8 min. Short on time: 3 min. Say the IDEA rule in one sentence. Skip the code of ethics.

Sort the evidence (pages 29 and 30): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 31): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Vote on the options. Skip the draft fixes.

Your task (pages 32 and 33): 18 min. Short on time: 15 min. Students sketch in pairs and write two sentences each.

Check your work (pages 34 and 35): 6 min. Short on time: skip. Check sketches against the success criteria yourself.

Questions to discuss (page 36): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Use question 2 as an exit ticket.

Talk about this case at home (page 37): at home.

Periods: full chapter 80 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

RI.6.1 Use evidence from the text to support what it says directly and what you can infer from it.

RI.6.7 Combine information from words, images and numbers to build a clear understanding of a topic.

Plan 2

Lesson 2Case planGrades 6–8 educator edition

Lesson 2 plan, continued