Pre-AP English 1 and Pre-AP English 2 educator edition

20 cases, 409 student pages. Each sheet shows a student page with sample answers and notes for you. Student pages have the same page numbers in both books.

Open the student edition Download the educator edition, PDF, 9 MB

Educator edition

Pre-AP English 1 and Pre-AP English 2

Classes using Pre-AP English 1 or English 2, or educators who want tasks built on the Pre-AP shared instructional principles.

20 cases

How to use this educator editionPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 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 may be canceled. The clip says “we are removing access.”

What it leaves out

What the coordinator said next, and which access is being removed.

Evidence BCoordinator’s meeting transcript, Friday 3:30 p.m.

The full update

“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.”

Look closely: Which four words narrow what “access” means? Underline them.

What it shows

Only the broken side-door reader loses access. Bookings stay; use the front entrance.

What it leaves out

Whether every visitor can use the front entrance.

Lesson 1Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the last word of the clip. What would you need to hear next?” — Wait for someone to find “through that reader” in 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.

Plan the coursePre-AP educator edition

Plan the course

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
1 Is the screening canceled?	Close-read the cropped clip against the coordinator’s full transcript. Annotate the exact words the crop removed, then write one paragraph explaining how that omission changes what “access” means.	Annotated transcript plus one paragraph (150–200 words)	95	50	SPJ Code of Ethics
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?	Observe the practice sheet and Dec’s spoken explanation side by side, then write an evidence-based paragraph answering: what is this task actually measuring?	Observation chart plus one paragraph (150–200 words)	86	45	CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?	Close-read Gia’s first apology word by word. Mark every phrase about intent and every phrase about fact, then lead a four-person conversation on whether “Sorry if this came across wrong” corrects anything.	Annotated draft plus a 150-word discussion summary	82	50	PRSA Code of Ethics
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?	Observe the agenda, the budget note and the listening notes closely, then write an evidence-based paragraph on which option best balances the $200 gap and evening access.	Two paragraphs (about 300 words total)	87	50	ASPA Code of Ethics
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?	Closely observe the pay statement line by line, calculate each figure, and write an evidence-based explanation of where Gia’s money went.	Completed table plus explanation (200 words)	71	45	PayrollOrg Code of Ethics

Plan the course, continuedPre-AP educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
6 What can your family see in your college records?	Closely examine the parent-access form field by field and write an evidence-based explanation of what it authorizes and what it doesn’t.	Observation table plus a 200-word explanation	71	45	AACRAO Ethics and Practice
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?	Close-read the Matilda library extract and the district reconsideration notice, then write an evidence-based comparison of how each text treats access to books.	Annotated texts plus comparison (200–250 words)	74	50	ALA Code of Ethics
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?	Closely observe Gia’s review frame by frame, including what’s said, shown and captioned, and write an evidence-based paragraph on when a viewer learns about the free copy.	Observation grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)	79	45	FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255)
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?	Closely observe a sample ballot’s structure and write an evidence-based explanation of what Dec will actually be deciding.	Observation grid plus explanation (200 words)	79	45	SPJ Code of Ethics
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?	Closely observe Mateo’s photo, the detour sign and the route map, then write an evidence-based paragraph on what the evidence shows about Sami’s whole trip and what it leaves out.	Annotated map plus paragraph (150–200 words)	79	45	ASPA Code of Ethics
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?	Closely compare Jordy’s and Gia’s statements and the crew schedule, and write an evidence-based paragraph on what could explain the rate difference.	Comparison grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)	77	45	SHRM Code of Ethics

Plan the course, continuedPre-AP educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
12 When can a school limit what students say?	Closely observe Anika’s poster as a visual text, including the logo photo, the slogan and the layout, and write an evidence-based paragraph on who the poster appears to speak for.	Annotated poster plus paragraph (150–200 words) and redesign note	72	45	ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?	Closely observe the supply list and packaging box, record quantities, and write an evidence-based paragraph proposing one reduction.	Quantity log plus paragraph (150–200 words)	72	45	FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260)
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?	Closely observe Caio’s rough cut and list every outside element, then write an evidence-based paragraph on which one raises the biggest rights question and why.	Inventory plus paragraph (150–200 words)	90	45	AIGA Standards of Professional Practice
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?	Closely read the internship listing and the studio’s reply, and write an evidence-based paragraph on whether the listing describes training or work.	Annotated listing plus paragraph (150–200 words)	90	45	NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice
16 Who wrote the new building rule?	Closely observe the unsigned notice’s form (bold type, imperatives, no issuer) and write an evidence-based paragraph on how it claims authority.	Annotated notice plus paragraph (150–200 words)	90	45	ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct

Plan the course, continuedPre-AP educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?	Hold a Socratic seminar on “Is first-come, first-served fair?” using the three options, then write an evidence-based reflection on how your view changed.	Seminar participation plus reflection (200 words)	77	50	The Belmont Report
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?	Closely read the budget excerpt’s labels, units and notes, then write an evidence-based explanation of what the $48 million figure can and cannot tell the theater crew.	Annotated excerpt plus explanation (200 words)	72	45	ASPA Code of Ethics
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?	Closely read the comment instructions and agenda item, then rehearse Gia’s comment in an academic conversation where listeners must restate her request.	Revised 90-second comment plus a listener log	72	45	ASPA Code of Ethics
20 Can the crew post this image as true?	Closely observe the courtyard image and its caption, record what can and can’t be seen, and write an evidence-based verification paragraph.	Observation grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)	68	45	RTDNA Code of Ethics

Standards in this editionPre-AP 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.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

RI.9-10.6 Identify an author’s view or purpose and analyze how the author uses rhetoric to advance it. Lessons 1 and 3

RI.9-10.8 Evaluate an argument’s claims, reasoning and evidence, and identify false statements and faulty reasoning. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust 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

W.9-10.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence. Lessons 13, 14, 17 and 19

W.9-10.1.a Introduce a precise claim, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence clearly. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.9-10.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly, giving evidence for each and their strengths and limits, with the audience in mind. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 20

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

Academic conversation Pre-AP English. Students test and refine ideas in respectful discussion with classmates and change their views when new information warrants it. Lessons 1, 3, 7, 9, 14, 16, 17, 19 and 20

Close observation and analysis Pre-AP English. Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20

Evidence-based writing Pre-AP English. Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

Higher-order questioning Pre-AP English. Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. Lessons 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17 and 18

Professional standards in this editionPre-AP 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

Professional standards in this edition, continuedPre-AP 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

Professional standards in this edition, continuedPre-AP 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

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedPre-AP 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

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedPre-AP 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

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedPre-AP 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

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedPre-AP 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

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedPre-AP 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

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Access, language and discussionPre-AP educator edition

Access, language and discussion

Supports in this edition

Vocabulary: Name the four principles with students so they can see which one each step practices; keep case concepts on a word wall.
Read aloud: Read the primary text aloud once before independent observation.
Bilingual planning: Allow observation logs in any language and provide the Spanish glossary; conversation stems can be offered in two languages. Never ask a student to disclose a disability, immigration status, family finances or private records to take part.
Oral rehearsal: The academic-conversation step doubles as rehearsal: students test their claim aloud before writing.
Other ways to respond: Allow an annotated image or a recorded explanation for the observation step; the evidence-based writing step remains written.

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.

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How this book worksPre-AP 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.

ContentsPre-AP student edition

1 Is the screening canceled?3
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?23
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?44
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?64
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?83
6 What can your family see in your college records?103
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?123
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?142
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?161
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?182
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?202
12 When can a school limit what students say?222
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?242
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?263
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?283
16 Who wrote the new building rule?303
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?324
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?344
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?364
20 Can the crew post this image as true?384

Lesson 1Case planPre-AP 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:

quote a text word for word

tell an observation from an inference

challenge a partner’s idea politely

Objectives

Students will be able to:

log what they see before explaining what it means

quote the exact words the crop removed

Objectives, continued

write a paragraph that supports one claim with two quotations

revise the paragraph in response to a partner’s challenge

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B and C printed side by side

The case rubric, printed on the Check your work page

The task in this edition

Task: Close-read the cropped clip against the coordinator’s full transcript. Annotate the exact words the crop removed, then write one paragraph explaining how that omission changes what “access” means.

Students make: Annotated transcript plus one paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 3): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Key terms (pages 4 and 5): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 9): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 10): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 11 and 12): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 13): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 14): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 15 and 16): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Model the first row of the observation log together.

Your draft (page 17): 20 min. Short on time: 16 min. Students write the claim sentence and two quotations in class and finish the paragraph at home.

Check your work (pages 18 and 19): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Skip the rubric boxes. Students fill in only the two check fields.

Questions to discuss (pages 20 and 21): 7 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 22): at home.

Periods: full chapter 95 minutes; one period 50 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students annotate the precise words the crop removed.

Plan 1

Lesson 1Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 1 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students write a paragraph grounded in quoted evidence.

Academic conversation Students test and refine ideas in respectful discussion with classmates and change their views when new information warrants it. In this case: Pairs challenge each other’s inferences before revising.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

RI.9-10.6 Identify an author’s view or purpose and analyze how the author uses rhetoric to advance it.

RI.9-10.8 Evaluate an argument’s claims, reasoning and evidence, and identify false statements and faulty reasoning.

W.9-10.1.a Introduce a precise claim, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence clearly.

W.9-10.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly, giving evidence for each and their strengths and limits, with the audience in mind.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

Standards, continued

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

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 (page 9): Low

Look at the evidence (page 10): Low

Key idea (pages 11 and 12): Low

Sort the evidence (page 13): Medium

Practice (page 14): Medium

Check your work (pages 18 and 19): Low

Try it at your school

Find out how your school sends urgent updates.

Try it at your school, continued

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 1b

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP 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 5 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?

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”

Lesson 1Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

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?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

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

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the room is closing, because the clip says access is being removed.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

What the crop left out

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 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: Ten minutes before Gia’s shift

On Friday afternoon, the Common Room smells like coffee and cardboard. The shared event space sits inside a bookshop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and tonight it belongs to the crew. Mateo booked it for a 6 p.m. screening, their first in the neighborhood, and he has been dragging folding chairs into rows since lunch. Jordy is running a caption test on the projector. Gia is squeezing in an hour of help between class and a café shift. Sami is on the train from the print shop.

At 4:52 p.m., the group chat lights up. Someone has forwarded a seven-second clip from a meeting about the room. The coordinator says, “we are removing access,” and the video ends. The caption reads, “They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?”

The pressure arrives at once. Gia sees people asking whether to turn around, and she wants to protect them from a wasted trip. Mateo admits he wants the clip to be fake. Jordy, who spends a lot of time with edited video, notices that the clip stops in the middle of a sentence. Before anyone answers, Jordy asks for the rest of the recording.

In this case, you are the person who reads the full transcript before Gia posts. That is a small job with large effects, because every guest who sees the chat will act on what the crew says next.

Stop and think. Gia and Mateo both have reasons to want a quick answer. How could each reason push the crew toward a mistake?

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Three possible replies, one set of facts

The caption makes a claim, a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. The coordinator’s meeting transcript from 3:30 p.m. is the original source. It says the side-door reader is broken and that access is being removed “through that reader tonight.” It adds that existing room bookings remain in place and that people should use the staffed front entrance. Mateo’s booking email, sent Tuesday, confirms the event for 6 to 9 p.m. It lists a step-free front entrance with staff at the desk from 5:30.

Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means. With context, the clip means something narrow: one door is closed. Without it, the clip seems to cancel the whole night.

Consider the three replies the crew could send. “Cancel your plans” spreads the rumor before anyone checks. “The post is fake” goes too far, because the clip is real. The problem is what it leaves out. The strongest first move is a holding statement, a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. Jordy posts one: “We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.” Then Gia corrects the claim in the same chat where it started. She gives the time and the front entrance, which Sami needs because she usually comes in the side way.

Stop and think. Why is “The post is fake” a weaker reply than a holding statement, even though the screening is on?

Framing in the real world

Media researcher Robert Entman described framing as a process of selection and emphasis (Robert M. Entman, “Framing,” 1993). Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. A crop is one of the simplest frames. It keeps “removing access” and drops “through that reader.” You do not need to prove intent to point out a frame. You only need to show what the edit leaves out.

Real fact-checkers see the same pattern with screenshots. PolitiFact examined an image that looked like a story from The Atlantic about President Biden. It looked official, but the outlet never published it (PolitiFact, August 1, 2022). PBS NewsHour Classroom teaches students to treat a screenshot as a claim, not proof, and to trace it back to the original post (PBS NewsHour Classroom, November 17, 2022).

Professional codes say the same thing. The Society of Professional Journalists tells reporters to “verify information before releasing it” and to “use original sources whenever possible” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014). The crew’s version of that rule is small and concrete: find the full transcript, then post. Every later case in this series builds on that first skill.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Stop and think. Where have you seen a cropped clip or screenshot change what people thought happened?

Sources

Real sourceRobert M. Entman1993

Framing

Real sourcePolitiFactAugust 1, 2022

Viral image shows fake story from The Atlantic about Biden

Real sourcePBS NewsHour ClassroomNovember 17, 2022

Lesson plan: How to spot fake screenshots on social media

Real sourceSociety of Professional JournalistsSeptember 6, 2014

SPJ Code of Ethics

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 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 may be canceled. The clip says “we are removing access.”

What it leaves out

What the coordinator said next, and which access is being removed.

Evidence BCoordinator’s meeting transcript, Friday 3:30 p.m.

The full update

“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.”

Look closely: Which four words narrow what “access” means? Underline them.

What it shows

Only the broken side-door reader loses access. Bookings stay; use the front entrance.

What it leaves out

Whether every visitor can use the front entrance.

Lesson 1Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the last word of the clip. What would you need to hear next?” — Wait for someone to find “through that reader” in 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?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

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, 6–9 p.m. The front entrance is step-free and staffed.

What it leaves out

Anything about the side door. It was sent on Tuesday, before the Friday meeting.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether every visitor can use the staffed front entrance (the email says step-free, not that every arrival need is covered), who first cropped the clip and why, and how many people already changed their plans.

Notes

Lesson 1Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the last word of the clip. What would you need to hear next?” — Wait for someone to find “through that reader” in 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?Pre-AP 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

The transcript goes on to say ___.

The transcript goes on to say access is removed “through that reader tonight” and that existing room bookings remain in place.

Lesson 1Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

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?Pre-AP 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

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim. Write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 8 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 ___.

The coordinator’s and the poster’s. I would ask the coordinator whether every visitor can use the front entrance, and ask the poster where the clip came from.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP 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 names the uncertainty without repeating the claim as fact. A could make people change plans too early. C goes further than the evidence, because the clip is real.

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 stops before the coordinator says which access.

Rewrite phrase 2

Please use the staffed, step-free front entrance. The side door is closed.

Lesson 1PracticePre-AP 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?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Close-read the cropped clip against the coordinator’s full transcript. Annotate the exact words the crop removed, then write one paragraph explaining how that omission changes what “access” means.

Use: The screenshot, the full transcript and the booking email, printed side by side.

You’ll make: Annotated transcript plus one paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 50 minutes

Read the clip in Evidence A and the transcript in Evidence B side by side.
Fill in the observation log: first what you see, then what you infer.
Underline the exact words the crop removed.
Write one claim sentence about how the missing words change the meaning of “access.”
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words that supports your claim with two quotations.
Trade with a partner. Ask your partner to challenge one inference.
Revise your paragraph. On the Check your work page, write what changed.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

I see (clip)

The clip ends with “we are removing access—”.

I infer

Whoever wrote the caption assumed the whole room is closing.

Lesson 1Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Model the first row of the observation log together.

Say this

“Log what you see before you say what it means. Only facts in the left column.” — Model one row: “I see the clip ends at ’access.’”

Watch for

Misconception: Inferences go in the observation column. Listen for: “I see that they lied.” Then: Ask: can you point to that on the page? If not, it goes in the infer column.

Support

Observation log with two columns: what I see, what I infer

Question stems: “What if the clip ended one sentence later?”

Pair talk with norms before writing

Stretch

After a partner challenges one inference, revise the paragraph and mark what changed.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Evidence-based writing; Academic conversation.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; RI.9-10.6; RI.9-10.8; W.9-10.1.a; W.9-10.1.b; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

I see (transcript)

The transcript continues: “through that reader tonight.”

I infer

“Access” means entry through one broken side door, not the whole event.

The words the crop removed

through that reader tonight

My claim sentence

Without the words ___, the word “access” ___.

Without the words “through that reader tonight,” the word “access” seems to mean the whole event instead of one broken side door.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

Without the words “through that reader tonight,” the clip makes “access” sound like the whole event. In the seven-second clip, the coordinator says only “we are removing access,” and the caption adds “Screening canceled?” A reader who sees only the post fills the gap with the biggest possible meaning. The full transcript narrows it: “The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight.” The next sentence answers the question about the event: “Existing room bookings remain in place.” Read together, these quotations show that “access” refers to one entrance and that the screening keeps its booking. The crop did not change any words. It changed which words a reader could see, and that was enough to turn a broken door into a canceled night. The booking email supports this reading, because it confirms the screening for Friday, 6–9 p.m., at the front entrance. A correction should quote the missing words, not only say that the post was wrong.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP 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 10 minutes.

Do you quote the removed words exactly?
YesNo
Do you keep what you see separate from what you infer?
YesNo
Do you support your claim with two quotations?
YesNo
Does your revision answer your partner’s challenge?
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.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP 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.

The inference my partner challenged

My partner asked ___.

My partner asked whether the poster knew what the coordinator said next.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I rewrote my sentence about the poster as a sentence about the crop. The sources show what the crop did, not what the poster knew.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 7 minutes.

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

The crop ended at “we are removing access,” one sentence before “through that reader.” The caption filled the gap with the biggest meaning.

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

No. Nothing in the sources shows what the poster knew. A guess about motive weakens the correction and can start a new argument.

3 Jordy’s holding message does not repeat the word “canceled.” Why might that matter?

Some people read only one word. If the holding message says “canceled,” they might take it as the answer.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should post a holding message, then a correction with the time, the entrance and the source.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The transcript, because it has the words the clip cut off: “through that reader.”

Lesson 1Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 7 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

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.

Write a one-paragraph policy for how the Common Room posts urgent updates

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

A fast warning protects people who are already traveling.

I would change my mind if ___.

The coordinator said the room itself was closing.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?Pre-AP 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.

Lesson 2Case planPre-AP 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:

tell an observation from an inference

quote a short document word for word

ask a question that could test a claim

Objectives

Students will be able to:

log what the sheet asks, what Dec did aloud and what he did on paper before making a claim

write a claim about the task, not about Dec

support the claim with two observations

end with a question the teacher could answer to test the claim

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B printed side by side

The observation chart with three columns

The task in this edition

Task: Observe the practice sheet and Dec’s spoken explanation side by side, then write an evidence-based paragraph answering: what is this task actually measuring?

Students make: Observation chart plus one paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 23): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Key terms (pages 24 and 25): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 29 and 30): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Students read both documents side by side and skip the boxes. The chart replaces them.

Key idea (pages 31 and 32): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (pages 33 and 34): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 35): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Your task (pages 36 and 37): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Model the first row of the observation chart together.

Your draft (page 38): 18 min. Short on time: 15 min. Students write the claim and two observations in class and finish the paragraph at home.

Check your work (pages 39 and 40): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 41 and 42): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 43): at home.

Periods: full chapter 86 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students compare what the task asks with what Dec shows.

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students pose a question that could test their claim.

Plan 2

Lesson 2Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 2 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students write a claim supported by two observations.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

RI.9-10.8 Evaluate an argument’s claims, reasoning and evidence, and identify false statements and faulty reasoning.

W.9-10.1.a Introduce a precise claim, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence clearly.

W.9-10.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly, giving evidence for each and their strengths and limits, with the audience in mind.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment

Codes of ethics, continued

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Professional Ethical Principles

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession: Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 8

Heat map

Opener (page 23): Medium

Key terms (pages 24 and 25): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 29 and 30): Low

Key idea (pages 31 and 32): Low

Sort the evidence (pages 33 and 34): Medium

Practice (page 35): Medium

Check your work (pages 39 and 40): Low

Try it at your school

Learn your school’s route for asking about support.

Find your school’s student handbook or website page on learning support

Write one question you’d want answered, without naming a classmate

Ask a counselor who handles support requests and how parents or students start one

Try it at your school, continued

If a friend is struggling, ask them what they want before doing anything

Who to ask: School counselor, special-education coordinator or a teacher you trust

Safety: Don’t share anyone’s grades, diagnosis or support plan. A parent or guardian usually has to be part of a formal evaluation request for students under 18.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, “IDEA regulations, 34 CFR § 300.304 (evaluation procedures),” No date listed

CAST, “Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0,” 2024

Plan 2b

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?

Dec can explain a circuit out loud but gets lost on a crowded worksheet, so the crew asks what the task measures.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline what Dec can do out loud and where he gets stuck. About 5 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who reads the goal line before anyone decides what Dec knows. New skill: Check what a task is meant to measure.

Dec points to a small light circuit on the table while Anika watches.

What happened

Anika, 16, and Dec, 17, are at the study table twenty minutes before theater rehearsal. They are building a light circuit for a school set. Dec can explain out loud how the current travels through the circuit. On the written practice sheet, he loses his place in the instructions.

The sheet has six dense paragraphs and one small diagram. Anika’s first idea is to run the same timed practice sheet again. Then she draws a larger sketch, and Dec traces the whole circuit correctly.

Mari, 19, is on her break from the bookshop. She does not assume she knows why Dec is stuck. Dec wants help with this task, but he does not want a diagnosis from the group chat.

Your question: Does the practice sheet show what Dec knows, and what should Dec ask his teacher?

Lesson 2OpenerPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Say this

“Dec can explain the circuit out loud. What could make a written sheet harder than talking?” — Set the norm first: nobody shares their own grades or support plans. Take two or three answers.

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide Dec is not trying. Listen for: “He just needs to focus.” Then: Ask what the story says Dec can do. Write “explains the circuit out loud” on the board.

Support

Read What happened aloud while students follow along.

Sketch a simple circuit on the board: battery, switch, LED.

Heat check

Medium. Students may link Dec’s struggle to their own diagnosis or a classmate’s.

Cool-down: Restate the norm: we talk about Dec and the worksheet only. Nobody shares grades, diagnoses or support plans.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Learning goal A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.

En español: meta de aprendizaje

In this case: The practice brief names one goal: explain how a simple circuit works. It does not list speed or reading six dense paragraphs.

Evaluation An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.

En español: evaluación

In this case: Dec’s practice sheet is not an evaluation. It is one observation the crew can describe to a teacher.

Eligibility Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.

En español: elegibilidad

In this case: A practice sheet cannot show whether Dec is eligible for special education. Under IDEA, no single measure can be the only basis for that decision.

Who is involved

Dec

Theater crew, working on the circuit sheet

“I can show you where the current goes. Then I get halfway through the written question and lose my place.”

Anika

Studying the circuit with Dec

“I kept pointing at the page and saying “it’s right there.” I never looked at how the question was written.”

Lesson 2Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

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 think “evaluation” means any test. Listen for: “The worksheet was his evaluation.” Then: Reread the definition. An evaluation is a formal school process, not a practice sheet.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term.

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

Cognates: evaluation (evaluación), eligibility (elegibilidad), circuit (circuito), diagram (diagrama), observation (observación), format (formato), instructions (instrucciones), diagnosis (diagnóstico).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Dec gets stuck on the worksheet?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that Dec needs more practice, because he loses his place on the written sheet.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Is the test measuring the right thing?

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

Learning goal: A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.
Evaluation: An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.
Eligibility: Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.
Context: Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.

The story: A cue sheet with no numbers

The study table is covered in wire, a battery pack and a drawing that is getting bigger by the minute. Anika, 16, and Dec, 17, are building a light circuit for a school set, and rehearsal starts in twenty minutes. Dec can trace the current out loud without a pause: battery, switch, LED and back. On the written practice sheet, he gets halfway through a question and loses his place. The sheet has six dense paragraphs and one small diagram. “It’s like a cue sheet with no numbers,” he says.

Anika’s first instinct is repetition. She suggests running the same timed practice sheet again. Later she admits she kept pointing at the page and saying “it’s right there” without ever looking at how the question was written. When she sketches the circuit larger, Dec traces the whole path correctly. Mari, 19, is on her break from the bookshop. She switches between print and audio in her own reading, and she does not assume she knows why Dec is stuck. She asks him to walk her through it first.

Dec is clear about one boundary. He wants help with this task, but he does not want his friends to diagnose him. Before anyone tells his teacher, Ms. R, what he needs, they have to ask him.

Stop and think. Anika’s first idea was to repeat the timed sheet. What would a second try on the same sheet show, and what would it miss?

Reading the goal line

In Lesson 1, you found the original source before trusting a cropped clip. The original source here is the practice brief. Its goal line reads: “Explain how a simple circuit works.” The brief lists no time limit.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Reading the goal line, continued

A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show. Once you know the goal, you can ask a sharper question. Is the sheet measuring circuit understanding, reading speed or both? Dec’s study-table notes answer part of it. Out loud, with the larger sketch, he traced the whole circuit correctly. On paper, he skipped a line in the instructions and answered a different question from the one asked.

Lesson 1 also gave you the word context, the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means. A single written answer is a little like a cropped clip. It is real, but it leaves out the spoken explanation that shows what Dec knows.

Stop and think. How would you know that a new format shows Dec’s learning more clearly instead of giving away the answer?

Where the crew’s power ends

The crew can change a practice plan. It cannot decide what support Dec qualifies for. An evaluation is a school’s formal process for learning about a student’s needs, using more than one measure. Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program. Under IDEA, a federal law, a public school must use varied tools in an evaluation, and no single measure can be the only basis for deciding eligibility (U.S. Department of Education, IDEA regulations, 34 CFR 300.304). Special educators hold themselves to a similar standard. The Council for Exceptional Children asks them to use assessments that “accurately measure what is intended to be measured” (CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards, no date listed).

Federal guidance on testing makes the same point from another side. Tests should measure a person’s skill, not their disability (ADA.gov, U.S. Department of Justice, February 28, 2020). Reporters are still asking whether common supports, such as extended time, help students show what they know (Education Week, October 13, 2025).

So the crew does what it can. Dec tries the clearer diagram and explains his reasoning again. Anika changes the study plan. Dec decides for himself whether to ask Ms. R about more support. Your role is to read the goal line before anyone decides what Dec knows.

Stop and think. Why does a study session fall outside the IDEA evaluation rule?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of EducationNo date listed

IDEA regulations, 34 CFR § 300.304 (evaluation procedures)

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Sources, continued

Real sourceCouncil for Exceptional Children (CEC)No date listed

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards

Real sourceADA.gov (U.S. Department of Justice)February 28, 2020

ADA Requirements: Testing Accommodations

Real sourceEducation WeekOctober 13, 2025

Does Extended Time on Tests Actually Help Students With ADHD?

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence APractice brief, handed out Monday

The assignment

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.

Look closely: Which skill does the goal line name, and which does it leave out?

What it shows

The goal is explaining a circuit. The page has six dense paragraphs and a small diagram.

What it leaves out

How the sheet is scored, and what the six paragraphs are meant to test.

Evidence BStudy-table notes, Wednesday 3:40 p.m.

Dec’s explanation

Out loud, with the larger sketch: traced the whole path, battery to switch to LED and back. Correct. Written sheet: skipped a line in the instructions and answered a different question from the one asked. Dec: the layout is hard to follow.

Look closely: What did Dec get right out loud that the sheet did not record?

What it shows

Out loud, Dec traced the circuit correctly. On paper, he skipped a line.

What it leaves out

Why the layout is hard for him, and whether he wants formal support.

Lesson 2Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Students read both documents side by side and skip the boxes. The chart replaces them.

Say this

“Put your finger on the goal line in Evidence A. Now find what Dec did out loud in Evidence B.” — Ask students to compare the two before anyone explains why.

Watch for

Misconception: Students read the notes as proof of a disability. Listen for: “So he has a learning disability.” Then: Ask what the notes record: two observations and Dec’s own words. They do not record a cause.

Support

Give Evidence A with the goal line enlarged and the paragraphs numbered.

Read Evidence B aloud.

Cognates: evaluation (evaluación), eligibility (elegibilidad), circuit (circuito), diagram (diagrama), observation (observación), format (formato), instructions (instrucciones), diagnosis (diagnóstico).

Stretch

Ask which parts of Evidence A a teacher could change without changing the goal line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether Dec wants formal support at all, how the sheet is scored, whether other students lose their place in the same layout, and what the teacher meant the six paragraphs to test.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: learning goals

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

Dec’s written answer and his spoken explanation give the crew different information. A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show. The practice brief names one goal: explain how a simple circuit works. It does not list speed, and it does not list reading six dense paragraphs. So the next question is what the sheet was meant to measure and what got in the way.

CAST’s Universal Design for Learning Guidelines encourage giving learners more than one way to take in information and show what they know. For Dec, a larger diagram is a practice option to test. It is not a diagnosis, and it does not change an official test. Ask Dec what helped, and check that he can still explain the circuit.

An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure. Under IDEA, a federal law, a public school must use varied tools in an evaluation. No single measure can be the only basis for deciding eligibility. Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program. A study session is not an evaluation, so Dec decides whether to ask his school how that process starts.

Professional standards

Real sourceCouncil for Exceptional Children (CEC)

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment

“Use culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment procedures that accurately measure what is intended to be measured”

In plain words: Special educators who follow CEC's standards use assessments that measure the skill the task is meant to measure.

Question: The goal is explaining a circuit. Which parts of the sheet test something else, like reading six dense paragraphs?

Lesson 2Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“A learning goal names what a task should show. What does this sheet show besides the goal?” — Wait for “reading the paragraphs.”

“The CEC standard asks for assessments that measure what they are meant to measure. Does this sheet?” — Take a thumbs vote, then ask for evidence.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the CEC code or IDEA as rules for every quiz. Listen for: “It’s illegal to give that worksheet.” Then: Say: “IDEA’s rule covers formal evaluations. The CEC code guides special educators. Neither makes this sheet illegal.”

Support

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

Stretch

Read the second CEC card. Ask how the crew can make sure Dec, not Anika, decides what his message says.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Besides circuits, the sheet tests ___.

Besides circuits, the sheet tests reading six dense paragraphs in order and following a small diagram.

In the news

Real sourceEducation WeekOctober 13, 2025

Does Extended Time on Tests Actually Help Students With ADHD?

Asks the case’s question in real life: does a test accommodation help students show what they actually know?

Real sourceK-12 DiveDecember 3, 2025

IDEA at 50: How the landmark law changed education

Explains where IDEA, evaluations and IEPs came from and why schools must plan around each student’s needs.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownRead each decision in the diagram. Write who decides it in each blank box. About 6 minutes.

Sort who can decide each question. Which decision belongs to the teacher, which to a formal school process, and which only to Dec?

Try a clearer practice format for the circuit goal

Who decides

The teacher, who sets the practice format and the learning goal

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Dec, who decides what to share and whether to ask

Your way in

Start a formal IDEA evaluation or a Section 504 conversation

Who decides

The school’s evaluation process, with a parent or guardian for a student under 18

Under which rule

IDEA evaluation rule: varied tools, no single measure as the sole basis

Who lives with it

Your way in

A counselor or special-education coordinator explains how a request starts

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

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 ___.

Ms. R’s view is missing. I would ask how the sheet is scored and whether reading counts toward the goal.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.

What should the crew try at the study table?

A Run the same timed sheet again so Dec gets more practice.
B Let Dec explain with a larger diagram, then compare his reasoning with the sheet.
C Tell Dec he probably needs an IEP.

Why I chose it

B. It keeps the circuit goal and gathers a second observation. A does not test the layout problem Dec described, and C decides something only a school evaluation can decide.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi Ms. R, Dec failed the circuit sheet again and we think the test is unfair to him. He obviously knows the material because he explained it to us perfectly. At the study table he went through the whole thing out loud with no mistakes. 1 We think he might have a learning disability and should get an IEP so he can get extra time. My cousin has one and it helped her a lot. 2 Can you give him an easier version? We really think this would help him pass. Thanks, Anika and Mari.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

On the sheet, he lost his place and answered a different question.

Rewrite phrase 2

Could we talk about how the sheet checks the goal and about support options?

Lesson 2PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Dec has twenty minutes before rehearsal. What should the crew try right now?” — Take a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because it sounds caring. Listen for: “He needs help, so tell him about an IEP.” Then: Ask who can decide eligibility. Only the school’s evaluation process can.

Heat check

Medium. Option C can prompt stories about classmates’ IEPs.

Cool-down: Say that no student’s plan is discussed here. Ask what the evidence shows about Dec, then go back to the options.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi Ms. R, I’m working on the circuit practice sheet. The goal says we should explain how a simple circuit works. When I talked it through with a larger diagram, I could trace the whole route. On the written sheet, I lost my place in the paragraphs and answered a different question. Could we talk about how the sheet checks the goal and what support options might help me show my reasoning? I can bring both attempts. Anika and Mari helped me write this, and I asked them to. Thanks, Dec

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Observe the practice sheet and Dec’s spoken explanation side by side, then write an evidence-based paragraph answering: what is this task actually measuring?

Use: The practice brief and Dec’s study-table notes.

You’ll make: Observation chart plus one paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Read Evidence A and B side by side.
Fill in the chart: what the sheet asks, what Dec did aloud, what he did on paper.
Write one claim sentence about what the task measures.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words that supports your claim with two observations.
Finish your paragraph with a question the teacher could answer to test your claim.
Trade with a partner. Ask your partner to challenge any line about Dec instead of the task.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

What the sheet asks

Explain a circuit, after six dense paragraphs and a small diagram.

What Dec did aloud

Traced the whole path, battery to switch to LED and back.

What Dec did on paper

Skipped a line and answered a different question.

What would change if the diagram were larger?

He might answer the question asked, as he did with the sketch.

Lesson 2Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Model the first row of the observation chart together.

Say this

“Log what you see before you say what it means. Only facts go in the chart.” — Model one row: “Dec traced the whole path out loud.”

Watch for

Misconception: Inferences about Dec go in the chart. Listen for: “He can’t focus on reading.” Then: Ask: can you point to that in Evidence B? If not, it is an inference.

Support

Observation chart: what the sheet asks, what Dec did aloud, what Dec did on paper

Higher-order question card: “What would change if the diagram were larger?”

Paragraph frame with a claim line

Stretch

Pose one question the teacher could answer that would test your claim.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Higher-order questioning; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; RI.9-10.8; W.9-10.1.a; W.9-10.1.b; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My claim sentence

This task measures ___.

This task measures how well students follow a dense written layout, not only whether they understand how a circuit works.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

This task measures how well students follow a dense written layout, not only whether they understand how a circuit works. The brief names one goal: “Explain how a simple circuit works.” No time limit or speed target is listed. Yet the page places six dense paragraphs and one small diagram between the student and the questions. Dec’s two attempts show why this matters. Out loud, with a larger sketch, he “traced the whole path, battery to switch to LED and back.” On the written sheet, he “skipped a line in the instructions and answered a different question from the one asked.” The circuit was the same in both attempts, and only the format changed. Two observations cannot show why Dec loses his place, so my claim is about the task, not about him. Would the same questions, with numbered steps and a larger diagram, show the teacher more clearly who understands circuits?

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP 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 8 minutes.

Are your observations specific and neutral?
YesNo
Is your claim about the task, not about Dec?
YesNo
Do two observations support your claim?
YesNo
Does your paragraph end with a question the teacher could answer?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Mentions only the score.	Describes Dec’s explanation vaguely.	Cites the goal and two specific observations.	Uses observations and notes what they cannot show.
Reasoning	Concludes Dec has a disability or the test is illegal.	Suggests easier content without linking to the goal.	Connects a possible format barrier to the learning goal.	Distinguishes classroom support from IDEA evaluation accurately.
Audience & purpose	Message speaks for Dec without his input.	Mentions Dec but ignores his voice.	Written in Dec’s voice with his permission.	Respects Dec’s control and gives the teacher a clear next step.

Lesson 2Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Would Dec agree to your work as written? Mark your level honestly. Then make one change.” — Circulate and ask for one removed guess or one added observation.

Watch for

Misconception: Students make surface edits only. Listen for: “I fixed the spelling.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask students to replace one diagnosis with an observation.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The observation chart is checked for specific, neutral details, and the paragraph is scored for a claim about the task supported by two observations.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites the goal and two specific observations.

Reasoning: Connects a possible format barrier to the learning goal.

Audience & purpose: Written in Dec’s voice with his permission.

Revision: Replaces the diagnosis with an observation.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Removes one problem line.	Replaces the diagnosis with an observation.	Explains how each change protects Dec’s privacy and agency.

The line my partner challenged

My partner asked ___.

My partner asked whether “Dec can’t read long directions” was about Dec or about the task.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I changed it to “the page places six dense paragraphs and one small diagram between the student and the questions,” because that describes the task.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.

1 Is the practice sheet checking circuit understanding, reading speed or both?

The goal line names only circuit understanding, and no time limit is listed. But six dense paragraphs mean the sheet also checks reading, so a wrong answer can come from either.

2 How would you know a new format shows Dec’s learning more clearly instead of giving away the answer?

Check that the new sheet still asks Dec to explain the path of the current in his own words. A bigger diagram shows the circuit, but it does not explain it for him.

3 What does the IDEA evaluation rule cover, and why does a study session fall outside it?

It covers formal evaluations by a public school, which must use varied tools. A study session is friends practicing, not a school evaluation.

My take

My claim: ___.

The sheet may be measuring reading as much as circuit knowledge.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The study-table notes, because Dec traced the circuit out loud but went off track on paper.

Lesson 2Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the brief or the notes, not a story about someone you know.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Design a universal design version of a real quiz from another class. Keep its learning goal the same.

Going further: Write down your first guess about why Dec got stuck. Then compare the two observations in the evidence, and write what changed your mind.

Going further: Design two practice sheets that keep the same learning goal: explaining how a simple circuit works. Ask a classmate which one makes the goal easier to show.

Going further: Find the IDEA evaluation rule in its federal source, 34 CFR § 300.304. Quote the part about using more than one measure, and name where it comes from.

Going further: Find your school’s handbook or web page on learning support. Write one question you want answered, without naming a classmate. Then ask a counselor how students or parents start a request.

Research how your state describes the timeline for an initial evaluation after a parent consents

Design a UDL version of a real quiz from another class

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Dec just needs more practice with the same timed sheet.

I would change my mind if ___.

Dec could not explain the circuit out loud either.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?

In this case, a student can explain a light circuit out loud but gets lost on a crowded worksheet. Your student compared the worksheet’s goal with notes from a study session and thought about what the worksheet really measures.

Questions to talk about

Can one test show everything a person knows? Why or why not?
What makes the directions on a worksheet or a form easy to follow?
Who at a school can students ask about help with schoolwork?

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

See the case online.

Lesson 3Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?

Content note

The recap caption blames younger attendees for a late start. Keep the discussion on the event in the story, and do not ask students to describe times they were blamed or stereotyped.

Overview

Students read a short story in which the crew’s recap caption blames “the younger crowd” for a late start. They build a timeline from Jordy’s setup log, which shows that a projector failure caused the delay, and compare it with Gia’s first apology draft. They then write a correction that names the error and a repair step with an owner and a way to check it.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

tell a statement about intent from a statement of fact

take a role in a structured discussion

summarize a view they do not hold

Objectives

Students will be able to:

mark every phrase about intent and every phrase about fact in Gia’s draft

link each claim to the event log

summarize a disagreement fairly, including a view they do not hold

Objectives, continued

use academic language in discussion

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B and D printed side by side

Two highlighters, one for intent and one for fact

Role cards: opener, evidence-finder, questioner, summarizer

The task in this edition

Task: Close-read Gia’s first apology word by word. Mark every phrase about intent and every phrase about fact, then lead a four-person conversation on whether “Sorry if this came across wrong” corrects anything.

Students make: Annotated draft plus a 150-word discussion summary

Pacing

Opener (page 44): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Key terms (pages 45 and 46): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 50): 7 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students read Evidence A and B and skip the boxes.

Pacing, continued

Look at the evidence (page 51): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in only the boxes for Evidence D.

Key idea (pages 52 and 53): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 54): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 55): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 56 and 57): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Your draft (page 58): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Check your work (pages 59 and 60): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric boxes.

Questions to discuss (pages 61 and 62): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Discuss question 1 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 63): at home.

Periods: full chapter 82 minutes; one period 50 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students examine word-level choices in an apology.

Plan 3

Lesson 3Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 3 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Academic conversation Students test and refine ideas in respectful discussion with classmates and change their views when new information warrants it. In this case: Students hold a structured discussion with defined roles.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students summarize a discussion using evidence.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

RI.9-10.6 Identify an author’s view or purpose and analyze how the author uses rhetoric to advance it.

RI.9-10.8 Evaluate an argument’s claims, reasoning and evidence, and identify false statements and faulty reasoning.

W.9-10.1.a Introduce a precise claim, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence clearly.

W.9-10.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly, giving evidence for each and their strengths and limits, with the audience in mind.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

Standards, continued

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Independence and transparency

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

Heat map

Opener (page 44): Medium

Key terms (pages 45 and 46): Low

Look at the evidence (page 50): Low

Look at the evidence (page 51): Low

Key idea (pages 52 and 53): Low

Sort the evidence (page 54): Medium

Practice (page 55): Low

Check your work (pages 59 and 60): Low

Try it at your school

Help a club you’re in write a corrections rule.

Try it at your school, continued

Ask the editor or advisor of a school newsletter, club account or yearbook how they fix mistakes

Suggest a three-step checklist: name the error, show the evidence, say what changes

Offer to test it on an old post together

Keep any real examples anonymous

Who to ask: School newspaper or yearbook advisor, club advisor, student council secretary

Safety: Don’t repost someone else’s mistake to criticize them. Talk to the club privately first.

Sources

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), “PRSA Code of Ethics,” October 2000

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

Critical Media Project, “Zootopia: the press conference,” No date listed

Plan 3b

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?

The crew’s recap caption blamed younger neighbors for a late start, but the event log shows the projector failed.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the caption and the time the projector failed. About 5 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who checks the log’s times before the correction goes up. New skill: Correct a public mistake.

Gia and Jordy sit at a table with a laptop and a printed page.

What happened

It is Sunday at the edit desk. Caio, 24, edited a short recap of Friday’s screening. The crew posted it on Saturday morning. Gia’s caption, “Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized,” sounded believable, because a few people did arrive late.

Then Jordy checks the setup log. The projector failed at 5:40 p.m. The replacement was not running until 6:20, twenty minutes after everyone was seated. The log also says Anika and Dec helped carry chairs before the doors opened.

Anika sends the group a voice note asking why she and Dec are the problem in the post. Gia wants to take responsibility. Her first draft of a correction is mostly about how bad she feels, and the recap caption is still up.

Your question: What should the correction say, and what will the crew do differently next time?

Lesson 3OpenerPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Say this

“Imagine a post says your group caused a problem, and you were helping. What should the post say instead?” — Take two answers. Keep the focus on the crew’s post.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the caption as a harmless joke. Listen for: “It’s just a caption.” Then: Ask who the caption names and what it says they did. Point to Anika’s message.

Support

Read What happened aloud while students follow along.

Write the three times on the board: 5:40, 6:00 and 6:20.

Heat check

Medium. The caption blames an age group, and students may bring up times they were blamed.

Cool-down: Keep the talk on the crew’s post. Nobody needs to share a personal story.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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 claims the late start happened because “the younger crowd” was not organized. Jordy’s setup log checks that claim.

Correction A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

En español: corrección

In this case: Gia edits the original caption, not just her story, so people who saw it learn what was wrong.

Accountability Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.

En español: rendición de cuentas

In this case: The crew names who fixes the caption, who contacts Anika and Dec, and who checks the next recap against the log.

Who is involved

Gia

Wrote the recap caption

“I wrote ‘once the younger crowd finally got organized.’ A few people did come in late, so it felt true. I never checked why we started late.”

Jordy

Kept the setup log on Friday

“My log says Anika and Dec were carrying chairs before doors opened. The caption turned them into the reason we started late.”

Lesson 3Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

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 think saying sorry is the same as a correction. Listen for: “She apologized, so it’s fixed.” Then: Reread the definition. A correction replaces wrong information with supported information.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term.

Frame: “The claim was ___. The correction says ___.”

Cognates: correction (corrección), evidence (evidencia), error (error), projector (proyector), stereotype (estereotipo), repair (reparación), responsibility (responsabilidad), public (público).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what should Gia’s correction say first?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is an apology to Anika and Dec, because the caption hurt them.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Fix the post, not just the feeling

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.
Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.
Accountability: Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.

The story: Sunday at the edit desk

The screening from Lesson 1 went ahead, and on Saturday at 11:08 a.m. the crew posted a recap. Caio, who edits the crew’s videos, cut it together. Gia wrote the caption: “Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized.” It sounded right to her. A few people had come in late, and the start had slipped.

On Sunday, Jordy opens the setup log they kept on Friday. The entries are short and exact. At 5:40 p.m., a projector failure was reported. At 6:00, attendees were seated. At 6:20, the replacement projector was connected. A note at the bottom says Anika and Dec helped carry chairs before the doors opened. Jordy admits something uncomfortable in the group chat. Nobody opened the log before posting, including Jordy.

Then Anika’s voice note arrives: “We were helping you set up. Why are we the problem in this post?”

Gia owns the caption, and she knows it. She has already drafted a correction, though it has not gone up. It reads, “Sorry if this came across wrong. We love our younger neighbors and would never want anyone to feel excluded.” When she reads it back, she hears the problem herself. “If?” she says. It came across exactly the way she wrote it. The draft also never mentions the projector.

Stop and think. Why might Gia’s caption have felt true to her even though it was wrong?

Building the correction

Start with the skill from Lesson 1, finding the original source. The caption makes a claim, a statement that something is true that you can check with evidence.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Building the correction, continued

The log is the original record, and it contradicts the claim. The delay came from equipment, not from a group of people.

A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information. Placement matters. Caio insists on fixing the same post rather than burying it under a new one, because the people who saw the mistake need to see the fix. The correction should name the wrong claim, give the log’s times and leave Gia’s feelings for last, or out entirely.

Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it. The crew assigns owners. Gia corrects the original post. Caio keeps a visible correction note with the edit. Jordy adds a source check before the crew publishes anything new. Anika decides for herself how she feels about the response. Jordy argues that Anika should not have to approve the correction in public. The crew can offer her a private way to answer and leave it there.

Stop and think. Why does Caio want to fix the same post instead of writing a new one?

How real organizations get this right or wrong

A 2016 study of apologies found that taking responsibility and offering to repair the harm mattered most (The Ohio State University News, April 12, 2016). The peer-reviewed paper behind it identified six elements of an effective apology, including an offer of repair (Lewicki et al., Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, April 6, 2016).

Brands face the same test. In 2017, Dove expressed regret after an ad played into a racial stereotype (NPR, October 8, 2017). In 2018, H&M hired a diversity leader after outrage over a “monkey hoodie” ad (NBC News, January 17, 2018). Comparing the words of an apology with what changed afterward is exactly the move Jordy suggests. Judge a fix by what readers understand, not by how sorry it sounds.

Professional codes set the bar. The PRSA code asks practitioners to “act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible” (PRSA Code of Ethics, October 2000). Your job is to check the log’s times before the correction goes up.

Stop and think. What evidence would show that the crew’s repair happened, beyond a new caption?

Sources

Real sourceThe Ohio State University NewsApril 12, 2016

The 6 elements of an effective apology, according to science

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Sources, continued

Real sourceNegotiation and Conflict Management Research (Lewicki et al.)April 6, 2016

An Exploration of the Structure of Effective Apologies

Real sourceNPROctober 8, 2017

Dove Expresses 'Regret' For Racially Insensitive Ad

Real sourceNBC NewsJanuary 17, 2018

H&M hires diversity leader after outrage over 'monkey hoodie' ad

Real sourcePublic Relations Society of America (PRSA)October 2000

PRSA Code of Ethics

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 7 minutes.

Evidence ARecap caption, posted Saturday 11:08 a.m.

The caption

Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized.

Look closely: Which group does this caption ask readers to blame, and on what evidence?

What it shows

The crew told viewers that younger people caused the slow start.

What it leaves out

Any evidence for that, and what caused the delay.

Evidence BSetup log, Friday evening

Jordy’s event log

5:40 p.m. Projector failure reported. 6:00 p.m. Attendees seated. 6:20 p.m. Replacement projector connected. Note: Anika and Dec helped carry chairs before doors opened.

Look closely: What happened at 5:40 that the caption never mentions?

What it shows

Projector failed at 5:40 p.m., replaced at 6:20. Anika and Dec helped set up.

What it leaves out

Whether any latecomers affected the start at all.

Lesson 3Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 7 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Students read Evidence A and B and skip the boxes.

Say this

“Put your finger on 5:40 in the log. Now find anything in the caption about the projector.” — Wait for “nothing.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide Gia is a bad person. Listen for: “Gia is just rude.” Then: Ask what the evidence shows Gia did. The caption made a claim she never checked.

Support

Give the four documents on separate half-pages.

Read Anika’s message aloud in a neutral voice.

Cognates: correction (corrección), evidence (evidencia), error (error), projector (proyector), stereotype (estereotipo), repair (reparación), responsibility (responsabilidad), public (público).

Stretch

Ask which document was written at the time and which were written later, and why that matters.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CVoice note to the crew

Anika’s message

“We were helping you set up. Why are we the problem in this post?”

Look closely: What fact does Anika add, and what is she asking the crew?

What it shows

Anika was helping with setup, and the caption blamed her anyway.

What it leaves out

Whether Anika wants any public response from the crew.

Evidence DDraft correction, Saturday 2:15 p.m., not posted

Gia’s first correction

Sorry if this came across wrong. We love our younger neighbors and would never want anyone to feel excluded.

Look closely: What fact does this correct? Who does the word “if” put the problem on?

What it shows

Gia’s good intentions and her wish to apologize.

What it leaves out

The wrong claim, the projector failure and any change the crew will make.

What is still missing from the evidence?

What each attendee actually experienced, whether any latecomers affected the start at all, how far the recap was reshared, and whether Anika wants any public response.

Lesson 3Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in only the boxes for Evidence D.

Say this

“Put your finger on 5:40 in the log. Now find anything in the caption about the projector.” — Wait for “nothing.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide Gia is a bad person. Listen for: “Gia is just rude.” Then: Ask what the evidence shows Gia did. The caption made a claim she never checked.

Support

Give the four documents on separate half-pages.

Read Anika’s message aloud in a neutral voice.

Cognates: correction (corrección), evidence (evidencia), error (error), projector (proyector), stereotype (estereotipo), repair (reparación), responsibility (responsabilidad), public (público).

Stretch

Ask which document was written at the time and which were written later, and why that matters.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: corrections

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

Gia’s caption did two jobs at once. It explained the late start, and it blamed a group of people for it. A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. Jordy’s setup log checks the caption’s claim and shows a projector failure instead.

A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information. It should appear where people saw the mistake, so the crew should edit the recap caption itself. A 2016 study of apologies found that taking responsibility and offering to repair the harm mattered most. Gia’s first draft talks about loving younger neighbors, and it does neither.

Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it. That means naming who corrects the caption, who contacts the people it blamed and who checks the next recap. Anika does not have to comfort Gia or approve the correction in public. The crew can offer her a private way to respond.

Professional standards

Real sourcePublic Relations Society of America (PRSA)

PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information

“Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible.”

In plain words: Public relations professionals who belong to PRSA agree to fix their own mistakes quickly.

Question: The recap caption went up Saturday at 11:08 a.m. What should the crew change first, and where?

Your answer

The crew should first change ___, in ___, because ___.

The crew should first change the caption itself, in the original post, because that is where people saw the wrong claim.

Lesson 3Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“A correction replaces wrong information with supported information. Which document supplies the supported information?” — Wait for the setup log.

“The PRSA code says to act promptly to correct errors. What should the crew fix first?” — Point to the caption.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the PRSA code as a law. Listen for: “The crew could get sued for that.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. The PRSA 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 card. Ask whether a new post or an edit to the original would reach more of the same readers.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPR Public EditorOctober 21, 2022

That was wrong

How a real newsroom corrects mistakes: name the error, fix it on the story and keep a public list.

Real sourceNPROctober 8, 2017

Dove Expresses 'Regret' For Racially Insensitive Ad

A real brand apology after an ad played into a racial stereotype; compare the words with what changed afterward.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownCompare the four accounts. Mark where they agree, where they differ and which one was written at the time. About 6 minutes.

Place the four accounts side by side. Where do they agree, where do they split, and which one was written down at the time?

Account 1

Caption: the night went well once the younger crowd got organized.

Account 2

Event log: projector failed at 5:40; replacement connected at 6:20; Anika and Dec carried chairs.

Account 3

Anika: “We were helping you set up.”

Where they agree

The screening started late.

Where they differ

What caused the delay: a group’s behavior or an equipment failure?

Check: Which account was recorded at the time rather than remembered afterward?

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 ___.

The views of Dec and the other attendees. I would ask attendees why they thought the screening started late.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what goes first in the correction and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.

What should go first in the correction?

A An explanation of how bad Gia feels about the caption.
B The wrong claim, and what the event log shows.
C Delete the post and stay quiet.

Why I chose it

B. It owns the error and gives new facts people can check. A centers Gia’s feelings, and C lets screenshots keep spreading the claim.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We want to apologize for our last post. We didn’t mean to offend anyone and we love having younger people at our events. It was a really stressful night and 1 things were hectic so we said something we shouldn’t have. Honestly we were all tired and trying to get everything set up on time, and it’s been a lot. We are sorry if anyone was hurt. 2 We promise it won’t happen again and we hope everyone keeps coming! Thank you all for your support and understanding, it means a lot to us.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

The projector failed at 5:40 p.m., and a new one ran at 6:20.

Rewrite phrase 2

Gia and Jordy will check causes against the log before each recap.

Lesson 3PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia is ready to post. What goes first?” — Vote first.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because it sounds sincere. Listen for: “She should say how bad she feels.” Then: Ask what A tells Anika about the delay.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Correction: our recap said the screening started late because younger attendees were disorganized. That was wrong. Jordy’s event log shows the projector failed at 5:40 p.m. and the replacement was connected at 6:20. Anika and Dec actually helped carry chairs before doors opened. We have edited the original caption and messaged the people it blamed. Starting with the next event, Gia and Jordy will check any claim about causes against the event log before we post. We’re sorry we blamed people who were helping us. If you see something we got wrong, message Jordy.

Other notes on the draft:

“We didn’t mean to offend anyone” Talks about intent. It still doesn’t say what was wrong.

“We are sorry if anyone was hurt” “If” puts the problem on readers. Name who was blamed.

“we hope everyone keeps coming” Good goal, but a repair makes that more likely than a hope.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 15 minutes.

Close-read Gia’s first apology word by word. Mark every phrase about intent and every phrase about fact, then lead a four-person conversation on whether “Sorry if this came across wrong” corrects anything.

Use: The published caption, Jordy’s event log and Gia’s draft.

You’ll make: Annotated draft plus a 150-word discussion summary

Time: 50 minutes

Highlight every phrase about intent in Gia’s draft in one color.
Highlight every phrase about fact in a second color.
Check each fact phrase against the log in Evidence B.
Discuss in a group of four: does “Sorry if this came across wrong” correct anything?
Take one role: opener, evidence-finder, questioner or summarizer.
Write a summary of about 150 words on the Your draft page.
Add the view you do not hold, in fair words.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Phrases about intent

“Sorry if this came across wrong” and “would never want anyone to feel excluded”

Phrases about fact

None. The draft names no time, cause or change.

What the log says that the draft leaves out

The projector failed at 5:40 p.m., and Anika and Dec helped carry chairs.

Lesson 3Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Before anyone talks, mark the draft: intent in one color, fact in the other.” — Give three silent minutes, then start the groups.

Watch for

Misconception: Students mark “We love our younger neighbors” as a fact. Listen for: “That’s a fact, they do love them.” Then: Ask what a reader could check. A fact can be checked against the log.

Support

Two-color highlighting key

Conversation roles: opener, evidence-finder, questioner, summarizer

Stems: “I’d push back on that because…”

Stem: “Where in the log do you see that?”

Stretch

Summarize the group’s disagreement accurately in writing, including the view you don’t hold.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Academic conversation; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; RI.9-10.6; RI.9-10.8; W.9-10.1.a; W.9-10.1.b; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

Our discussion question

Does “Sorry if this came across wrong” correct anything?

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 12 minutes.

Your discussion summary, about 150 words

Our group asked whether Gia’s draft, “Sorry if this came across wrong,” corrects anything. Three of us said it does not. Every phrase in the draft is about intent, such as “would never want anyone to feel excluded.” No phrase names the wrong claim or the projector failure that Jordy logged at 5:40 p.m. Our evidence-finder pointed out that the word “if” suggests the problem might be in how readers took the caption. One member disagreed. She argued that a sincere apology matters to Anika and that facts can come in a second post. We agreed that warmth has value. Still, the log shows the caption gave a false cause, and only a correction replaces it. The draft apologizes, but it does not correct the record.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP 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 8 minutes.

Did you mark every phrase about intent?
YesNo
Did you check each fact phrase against the log?
YesNo
Does your summary represent more than one view fairly?
YesNo
Did you use academic language in the discussion?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No evidence about the delay.	Mentions “technical issues” vaguely.	Cites the projector failure from the log.	Cites specific times and corrects who actually helped.
Reasoning	Apologizes for feelings only.	Admits error but not what it was.	Names the inaccurate claim and replaces it.	Explains why the claim harmed a group and how the repair prevents a repeat.
Audience & purpose	Does not consider who saw the post.	Speaks to readers in general.	Reaches the people who were blamed.	Reaches the original audience and the blamed group through appropriate channels.

Lesson 3Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric boxes.

Say this

“Would Anika recognize what happened in your correction? Mark your level, then make one change.” — Ask for one added fact or one removed excuse.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone instead of fixing facts. Listen for: “I made it sound nicer.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for one fact, owner or check added.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The annotated draft is checked for complete, accurate highlighting, and the summary is scored for representing more than one view fairly with evidence.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites the projector failure from the log.

Reasoning: Names the inaccurate claim and replaces it.

Audience & purpose: Reaches the people who were blamed.

Revision: Adds facts and a repair.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Softens tone only.	Adds facts and a repair.	Adds facts, an owner, a check and removes shifting of blame.

The view I did not hold, in one sentence

A sincere apology matters to Anika, and facts can come in a second post.

What I changed after the discussion

I changed ___ because ___.

I stopped calling Gia’s draft fake, because it shows real regret even though it corrects nothing.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 6 minutes.

1 The caption felt true to Gia because a few people came in late. Why was that not enough evidence?

A few latecomers matched Gia’s guess, but she never checked the cause. The log shows the projector failed at 5:40 p.m.

2 What evidence would show that the repair happened?

The edited caption, a message sent to the people it blamed, and the next recap checked against the log.

3 After the correction goes up, what is still up to Anika and Dec to decide?

Whether to respond at all, and how they feel about the correction. The crew cannot decide that for them.

My take

My claim: ___.

The correction should name the wrong claim before it apologizes.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

Jordy’s setup log, because it was written that night and shows the projector failed.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

An apology that shows feelings is enough between friends.

Lesson 3Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Discuss question 1 only.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the log or the messages, not a story about someone you know.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Compare a real newsroom’s published correction policy with the crew’s plan.

Going further: Ask the people affected what the correction missed, without asking them to forgive anyone. Then decide where the corrected fact should go so the original audience sees it.

Going further: Correct the record where people can see it. Keep enough of the original caption in a correction note to explain what changed.

Going further: Write a caption correction and a short script for an accessible video. Use the same facts in both.

Going further: Ask the editor or advisor of a school newsletter, club account or yearbook how they fix mistakes. Suggest three steps: name the error, show the evidence and say what changes.

Draft how the crew would measure whether younger neighbors come back

Compare a real published correction policy from a newsroom with the crew’s plan

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

I would change my mind if ___.

Anika asked the crew for a public apology before anything else.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?

In this case, a group of friends posts a caption that wrongly blames younger neighbors for a late start. Your student compared the caption with an event log and wrote a correction and a plan to repair the harm.

Questions to talk about

What makes an apology feel complete?
Where should a correction appear so the people who saw a mistake will see it?
How can a group check a claim before it posts about an event?

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

See the case online.

Lesson 4Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?

Overview

Students read a short story about the Common Room, where a nonprofit board is considering paid evening rentals. The rentals would help close a $200 weekly budget gap. Students read the board agenda, a budget note and listening notes from evening users, then map who might miss the meeting. They write a note or a spoken comment with a budget question and an access question.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

calculate a simple difference

tell an observation from an inference

write a paragraph with a claim and evidence

Objectives

Students will be able to:

check each figure in the budget note

write a claim that addresses both the budget and access

use a listening note as evidence

answer a what-if question accurately in a second paragraph

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B and C

The calculation check sheet and a calculator

Materials, continued

The question ladder: what, how, why, what if

The task in this edition

Task: Observe the agenda, the budget note and the listening notes closely, then write an evidence-based paragraph on which option best balances the $200 gap and evening access.

Students make: Two paragraphs (about 300 words total)

Pacing

Opener (page 64): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Key terms (pages 65 and 66): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 70): 10 min. Short on time: 9 min. Students check the figures and fill in only the “What it shows” boxes.

Look at the evidence (page 71): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read the listening notes aloud. Students fill in only the first box.

Key idea (pages 72 and 73): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 74): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 75): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Your task (page 76): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Your draft (page 77): 18 min. Short on time: 18 min.

Check your work (pages 78 and 79): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric boxes. Students fill in only the two check fields.

Questions to discuss (pages 80 and 81): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 82): at home.

Periods: full chapter 87 minutes; one period 50 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students examine budget figures and listening notes closely.

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students answer a what-if question that tests their claim.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students support a recommendation with figures.

Plan 4

Lesson 4Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 4 plan, continued

Standards, continued

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

RI.9-10.8 Evaluate an argument’s claims, reasoning and evidence, and identify false statements and faulty reasoning.

W.9-10.1.a Introduce a precise claim, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the claims, counterclaims, reasons and evidence clearly.

W.9-10.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly, giving evidence for each and their strengths and limits, with the audience in mind.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise.

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.

ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 1 (of 9)

Heat map

Opener (page 64): Low

Heat map, continued

Key terms (pages 65 and 66): Low

Look at the evidence (page 70): Low

Look at the evidence (page 71): Low

Key idea (pages 72 and 73): Low

Sort the evidence (page 74): Medium

Practice (page 75): Low

Check your work (pages 78 and 79): Low

Try it at your school

Find the room where your community’s decisions happen.

With a trusted adult, look up an upcoming library board, school committee or rec-center meeting agenda

Identify which body decides and whether the item is for discussion or a vote

Write one question about who uses the space and when

Check whether written comments are accepted if you can’t attend

Who to ask: Library staff, a rec-center manager, the school board clerk or a student council advisor

Safety: Go to public meetings with a trusted adult. Check whether comments and names become part of the public record before submitting.

Sources

New York City Council, “NYC Council, Library Leaders, and New Yorkers Celebrate Library Budget Restorations to Restore Full Service, as Branches Reopen and Reinstate Services on Sunday for First Time in Months,” July 14, 2024

NYC Mayor’s Office, “Mayor Adams Celebrates $58.3 Million Investment in City’s Three Library Systems,” July 1, 2024

NY1, “Public libraries over the next two weeks to begin closing on Sundays,” November 17, 2023

PIX11 News, “Last Sunday service held at Brooklyn Public Library,” December 17, 2023

Carol Bacchi, “What’s the problem represented to be?,” No date listed

NYC.gov, Brooklyn Community Board 13, “About community boards,” No date listed

Design Council, “The Double Diamond,” No date listed

Plan 4b

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?

The Common Room’s board is weighing paid rentals on two free evenings, so the crew prepares a comment before the meeting.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline who decides and what the board is considering. About 5 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who checks the budget figures before the crew speaks to the board. New skill: Weigh the trade-offs of each option.

What happened

It is the Friday after the crew’s first screening, and the board meeting is coming up. A small neighborhood nonprofit runs the Common Room alongside the bookshop. The nonprofit’s board is considering paid rentals on two evenings a week to help cover staffing. No vote has happened yet.

Mari, 19, works the bookshop counter and closes the shop. She knows that “just keep it free” does not pay the evening staff. Sami runs a print workshop in the room after her afternoon shift. It is one of the few step-free rooms nearby.

Caio, 24, runs the crew’s Tuesday film night. Tuesday is one of the evenings Option B would rent out. Mateo already has a headline for a petition. The crew agrees the room matters, but they do not agree on the best schedule.

Your question: Which option should the crew support, and what should they ask the board?

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Proposal A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.

En español: propuesta

In this case: Option B is a proposal on the board’s agenda. No vote has been taken, so it is not a decision yet.

Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

En español: compensación entre opciones

In this case: Paid rentals help close the $200 weekly gap but take away free evenings Sami and Dec use.

Decision-maker A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

En español: quien toma la decisión

In this case: The nonprofit board decides, not a city community board and not the crew.

Who is involved

Mari

Closes the bookshop, then stays for zine night

“I’m the one they pay to lock up, and I’m also one of the people using this room after. I can’t pretend either half away.”

Sami

Runs a print workshop in the room

“We keep deciding what the evening people need. Has anyone asked them yet?”

Lesson 4Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

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 think a proposal is a decision. Listen for: “The board decided to rent it out.” Then: Reread the definition. A proposal has not been approved yet.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term.

Frame: “A trade-off here is ___. The cost is ___.”

Cognates: option (opción), projection (proyección), community (comunidad), access (acceso), authority (autoridad), equity (equidad), pilot (piloto), decision (decisión).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think the crew should ask the board for?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is keeping both evenings free, because the free nights are why people use the room.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

A headline is not a budget

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

Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

The story: A room with two kinds of value

It is the Friday after the crew’s first screening, and the board meeting is coming up. The Common Room is run by a small neighborhood nonprofit alongside the bookshop, and its board is considering paid rentals on two evenings a week to help cover staffing. Nothing has been decided. Still, the group chat moves fast. Mateo announces that he already has a petition headline.

Mari slows him down. She is 19, works the bookshop counter and is the person paid to close the shop at night. She is also one of the people who use the room afterward, for zine nights with her friends. “I can’t pretend either half away,” she says. On rental nights, she would be staffing a stranger’s event instead of making zines. Maybe that is fine, she admits, but it is still a cost, and nobody has written it down.

Sami, who works afternoons and runs a print workshop in the room in the evening, points to a different gap. The crew keeps deciding what evening users need without asking them. Moving her workshop online would not help. Her printing tools do not fit in a video call. Mateo reads the thread and concedes the point. He had a headline. He did not have the budget.

Stop and think. Mari is paid to close the shop and also uses the room at night. How does that shape what she asks for?

Options, numbers and trade-offs

Start with the Lesson 1 skill and read the original documents. The board agenda lists three options for discussion. Option A keeps the free evenings, and the funding gap remains.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Options, numbers and trade-offs, continued

Option B replaces the Tuesday and Thursday evenings with paid rentals. Option C pilots one rental evening for six weeks while the board seeks more funding. Each is a proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.

The weekly budget note shows $600 in evening staffing and utilities against $400 in grants and donations, a $200 gap. Each rental is projected to add $120 after its extra costs. Two would add $240 and one would add $120, but the note warns that demand is uncertain. The listening notes add the human side. Sami works afternoons. Dec rehearses on Thursdays. Mari closes the shop. A nearby resident worries about late noise, and the meeting time overlaps several shifts.

Every option is a trade-off, a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Lesson 2 taught you to ask what a task is meant to measure. Ask the same of each option: what problem is it designed to solve? Lesson 1’s idea of framing helps too. Option B frames the $200 gap as the problem and the free evenings as the price. That frame leaves two questions open. Who loses those evenings, and what happens if bookings come in lower than projected? Ask the same questions about your own favorite option.

Stop and think. Option B frames the $200 gap as the problem. What does that way of stating the problem leave out?

Who decides, in the room and in the city

A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. The nonprofit’s board controls its own schedule. A city is different. When budget cuts closed New York’s libraries on Sundays, Brooklyn’s last Sunday of service was December 17, 2023 (NY1, November 17, 2023). The restored funding, part of a $58.3 million investment, let the libraries resume Sunday service in July 2024 (NYC Mayor’s Office, July 1, 2024). Council members credited New Yorkers who called and wrote (New York City Council, July 14, 2024).

Other communities have handed more of the choice to residents. Evanston, Illinois, let anyone 14 and older help decide how to spend $3 million in public money (PBS, May 29, 2024). Your role in this case is to check the budget figures before the crew speaks to the board.

Stop and think. If the board chooses an option the crew did not support, how should the crew tell the group what happened?

Sources

Real sourceNY1November 17, 2023

Public libraries over the next two weeks to begin closing on Sundays

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Sources, continued

Real sourceNYC Mayor’s OfficeJuly 1, 2024

Mayor Adams Celebrates $58.3 Million Investment in City’s Three Library Systems

Real sourceNew York City CouncilJuly 14, 2024

NYC Council, Library Leaders, and New Yorkers Celebrate Library Budget Restorations to Restore Full Service, as Branches Reopen and Reinstate Services on Sunday for First Time in Months

Real sourcePBS (Preserving Democracy)May 29, 2024

Get Involved: How will this Chicago-area community collectively spend $3 million?

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence ABoard agenda, Wednesday 6:30 p.m. meeting

The proposal

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.

Look closely: Is this a vote or a discussion? Which words tell you?

What it shows

Three options are up for discussion, and no vote has been taken.

What it leaves out

Who uses each evening, and what happens if the pilot falls short.

Evidence BWeekly budget note for the board

The budget note

Evening staffing and utilities: $600. Current grants and donations: $400. Each paid rental is projected to add $120 after its extra costs. Two bookings would add $240; one would add $120. Demand is uncertain.

Look closely: Which number is a guess, and what could change it?

What it shows

The weekly gap is $200. Two rentals could cover it if the projection holds.

What it leaves out

Whether the $120 projection is based on any past bookings.

Lesson 4Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 9 min. Students check the figures and fill in only the “What it shows” boxes.

Say this

“Put your finger on the word “projected” in the budget note. What does it tell you about the $120?” — Wait for “it’s a guess.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat $120 per rental as guaranteed. Listen for: “Two rentals means $240, done.” Then: Point to “Demand is uncertain.” Ask what happens with one booking, or none.

Support

Provide a calculator and work $600 − $400 = $200 together.

Read one option at a time aloud.

Cognates: option (opción), projection (proyección), community (comunidad), access (acceso), authority (autoridad), equity (equidad), pilot (piloto), decision (decisión).

Stretch

Ask students to work out the gap with zero, one and two rentals, and say which result is a guess.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CListening notes from evening users

The missing voices

Sami works afternoons. Dec rehearses on Thursdays. Mari closes the shop. A nearby resident worries about late noise. The proposed meeting time overlaps with several shifts.

Look closely: Whose voice is missing from these four notes?

What it shows

Four evening users have different needs, and the meeting conflicts with shifts.

What it leaves out

Everyone else who uses the room, including people who cannot attend.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Who uses the room on other evenings, whether the $120 projection rests on any past bookings, what the board will do if the pilot underperforms, and the views of evening users who were not in the listening notes.

Notes

Lesson 4Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Read the listening notes aloud. Students fill in only the first box.

Say this

“Put your finger on the word “projected” in the budget note. What does it tell you about the $120?” — Wait for “it’s a guess.”

Watch for

Support

Provide a calculator and work $600 − $400 = $200 together.

Read one option at a time aloud.

Cognates: option (opción), projection (proyección), community (comunidad), access (acceso), authority (autoridad), equity (equidad), pilot (piloto), decision (decisión).

Stretch

Ask students to work out the gap with zero, one and two rentals, and say which result is a guess.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: trade-offs

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

The board is weighing a proposal about the free evenings. A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. Option B would help close the $200 weekly gap, but it would end the free Tuesday and Thursday evenings. A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Every option on the agenda has one, including the one you prefer.

Carol Bacchi’s policy-analysis approach asks what a proposed solution assumes the problem is. Option B treats the $200 gap as the problem and two free evenings as the price. That leaves two questions open: who loses those evenings, and what happens if bookings come in lower than projected? Ask the same questions about your own favorite option.

A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. Here, the nonprofit’s board controls its own schedule. A community board or a city agency would follow other rules. A strong comment names the proposal, explains one effect with evidence and asks for a decision the board can make. The board can still choose an option the crew did not ask for.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise

“Provide accurate, honest, comprehensive, and timely information and advice to elected and appointed officials and governing board members”

In plain words: ASPA members agree to give decision-makers, such as board members, accurate and complete information.

Question: The budget note projects $120 more per rental. What should it also tell the board about how certain that is?

Your answer

The note should also say ___, because ___.

The note should also say that demand is uncertain and what happens with only one booking, because the gap would stay at $80.

Lesson 4Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“A trade-off means gaining one benefit costs something else. What does each option cost, and who pays?” — Build a three-column chart: A, B, C.

“The ASPA code asks for accurate, complete information for decision-makers. What is missing from the budget note?” — Wait for the basis of the $120.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the ASPA code as a law. Listen for: “The board has to follow ASPA.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. The ASPA 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 second ASPA card. Ask how the board could hear from evening users who cannot attend.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceEducation WeekFebruary 6, 2023

Letting Students Decide Where Money Should Go: How One District Did It

A real district let students propose and vote on how shared school spaces and money would change.

Real sourceFirst Alert 4 (KMOV)June 4, 2026

St. Louis shuts down streets to cars, hands them over to neighbors

A city pilot that changes a shared space for a trial run, so neighbors can test trade-offs before anything is permanent.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each option to its consequences. Mark the consequences that depend on a projection. About 8 minutes.

Follow each option to its consequences. Which consequences depend on a projection, and who carries the cost if it misses?

Option B: paid rentals replace Tuesday and Thursday evenings

A projected $240 would cover the $200 gap if both evenings book
Who is affected
Check: What happens if bookings fall short of the projection?
Dec loses Thursday rehearsals and Mari’s late evenings stop being usable
Who is affected
Evening users, including people who cannot attend the meeting

Option C: one rental evening piloted for six weeks

A projected $80 gap remains while the board seeks funding and reviews the pilot
Who is affected
Check: What happens if bookings fall short of the projection?

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 ___.

The view of evening users who were not in the listening notes. I would ask when they use the room and whether they can attend.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what the crew should ask for first and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.

What should the crew ask the board for first?

A Post that the board is taking away the free nights.
B Ask for the budget assumptions, who uses each evening and a way to comment without attending.
C Support whichever option brings in the most money.

Why I chose it

B. It asks for the assumptions and the users before anyone takes a side. A treats a proposal as final, and C counts only money.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

1 The board should not take away our free nights. The Common Room is important to the community and a lot of people use it. I have been coming here for movie nights since it opened and it’s one of the only places we can all hang out without paying. Renting it out just shows 2 the board cares more about money than people. Sami and Dec would lose their spot and that is not fair. Please keep it free for everyone. Thank you for listening.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

The board is discussing a plan to rent two free evenings. No vote has happened.

Rewrite phrase 2

The budget shows a real $200 weekly gap.

Lesson 4PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The meeting is Wednesday. What should the crew ask for first?” — Vote first.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because it feels urgent. Listen for: “We have to warn everyone.” Then: Ask whether the board has voted. It has not, so A misstates the facts.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: I use the Common Room on weeknights, and I’m commenting on the rental options. Option B would replace both Tuesday and Thursday free evenings. Sami meets clients after her print-shop shift, and Dec rehearses Thursdays, so losing both nights hits people with the least flexible schedules. I understand the $200 weekly gap is real. Option C’s one-night pilot could cut it to about $80 if bookings hold. I’m asking the board to choose the pilot, collect written input from evening users who can’t attend, and review the results with them after six weeks.

Other notes on the draft:

“Sami and Dec would lose their spot” Good affected perspectives. Say which evenings and why they matter.

“Please keep it free for everyone” Clear position, but the board needs a plan for the gap. What could it do?

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.

Observe the agenda, the budget note and the listening notes closely, then write an evidence-based paragraph on which option best balances the $200 gap and evening access.

Use: All three evidence cards.

You’ll make: Two paragraphs (about 300 words total)

Time: 50 minutes

Check each figure in Evidence B on the calculation sheet.
Underline “Demand is uncertain” in the budget note.
Choose the option that best balances the $200 gap and evening access.
Write a paragraph with a claim, a figure, a perspective and a limit.
Write a second paragraph that answers: what if only one booking comes through?
Trade with a partner who asks you one question as a board member.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Gap with no rentals

$200

Gap with one rental

$80

Gap with two rentals

None, $40 over

My claim

Option C best balances the budget and access, because it tests rentals while it keeps one free evening.

Lesson 4Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Which number is a guess?” — Circle “projected.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students subtract $120 from $600. Listen for: “That leaves $480.” Then: Start from the $200 gap.

Support

Calculation check sheet

Question ladder: what, how, why, what if

Paragraph frame: claim, figure, perspective, limit

Stretch

Answer a “what if only one booking comes through?” question in a second paragraph.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Higher-order questioning; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; RI.9-10.8; W.9-10.1.a; W.9-10.1.b; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Answer key

A strong response:

Figures are calculated and stated correctly

Claim addresses budget and access

Uses at least one listening note

Second paragraph handles the what-if accurately

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Paragraph 1: claim, figure, perspective, limit

Option C best balances the budget and evening access. The budget note shows $600 in weekly costs against $400 in grants and donations, a $200 gap. Each rental is projected to add $120, so one rental evening would leave a projected gap of about $80. Option B could close the gap, but it would end both free evenings, and the listening notes say Dec rehearses on Thursdays. Option C keeps one free evening while the board seeks more funding. Its limit is that the $80 figure depends on a projection the note calls uncertain.

Paragraph 2: what if only one booking comes through?

If only one booking comes through, Option B would bring in $120 instead of $240. The gap would stay at $80, and both evenings would still be set aside for rentals. Under Option C, one booking is the plan, so the projected gap is the same $80, and one free evening remains. The what-if makes Option C look stronger, because it costs evening users less for the same projected result.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP 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 8 minutes.

Are your figures calculated and stated correctly?
YesNo
Does your claim address both the budget and access?
YesNo
Do you use at least one listening note?
YesNo
Does your second paragraph answer the what-if accurately?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No figures or perspectives.	Mentions money or people vaguely.	Uses one figure and one affected perspective accurately.	Uses figures conditionally and names an uncertainty.
Reasoning	Assigns bad motives to the board.	States a preference without addressing the gap.	Recommends an option and addresses the gap.	Weighs trade-offs across options and explains the choice.
Audience & purpose	Speaks to the wrong decision-maker.	Addresses the board but asks for nothing specific.	Makes a request the board can act on.	Requests a process that includes people who can’t attend.
Revision	No change.	Tone edits only.	Replaces a motive claim with evidence.	Adds a figure, a perspective and a follow-up request.

Lesson 4Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric boxes. Students fill in only the two check fields.

Say this

“Could a board member act on your request tomorrow? Mark your level, then make one change.” — Ask for one figure stated as a projection.

Watch for

Misconception: Students state the $120 as certain. Listen for: “The pilot will bring in $120.” Then: Point to the Evidence row. Add “is projected to.”

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Paragraphs are scored for correct calculations, a claim that addresses both budget and access, use of a listening note and an accurate answer to the what-if.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses one figure and one affected perspective accurately.

Reasoning: Recommends an option and addresses the gap.

Audience & purpose: Makes a request the board can act on.

Revision: Replaces a motive claim with evidence.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

The question my partner asked as a board member

My partner asked ___.

My partner asked how the board would pay the $80 gap during the pilot.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I added that the board is seeking more funding under Option C, because that answers my partner’s question.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 6 minutes.

1 Option B treats the $200 gap as the problem. What does that way of stating the problem leave out?

It leaves out who loses the two free evenings, like Dec on Thursdays, and what happens if bookings fall short.

2 Mari is paid to close the shop and also uses the room at night. How does that shape what she asks for?

She sees both sides. She wants the free time protected, but she asks which hours earn money and whether a different setup could work.

3 If the board chooses an option the crew did not support, how should the crew tell the group what happened?

Share the board’s decision and its reasons, say what the crew asked for, and name the next chance to give input.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should support the pilot and ask for a plan for the $80 gap.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The budget note, because it shows one rental would leave a projected $80 gap.

Lesson 4Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the agenda, the budget note or the listening notes.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Model what happens if only four of six pilot rentals are booked.

Going further: Choose one option on the agenda. Write what it assumes the problem is and what it leaves out.

Going further: Map who is affected by the change, including people who cannot attend the meeting. Then write an invitation that says what is still open to input.

Going further: Make an annotated options sheet that compares Options A, B and C. Test it with a neighbor, and revise any part that confuses them.

Going further: With a trusted adult, look up an upcoming library board, school committee or recreation center meeting agenda. Find out whether the item is for discussion or a vote, and whether written comments are accepted.

Research the difference between a nonprofit board and a public community board in your area

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Two paid nights would cover the whole gap.

I would change my mind if ___.

Past bookings showed that the $120 projection is reliable.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?

In this case, a community room’s board is weighing whether to rent out two free evenings to cover its costs. Your student used a budget note and notes from evening users to write a comment the board could act on.

Questions to talk about

Who decides the hours at a public library or community center?
What should a group know before it asks a board for a change?
How can people give input if they cannot attend a meeting?

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

See the case online.

Lesson 5Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a short story in which Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than she expected after 18 hours of café shifts. They read her pay statement and shift log, label gross pay, FICA, withholding and net pay, and find out why three hours are missing. They then write a private question to payroll about any line they cannot explain.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

record an observation before explaining it

check a calculation with a calculator

discuss a disagreement with a partner using evidence

Objectives

Students will be able to:

record and recalculate every line of a pay statement

predict which line would change if the W-4 changed

explain which differences are expected and which need a question

write a 200-word explanation that cites the statement’s figures and the log’s dates

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B

A line-by-line observation table

Calculators

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe the pay statement line by line, calculate each figure, and write an evidence-based explanation of where Gia’s money went.

Students make: Completed table plus explanation (200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 83): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 84 and 85): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 89 and 90): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Key idea (pages 91 and 92): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 93): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 94): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 95 and 96): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Pacing, continued

Your draft (page 97): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Check your work (pages 98 and 99): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Skip the rubric. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Questions to discuss (pages 100 and 101): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Use question 1 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 102): at home.

Periods: full chapter 71 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students analyze each line of a pay statement.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students explain the difference between gross and net pay with figures.

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask how one change would affect the statement.

Plan 5

Lesson 5Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 5 plan, continued

Standards, continued

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 2

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 5

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I communicate accurate information”

Heat map

Opener (page 83): Low

Key terms (pages 84 and 85): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 89 and 90): Low

Key idea (pages 91 and 92): Low

Heat map, continued

Sort the evidence (page 93): Low

Practice (page 94): Medium

Check your work (pages 98 and 99): Low

Try it at your school

Know how to read your first pay statement.

Before a first job, ask how and when you’ll be paid and where to see your pay statement

Keep your own log of hours and shifts

Look up your state’s minimum wage on its labor department site

Bring pay questions to a supervisor or payroll, in writing

Who to ask: School counselor or career office, a work-permit issuing officer if your state uses them, your supervisor or payroll office

Safety: Never post pay statements, Social Security numbers or bank details online. Workers under 18 have limits on hours and jobs; ask a trusted adult to help check them.

Sources

Internal Revenue Service, “Understanding Taxes: gross pay and net pay,” No date listed

Internal Revenue Service, “Understanding employment taxes,” No date listed

Sources, continued

Internal Revenue Service, “Tax Withholding Estimator,” No date listed

TBS, “Rachel Gets Her First Paycheck from Central Perk,” No date listed

Plan 5b

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?

Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than the pay she worked out, so she reads her pay statement line by line before asking payroll.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the two hour totals that do not match. About 4 minutes.

Gia holds a small card and talks beside a phone on a tripod. Jordy holds Voz, one of the crew’s companions, on an open hand.

Your role: You’re the one who adds up Gia’s hours before she writes to payroll. New skill: Read a pay statement line by line.

What happened

It is Thursday evening, and it is payday for Gia. She works café shifts around her college classes. She checks her bank account and sees a deposit that is smaller than the pay she worked out. Gia keeps a shift log in her notes app. The log says 18 hours, but her pay statement says 15.

Jordy works event shifts, and their deposit looks different too. Jordy’s shifts fall on different dates and hours, so their pay cannot explain Gia’s. Jordy asks Gia to name the line that worries her instead of posting her whole statement.

Gia’s pay statement lists her hours, her hourly rate and four tax lines. She expected the lines for Social Security and Medicare. She does not understand the line for federal income tax. Before she writes to payroll, she wants to know what her own records show.

Your question: Why is Gia’s deposit smaller than her own count, and what should she ask payroll?

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Gross pay Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.

En español: salario bruto

In this case: Gia’s statement pays 15 hours at $17.00 an hour, so her gross pay is $255.00.

Net pay Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.

En español: salario neto

In this case: The $220.99 that reached Gia’s bank account is her net pay, not the amount she earned.

FICA FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.

En español: FICA (Seguro Social y Medicare)

In this case: On Gia’s statement, FICA appears as two lines: Social Security tax, $15.81, and Medicare tax, $3.70.

Withholding Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.

En español: retención

In this case: Federal income tax withheld, $8.40, is a separate line from FICA. The IRS says its amount depends partly on the W-4.

Who is involved

Gia

Works café shifts and keeps her own shift log

“My notes say 18 hours. The statement says 15. I counted twice, so where did three hours go?”

Jordy

Works event shifts on different dates

“Mine is event work. Different dates, different hours. My deposit can’t tell Gia anything about hers.”

Lesson 5Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Which number did Gia see in her bank account, gross pay or net pay?” — Wait for “net pay.” Then ask what her gross pay was.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat FICA and federal income tax as the same tax. Listen for: “FICA is just the income tax.” Then: FICA is two lines, Social Security and Medicare. Federal income tax is a third line.

Support

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

Draw gross pay at the top and net pay at the bottom, with deductions between them.

Cognates: deduction (deducción), net (neto), total (total), calculate (calcular), period (período), federal (federal), confirm (confirmar), error (error).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Gia’s deposit is smaller than she expected?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that payroll made a mistake, because her notes say 18 hours.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Gross, net and the lines in between

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

Gross pay: Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.
Net pay: Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.
FICA: FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.
Withholding: Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.

The story: A smaller deposit than expected

Payday falls on a Thursday. Gia checks her bank app between a café shift and an evening reading assignment, and the number looks wrong. By her own math, she earned more. Gia is careful about this kind of thing. She keeps a shift log in her notes app, and it lists five shifts that add up to 18 hours. Her pay statement lists 15.

Her first message goes to the group chat: “my deposit is way less than what I worked out??” Jordy, who works event shifts for a different schedule, answers quickly. Their deposit looks different too, but comparing deposits would just send everyone in circles, because the dates and hours are not the same. Then Jordy adds a second request. Please don’t post the whole statement. Just say which line.

That request sets up the whole case. Gia is not trying to prove a point to the group. She is trying to understand her own pay before she writes to payroll. You are the person beside her with a calculator. Your job is to add up her hours before she sends that message.

Stop and think. Why does Jordy say that comparing deposits would send the friends in circles?

Matching the statement to the log

Gia’s suspicion, that payroll shorted her, is a claim.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Matching the statement to the log, continued

You met the term in Lesson 1: a statement that something is true that you can check with evidence. In Lesson 4, Mari read the budget note figure by figure. Here, you read the statement line by line.

The statement covers the pay period ending Friday the 12th, paid the following Thursday. It shows 15 hours at $17.00, or $255.00. Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. For an hourly worker, it is the hours worked times the hourly rate, plus any other earnings.

The shift log explains the gap. Monday the 8th, Wednesday the 10th, Thursday the 11th and Friday the 12th add up to 15 hours. The last shift, 3 hours on Saturday the 13th, falls after the period ended. It should appear on the next statement. Gia wants payroll to confirm that, and she is right to ask.

Then there are four tax lines. Social Security tax ($15.81) and Medicare tax ($3.70) together make up FICA, the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare. Federal income tax withheld ($8.40) is a separate line. So is state and local income tax withheld ($6.10). Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker. Subtract all four, and $220.99 remains. Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.

Stop and think. Walk through the math from $255.00 to $220.99. Which lines are FICA, and which are income tax?

Where the money goes

Rachel’s question on Friends, “Who’s FICA? Why’s he getting all my money?”, is funny because so many first paychecks surprise people (TBS, Friends clip, December 14, 2019). A PBS explainer starts in the same place, with a first paycheck that is smaller than expected (Two Cents, PBS, April 10, 2019). NPR’s Planet Money team explains why the Social Security part of FICA comes out of nearly every paycheck (NPR, The Indicator, June 6, 2018).

The IRS says the amount of federal income tax withheld depends partly on the worker’s Form W-4 (Internal Revenue Service, updated May 1, 2026). It also offers an official Tax Withholding Estimator for checking it (Internal Revenue Service, updated June 27, 2026). One more check belongs before the tax lines. States can set a higher minimum wage than the federal one, which changes gross pay (ABC News, December 29, 2025).

Stop and think. What would Gia’s statement need to show for the missing hours to be a payroll mistake?

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceTBSDecember 14, 2019

Rachel Gets Her First Paycheck from Central Perk

Real sourceTwo Cents, PBS (YouTube)April 10, 2019

How Do Your Tax Dollars Get Spent?

Real sourceNPR, The Indicator from Planet MoneyJune 6, 2018

Social Insecurity

Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceMay 1, 2026

Understanding employment taxes

Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceJune 27, 2026

Tax Withholding Estimator

Real sourceABC NewsDecember 29, 2025

These states will raise the minimum wage in 2026

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead the pay statement and the shift log, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 8 minutes.

Evidence APay statement

Gia’s 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.

Look closely: Which line shows gross pay? Which two lines together make up FICA?

What it shows

Gross pay is $255.00 for 15 hours. Four tax lines leave $220.99 net.

What it leaves out

Hours worked after Friday the 12th, and how federal withholding was figured.

Evidence BNotes app

Gia’s shift log for the last two weeks

Mon the 8th: 4 hrs. Wed the 10th: 4 hrs. Thu the 11th: 3 hrs. Fri the 12th: 4 hrs. Sat the 13th: 3 hrs. My total: 18 hrs.

Look closely: Which shift falls outside the pay period? Add the hours inside it.

What it shows

Five shifts, 18 hours. Four shifts, 15 hours, fall on or before Friday the 12th.

What it leaves out

Which pay period each shift belongs to, and whether payroll has the Saturday hours.

Lesson 5Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Say this

“Put your finger on the date the pay period ends. Now find each shift in the log that comes after it.” — Wait for Saturday the 13th.

Watch for

Misconception: Students expect all 18 hours on this statement. Listen for: “She worked 18 hours, so she gets paid for 18.” Then: Ask which dates the pay period covers. Only 15 of the 18 hours fall inside it.

Support

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

Offer calculators and model 15 × $17.00 = $255.00.

Cognates: deduction (deducción), net (neto), total (total), calculate (calcular), period (período), federal (federal), confirm (confirmar), error (error).

Stretch

Ask which two lines make up FICA, and why the statement lists federal income tax on its own line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether the Saturday shift will appear on the next statement, what Gia entered on her W-4, whether any other deductions such as benefits apply to her job, and the minimum wage where she works.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: gross pay and net pay

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 5 minutes.

A bank deposit shows how much money arrived, but the pay statement shows how the employer figured it. Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. For an hourly worker, gross pay is the hours worked times the hourly rate, plus any other earnings. Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay. Gia’s deposit is her net pay.

Deductions are the lines between those two totals. FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare. On Gia’s statement, FICA appears as two lines: Social Security tax and Medicare tax. Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker. Federal income-tax withholding is a separate line from FICA, and the IRS says its amount depends partly on the worker’s Form W-4.

A statement can also list other deductions, such as benefit contributions, so read each line’s name before you decide it is income tax. The federal income tax taken from each paycheck counts toward the tax a worker owes for the whole year. One paycheck cannot show what that yearly total will be. This explanation covers employees in the United States. Self-employed workers follow a different tax process.

Professional standards

Real sourcePayrollOrg

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 2

“To strive for perfect compliance, accuracy, and timeliness of all payroll activities.”

In plain words: Payroll professionals who belong to PayrollOrg aim to pay people correctly and on time.

Question: Gia worked Saturday the 13th, after the pay period ended. What should payroll confirm about when she gets paid?

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Payroll should confirm ___, because ___.

Payroll should confirm that the Saturday shift on the 13th falls in the next pay period, because it came after this period ended.

In the news

Real sourceTwo Cents, PBS (YouTube)April 10, 2019

How Do Your Tax Dollars Get Spent?

Starts with a first paycheck that’s smaller than expected and explains FICA and income tax withholding.

Real sourceNPR, The Indicator from Planet MoneyJune 6, 2018

Social Insecurity

A short episode on the Social Security part of FICA and why it comes out of nearly every paycheck.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim and write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 6 minutes.

Before calling it an error, sort the evidence. Which facts explain the smaller deposit, and which question is still worth asking payroll?

Evidence	Claim 1Payroll shorted Gia’s pay.	Claim 2The missing 3 hours belong on the next statement.
1 Shift log shows 18 hours; the statement shows 15	Supports	Neither
2 The period ended Friday the 12th; the 3-hour shift was Saturday the 13th	Challenges	Supports
3 Gross pay of $255.00 matches 15 × $17.00	Challenges	Neither
4 FICA and withholding lines account for the gap between gross and net	Challenges	Neither

Still open

Will the Saturday shift actually appear next time? Ask payroll.

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 ___.

The payroll office’s view is missing. I would ask where the pay period cuts off and how the federal withholding was figured.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Gia should do first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

Gia’s deposit is smaller than the pay she worked out. What should she do first?

A Compare her deposit with Jordy’s.
B Check her hours and the pay period, then read each line of her statement.
C Treat the whole gap as taxes and let it go.

Why I chose it

B. The statement separates hours, earnings and deductions. A compares two different jobs, and C ignores the three missing hours.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, my paycheck is wrong. 1 I worked way more hours than what I got paid for and also a lot of money was taken out for taxes which doesn’t seem right. I’ve been working really hard and picking up extra shifts so this is really frustrating. My friend Jordy works similar hours and got more than me. Can you fix it? 2 My account number is 4471-xxxx if you need it. Please let me know as soon as possible because I have bills. Thanks, Gia

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

Rewrite phrase 1

My log shows 18 hours for the period ending Friday the 12th. The statement shows 15.

Rewrite phrase 2

I can bring my shift log with the dates and times if that would help.

Lesson 5PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia just saw the deposit. What should she do first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose comparing deposits with Jordy. Listen for: “Just ask Jordy what they got.” Then: Ask what Jordy’s deposit could prove about Gia’s hours. Jordy works different dates.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Students may start comparing their own pay or their family’s income.

Cool-down: Say: “We use only Gia’s and Jordy’s numbers today.” Return to the statement.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi, I’m checking my pay statement for the period that ended Friday the 12th. My shift log shows 18 hours, and the statement shows 15. I think my Saturday shift on the 13th may fall after the cutoff. Can you confirm whether those 3 hours will appear on my next statement? I also want to understand the federal income-tax withholding line. Is it based on the W-4 I filled out when I started? I can bring my shift log with dates and times to the office if that would help. Thank you, Gia

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely observe the pay statement line by line, calculate each figure, and write an evidence-based explanation of where Gia’s money went.

Use: The statement and Gia’s shift log.

You’ll make: Completed table plus explanation (200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Record each line of Evidence A in the observation table before you explain it.
Check gross pay and net pay by recalculating them with a calculator.
Predict which line would change if the W-4 changed.
Compare tables with a partner, and agree on the one line that needs a question.
Write a 200-word explanation in the Your draft box.
Check your explanation with the questions on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Gross pay check

15 × $17.00 = $255.00. It matches.

Net pay check

$255.00 − $34.01 = $220.99. It matches.

The line that would change with the W-4

Federal income tax withheld, $8.40. The IRS says it is figured partly from the W-4.

Lesson 5Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 12 min.

Say this

“Record first, explain later. Only labels and numbers go in the left column.” — Model one row: “Medicare tax: $3.70.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students judge lines before recording them. Listen for: “This one is a rip-off.” Then: Ask what the line says, word for word, before anyone judges it.

Support

Line-by-line observation table

Calculator

Question stems: “Which line would change if the W-4 changed?”

Stem: “Which line would change if the W-4 changed?”

Stretch

Explain which differences are expected and which one needs a question to payroll.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Evidence-based writing; Higher-order questioning.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

The one line to ask payroll about

Hours: 15, while the log shows 18. Ask if the 3 Saturday hours will be on the next statement.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 15 minutes.

Your explanation, about 200 words

Gia’s deposit of $220.99 is smaller than her own count for two reasons. The first is timing. Her shift log shows 18 hours, but the pay period ended on Friday the 12th. Four shifts, 15 hours, fall inside it. The Saturday shift on the 13th, 3 hours, falls after the cutoff. The second reason is deductions. The statement pays 15 hours at $17.00, and 15 × $17.00 = $255.00, so the gross pay is correct. Four tax lines add up to $34.01, which leaves $220.99. Social Security tax ($15.81) and Medicare tax ($3.70) are FICA. Federal income tax ($8.40) is separate, and the IRS says it depends partly on the W-4. State and local income tax is $6.10. These deductions are expected. The one question for payroll is whether the Saturday hours will appear on the next statement. Gia could also ask how the federal amount was figured, but that line is expected, not a sign of an error.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.

Are your calculations correct?
YesNo
Do you identify FICA and withholding as separate lines?
YesNo
Do you explain the pay-period issue with dates?
YesNo
Do you name the one line to ask about?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No specific numbers.	Mentions hours but no period.	Names hours, period and the line in question.	Cites own records and the statement side by side.
Reasoning	Assumes an error or theft.	Assumes all difference is tax.	Separates hours, deductions and period timing.	Explains which differences are expected and which need checking.
Audience & purpose	Shares private details or demands.	Polite but vague.	Clear question payroll can answer.	Clear, private, and offers the right document.
Revision	No change.	Removes one issue.	Adds period and line, removes private data.	Explains why each change helps payroll respond.

Lesson 5Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Skip the rubric. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Say this

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

Watch for

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

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The table is checked for correct calculations, and the explanation is scored for separating FICA from withholding, explaining the pay-period gap and naming one line to ask about.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Names hours, period and the line in question.

Reasoning: Separates hours, deductions and period timing.

Audience & purpose: Clear question payroll can answer.

Revision: Adds period and line, removes private data.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

What I changed after my partner’s challenge

I changed ___ because ___.

I replaced my opinion about high taxes with the $34.01 total of the four tax lines, because the numbers show what came out.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 6 minutes.

1 What would Gia’s statement need to show for the missing hours to be a payroll mistake?

It would need to leave out hours worked on or before Friday the 12th. All 15 hours inside the period are paid.

2 Why might a new worker think that every missing dollar went to taxes?

The deposit shows one number and no breakdown. Taxes are the reason people expect, so they stop before they check the hours.

3 Before a first job, what would you want to know about how and when you will be paid?

I would want to know when each pay period ends, when it is paid and where to see my pay statement.

My take

My claim: ___.

My claim: the missing hours are a timing issue, and the tax lines are expected deductions.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The best evidence is the shift log, because the Saturday shift falls after Friday the 12th.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Someone who disagrees might say payroll shorted Gia, because her log shows 18 hours.

100

Lesson 5Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Use question 1 only.

Say this

“Answer with a line from the statement or the log, not a guess about payroll.” — Post the question numbers and hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what a new worker should keep in their own records before the first payday, and why.

Going further: What does a new worker need to know before they feel ready to ask payroll a question? Explain the gap between gross pay and net pay without making taxes the answer to every missing dollar.

Going further: Write down your first guess about why Gia’s deposit was small. Then compare it with the line-by-line explanation. What changed?

Going further: Record a spoken walkthrough of Gia’s statement, and mark up a copy of the statement. Ask someone which version answers their question better.

Going further: Before a first job, ask how and when you will be paid and where to see your pay statement. Keep your own log of hours and shifts. Look up your state’s minimum wage on its labor department website, and bring pay questions to a supervisor or payroll in writing.

Use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator’s public page to list what information it asks for (no personal data)

Research your state’s minimum wage and pay-statement requirements

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

I would change my mind if ___.

I would change my mind if the next statement still left out the Saturday hours.

Notes

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Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?

In this case, Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than the pay she expected. Your student read a practice pay statement line by line and explained where the money went.

Questions to talk about

What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Why might a bank deposit be less than the hours worked times the hourly rate?
Who at a workplace can answer questions about a pay statement?

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

See the case online.

102

Lesson 6Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?

Content note

This case is about private records. No student should share their own grades, forms, records or family finances, so keep the discussion on Rafa’s situation.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read about Rafa, an 18-year-old in his first year of college whose family wants to help pay tuition and asks for his login. They read an access form, a college FERPA notice and summaries of federal guidance, then sort billing access from access to grades. They then write the question Rafa could send the records office and the smallest access that would help his family.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

record what a text says before explaining it

ask a precise question about a gap in a text

discuss a reading with a partner using evidence

Objectives

Students will be able to:

describe each section of the form accurately

separate billing access from academic access using the form’s words

Objectives, continued

predict what would change if one box were checked

ask a precise question about one unclear field

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B

A field-by-field observation table

The American University guide, for comparison

The task in this edition

Task: Closely examine the parent-access form field by field and write an evidence-based explanation of what it authorizes and what it doesn’t.

Students make: Observation table plus a 200-word explanation

Pacing

Opener (page 103): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 104 and 105): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 109 and 110): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 111 and 112): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 113): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 114): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 115 and 116): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Your draft (page 117): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Check your work (pages 118 and 119): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Skip the rubric. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Questions to discuss (pages 120 and 121): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Use question 1 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 122): at home.

Periods: full chapter 71 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students analyze a form field by field.

Plan 6

Lesson 6Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 6 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask a precise question about an ambiguity.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students explain the form using its own wording.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Standards of professional practice

Codes of ethics, continued

AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Principles of professional ethics

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 103): Medium

Key terms (pages 104 and 105): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 109 and 110): Low

Key idea (pages 111 and 112): Low

Sort the evidence (page 113): Medium

Practice (page 114): Low

Check your work (pages 118 and 119): Low

Try it at your school

Find your school’s records notice.

Search your school or district website for its FERPA or “student records” notice

Find out what counts as directory information and how families can opt out

Write one question about who can see a record, and ask the front office or counselor

If you’re heading to college, look up its parent-access and authorization forms early

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: School counselor, registrar or records office, front-office staff

Safety: Never post screenshots of grades, IDs or forms. Talk with a trusted adult about what to share and with whom.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “What is FERPA?,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “What is an education record?,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “Student privacy questions,” No date listed

American University, AU Central, “FERPA and parent-access guide,” No date listed

Plan 6b

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?

Rafa’s parents help pay his college bill, and a family-access form asks whether they should also get information about his grades.

On your ownRead What happened and underline what Rafa’s dad asks for in the family chat. About 4 minutes.

Rafa and Caio sit on a sofa and look at Rafa’s phone. Caio explains something with an open hand.

Your role: You’re the one who reads each box on the form before Rafa signs. New skill: Read a form section by section before you sign.

What happened

Rafa, 18, has just started college, and his parents help pay his tuition bill. He commutes from the next block and helps at his family’s shop after class. At the start of October, the college mailed Rafa a family-access form, but he has not opened the envelope yet.

On Sunday night, his parents ask about the form in the family group chat. His dad wants Rafa’s login so the family can handle everything. Rafa is glad to share the bill, but he wants to read the rest of the form first.

Caio, an older friend who rents a room on the block, reads the form with Rafa, not for him. The form has separate sections for billing and for grades. Rafa wants to check the billing box. He wants to talk with his family before he decides about grades.

Your question: What will this form let Rafa’s parents see, and what should he ask before he signs?

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Lesson 6OpenerPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.

Say this

“Rafa’s dad asks for his login. What is his dad trying to help with?” — Hear two answers. Keep the talk about Rafa’s family, not students’ own.

Watch for

Misconception: Students assume paying tuition gives parents full access. Listen for: “They pay, so they get to see it.” Then: Write “paying” and “seeing” as two columns. Ask which document connects them.

Support

Read What happened aloud while students follow along.

Remind students that nobody shares their own records or family rules.

Heat check

Medium. Students may compare the case with their own family’s rules about grades.

Cool-down: Say: “We’re working with Rafa’s family.” Go straight to the form.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

FERPA FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.

En español: FERPA (Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad de la Familia)

In this case: Rafa is 18 and in college, so under the general rule the FERPA rights to his records are his, not his parents’.

Education record An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.

En español: expediente educativo

In this case: Rafa’s grades and schedule are education records. Section 2 of his form asks whether his parents may receive information about his grades.

Consent Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.

En español: consentimiento

In this case: Rafa’s form asks for consent in two separate sections, one for billing and one for grades. He can say yes to one and no to the other.

Who is involved

Rafa

First-year commuter with a family-access form

“My parents help with the bill. The college mailed this form, and the family chat already wants to know if I signed it. I haven’t even opened it.”

Caio

Reads the form with Rafa, not for him

“I can sit with Rafa while he asks. Being the older friend doesn’t make this my decision.”

104

Lesson 6Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Which key term tells you whose rights these are?” — Wait for FERPA. Then ask when the rights transfer.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think FERPA protects only children. Listen for: “FERPA is for kids.” Then: Reread the key idea: the rights transfer to the student at 18 or on starting college.

Support

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

Show a timeline: middle school, high school, 18 or college.

Cognates: consent (consentimiento), privacy (privacidad), authorization (autorización), exception (excepción), information (información), academic (académico), federal (federal), education (educación).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think Rafa’s parents are allowed to see?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that his parents can see his grades and his bill, because they pay tuition.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Helping with the bill is not the same as seeing grades

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

FERPA: FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.
Education record: An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.
Consent: Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

The story: A login request on Sunday night

Rafa, 18, is a few weeks into his first year of college. He commutes from the next block, helps at his family’s shop after class and relies on his parents to help pay tuition. At the start of October, the college mailed him a family-access form. The envelope is still sealed.

On Sunday night, the family group chat catches up with him. His mom asks whether the tuition form came, because they want to help with the bill. His dad offers a shortcut: “Send us the login and we’ll take care of everything.” The offer is generous and practical, and it would hand over far more than a bill.

Rafa does not want a fight. He wants to understand what he is signing. He asks Caio, an older friend who rents a room on the block, to read the form with him. Caio is clear about his role. He will sit with Rafa while he asks questions, but being older does not make this his decision. When someone suggests sending his parents a photo of the form, Caio points out the trade-off. A photo is easier to send, and it is also easier to lose control of.

Your role is to read each box on the form before Rafa signs.

Stop and think. Caio says a photo of the form is easier to send and easier to lose control of. What does he mean?

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Separating the parts of the form

Lesson 5 taught you to read a document line by line before deciding what it means. The form rewards the same patience. Section 1 covers billing and payments: the named person could view account statements and make payments. Section 2 covers academic records: the named person could receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Section 3 says the authorization stays in effect until Rafa changes or withdraws it in writing. Each of the first two sections has its own yes-or-no box.

That structure changes the decision. Rafa does not face a single choice between trusting his family and shutting them out. He faces two separate choices, and each has its own trade-off, a word you learned in Lesson 4. Saying yes to billing gives his parents what they asked for. Saying yes to grades may be fine too, but Rafa wants to talk with them before he decides.

Lesson 4 also gave you the term decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. On this form, the decision-maker is Rafa. Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person. For college records, consent is written and names the record, the person and the purpose.

Stop and think. What is the smallest amount of access that would give Rafa the help he wants from his family?

What FERPA does and does not say

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records. An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps, such as grades, transcripts or schedules. Under the general rule, the rights transfer from parents to the student at age 18 or when the student enters college at any age (U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, no date listed). The Education Department publishes a plain guide for these “eligible students” (U.S. Department of Education, March 8, 2023).

Helping pay tuition does not, by itself, give those rights back to a parent. FERPA does have exceptions. A college may share records with parents if the student is a dependent for federal tax purposes, or in a health or safety emergency. The Education Department says this sharing is allowed, not required, so each college decides how it handles these cases.

Why do these rules matter so much? Student records now live in large software systems. A breach at the company PowerSchool exposed millions of student records (Education Week, January 9, 2025). Knowing which record, which permission and which office to ask is how Rafa keeps family support from turning into giving away every login.

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Stop and think. Someone says, “Parents can never see college records.” How would you revise that claim?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed

What is FERPA?

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeMarch 8, 2023

An Eligible Student Guide to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed

Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?

Real sourceEducation WeekJanuary 9, 2025

What Schools Should Know About the PowerSchool Data Breach

Notes

108

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead the form and the notice, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 8 minutes.

Evidence ACollege form

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

Section 1, Billing and payments: allow the person named below to view account statements and make payments. Yes or No. Section 2, Academic records: allow the person named below to receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Yes or No. Section 3: this authorization stays in effect until the student changes or withdraws it in writing.

Look closely: Which section covers billing, and which covers grades? Circle each yes-or-no box.

What it shows

Billing and grades are separate sections, each with its own yes or no.

What it leaves out

What the college may share without Rafa’s consent, and where he sends a change.

Evidence BCollege notice

Annual FERPA notice on the registrar’s page

Students have the right to inspect their education records, to request corrections and to consent to disclosures, except where the law allows disclosure without consent. Questions go to the Office of the Registrar.

Look closely: Which phrase tells you the law has exceptions? Underline it.

What it shows

The rights belong to the student, but the law allows some sharing without consent.

What it leaves out

Which exceptions this college uses, and whether any of them fit Rafa.

109

Lesson 6Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Say this

“Put one finger on the billing section and one on the grades section. Could Rafa say yes to one and no to the other?” — Wait for “yes, they are separate.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students read the notice as a promise of total privacy. Listen for: “So nobody can ever see his grades.” Then: Point to “except where the law allows disclosure without consent.”

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the section headings enlarged.

Read the notice aloud and pause at “except.”

Cognates: consent (consentimiento), privacy (privacidad), authorization (autorización), exception (excepción), information (información), academic (académico), federal (federal), education (educación).

Stretch

Ask what Section 3 lets Rafa do later, and why that matters for the choice he makes today.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

We don’t know which exceptions Rafa’s college uses, or whether he is a tax dependent. We also don’t know what help his family wants or where a written change goes.

Notes

110

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: education records

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 5 minutes.

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records. It gives parents, and later students, rights over those records. An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps. Grades, transcripts and schedules can be education records, on paper or stored digitally. Under the general rule, the rights transfer to the student at age 18 or when the student starts college, at any age. The law calls that student an “eligible student.”

Helping pay tuition does not, by itself, give those rights back to a parent. Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person. For college records, consent is written and says which record, to whom and for what purpose. Rafa’s form asks about billing and about grades in separate sections. He can say yes to one section and no to the other. He can also change his choice later in writing.

FERPA also has exceptions, which are situations in which a college may share records without the student’s consent. A college may share records with parents if the student is a dependent for federal tax purposes. It may also share them in a health or safety emergency. The U.S. Department of Education says this sharing is allowed, not required, so Rafa should ask his records office what his college does.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)

AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Standards of professional practice

“Protect the legitimate privacy interests of all individuals and maintain appropriate confidentiality of institutional and student education records”

In plain words: College registrars who belong to AACRAO agree to protect students' privacy and keep education records confidential.

Question: Rafa's form separates billing from grades. What would the registrar need before sharing his grades with his parents?

111

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Before sharing grades, the registrar would need ___.

Before sharing grades, the registrar would need Rafa’s written consent in Section 2. Saying yes to billing is not enough.

In the news

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education (YouTube)November 7, 2013

Student Privacy 101: FERPA for Parents and Students

The Education Department’s own short explainer of FERPA rights and when they move from parents to students.

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed

Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?

Answers the case question directly, including the exception for students claimed as tax dependents.

Notes

112

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides each question, which rule applies and who can ask. About 6 minutes.

Who actually decides each question: Rafa, the rule or the college? Mark where paying the bill and seeing grades split into two separate decisions.

Who may see Rafa’s grades?

Who decides

Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent

Under which rule

FERPA: rights transfer to the student at 18 or on entering college

Who lives with it

Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition

Your way in

The registrar or records office explains which form and which exceptions apply

Who may see and pay the tuition bill?

Who decides

Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition

Your way in

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 ___.

The registrar’s view is missing. I would ask which exceptions this college uses and how Rafa changes his choice later.

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose who holds Rafa’s rights and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

Rafa is 18 and in college, and his parents help pay his tuition. Under the general FERPA rule, who holds the rights to his education records?

A Rafa does.
B His parents do, because they help pay the bill.
C His parents do, until Rafa signs a form that says otherwise.

Why I chose it

A. The rights transferred when Rafa turned 18 or started college. B mixes up paying with permission, and C wrongly makes a form the trigger for the transfer.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Rafa, 1 your parents are paying so they can probably see everything, that’s how it works at most schools. My parents could always see my grades on the portal in high school. FERPA is a privacy law but it’s mostly for kids. 2 Once you’re 18 it doesn’t really matter anymore. If you want to keep your grades private you should just not give them your password. Honestly just ask your parents what they want to see. They’re helping you a lot so it’s probably fair for them to know how you’re doing.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Your parents can help pay, but seeing grades is a separate section of the form.

Rewrite phrase 2

Once you’re 18 or in college, the FERPA rights to your records are yours.

114

Lesson 6PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Rafa is 18 and in college. Who holds the rights to his records?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick the paying-parents option. Listen for: “They’re paying, so it’s theirs.” Then: Ask what the form would be for if his parents already held the rights.

Support

Read the options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Rafa, under the general FERPA rule, the rights to your education records are yours now, because you’re 18 and in college. Paying tuition doesn’t automatically give your family access to your grades. At schools like the one in the guide, parent access for paying the bill is separate from permission to see academic records. You can decide what to share. Talk with your family about what help you actually want, then ask the records office which form covers that, what it allows and how to change it later. There are exceptions, so ask them which ones your college uses.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely examine the parent-access form field by field and write an evidence-based explanation of what it authorizes and what it doesn’t.

Use: The authorization form and the university guide excerpt.

You’ll make: Observation table plus a 200-word explanation

Time: 45 minutes

Record what each section of Evidence A says in the observation table.
Predict what would change if Rafa checked yes in Section 2.
Choose one unclear field with a partner, and agree on it using evidence.
Write the question Rafa should ask the records office about that field.
Write a 200-word explanation in the Your draft box, quoting the form.
Check your explanation with the questions on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Section 1 says

View account statements and make payments. Yes, No.

Section 2 says

Receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Yes, No.

If Section 2 were checked yes

The person named would receive information about Rafa’s grades, enrollment and academic standing.

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Lesson 6Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 12 min.

Say this

“Record what the form says before you decide what it permits.” — Model Section 1 together, word for word.

Watch for

Misconception: Students paraphrase instead of recording the form’s words. Listen for: “Section 1 is about money stuff.” Then: Ask for the exact words: “view account statements and make payments.”

Support

Field-by-field observation table

Question stems: “What would change if this box were checked?”

Explanation frame

Stem: “What would change if this box were checked?”

Stretch

Identify one ambiguous field and write the question Rafa should ask the records office about it.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Higher-order questioning; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

The unclear field, and my question

Section 3 says “in writing” but not where. My question: Where do I send a written change, and when does it start?

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 15 minutes.

Your explanation, about 200 words

Rafa’s family-access form offers two separate permissions. Section 1 lets the person named “view account statements and make payments.” Section 2 lets that person “receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing.” Each section has its own yes-or-no box, so Rafa can say yes to billing and no to grades. Section 3 says the authorization “stays in effect until the student changes or withdraws it in writing.” That means a choice made now can be changed later. The form does not say where a written change goes, so Rafa should ask the records office before he signs. The form also does not mention exceptions. The college’s FERPA notice does: students may “consent to disclosures, except where the law allows disclosure without consent.” So the form controls what Rafa chooses to share, but other rules also apply.

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.

Do you describe each section of the form accurately?
YesNo
Do you separate billing from academic access?
YesNo
Do you quote the form’s own words?
YesNo
Do you ask a precise question about one unclear field?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No source cited.	Refers to “privacy law” generally.	Cites the transfer rule and the separate-access guide.	Cites both and notes that exceptions exist.
Reasoning	States the rule backwards.	Gets the transfer right but merges billing and grades.	Separates paying from permission correctly.	Explains why least access is a reasonable choice.
Audience & purpose	Tells Rafa what to do.	Gives advice without a next step.	Leaves the decision with Rafa and names the records office.	Respects Rafa’s family relationship while protecting his choice.
Revision	No change.	Fixes one fact.	Fixes the rule and adds a next step.	Explains why each correction matters for Rafa’s decision.

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Lesson 6Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Skip the rubric. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one corrected rule or one added question for the records office.

Watch for

Misconception: Students leave an absolute claim in place. Listen for: “Parents can never see grades.” Then: Point to the Evidence row. Ask them to add that exceptions exist.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The observation table is checked for accurate field descriptions, and the explanation is scored for use of the form’s wording and a precise question about one ambiguity.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites the transfer rule and the separate-access guide.

Reasoning: Separates paying from permission correctly.

Audience & purpose: Leaves the decision with Rafa and names the records office.

Revision: Fixes the rule and adds a next step.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

What I changed after my partner’s challenge

I changed ___ because ___.

I replaced a vague line about privacy with the form’s exact words for Sections 1 and 2, because the wording shows the split.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 6 minutes.

1 What is the smallest amount of access that would give Rafa the help he wants from his family?

Billing access only. It lets his parents view statements and make payments, which is the help they asked for.

2 Why might Rafa want to talk with his family before he checks the box for grades?

The chat shows his parents want to help. Talking first lets him explain his choice before they see a box checked no.

3 Someone says, “Parents can never see college records.” How would you revise that claim after reading this case?

At college, parents usually need the student’s consent. But a college may share records if the student is a tax dependent.

My take

My claim: ___.

My claim: Rafa should approve billing now and decide about grades after he talks with his family.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The best evidence is the form, because it lists billing and grades as separate choices.

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Lesson 6Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Use question 1 only.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the form or the notice, not from your own family.” — Post the question numbers and hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what Rafa could share with his family in a conversation, without signing any form.

Going further: Compare FERPA’s general rule with American University’s parent-access process. Which parts come from the federal law, and which come from one university’s forms?

Going further: What might a student and a family member who pays the bill each misunderstand about access? Write wording that makes the separate permissions clear without promising total secrecy.

Going further: Draw two permission guides for a sample student: a flowchart and a short conversation. Test both with a reader who does not know this case.

Going further: Search your school or district website for its FERPA or “student records” notice. Then write one question about who can see a record, and ask the front office or a counselor. If you are heading to college, look up its parent-access and authorization forms early.

Find your own school’s FERPA notice and summarize what it says about directory information and opting out

Compare FERPA with your state’s student-privacy law, if it has one

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Someone who disagrees might say that parents who pay should see grades.

I would change my mind if ___.

I would change my mind if the college said an exception already lets his parents see grades.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?

In this case, Rafa’s parents help pay his college bill, and a form asks if they should also see his grades. Your student read the form and a federal privacy rule, then explained how paying the bill differs from seeing grades.

Questions to talk about

Under the general rule, when do students start to control who sees their school records?
Why might a college form keep paying a bill separate from seeing grades?
Who at a college could answer a question about records?

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

See the case online.

122

Lesson 7Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?

Overview

Students read a short story in which a group chat claims that one parent’s complaint got a novel “banned” from Anika’s school library. They compare the claim with the district’s reconsideration notice, the committee input form and the ALA’s example procedure. They map where the novel is in the review. They then write input to the review committee that is tied to the selection criteria.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

annotate a text for word choice

compare two texts using the same questions

discuss a question in a small group using evidence

Objectives

Students will be able to:

close-read a literary extract and a policy notice

compare how each text treats access to books, with quotations

evaluate what a policy can and cannot protect

add a sentence that reflects a group discussion

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

The authorized Matilda extract on the Penguin website

Evidence A

A dual-text annotation guide

The task in this edition

Task: Close-read the Matilda library extract and the district reconsideration notice, then write an evidence-based comparison of how each text treats access to books.

Students make: Annotated texts plus comparison (200–250 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 123): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 124 and 125): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 129 and 130): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Key idea (pages 131 and 132): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 133): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 134): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (page 135): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Pacing, continued

Your draft (page 136): 18 min. Short on time: 18 min.

Check your work (pages 137 and 138): 6 min. Short on time: 6 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 139 and 140): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Use question 3 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 141): at home.

Periods: full chapter 74 minutes; one period 50 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students close-read a literary extract and a policy notice.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students compare the texts with evidence.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

Plan 7

Lesson 7Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 7 plan, continued

Standards, continued

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 2 (of 9)

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession: Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 2

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 123): Medium

Key terms (pages 124 and 125): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 129 and 130): Low

Key idea (pages 131 and 132): Medium

Heat map, continued

Sort the evidence (page 133): Medium

Practice (page 134): Low

Check your work (pages 137 and 138): Low

Try it at your school

Find your library’s reconsideration policy.

Ask your school librarian how book challenges are handled

Find the written policy on the district website

Learn whether students can give input during a review

If a review is happening, read the whole book before commenting

Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, public library staff, school board clerk

Safety: Don’t post names of people who filed a challenge or who spoke at a meeting. Disagree with ideas, not individuals.

Sources

Penguin, “Matilda by Roald Dahl: authorized extract,” No date listed

American Library Association, “Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: formal reconsideration,” No date listed

Sources, continued

American Library Association, “Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: selection criteria,” No date listed

Plan 7b

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?

A group chat says one parent’s complaint got a novel banned, so Mari and Gia check what the school library’s notice says.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the word in the group chat that may go too far. About 4 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who reads the library notice before anyone replies “banned.” New skill: Find what stage a process has reached.

Gia, Mari and Sami talk around a table on a rooftop terrace at sunset.

What happened

On Thursday night, a message about a novel in the library at Anika’s high school appears in a group chat. The message says one parent complained, so the novel is now banned and gone from the library. Gia replies that this is censorship.

On Friday, the school library posts a notice about the novel. Mari reads it and compares it with the group chat. Gia deletes her first reply, because she had not read the notice or the novel.

Mari works the counter at the neighborhood bookshop. She switches between print and audio, and she is halfway through the novel on audio. Gia is planning a discussion at the bookshop. First, both of them want to know what stage the library’s process has reached.

Your question: Is the novel really banned, and what can people who care about it do next?

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Challenge A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.

En español: impugnación

In this case: A parent’s request about a novel at Anika’s school started a review. The novel stays available while the committee reads it.

Reconsideration policy A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.

En español: política de reconsideración

In this case: The library’s notice follows district policy: a committee review, the selection criteria, written input by the 15th and an appeal.

Selection criteria Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.

En español: criterios de selección

In this case: The committee judges the whole novel against the district’s selection criteria. The input form asks which criteria your comment addresses.

Who is involved

Mari

Works the bookshop counter

“The chat says the book is gone from the library. The notice says it stays available during the review. Those can’t both be true.”

Gia

Planning a book discussion at the bookshop

“I called it censorship before I’d read the notice. Now I’m planning a discussion at the bookshop, so I’d better get this right.”

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Lesson 7Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Which key term names what the parent did, and which names what the committee will use?” — Wait for “challenge” and “selection criteria.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “challenge” as “ban.” Listen for: “A challenge means they took it.” Then: Reread the key idea: a challenge starts a review. On its own, it does not remove a book.

Support

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

Show the process as a flowchart: request, review, decision, appeal.

Cognates: reconsideration (reconsideración), criteria (criterios), committee (comité), decision (decisión), appeal (apelación), process (proceso), novel (novela), district (distrito), censorship (censura).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think happened to the novel?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the book was pulled, because one complaint seems to have been enough.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

A complaint is not a decision

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

Challenge: A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.
Reconsideration policy: A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.
Selection criteria: Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

The story: Censorship, full stop?

The message appears late on Thursday. A novel in the library at Anika’s high school is gone, it says, because one parent complained. The word it uses is “banned.” Gia, who has strong feelings about who gets to decide what people read, replies within minutes: “censorship, full stop.” It feels like the right side to be on.

On Friday, the school library posts a notice. Mari works the counter at the neighborhood bookshop, and she has been listening to the novel on audio. She switches between print and audio, and she is about halfway through. She reads the notice twice and then compares it with the chat. The chat says the book is gone from the library. The notice says it stays available during the review. Those cannot both be true.

Gia deletes her first reply. She had not read the notice, and she had not read the book. Now she is planning a discussion at the bookshop, which means she has to get the facts right. Your role in this case is to read the library notice before anyone replies “banned.”

Stop and think. Why was “censorship, full stop” an easy reply to send on Thursday night?

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Reading the notice as a process map

Lesson 1’s skill, finding the original source, leads straight to the notice. It says a request for reconsideration has been received for one title. Under district policy, the title remains available during the review. A committee will read the full work and evaluate it against the district’s selection criteria. Written input may be submitted by the 15th, and the committee’s decision may be appealed.

Read that way, the notice is a map with a “you are here” marker. A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material. It starts a review, but on its own it does not remove a book. A reconsideration policy is a library’s written process for reviewing a challenge to a book. Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include. The process has reached the review stage. Nothing has been removed, and nothing has been decided.

That makes the chat’s claim wrong about the present, even if people are right to care about the future. Lesson 3 showed you that a correction replaces wrong information with accurate information, where people saw the mistake. The reply the chat needs is short: the book is under review, it is still available and input is due on the 15th.

The input form shapes what useful input looks like. It asks for your name and role, whether you read the entire work and which selection criteria your comment addresses. Comments are limited to 300 words. Mari decides to finish the book before she writes. Her own experience with books like this is why she cares, she says, but it is not the policy. She plans to include both.

Stop and think. The input form asks whether you read the whole book. Why might a committee care?

Why the stage matters in real disputes

The American Library Association recommends that libraries adopt a formal reconsideration process, with a committee that reads the whole work (American Library Association, updated January 2018). ALA’s guidance is a professional recommendation, not a law, and states have taken different paths. Colorado lawmakers debated a bill requiring clear reconsideration policies (Chalkbeat Colorado, February 10, 2025). In Tennessee, a stricter law changed the review steps, and some books quietly disappeared (Chalkbeat Tennessee, September 17, 2024).

The legal question is harder still. Federal courts disagree about how the First Amendment applies when a public library removes a book (Cahill Gordon and Reindel, September 22, 2025). The answer can depend on where you live. Gia puts it plainly. Right now it is a review, and she is not calling it before it is done.

Stop and think. How does calling the same action a “review,” a “restriction” or a “ban” change what people think happened?

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceAmerican Library AssociationJanuary 2018

Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: formal reconsideration

Real sourceChalkbeat ColoradoFebruary 10, 2025

Colorado bill to curb school library book challenges clears first legislative hurdle

Real sourceChalkbeat TennesseeSeptember 17, 2024

Under stricter Tennessee law, some school library books quietly disappear

Real sourceCahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (law-firm client alert)September 22, 2025

Fifth Circuit Holds That Government Speech Doctrine Applies to Public Library Book Removals, Creating Circuit Split With Eighth Circuit

Notes

128

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead the notice and the input form, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 8 minutes.

Evidence ALibrary notice

Reconsideration notice, posted Friday by the school library

A request for reconsideration has been received for one title in the library collection. Under district policy, the title remains available during the review. A review committee will read the full work and evaluate it against the district’s selection criteria. Written input may be submitted by the 15th. The committee’s decision may be appealed.

Look closely: Which sentence tells you where the book is right now? Underline it.

What it shows

The title stays available during review. Input is due by the 15th.

What it leaves out

Which novel it is, who sits on the committee and what the criteria say.

Evidence BInput form

Review committee input form, due the 15th

Name and role (student, parent, staff or community member). Have you read the entire work? Yes or No. Which selection criteria does your input address? Comments, 300 words maximum.

Look closely: Who can send input? What does the form ask before your comments?

What it shows

Students and others can comment. It asks if you read it all and which criteria apply.

What it leaves out

How the committee weighs comments, and the full list of selection criteria.

129

Lesson 7Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Say this

“Find the sentence that says where the book is now. Read it aloud.” — Wait for “the title remains available during the review.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat a review as a ban in slow motion. Listen for: “They’re reviewing it, so it’s basically banned.” Then: Ask what the notice says comes after the review: a decision, then a possible appeal.

Support

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

Offer the notice as a read-aloud.

Cognates: reconsideration (reconsideración), criteria (criterios), committee (comité), decision (decisión), appeal (apelación), process (proceso), novel (novela), district (distrito), censorship (censura).

Stretch

Ask why the form asks whether you read the entire work, and what that suggests about the criteria.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Which novel is under review and what the request says, who sits on the review committee, what the district’s selection criteria say in full, and what state law, if any, adds to the district policy.

Notes

130

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: book challenges

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 5 minutes.

A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material. A challenge starts a review. On its own, it does not remove a book. A complaint, a temporary change and a final decision can happen at different times. Check which stage a process has reached before you repeat a claim.

A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book. The American Library Association (ALA) recommends that libraries adopt one, and its example has a committee read the whole work. Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include. ALA’s guidance is a professional recommendation, not a law. Each district’s adopted policy and the applicable law govern its own process.

Whether removing a book breaks the law is a harder question. Federal courts disagree about how the First Amendment applies when a library removes a book. The answer can depend on where you live. Right now, the notice at Anika’s school describes a review, and the novel is still available.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Library Association (ALA)

ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 2 (of 9)

“We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.”

In plain words: Library workers who follow the ALA code support people's freedom to read and oppose censorship of library materials.

Question: The district notice says the title stays available during review. Does that match the group chat's claim that it's “gone”?

Your answer

The notice says ___, which contradicts ___.

The notice says “the title remains available during the review,” which contradicts the chat’s claim that it is gone.

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Lesson 7Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“ALA’s code says to resist efforts to censor library resources. Does keeping the book available during review fit that?” — Wait for evidence from the notice.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the ALA code as a law. Listen for: “The school is breaking the ALA law.” Then: Say: “ALA’s code is a framework for library workers. District policy and the applicable law govern the process.”

Support

Read the quotation aloud. Point out the label: a real source, quoted word for word.

Stretch

Use the NEA row. Ask how reading the whole work tests whether a reason to remove a book is reasonable.

Heat check

Medium. The word “censorship” can start a debate about real books or groups.

Cool-down: Keep the talk on this notice. Ask what the notice says, not which side is right.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceChalkbeat ColoradoFebruary 10, 2025

Colorado bill to curb school library book challenges clears first legislative hurdle

A state debated requiring clear reconsideration policies, showing a challenge is a process, not an instant ban.

Real sourceChalkbeat TennesseeSeptember 17, 2024

Under stricter Tennessee law, some school library books quietly disappear

A state law changed the review steps, so you have to check which rules and stage actually applied.

Notes

132

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides at each stage, which rules apply and where input goes. About 6 minutes.

Replace “banned” with the real chain of decisions. Who decides at each stage, which rules bind them, and where can a student’s input land?

Keep, restrict or remove the novel after review

Who decides

The school review committee, which reads the whole work and votes

District-level appeal and, finally, the school board

Under which rule

District reconsideration policy and selection criteria

State law and unsettled First Amendment case law (Pico had no majority opinion)

Who lives with it

Your way in

Written input on the committee form by the 15th

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 ___.

The parent who filed the request is missing. I would ask which part of the book concerns them and why.

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what to check first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

A group chat says, “One parent complained, so that novel is banned.” What should you check first?

A Find the library’s policy and where the review stands.
B Ask everyone in the chat whether they like the book.
C Read the passage people are upset about, then decide.

Why I chose it

A. A complaint, a temporary change and a final removal are different stages. B measures popularity, and C judges one passage.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

This is so messed up. One parent complains and 1 now the whole school can’t read the book?? That’s literally censorship and it’s illegal because of the First Amendment. 2 Whoever complained is a terrible person and should mind their own business. Everyone should go to the board meeting and yell at them until they put it back. Books like this are the only ones some of us actually finish. I read part of it last year and it was actually really good. I’m so done with this school honestly.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

The book stays available during the review, so everyone can still read it.

Rewrite phrase 2

The parent used the district’s process. We can send our own input by the 15th.

134

Lesson 7PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The chat says one parent got the novel banned. What do you check first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose to read the disputed passage and decide. Listen for: “Just read the bad part.” Then: Point to the notice: the committee reads the full work.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Update on the novel: it isn’t banned. A parent filed a reconsideration request, which starts a review under the district’s policy. The book stays on the shelf while a committee reviews the whole work against the selection criteria, and there’s an appeal step after the decision. If you care about it, you can send written input to the committee by the 15th; the librarian has the form. Tie it to the criteria and your own reading, and please don’t go after the parent who asked. People are allowed to use the process too.

Other notes on the draft:

“it’s illegal because of the First Amendment” The law here is unsettled and varies. Don’t claim a verdict.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Close-read the Matilda library extract and the district reconsideration notice, then write an evidence-based comparison of how each text treats access to books.

Use: The authorized Matilda extract and the district notice.

You’ll make: Annotated texts plus comparison (200–250 words)

Time: 50 minutes

Annotate the Matilda extract and mark what Mrs Phelps does for Matilda.
Annotate Evidence A and mark each promise the notice makes.
Discuss in your group what Mrs Phelps does that a policy can’t.
Write a claim that compares how the two texts treat access to books.
Write your comparison, 200 to 250 words, in the Your draft box.
Add one sentence that reflects your group’s discussion.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

What Mrs Phelps does

Helps Matilda choose books and lets her read widely

What the notice promises

The title stays available, a full review, input by the 15th and an appeal

My claim

Both texts protect access to books, but the extract shows a person offering it and the notice shows a process guarding it.

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Lesson 7Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 12 min.

Say this

“What does Mrs Phelps do that a policy can’t?” — Give groups three minutes, then hear one answer from each.

Watch for

Misconception: Students summarize each text separately. Listen for: “First, Matilda goes to the library. Next, the notice…” Then: Ask for one sentence that uses both texts at once.

Support

Dual-text annotation guide

Question stems: “What does Mrs Phelps do that a policy can’t?”

Comparison frame

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Academic conversation; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Answer key

A strong response:

Close reading of both texts

Comparison supported with quotations

Considers the limits of policy

Reflects the discussion

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your comparison, 200 to 250 words

Both texts protect access to books, but the extract shows a person offering it and the notice shows a process guarding it. In the extract, Matilda finds the village library on her own, and Mrs Phelps helps her choose books. Access comes through one adult’s attention. The notice speaks in a different voice. It says “the title remains available during the review” and that a committee “will read the full work.” Its promise is procedural: one objection cannot remove a book on its own. The novel shows why that matters. Later in Matilda, her father tears the pages out of her library copy of The Red Pony, and nobody reviews his choice. A policy can stop that kind of decision. It cannot do what Mrs Phelps does, which is notice one reader and help her find the next book. Our group decided that a library needs both fair rules and people who welcome readers.

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.

Do you close-read both texts?
YesNo
Is your comparison supported with quotations?
YesNo
Do you consider the limits of policy?
YesNo
Does one sentence reflect your group’s discussion?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Repeats “banned.”	Mentions a complaint without stage.	States the current stage from the policy.	States stage, next steps and input route.
Reasoning	Declares a legal verdict.	Treats outrage as the argument.	Separates complaint, review and decision.	Connects input to criteria and notes legal uncertainty.
Audience & purpose	Attacks people.	Rallies without direction.	Gives a useful participation route.	Invites participation while respecting other readers and the parent.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Corrects the stage and removes attacks.	Explains how each change helps the chat act accurately.

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Lesson 7Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 6 min.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one corrected stage or one removed attack.

Watch for

Misconception: Students keep a legal verdict in their reply. Listen for: “It’s illegal, period.” Then: Point to the Reasoning row: the law here is unsettled and varies.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Annotations are checked for close reading of both texts, and the comparison is scored for quotation-based support, attention to the limits of policy and a sentence reflecting the discussion.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: States the current stage from the policy.

Reasoning: Separates complaint, review and decision.

Audience & purpose: Gives a useful participation route.

Revision: Corrects the stage and removes attacks.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after my group’s discussion

I changed ___ because ___.

I changed my last sentence to say a library needs both rules and people, because my group showed that a policy can’t replace Mrs Phelps.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 6 minutes.

1 Whose reading experience is missing from the crew’s discussion of the novel?

The parent’s and other students’ readings are missing. Mari is only halfway through, and Gia hasn’t read it yet.

2 Gia says nobody should go after the parent who asked for the review. Why might that matter for her bookshop discussion?

The parent used the same process the crew wants to use. Attacking them would pull people away from the form Gia wants them to fill out.

3 How does calling the same action a “review,” a “restriction” or a “ban” change what people think happened?

Each word names a different stage. “Ban” makes people think it is over, so they may not send input.

My take

My claim: ___.

My claim: the novel is under review, not banned, and people can send input by the 15th.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The best evidence is the notice, because it says the title remains available during the review.

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Lesson 7Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Use question 3 only.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the notice or the form, not a feeling about the parent.” — Post the question numbers and hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask how Gia’s bookshop invitation could name the book, the stage and the deadline without naming the parent.

Going further: Find the institution, its written policy and the decision process before you make a claim about rights. Which of the three does the district notice tell you about?

Going further: What problem does a proposed restriction on a book claim to solve? Which readers’ experiences or other options are missing from that proposal?

Going further: Design a library notice that explains where a book review stands, and write a short guide for interviewing a librarian. Test whether a student can name the next document to ask for.

Going further: Ask your school librarian how book challenges are handled. Find the written policy on the district website, and learn whether students can give input during a review. If a review is happening, read the whole book before you comment.

Find your district’s reconsideration policy and summarize its stages

Research how your state’s laws about school library materials have changed recently

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Someone who disagrees might say a review is the first step toward a ban.

I would change my mind if ___.

I would change my mind if the library pulled the book before the committee decided.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?

In this case, a group chat claims one parent’s complaint got a novel banned from a school library. Your student compared that claim with the library’s notice and learned how a book review works.

Questions to talk about

What is the difference between a book being reviewed and a book being removed?
Where could someone find out how a library decides which books to keep?
How can people disagree about a book without attacking each other?

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

See the case online.

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Lesson 8Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a short story in which a publisher sends Gia a free novel to review. Her video tags the publisher but never says the copy was free. They compare the publisher’s email, the video script and Caio’s edit notes with the FTC’s disclosure guidance for social media. They then rewrite the video’s opening and caption so that a viewer watching with the sound off learns about the free copy.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

quote a text word for word

tell an observation from an inference

challenge a partner’s idea politely

Objectives

Students will be able to:

log what is said, shown and captioned in the first cut

reason from the position of a viewer with the sound off

write a paragraph that supports one claim with evidence from the log

justify each placement in a revised timeline

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B printed side by side

The case rubric, printed on the Check your work page

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe Gia’s review frame by frame, including what’s said, shown and captioned, and write an evidence-based paragraph on when a viewer learns about the free copy.

Students make: Observation grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 142): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read What happened on their own.

Key terms (pages 143 and 144): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 148): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Key idea (pages 149 and 150): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 151): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 152): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Your task (pages 153 and 154): 12 min. Short on time: 11 min. Model the first row of the log together.

Your draft (page 155): 18 min. Short on time: 17 min. Students write the claim and the first piece of evidence in class and finish at home.

Check your work (pages 156 and 157): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Partners run the stranger test only.

Questions to discuss (pages 158 and 159): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 160): at home.

Periods: full chapter 79 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask what different viewers would notice.

Plan 8

Lesson 8Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 8 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students justify a revision with evidence.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.5 Disclosure of material connections

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.0 Purpose and definitions, paragraph (f)

PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information

Heat map

Opener (page 142): Low

Key terms (pages 143 and 144): Low

Look at the evidence (page 148): Low

Key idea (pages 149 and 150): Low

Sort the evidence (page 151): Low

Practice (page 152): Low

Your task (pages 153 and 154): Low

Your draft (page 155): Low

Check your work (pages 156 and 157): Low

Try it at your school

Check the relationship before you trust the review.

Next time you see a recommendation, look for a disclosure in the video itself

If you post reviews, practice a clear spoken line like “They sent me this for free”

Share a disclosure checklist with a school media club

Don’t accuse real creators; practice on your own sample posts

Who to ask: School media or journalism advisor, a librarian, a digital citizenship teacher

Safety: Don’t share personal information to get free products. Talk with a trusted adult before accepting any brand deal.

Sources

TikTok Newsroom, “BookTok and publishing,” September 2022

Federal Trade Commission, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers,” No date listed

Federal Trade Commission, “FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking,” No date listed

Federal Trade Commission, “FTC explanatory video,” No date listed

Plan 8b

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?

Gia loves a novel that a publisher sent her for free, and her video review does not mention the free copy yet.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline what the publisher sent Gia and what it asked for. About 4 minutes.

Gia, Caio and Mari set up a camera in a bright studio.

Your role: You’re the viewer with the sound off who checks the first three seconds. New skill: Spot and disclose a material connection.

What happened

At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Caio finishes editing Gia’s short video review of a new novel. Gia made the review for BookTok, where people recommend books on TikTok. She stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish the novel, and she loves it.

Two weeks ago, the book’s publisher emailed Gia. The publicity team offered her a free copy of its spring novel for review. The email said she did not have to post, but it asked for a tag if she did. In the first cut, Gia never says the book was free. The only sign of the publisher is a tag in the caption below the video.

Caio wants to watch the cut the way a stranger would, on a phone with the sound off. He wants to know whether the first three seconds say the book was free. Gia wants to keep her honest opinion in the video. She also wants viewers to know how she got the book.

Your question: Do Gia’s viewers need to know the book was free, and how should she tell them?

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Material connection A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.

En español: conexión material

In this case: The publisher sent Gia a free copy of its spring novel for review. That free copy is a material connection.

Disclosure A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.

En español: divulgación

In this case: Gia’s first cut has no disclosure. The tag in the caption names the publisher but never says the book was free.

Endorsement An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.

En español: respaldo

In this case: Gia’s video review promotes the novel with her own opinion: she stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it.

Who is involved

Gia

Made the video review

“I stayed up till 2 a.m. finishing it. That part’s real. The publisher sending it free is also real, and right now it’s nowhere in the video.”

Caio

Editing Gia’s video

“The publisher’s email literally says ‘free copy for review.’ That’s the sentence. It’s just not in the video yet.”

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Lesson 8Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Which key term names the free copy? Which one names what Gia still has to add?” — Wait for material connection, then disclosure.

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “material” as physical stuff, like paper. Listen for: “The material is the book.” Then: Reread the definition: a material connection is a relationship with a brand, such as a free product.

Support

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

Cognates: connection (conexión), material (material), recommendation (recomendación), relationship (relación), product (producto), opinion (opinión), audience (audiencia), video (video).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, does Gia need to tell viewers the book was free?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the tag is enough, because it shows the publisher’s name.

Notes

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

A tag is not a disclosure

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

Material connection: A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.
Disclosure: A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.
Endorsement: An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

The story: Watching on mute

Gia stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing a new novel, and the next day she filmed a review for BookTok, the part of TikTok where people recommend books. Her enthusiasm is real. On Saturday at 1:30 p.m., Caio finishes the edit and sends it back. Gia is ready to post.

Caio is not. He wants to watch the cut once the way a stranger would, on a phone with the sound off. His question is specific. In the first three seconds, where does it say the book was free?

The book was free. Two weeks earlier, the publisher’s publicity team emailed Gia: “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.” The first cut opens with Gia saying, “You guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!” There is no on-screen text. The caption reads “@publisher #booktok.”

Gia points to the tag. Caio’s edit notes answer her. A tag is a brand name, not a relationship. The caption also sits below the video, where most people will not open it. In this case, you are the viewer with the sound off who checks those first three seconds.

Stop and think. Caio says a tag is a brand name, not a relationship. What is the difference?

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Opinion, relationship and disclosure

An endorsement is a message that shares someone’s opinion or experience of a product to promote it. Gia’s review is one, and her opinion is honest. A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. The free copy is a material connection. Knowing about it gives viewers context. It does not prove that Gia’s opinion is false.

A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know. Lesson 1 gave you the idea of framing, choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. The first cut frames the review around Gia’s excitement and leaves the relationship out of view. Caio proposes a three-second fix: “Quick heads-up, the publisher sent me this free.” It is spoken and shown on screen, then followed by her hook.

Gia makes a second change that viewers might never notice. She had thought about calling it the best book of the year. Out of the ones she happened to read? She decides to say only what she can support: two nights, and she could not put it down. A disclosure answers one question, which is how she got the book. Viewers can still ask what supports her claims about the book itself.

Caio’s test is simple. Someone who has not seen the video watches once, on mute. Then he asks, “Was the book free?” If they have to think about it, the edit is not done. A comment on another creator’s review shows the risk of skipping this step: “wait was this sponsored?? kind of feels like an ad now.”

Stop and think. Why does Gia cut “best book of the year” even though she loves the book?

What the FTC and researchers say

The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance for influencers says a video disclosure belongs in the video itself, ideally both spoken and on screen (Federal Trade Commission, updated December 3, 2024). In November 2023, the FTC warned two trade associations and a dozen influencers about posts promoting aspartame or sugar. The agency said disclosures must be in the video, not buried in a caption (Federal Trade Commission, November 14, 2023).

Research suggests disclosure helps young viewers. A study of 3,149 high school students in Taiwan found that full sponsorship disclosure helped teens recognize a post as an ad (Lin et al., PLOS One, May 27, 2026).

Stop and think. Some viewers may treat a disclosed review as just an ad. How could Gia keep their trust?

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceFederal Trade CommissionDecember 3, 2024

Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers

Real sourceFederal Trade CommissionNovember 14, 2023

FTC Warns Two Trade Associations and a Dozen Influencers About Social Media Posts Promoting Consumption of Aspartame or Sugar

Real sourcePLOS One (Lin et al.)May 27, 2026

Effects of social media sponsorship disclosure on adolescents’ advertising literacy and purchase intention

Notes

147

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.

Evidence AEmail

The publisher’s email

“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”

Look closely: What did the publisher give, and what did it ask for?

What it shows

A free copy for review, and a request for a tag if she posts.

What it leaves out

Whether Gia has any other relationship with the publisher.

Evidence BVideo script and caption

Gia’s first cut

Spoken: “You guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!” On-screen text: none. Caption below the video: “@publisher #booktok

Look closely: Where in this video would a viewer learn about the free copy?

What it shows

Real excitement on screen, and a publisher tag in the caption.

What it leaves out

That the book was free. The video never names the publisher.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether Gia has any other relationship with the publisher, how many viewers watch without sound, and what supports her claims about the book.

148

Lesson 8Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Say this

“Put your finger on the start of Gia’s script. Where does it say the book was free?” — Wait for “nowhere.” Then find the tag in the caption.

Watch for

Misconception: Students count the caption tag as a disclosure. Listen for: “She tagged them, so it’s disclosed.” Then: Ask what the tag tells a viewer. It names the publisher; it never says the book was free.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page, with the email’s key sentence enlarged.

Read Caio’s notes aloud. Explain that 0:00–0:03 means the first three seconds.

Cognates: connection (conexión), material (material), recommendation (recomendación), relationship (relación), product (producto), opinion (opinión), audience (audiencia), video (video).

Stretch

Ask why Caio tests the video on mute, and which viewers a spoken-only disclosure would miss.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: material connections

On your ownRead the key idea and the FTC guide. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it. Gia’s video review is an endorsement, and her opinion in it is honest. A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. The free copy from the publisher is a material connection. Knowing about it gives viewers context, but it does not prove that Gia’s opinion is false.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a federal agency. Its Endorsement Guides explain how a federal law against deceptive practices applies to endorsements. A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know. For a video, the FTC says the disclosure belongs in the video itself, ideally both spoken and on screen. A tag in the caption only names the brand, and it sits below the video.

A disclosure answers one question: how did Gia get the book? Viewers can still ask what supports her claims about the book itself. A clear disclosure does not make every claim in a review accurate. Do not accuse a real creator of hiding a sponsorship based on a guess.

Professional standards

Real sourceLaw or regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.5 Disclosure of material connections

“They can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products … to an endorser, regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return.”

In plain words: The FTC says a free product can be a connection that reviewers must clearly disclose, even if the brand asked for nothing in return.

Question: The publisher's email says there is “no obligation to post.” Does that change whether Gia has a connection to disclose?

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

The words “no obligation to post” ___, because ___.

The words “no obligation to post” do not change it, because the FTC counts free products even when no review is required.

In the news

Real sourceNBC NewsNovember 15, 2023

Influencers warned by FTC over ‘inadequate’ disclosures of artificial sweetener promotions

Real creators were warned for not clearly saying they were paid, the exact question this case asks.

Real sourceABC NewsNovember 6, 2019

Popular YouTuber chimes in on federal product disclosure guide for influencers

A creator reacts to the FTC’s disclosure rules, showing how the guidance lands for people who actually post.

Notes

150

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each choice to its results. Then write whose view is missing. About 6 minutes.

Follow both choices forward. Which consequences can Gia control, which depend on viewers, and what test tells her the disclosure worked?

Post the first cut with only a brand tag in the caption

Sound-off viewers never learn the book was free
Who is affected
Viewers deciding whether to buy or borrow the book

Disclose aloud and on screen in the first seconds

Viewers weigh the recommendation knowing the relationship
Who is affected
Viewers deciding whether to buy or borrow the book
Some viewers may discount the review as an ad
Who is affected

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 ___.

The publisher’s publicity team. I would ask whether it has any other relationship with Gia besides the free copy.

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the change that makes the relationship clearest. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

Gia loves the novel the publisher sent her for free. Which change to her video makes the relationship clearest to viewers?

A Tag the publisher in the caption.
B Say and show at the start of the video that the publisher sent her the book for free.
C Leave the video as it is, since the email said there was no obligation to post.

Why I chose it

B. It puts the relationship in the video, spoken and on screen. A only names the brand below the video. C ignores that the book was free.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Okay you guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!! 1 #ad #booktok @publisher. The characters are so real and the ending destroyed me. I stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing it and then just sat there staring at the wall. Everyone needs to read this, trust me, 2 it’s the best book of the year and you won’t regret it. Link is in my bio, go get it before everyone else does!

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Move it into the video, spoken and on screen, in the first three seconds.

Rewrite phrase 2

Use her own reading instead: “I finished it in two nights.”

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Lesson 8PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia loves the book, and it was free. Which change makes that clearest?” — Take a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because the email said there was no obligation. Listen for: “They didn’t make her post, so it’s fine.” Then: Reread the FTC quotation. A free product counts even when no post is required.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: On screen and said aloud: “Quick heads-up: the publisher sent me this book for free to review.” Then: “Okay, you guys, I could not put this down. The two sisters felt real to me, and the ending caught me completely off guard. If you like slow-burn family stories, this one’s for you. If you need a fast plot, maybe not. I finished it in two nights.” Caption: “Publisher sent me a free copy for review. #ad #booktok.” The disclosure is in the first three seconds, readable without sound, and the claim is about my own reading.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely observe Gia’s review frame by frame, including what’s said, shown and captioned, and write an evidence-based paragraph on when a viewer learns about the free copy.

Use: The review script, the caption and the publisher email.

You’ll make: Observation grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Read the first cut in Evidence B. Log what is said, shown and captioned.
Answer the question stem: what would a viewer on mute know at second 3?
Write one claim sentence about when a viewer learns about the free copy.
Plan a revised timeline. Say where the disclosure goes and why.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words that supports your claim with your log.
Trade with a partner. Ask your partner to run Caio’s stranger test on your revised timeline.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Opening line: said

“You guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!”

Opening: shown on screen

Nothing. The script lists no on-screen text.

Below the video: the caption

A tag and a hashtag: “@publisher #booktok”

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Lesson 8Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 11 min. Model the first row of the log together.

Say this

“Log what you see before you say what it means. Only facts go in the log.” — Model one row with the opening line.

Watch for

Misconception: Inferences go in the observation log. Listen for: “Shown: she’s hiding the deal.” Then: Ask: can you point to that in the script? If not, it belongs in the claim, with evidence.

Support

Frame-by-frame observation grid

Question stems: “What would a sound-off viewer know at second 3?”

Paragraph frame

Stretch

Propose a revised timeline and justify each placement.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Higher-order questioning; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

What a viewer on mute knows at second 3

That Gia is excited about a book. Nothing tells them it was free.

My claim

A viewer learns about the free copy ___.

A viewer never learns about the free copy, because the only link to the publisher is a tag below the video.

My revised timeline

0:00–0:03: spoken and on screen, the publisher sent me this free. Then the hook. Caption: free copy for review, #ad.

Notes

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

A viewer never learns about the free copy from Gia’s first cut, because the only link to the publisher is a tag below the video. In the opening, Gia says, “You guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!” The words show real excitement, but they say nothing about how she got the book. The script lists no on-screen text, so a viewer with the sound off sees only a person talking about a book. The caption reads “@publisher #booktok.” That tag names the publisher, but it does not say the book was free, and Caio’s notes say most people won’t open the caption. The publisher’s email shows the relationship clearly: a free copy for review. A revised timeline should put that fact in the first three seconds, spoken and on screen, and repeat it in the caption.

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP 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 8 minutes.

Is each observation tied to the opening or to the caption?
YesNo
Is your claim supported by evidence from your log?
YesNo
Do you consider viewers who watch with the sound off?
YesNo
Do you justify each placement in your revised timeline?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No disclosure or claim support.	Tag only.	Names the relationship clearly.	Names the relationship and supports the product claim.
Reasoning	Treats opinion as a substitute for disclosure.	Discloses but can’t explain why.	Explains why placement and clarity matter.	Distinguishes opinion, relationship and product claim.
Audience & purpose	Ignores viewers.	Assumes viewers read captions.	Works for sound-off viewers.	Works across channels with consistent wording.
Revision	No change.	Adds a hashtag.	Adds spoken and on-screen disclosure.	Explains each placement choice for different viewers.

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Lesson 8Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 7 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Partners run the stranger test only.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one moved disclosure or one cut claim.

Watch for

Misconception: Students add a hashtag and call it done. Listen for: “I added #ad.” Then: Point to the Revision row: a hashtag alone is the second level. Ask where a viewer on mute would see it.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The grid is checked for time-stamped observations, and the paragraph is scored for a supported claim, attention to sound-off viewers and justified revisions.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Names the relationship clearly.

Reasoning: Explains why placement and clarity matter.

Audience & purpose: Works for sound-off viewers.

Revision: Adds spoken and on-screen disclosure.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

What my partner’s stranger test found

My partner ___.

My partner read my timeline as a viewer on mute and could not tell the book was free until the caption.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I added on-screen text at 0:00, because my partner on mute missed the spoken line.

Notes

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.

1 Would knowing the book was free change how much you trust Gia’s review? Why or why not?

It changes how I weigh it, not whether I believe her. The free copy is context, and her two nights of reading still count.

2 Some viewers may treat a review with a disclosure as just an ad. How could Gia keep their trust?

Disclose in the first seconds, then keep claims to her own experience. Cutting “best book of the year” makes the rest easier to believe.

3 Who should make sure disclosures are clear: creators, brands or platforms?

All three have a part. Gia controls her words, the publisher can ask for a disclosure, and a platform can offer a label. Gia speaks to viewers first.

My take

My claim: ___.

Gia should disclose the free copy in the first three seconds, spoken and on screen.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The first cut, because nothing in the video itself says the book was free.

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Lesson 8Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not with a real creator you follow.” — Post the question numbers and take one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what a disclosure checklist for a school media club would include, and who would check it.

Going further: What does a viewer need to know about how Gia got the book? Plan one way to check that viewers understood the disclosure. A view count cannot tell you that.

Going further: Design two versions of a sponsored post, with the disclosure in a different place in each. Keep the relationship equally clear in both versions.

Going further: Find the line in the evidence that shows the book was free. Before you call any real post sponsored, look for that kind of evidence. Do not accuse a real creator based on a guess.

Going further: The next time you see a recommendation, look for a disclosure in the video itself. Talk with a trusted adult before you accept any brand deal. If you post reviews, practice a clear spoken line, such as “They sent me this for free.”

Analyze three real posts from brands’ own accounts (not individual creators) for disclosure

Compare FTC guidance with another country’s advertising standards body

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Her opinion is honest, so the free copy does not matter.

I would change my mind if ___.

A viewer on mute could already tell the book was free from the first cut.

Notes

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?

In this case, a publisher sends Gia a free novel, and her video review does not say the book was free. Your student read the email and the video script, then rewrote the opening so viewers learn about the free copy.

Questions to talk about

How can you tell when a video review is also an ad?
Where in a video would you look for a note that a product was free?
Why might a review still be honest if the reviewer got the product for free?

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

See the case online.

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Lesson 9Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which Dec, who turns 18 in October, looks past the headline race on his sample ballot. He finds a school board race, a city council race and a transit bond. They compare the ballot with a creator’s voter guide that mixes facts with picks, and they read Vote.gov’s guidance for people 18 and under. They then write a personal checklist of official sources for registration, deadlines and their own sample ballot.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

read a document’s structure before its content

tell an observation from an inference

support a claim with evidence in a paragraph

Objectives

Students will be able to:

record each contest on the ballot by level of government

connect offices to what they control

defend a claim about which contest matters most for students

Objectives, continued

write in nonpartisan language

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and D printed side by side

One-line office descriptions and the ballot observation grid

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe a sample ballot’s structure and write an evidence-based explanation of what Dec will actually be deciding.

Students make: Observation grid plus explanation (200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 161): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read What happened on their own.

Key terms (pages 162 and 163): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 167 and 168): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Key idea (pages 169 and 170): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (pages 171 and 172): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Practice (page 173): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 174 and 175): 12 min. Short on time: 11 min. Model the local row of the grid together.

Your draft (page 176): 18 min. Short on time: 17 min. Students write the claim and first piece of evidence in class and finish at home.

Check your work (pages 177 and 178): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Partners trade one challenge question only.

Questions to discuss (pages 179 and 180): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 181): at home.

Periods: full chapter 79 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Plan 9

Lesson 9Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 9 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students explain decisions with evidence.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Opening statement (before the guiding principles)

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 161): Low

Key terms (pages 162 and 163): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 167 and 168): Low

Key idea (pages 169 and 170): Low

Sort the evidence (pages 171 and 172): Medium

Practice (page 173): Low

Your task (pages 174 and 175): Medium

Your draft (page 176): Medium

Check your work (pages 177 and 178): Low

Try it at your school

Find your official election information.

With a trusted adult, visit vote.gov and choose your state or territory

Check eligibility, preregistration and registration rules for your age

Find a sample ballot for your address and circle one local office

Learn what that office does before researching candidates

Who to ask: Your county or local election office, a civics teacher, a school librarian

Safety: Never share your address, birthdate or voter information in group chats. Use official government sites (.gov) for registration.

Sources

Vote.gov, “Your state or territory’s voting information,” No date listed

Vote.gov, “Preparing to vote: age 18 and under,” No date listed

USAGov, “Sample ballots and voter guides,” No date listed

National Constitution Center, “The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” No date listed

Plan 9b

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?

Dec turns 18 before the election on November 3, 2026, and his feed covers only one race on his ballot.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the contests Mateo finds below the big race. About 4 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who finds Dec’s official sample ballot before anyone tells him how to vote. New skill: Check an official source for your own area.

Mateo and Gia work in a notebook at a café table.

What happened

It is Sunday at the library desk. Dec turns 18 in October, before the general election on November 3, 2026. His feed is full of posts about one big race. Mateo and Gia are helping him find out what else is on his ballot.

They look at a sample ballot for the November election. The front shows the big race from Dec’s feed. The second page has more: a school board race, a city council seat and Measure T, a transit bond. Mateo notices that nobody is posting about Measure T.

A creator’s voter guide is also going around. It says registration closes “the 14th,” but it never names a state. It also tells people how to vote on the school board race and Measure T. Gia is writing a reminder for the group chat.

Mateo has his own problem. He may still be registered at his mom’s address in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Dec says he does not need anyone to pick for him. He needs to know what is on his ballot and whether he is registered in time.

Your question: What is on Dec’s ballot, and where should he check his own information?

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Sample ballot A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.

En español: boleta de muestra

In this case: Dec’s sample ballot lists a school board race, a city council seat and Measure T below the big race from his feed.

Voter guide A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.

En español: guía para votantes

In this case: A creator’s voter guide mixes one deadline with two picks: “vote Candidate B” and “Measure T: yes, obviously.”

Registration Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.

En español: inscripción electoral

In this case: Dec turns 18 in October and needs to know whether he is registered in time. The guide’s deadline names no state.

Jurisdiction A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.

En español: jurisdicción

In this case: Mateo may still be registered in New Bedford, Massachusetts. A different place can mean a different ballot and a different deadline.

Who is involved

Mateo

Helping Dec read the sample ballot

“Dec’s feed is all the big race. Then you flip the sample ballot: school board, city council, a transit bond. Nobody’s posting about Measure T.”

Gia

Writing the group-chat reminder

“The creator’s guide says ‘registration closes the 14th.’ Whose 14th? It doesn’t even say which state.”

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Lesson 9Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Which key term explains why Mateo’s ballot might not match Dec’s?” — Wait for jurisdiction.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat a voter guide and a sample ballot as the same document. Listen for: “The guide is the ballot.” Then: Ask which one lists the contests for an address and which one tells you how to vote.

Support

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

Many election offices publish Spanish materials. Show where to find them.

Cognates: election (elección), candidate (candidato), jurisdiction (jurisdicción), official (oficial), district (distrito), amendment (enmienda), constitution (constitución), vote (voto).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is on Dec’s ballot?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that it is mostly the big race, because that is what everyone posts about.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Your ballot is not your feed

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

Sample ballot: A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.
Voter guide: A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.
Registration: Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.
Jurisdiction: A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Material connection: A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.

The story: The second page

Dec turns 18 in October, a few weeks before the general election on November 3, 2026. If his feed is any guide, only one race matters. Every post is about the same big contest. On Sunday at the library desk, Mateo and Gia help him look past it.

They pull up a sample ballot for the November election. The front page matches the feed. The second page does not. It lists a school board race, a city council seat and Measure T, a transit bond. Mateo says what everyone is thinking: nobody is posting about Measure T.

A creator’s voter guide is circulating in their group chat: “All you need for November!! Registration closes the 14th. School board: vote Candidate B, the only one who cares about students. Measure T: yes, obviously.” Dec reads it and says he does not need anyone picking for him. He has two questions. What is on his ballot, and is he registered in time?

Gia is writing a reminder for the chat, and Mateo has an uncomfortable realization. He moved from New Bedford for college, and he may still be registered at his mom’s address in Massachusetts. Your role in this case is to find Dec’s official sample ballot before anyone tells him how to vote.

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Stop and think. Why does the guide’s deadline fail as a fact even if it happens to be right somewhere?

Sorting what can be checked

A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot. A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election. The sample ballot is the original source, the Lesson 1 skill, and the guide is someone’s reading of it. Lesson 1 also taught you that a claim is a statement that can be checked with evidence. The guide contains one checkable claim, the registration deadline, and it cannot be checked because it never names a state. Gia’s question is exact: whose 14th?

Lesson 8 gave you another question to ask, about a material connection, a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. The guide does not say who wrote it or who funds it. That does not make its picks wrong. It does mean Dec should treat them as opinions from an unknown source.

The ballot also teaches something about power. A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority. Your address decides which contests appear on your ballot, and a friend two districts over may see different local races. A school board and a city council have different jobs. Before researching candidates, Dec can ask which office has power over the issue he cares about, such as his school or his bus.

Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote. Deadlines vary by state, so Gia leaves the date out of her reminder. Her message is short: check your registration and your own sample ballot at Vote.gov, deadlines depend on your state, and please don’t post your address.

Stop and think. Which contest on the sample ballot could affect Dec’s school or his bus?

Young voters and the rules

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment protects the right to vote for citizens 18 and older (National Constitution Center, no date listed). Its roots go back to World War II and the slogan “old enough to fight, old enough to vote” (The National WWII Museum, October 27, 2020). Most states now allow teens to preregister before 18, and some let 17-year-olds vote in primaries (Ballotpedia News, September 26, 2025).

Young people do vote. About 47 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds voted in 2024, with big differences by state (CIRCLE, April 14, 2025). Anika, who is 16, is checking whether she can preregister. She can also learn what the school board decides before she can vote on it.

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Stop and think. When could a voter guide that recommends choices help a first-time voter?

Sources

Real sourceVote.govNo date listed

Your state or territory’s voting information

Real sourceNational Constitution CenterNo date listed

The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

Real sourceThe National WWII MuseumOctober 27, 2020

“Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote”: The WWII Roots of the 26th Amendment

Real sourceBallotpedia NewsSeptember 26, 2025

Most states allow teenagers to pre-register to vote before turning 18, and some let them vote in primaries

Real sourceCIRCLE (Tufts University)April 14, 2025

New Data: Nearly Half of Youth Voted in 2024

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.

Evidence ASample ballot

Sample ballot for the 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.

Look closely: Which contests sit below the big race, and which one touches Dec’s school?

What it shows

Federal, state and local races, plus Measure T.

What it leaves out

Which address it covers, and what each office does.

Evidence DStatement

What Dec needs

“I turn 18 in October. I don’t need someone picking for me. I need to know what’s on my ballot and whether I’m registered in time for November.”

Look closely: What two questions does Dec need answered, and which source answers each?

What it shows

Two questions: what is on his ballot, and is he registered in time?

What it leaves out

His state, his registration status and his deadline.

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Lesson 9Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Say this

“Put one finger on a line you could check and one on a line that tells you how to vote.” — Use two highlighter colors if you have them.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the guide’s picks as facts because the guide sounds sure. Listen for: “It says obviously, so it’s true.” Then: Ask what source could prove “Measure T: yes.” None can; it is a pick.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the sample ballot aloud, one level of government at a time.

Cognates: election (elección), candidate (candidato), jurisdiction (jurisdicción), official (oficial), district (distrito), amendment (enmienda), constitution (constitución), vote (voto).

Stretch

Ask why Gia’s reminder leaves out a deadline on purpose, and what each reader has to do instead.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Dec’s state, registration status and deadline, the sample ballot for his own address, and who wrote and funds the creator’s guide.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: sample ballots

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot. A measure is a question that voters decide directly, such as Measure T. A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election. The two have different purposes. Start with the ballot for your address, and then check a guide’s facts apart from its picks.

Your address decides which contests appear on your ballot. A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority. A friend two districts over may see different local races. A school board and a city council have different jobs, so each one makes different decisions. Before you research candidates, find out which office has power over the issue you care about.

Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote. Rules and deadlines vary by state, so do not copy a friend’s deadline. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment protects the right to vote for citizens 18 and older. Most states let people preregister before they turn 18. Several states let 17-year-olds vote in a primary if they will be 18 by the general election.

Professional standards

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

“Label advocacy and commentary.”

In plain words: Journalists who follow the SPJ code mark opinions and recommendations so readers can tell them apart from facts.

Question: The creator's guide mixes a registration deadline with “vote Candidate B.” Which lines are checkable facts, and which are picks?

Your answer

Facts I can check: ___. Picks: ___.

Facts I can check: “Registration closes the 14th,” though it names no state. Picks: “vote Candidate B” and “Measure T: yes, obviously.”

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPRAugust 6, 2023

Some states are trying to boost youth voter registration. Here's what they're doing

Explains preregistration and other state steps that let teens sign up before they turn 18.

Real sourceBallotpedia NewsSeptember 26, 2025

Most states allow teenagers to pre-register to vote before turning 18, and some let them vote in primaries

Rules differ by state, so where you live decides when you can register and what you vote on.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownMatch each of Dec’s questions to the rule or office that answers it. Then write whose view is missing. About 6 minutes.

Separate the two questions Dec has: what is on his ballot, and can he vote. Which rules and offices answer each, and which source should he check first?

Which contests and measures appear on Dec’s ballot

Who decides

His address and district lines, drawn through redistricting

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Your way in

Vote.gov, which links to his state or local election office

Whether Dec can register and vote in November

Who decides

Under which rule

Twenty-Sixth Amendment: the vote at 18 cannot be denied on account of age

State rules on preregistration, deadlines and 17-year-old primary voting

Who lives with it

Your way in

Vote.gov, which links to his state or local election office

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

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 ___.

The creator who wrote the guide. I would ask who wrote and funds it, and which state “the 14th” is for.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what you would do with a friend’s sample ballot. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

You live at a new address. A friend sends their sample ballot and says, “Just use this one.” What should you do?

A Use it, because you and your friend live in the same state.
B Check your registration and find the official sample ballot for your address.
C Use a creator’s voter guide instead, since it covers the whole election.

Why I chose it

B. Addresses in one state can fall in different districts, so A may give the wrong local races. C starts with opinions before the facts.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Guys the election is coming up and it’s a big one!! 1 Registration closes on the 14th so do it now. Here’s the voter guide I use, it tells you exactly who to vote for so you don’t have to research. Also 2 drop your addresses and I’ll check if you’re registered for you. Only the big race really matters anyway, the rest is small stuff. My cousin in another state said the same deadline works for her too, so just use mine. Let’s go vote!!

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Registration deadlines depend on your state, so check yours at vote.gov.

Rewrite phrase 2

Check your own registration at vote.gov. Don’t share your address here.

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Lesson 9PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“A friend sends their sample ballot and says, “Just use this one.” What do you do?” — Take a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because the friend lives in the same state. Listen for: “Same state, same ballot.” Then: Point to the key idea: a friend two districts over may see different local races.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Election reminder: registration deadlines and voting options depend on your state, so check yours at vote.gov, which links to your state’s election office. You can also look up your sample ballot for your own address there. It shows everything you’ll vote on, including school board and local measures, not just the big race. If you use a voter guide, check the facts it gives and remember its picks are someone’s opinion. Under 18? Many states let you preregister, and some let 17-year-olds vote in primaries. Check your state’s rules. No need to share your address here.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely observe a sample ballot’s structure and write an evidence-based explanation of what Dec will actually be deciding.

Use: The sample ballot and one-line office descriptions.

You’ll make: Observation grid plus explanation (200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Read the sample ballot in Evidence A. Sort each contest by level: federal, state or local.
Fill in the grid. Write “not listed” where the ballot leaves something out.
Answer the question stem: which office affects Dec’s school?
Talk with a partner about which contest matters most for students.
Write an explanation of about 200 words on what Dec will decide.
Defend your choice of the most important contest with evidence.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Federal level

U.S. Representative. Term and duties: not listed on the ballot.

State level

State Senator, and a Superior Court judge up for retention.

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Lesson 9Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 11 min. Model the local row of the grid together.

Say this

“Read the ballot’s structure before its content. How many levels of government do you see?” — Wait for three, plus a measure.

Watch for

Misconception: Students fill in terms and duties the ballot does not list. Listen for: “The judge serves a long term.” Then: Ask where on the ballot that appears. If it is not there, write “not listed.”

Support

Ballot observation grid: level, office, term, what it controls

Question stems: “Which office affects Dec’s school?”

Explanation frame

Stretch

Discuss with a partner which contest matters most for students, then defend your choice in writing.

Heat check

Medium. Students may add picks for candidates or measures they support.

Cool-down: Remind students the product is nonpartisan. Replace any pick with where to check the facts.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

Local level

Board of Education, District 3 (vote for two); City Council, Ward 5.

Measure

Measure T, a transit improvements bond.

The contest that matters most for students, and why

The school board race, because the board sets the district budget and school calendar that students live with.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your explanation, about 200 words

Dec’s feed covers one race, but his sample ballot shows that he will decide much more. The ballot has three levels. At the federal level, he votes for a U.S. Representative. At the state level, he votes for a State Senator and on whether a Superior Court judge stays in office. At the local level, he chooses two members of the Board of Education for District 3 and one City Council member for Ward 5. He also votes on Measure T, a transit improvements bond. The ballot lists no terms or duties, so Dec needs office descriptions to know what each job controls. The contest that matters most for students is the school board race. The board sets the district budget and approves policies like the school calendar, decisions that shape every school day. Measure T matters too, since it could affect Dec’s bus, but it is one question, while the board makes many decisions all year. Dec said he needs to know what is on his ballot, and this reading answers that without telling him how to vote.

176

Lesson 9Your draftPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 18 min.

Short on time: 17 min. Students write the claim and first piece of evidence in class and finish at home.

Say this

“Your claim names one contest. Every sentence after it has to show why.” — Check each claim before students start the paragraph.

Watch for

Misconception: The explanation slips into a pick. Listen for: “Dec should vote yes on Measure T.” Then: Ask whether the sentence explains a choice or makes one.

Heat check

Medium. Students may add picks for candidates or measures they support.

Cool-down: Remind students the product is nonpartisan. Replace any pick with where to check the facts.

Answer key

What to notice in the sample:

Reads the ballot’s structure before its content.

Names what the document leaves out.

Supports the claim with an accurate office description.

Stays nonpartisan.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP 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 8 minutes.

Does your grid read the ballot accurately?
YesNo
Are your office descriptions correct?
YesNo
Is your explanation nonpartisan?
YesNo
Do you defend your choice of contest with evidence?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Copies one person’s deadlines.	Mentions official sources vaguely.	Points to official sources for each person’s state.	Points to official sources and explains why rules differ.
Reasoning	Treats a guide as the ballot.	Mentions the ballot but not local contests.	Separates ballot, guide and registration.	Explains why local offices matter to the audience.
Audience & purpose	Collects private info.	Generic hype.	Useful, private, nonpartisan.	Includes people not yet eligible.
Revision	No change.	Adds a link.	Replaces copied deadlines with official routes.	Explains how each change helps friends in different situations.

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Lesson 9Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 7 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Partners trade one challenge question only.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one official source added or one pick removed.

Watch for

Misconception: Students keep a copied deadline. Listen for: “Registration closes the 14th.” Then: Point to the Evidence row. Replace the date with the official place to check it.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The grid is checked for an accurate reading of the ballot, and the explanation is scored for correct office descriptions, nonpartisan language and an evidence-based defense.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Points to official sources for each person’s state.

Reasoning: Separates ballot, guide and registration.

Audience & purpose: Useful, private, nonpartisan.

Revision: Replaces copied deadlines with official routes.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

The challenge my partner raised

My partner asked ___.

My partner asked why Measure T matters less if Dec rides the bus.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I added that Measure T is one question, while the board makes many decisions, to answer my partner.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.

1 Which contest on the sample ballot could affect Dec’s school or his bus?

The Board of Education, District 3 race for his school, and Measure T for transit. Both sit below the big race.

2 Mateo may still be registered in New Bedford. Why might his ballot differ from Dec’s?

A ballot depends on your address. If Mateo is registered in Massachusetts, he gets that state’s contests and deadline, not Dec’s.

3 Anika is 16. How can she be part of this election before she can vote?

She can check her state’s preregistration rule and learn what the school board decides before she can vote on it.

4 When could a voter guide that recommends choices help a first-time voter?

When it labels its picks as opinion and gets its facts right. A reader can check the facts and weigh the picks separately.

My take

My claim: ___.

Dec should find his own sample ballot and registration status through official sources before he reads any guide.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The sample ballot, because it lists local contests his feed never mentions.

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Lesson 9Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not a candidate or party you like.” — Post the question numbers and take one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what one local office on the ballot decides, and how a student could learn that before researching candidates.

Going further: Which election office covers your address? Find it through Vote.gov. If you live away from home for school, write one question asking that office which address and rules apply to you.

Going further: Plan an election reminder for your own group chat. Who might a group chat miss? Link to an official source so nobody has to trust a screenshot.

Going further: Record a one-minute audio guide that tells listeners how to find their own sample ballot. Then write the same steps as a checklist. Check that both lead to the same official page.

Going further: With a trusted adult, go to Vote.gov and choose your state or territory. Check the registration rules for your age, then find the sample ballot for your address. Never share your address or birthdate in a group chat.

Find your county’s sample ballot for the next election

Research the history of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

A guide with picks saves time for a busy first-time voter.

I would change my mind if ___.

The creator’s guide named its author and labeled its picks as opinion.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?

In this case, a teen about to turn 18 finds local races on his ballot that his feed never mentions. Your student compared a sample ballot with a voter guide, then wrote a guide that points to official sources without telling anyone how to vote.

Questions to talk about

What offices appear on a local ballot, besides the big races?
Where can someone find official information about registering to vote?
How can you tell a fact in a voter guide from a recommendation?

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

See the case online.

181

Lesson 10Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?

Content note

This case involves disability access on a city route. No student should share their own disability or health information, so keep the discussion on Sami’s trip.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which construction blocks the curb ramp on Sami’s route to a city workshop, and the detour points to stairs. They examine the sign, the route map and the workshop flyer. They use the Department of Justice’s Title II guide to see which part of the ADA applies. They then audit the whole trip and write a message to the city’s ADA coordinator.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

read a map or an image closely before drawing a conclusion

tell an observation from an inference

support a claim with evidence in a paragraph

Objectives

Students will be able to:

sort what is visible and not visible in the sign and the route map

Objectives, continued

name what the evidence leaves out about Sami’s whole trip

write a paragraph that supports one claim with precise observations

write a respectful question for Sami that would fill the biggest gap

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B printed side by side

The observation grid: visible and not visible

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe Mateo’s photo, the detour sign and the route map, then write an evidence-based paragraph on what the evidence shows about Sami’s whole trip and what it leaves out.

Students make: Annotated map plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 182): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students read What happened on their own.

Key terms (pages 183 and 184): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 188 and 189): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 190 and 191): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 192): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 193): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 194 and 195): 12 min. Short on time: 11 min. Model the first row of the grid together.

Your draft (page 196): 18 min. Short on time: 16 min. Students write the claim and first observations in class and finish at home.

Check your work (pages 197 and 198): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Skip the rubric self-score.

Questions to discuss (pages 199 and 200): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 201): at home.

Periods: full chapter 79 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students analyze visual evidence and its gaps.

Plan 10

Lesson 10Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 10 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask questions that fill evidence gaps.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students write a supported claim about the route.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.

Codes of ethics, continued

NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists: Code of Ethics, standard 3

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions

Heat map

Opener (page 182): Medium

Key terms (pages 183 and 184): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 188 and 189): Low

Key idea (pages 190 and 191): Low

Sort the evidence (page 192): Medium

Practice (page 193): Medium

Your task (pages 194 and 195): Low

Your draft (page 196): Low

Check your work (pages 197 and 198): Low

Try it at your school

Find your city’s ADA contact.

With a trusted adult, search your city’s website for “ADA coordinator” or “accessibility”

Save how to report a blocked sidewalk or curb ramp (often 311 or a public works page)

If you notice a barrier, note the location, date and time

Try it at your school, continued

Ask the person affected what they want before reporting on their behalf

Who to ask: City ADA coordinator, 311 or public works, school transportation office for school routes

Safety: Don’t film or post people with disabilities without clear permission. Stay out of construction zones.

Sources

HISTORY, “When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act,” July 24, 2020

Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, “The Capitol Crawl,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Justice, “The ADA and City Governments,” No date listed

Plan 10b

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?

A construction detour sends Sami toward stairs on her way to a city workshop, and her bus comes in 12 minutes.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline where the detour sign points. About 4 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who writes down the corner, the time and the sign before Mateo posts. New skill: Report a problem to the office responsible.

Sami, Jordy and Mateo plan with picture cards on a whiteboard.

What happened

It is Tuesday, 4:05 p.m., at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue. Sami is on her way to a free community workshop run by the city’s parks department. It starts at 5. Sami uses a manual wheelchair, and her bus comes in 12 minutes. Mateo is with her.

The curb ramp on the northeast corner is blocked by construction fencing. A sign reads “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR.” Its arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs. That detour does not work for Sami.

Mateo already has the sign on video, and his first idea is to post it. Sami asks whether the video gets her on the bus. It does not, so Mateo puts the camera down. He checks the other corners for a ramp while Sami looks up the next bus stop.

Later, they want to report the corner to the city. Mateo wonders whether the city is breaking the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). First, they need to know what one video can show and which office is responsible.

Your question: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route, and what should Sami and Mateo tell the city?

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Program access Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.

En español: acceso a los programas

In this case: The city runs the workshop. Program access asks whether Sami can reach and join the workshop, not only whether one ramp is open.

Barrier A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.

En español: barrera

In this case: Fencing blocks the curb ramp at Elm Street and 4th Avenue, and the detour points to stairs. The flyer gives no way to request access.

ADA coordinator An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.

En español: coordinador de la ADA

In this case: Mateo plans to send the city’s ADA coordinator the corner, the time, the sign and one question, if Sami agrees.

Who is involved

Sami

Trying to catch her bus to the workshop

“The sign says detour. The detour starts with stairs. So, no. Twelve minutes.”

Mateo

Filmed the detour sign

“I had the sign on video before I even thought about it. Sami asked if that gets her on the bus. Fair. Camera down.”

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Lesson 10Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Which key term explains why the whole trip matters, not only the ramp?” — Wait for program access.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think program access means every door needs a ramp. Listen for: “Every building needs a ramp.” Then: Reread the key idea: the program as a whole must be accessible. A city can move a service to an accessible place.

Support

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

Spanish words from the case: ruta, barrera, rampa, desvío.

Cognates: access (acceso), barrier (barrera), program (programa), route (ruta), ramp (rampa), coordinator (coordinador), construction (construcción), observation (observación).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, whose job do you think it is to fix Sami’s route?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is the construction company, because its fence blocks the ramp.

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

From a video to a report the city can answer

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

Program access: Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.
Barrier: A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.
ADA coordinator: An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Jurisdiction: A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.

The story: The camera goes down

At 4:05 p.m. on a Tuesday, Sami and Mateo reach the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue. She is on her way to a free community workshop run by the city’s parks department, starting at 5. She uses a manual wheelchair. Her bus arrives in 12 minutes.

The northeast curb ramp is behind construction fencing. A sign reads “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR,” and its arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs. Sami’s summary is four short sentences in the group chat: the ramp is fenced off, the detour sign points to stairs, so no, bus in 12.

Mateo had the sign on video before he even thought about it. He asks whether she wants him to post it. Sami answers with a question: does that get her on the bus? He admits it does not. He puts the camera down and checks the other corners for a ramp while she looks up the next stop. Sami also sets a rule for the future. He can film the ramp and the sign. If he wants to film her, he asks first, and ideally not while she is busy missing a bus.

In this case, your role is to write down the corner, the time and the sign before anyone posts. The report comes later, once Sami is on her way.

Stop and think. Sami decides what the next 12 minutes need. Why should that decision be hers?

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Sizing the claim to the evidence

Mateo’s next thought is legal: is the city breaking the Americans with Disabilities Act? That is a claim, the Lesson 1 term for a statement that something is true that you can check with evidence. The evidence is narrow. The sign went up Monday. Mateo recorded it Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. The route map shows five stages: home to the corner, the blocked northeast ramp, the bus stop, the bus to the parks department building and the workshop entrance and room. Nobody has checked that last stage yet. One corner and one sign cannot show whether another accessible route exists or whether the whole city is out of compliance.

A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part. Sami meets one at the ramp. The workshop flyer could be a second one. It says “All welcome!” and “Call the front desk,” but it gives no information about accessible entrances or how to request access.

Program access is an ADA rule that a city’s services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities. Access covers the whole visit: finding the information, getting there, going in, taking part and leaving. That is why a good report looks at all five stages, not just the corner.

Lesson 9 introduced jurisdiction, the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority. Here it answers “whose job is it?” The city runs the workshop and manages the street. An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints. Mateo puts it simply. The report goes to the city’s ADA coordinator, not his followers. It lists the corner, the time, the sign and one question: is there an accessible detour, and how long will this stay blocked? He sends it only if Sami says yes.

Stop and think. Which barrier on Sami’s trip would a photo miss?

What the law and history add

The Justice Department explains that Title II of the ADA covers state and local government programs and services. Its guide for cities also covers keeping curb ramps usable during street work (U.S. Department of Justice, updated February 24, 2020).

The ADA itself came from protest. On March 12, 1990, activists climbed the Capitol steps to show what stairs do to access, and the law was signed that July (HISTORY, July 24, 2020). Thirty-five years later, NPR looked at what the law changed and what barriers people still report (NPR, July 22, 2025).

Stop and think. Why is “the city is breaking the ADA” a weaker report than a specific question?

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of JusticeFebruary 24, 2020

The ADA and City Governments

Real sourceHISTORYJuly 24, 2020

When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act

Real sourceNPRJuly 22, 2025

35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act — celebrating the success and concern

Notes

187

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.

Evidence AConstruction sign

The detour sign

The sign reads “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR.” Its arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs. The sign went up on Monday. Mateo recorded it on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m.

Look closely: Where does the arrow point? Who could not use that path?

What it shows

The posted detour begins with stairs, so a wheelchair user cannot follow it.

What it leaves out

Whether an accessible route exists, and how long the ramp stays blocked.

Evidence BRoute map

Sami and Mateo’s route map

1. Home to the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue: sidewalk clear. 2. Northeast curb ramp: blocked by construction fencing. 3. Bus stop: next bus in 12 minutes. 4. Bus to the parks department building. 5. Workshop entrance and room: not yet checked.

Look closely: Which stage is blocked, and which stage has nobody checked?

What it shows

Five stages. The blocked ramp is stage 2, and the bus comes in 12 minutes.

What it leaves out

Whether the workshop entrance and room work for Sami. Nobody checked.

188

Lesson 10Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Find the stage on the route map that nobody has checked. Why does it matter?” — Wait for stage 5, the workshop entrance and room.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the video as proof about the whole route. Listen for: “The video proves the city is breaking the law.” Then: Ask which stage the video shows. It shows stage 2, at one time.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Provide a printed route map with the five stages labeled.

Cognates: access (acceso), barrier (barrera), program (programa), route (ruta), ramp (rampa), coordinator (coordinador), construction (construcción), observation (observación).

Stretch

Ask which barrier on the trip is about information, not concrete, and which document shows it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether an accessible detour exists and how it is marked, how long the ramp stays blocked, and whether the workshop entrance and room are accessible.

Notes

189

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: program access

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice explains that Title II of the ADA covers state and local government programs and services. Program access generally does not require every older building to be accessible. For example, a city can relocate a service to an accessible place. Existing buildings and new construction have different requirements.

Access covers the whole visit: finding the information, getting there, going in, taking part and leaving. A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part. Sami meets one barrier at the curb ramp. The workshop flyer could be another, because it gives no way to request access. The Justice Department’s guide for cities also covers curb ramps during street work.

One video of one corner cannot show whether a city is following the law. It can show what happened, where and when. An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints. That office can say whether an accessible detour exists. Before you report a barrier someone else faces, ask them what they want said.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation

“respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations”

In plain words: ASPA members in public service agree to help every person use public programs and services.

Question: The parks flyer says “All welcome!” with no access information. What should it add so Sami can request access?

Your answer

The flyer should add ___, so that ___.

The flyer should add how to request access and whom to contact, so that Sami can ask before she travels.

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceHISTORYJuly 24, 2020

When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act

A throwback to March 12, 1990, when activists climbed the Capitol steps to show what stairs do to access. The ADA was signed that July.

Real sourceTHE CITYOctober 3, 2025

North Bronx Subway Station to Get Elevators, Nearly a Decade After ADA Lawsuit

A lawsuit pushed a transit agency to add elevators, showing how the ADA makes access a public duty.

Notes

191

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownMark whether each piece of evidence supports or narrows each claim. Then write whose view is missing. About 6 minutes.

Sort what the evidence supports. Which claim can you make today, which one needs more facts, and who can supply them?

Evidence	Claim 1The city is breaking the ADA.	Claim 2On Tuesday, the posted detour did not work for a wheelchair user.
1 Photo: the northeast curb ramp blocked by fencing on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m.	Narrows	Supports
2 Detour sign points to a path that starts with stairs	Neither	Supports
3 DOJ: Title II requires program access, not every facility to be accessible	Narrows	Neither

Still open

Is there another accessible route to the bus and the workshop? Ask the ADA coordinator.

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 ___.

The city’s ADA coordinator. I would ask whether there is an accessible detour and how long the ramp will be blocked.

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Mateo should do and explain why. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

Mateo wants people to know about the blocked corner. What should he do?

A Post the video with a caption saying the city is breaking the ADA.
B Send the ADA coordinator the corner, the time, the detour sign and one question, if Sami agrees.
C Skip the report if Sami finds another bus stop that works today.

Why I chose it

B. It gives the office that can act the corner, time and sign, and it asks Sami first. A claims a violation. C leaves the stairs detour for the next person.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

1 The city is breaking the ADA. There is construction blocking the ramp and a wheelchair user I know couldn’t get to the bus. We were standing there for like ten minutes trying to figure out another way and the sign just pointed to stairs. My friend almost missed her workshop because of it. This is discrimination and completely illegal. Nobody even cares about this. You need to 2 fix every ramp in the neighborhood right away or we will post the photos everywhere.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

On Tuesday at 4:05 p.m., the northeast curb ramp was blocked by fencing.

Rewrite phrase 2

Is there an accessible detour, and how long will this ramp be blocked?

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Lesson 10PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Mateo has the video. What should he do with it?” — Vote before discussing.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because posting gets attention. Listen for: “Post it, then they’ll fix it.” Then: Ask whether Sami agreed. Point to her line: “Me, ask first.”

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Students may bring up real viral videos of disabled people.

Cool-down: Keep it about Mateo’s video. Ask what Sami wants.

Answer key

A revised version: Hello, I’m writing about the construction at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue, by the bus stop. On Tuesday at about 4 p.m., the curb ramp on the northeast corner was blocked, and the detour sign pointed to a route with stairs. My friend, who uses a wheelchair and agreed to be mentioned, could not reach the bus stop that way. Could you tell us whether there is an accessible detour during construction, how it’s marked and how long the ramp will be blocked? We’d also like to know how to report this if it happens again. Thank you.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely observe Mateo’s photo, the detour sign and the route map, then write an evidence-based paragraph on what the evidence shows about Sami’s whole trip and what it leaves out.

Use: The photo description, detour sign and route map.

You’ll make: Annotated map plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Read the detour sign in Evidence A and the route map in Evidence B side by side.
Fill in the grid: what is visible and what is not.
Answer the question stem: which stage of the trip is not in the frame?
Compare gap lists with a partner. Agree on the biggest gap.
Write one respectful question for Sami that would fill that gap.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words on the Your draft page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Visible

A fenced-off curb ramp and a sign whose arrow points to stairs.

Not visible

Stages 3 to 5, any other route and how long the closure lasts.

Which stage of the trip is not in the frame?

Stage 5, the workshop entrance and room. Nobody has checked it.

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My question for Sami

Do you want us to find out whether the workshop entrance and room work for you?

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The evidence shows one barrier on Sami’s trip, but it cannot show whether the whole trip works. Mateo’s video records the northeast curb ramp at Elm Street and 4th Avenue, blocked by construction fencing at 4:05 p.m. on Tuesday. The detour sign’s arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs, so the posted detour does not work for Sami. The route map puts this barrier at stage 2 of five. Stage 1, the sidewalk from home, is clear. Stages 3 and 4, the bus stop and the bus, are outside the frame. Stage 5, the workshop entrance and room, is marked “not yet checked.” That is the biggest gap, because Sami still has to get into the room. The evidence supports one claim: the posted detour did not work for Sami on Tuesday.

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP 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 8 minutes.

Do you keep what is visible separate from what is not?
YesNo
Do you name the biggest gap honestly?
YesNo
Is your claim supported by precise observations?
YesNo
Does your question for Sami respect her decisions?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No location or time.	General description.	Specific location, time and observation.	Specific observation plus what remains unknown.
Reasoning	Declares a violation.	Mixes observation and conclusion.	Separates observation from legal question.	Connects observation to program access and asks the right office.
Audience & purpose	Threatening or vague.	Polite but no clear request.	Specific, answerable request to the right office.	Request plus how to report future issues.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Adds specifics and removes the legal conclusion.	Explains how each change helps the city act and respects Sami.

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Lesson 10Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 7 min. Skip the rubric self-score.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one added detail or one removed legal conclusion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students keep a sentence that declares a violation. Listen for: “The city is clearly violating the ADA.” Then: Point to the Reasoning row. Replace the sentence with a question for the coordinator.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The grid and map are checked for precise observations and named gaps, and the paragraph is scored for a supported claim and a question that respects Sami’s decisions.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Specific location, time and observation.

Reasoning: Separates observation from legal question.

Audience & purpose: Specific, answerable request to the right office.

Revision: Adds specifics and removes the legal conclusion.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

The gap my partner chose

My partner chose ___.

My partner chose how long the closure lasts, because the workshop meets every Tuesday.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I added the bus stop and the bus to my gaps, because my first list named only the workshop room.

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 8 minutes.

1 Which barrier on Sami’s trip would a photo miss?

The flyer, which gives no way to request access. That barrier is about information, so no camera at the corner would show it.

2 What is the difference between recording a barrier and making Sami the content?

A record of the corner, the time and the sign helps the city fix it. Posting Sami without her permission turns her trip into someone else’s story.

3 Construction is temporary, but the detour affects people now. What should a city do to keep routes usable during repairs?

Mark an accessible detour before the fence goes up and post how long the closure lasts. Give a contact for people who cannot use the detour.

My take

My claim: ___.

Mateo should send the ADA coordinator the corner, time and sign, and one question, if Sami agrees.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The detour sign, because it shows that the only posted route starts with stairs.

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Lesson 10Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not a story about someone you know.” — Post the question numbers and take one answer per question.

Stretch

With an adult, find your city’s ADA coordinator page and summarize how it takes complaints.

Going further: Write a first description of Sami’s trip. Then check one stage you skipped, such as the workshop entrance. Rewrite your description and note what changed.

Going further: Suppose someone says the fix is to install a ramp. What problem does that fix assume? List two barriers from Sami’s trip that a new ramp would not remove.

Going further: Make a route guide for Sami’s trip in two forms, such as a map and a numbered list. Check that each form works without color or a picture.

Going further: With a trusted adult, search your city’s website for “ADA coordinator” or “accessibility” pages. Save how to report a blocked sidewalk or curb ramp, often through 311 or a public works page. Ask the person affected before you report for them, and stay out of construction zones.

Find your city’s ADA coordinator page and summarize its complaint process

Research how your city communicates construction detours

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Posting the video would get a faster answer from the city.

I would change my mind if ___.

The city had already marked an accessible detour that Mateo missed.

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?

In this case, construction blocks a curb ramp on a young woman’s route to a city workshop, and the detour points to stairs. Your student studied what one video can show, then wrote a question for the city office responsible for access.

Questions to talk about

Who in our town takes care of sidewalks and curb ramps?
What details make a report to the city easy to act on?
Why should you ask someone before you post a video of them?

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

See the case online.

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Lesson 11Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which Jordy and Gia work the same Saturday event. Jordy is paid $16.50 an hour, and Gia is paid $18.00. They compare the pay statements and the crew schedule, which lists Gia as shift lead, with federal pages on pay discrimination and on discussing wages. They then draft Jordy’s message to the supervisor asking how the rates were set.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

quote a document word for word

tell an observation from an inference

rank options by how well evidence supports them

Objectives

Students will be able to:

fill a comparison grid from the documents before explaining the difference

define what “shift lead” would need to include for the difference to be fair

rank competing explanations by the evidence

Objectives, continued

write a paragraph that stops where the evidence stops

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B and C

A comparison grid: duties, hours, title, rate

The task in this edition

Task: Closely compare Jordy’s and Gia’s statements and the crew schedule, and write an evidence-based paragraph on what could explain the rate difference.

Students make: Comparison grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 202): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 203 and 204): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 208): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 209): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key idea (pages 210 and 211): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Sort the evidence (page 212): 6 min. Short on time: skip. The grid on the task page does the same work.

Practice (page 213): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 214 and 215): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Your draft (page 216): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Check your work (pages 217 and 218): 6 min. Short on time: 3 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Questions to discuss (pages 219 and 220): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 221): at home.

Periods: full chapter 77 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students compare records closely.

Plan 11

Lesson 11Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 11 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask what would make a difference fair.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students rank explanations by evidence.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

SHRM Code of Ethics: Fairness and Justice

SHRM Code of Ethics: Use of Information

Codes of ethics, continued

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I protect confidential information”

Heat map

Opener (page 202): Medium

Key terms (pages 203 and 204): Low

Look at the evidence (page 208): Low

Look at the evidence (page 209): Low

Key idea (pages 210 and 211): Low

Sort the evidence (page 212): Low

Practice (page 213): Medium

Your task (pages 214 and 215): Low

Check your work (pages 217 and 218): Low

Try it at your school

Know how pay decisions are made where you work.

Ask for your pay rate and how it’s set in writing when you start a job

Keep your own record of hours and duties

Talk with a trusted adult or counselor if something seems off

Look up your state labor department’s pay-equity page

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: Supervisor or HR, school counselor, state labor department, the EEOC’s public information line

Safety: Don’t share coworkers’ pay information without their permission. Deadlines apply to formal complaints, so ask a qualified adviser early if you think there’s a legal issue.

Sources

NPR, “The U.S. national women’s soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement,” February 22, 2022

NPR, “Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim,” May 2, 2020

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Pay Discrimination,” No date listed

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), “Your Right to Discuss Wages,” No date listed

Plan 11b

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?

Jordy and Gia worked the same Saturday event, but Gia’s pay rate is $1.50 an hour higher, and Jordy wants to know why.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the two pay rates and the job title on the schedule. About 5 minutes.

Mateo attaches an arrival notice at the Common Room entrance. Gia points to the doorway, and Jordy checks what a visitor will see.

Your role: You’re the one who lines up both shifts side by side before Jordy writes to Dana. New skill: Compare two cases on the same terms.

What happened

Jordy and Gia work event shifts for the same company. They both worked a Saturday event from 3 to 11 p.m. Both helped with setup and closing, and Jordy also ran the caption and audio check.

They were paid the following Friday. On Sunday afternoon, Jordy and Gia compare pay statements. Jordy’s lists eight hours at $16.50 an hour. Gia’s lists $18.00 an hour for the same event.

The crew schedule lists Gia as “shift lead,” but it does not say what that job includes. That day, Gia opened up and handled one guest issue. She does not know if that explains the $1.50 difference. Gia is fine with Jordy knowing her rate. But she does not want her statement posted.

Jordy wants to ask Dana, the supervisor, how rates are set. Jordy will not post anything before Dana answers.

Your question: Why is Gia paid more than Jordy for the same event, and how should Jordy ask about it?

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess about the pay difference. About 4 minutes.

Compensation Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.

En español: compensación

In this case: Jordy’s statement shows eight hours at $16.50 an hour, and Gia’s shows $18.00. The statements show the rates but not how they were set.

Equal Pay Act The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.

En español: Ley de Igualdad Salarial

In this case: The Equal Pay Act covers pay differences based on sex, not every difference. Different job duties, such as a real shift-lead role, can be a lawful reason.

Title VII Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

En español: Título VII

In this case: Title VII covers pay decisions based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. No document shows how Jordy’s rate was set.

Who is involved

Jordy

Worked setup through close

“Three to eleven, setup to close, and I ran the caption and audio check. $16.50 an hour. Gia’s says $18.00.”

Gia

Listed as shift lead

“I only found out I make more because Jordy showed me theirs. The schedule calls me shift lead. Nobody told me what that pays for.”

203

Lesson 11Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Compensation is more than the hourly rate. What else could count?” — Listen for overtime, bonuses and benefits.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the Equal Pay Act covers every pay difference. Listen for: “Any pay gap breaks the Equal Pay Act.” Then: Reread the definition. The law is about men and women doing substantially equal work.

Support

Preteach “rate” and “gross pay” with Jordy’s statement: 8 hours × $16.50 = $132.00.

Cognates: compensation (compensación), discrimination (discriminación), supervisor (supervisor), evidence (evidencia), criteria (criterios), difference (diferencia), information (información), private (privado), legitimate (legítimo).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Gia is paid more than Jordy?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the shift-lead title explains it, because the schedule lists Gia that way.

Notes

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

What does shift lead pay for?

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

Compensation: Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.
Equal Pay Act: The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.
Title VII: Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Gross pay: Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.

The story: A $1.50 surprise

Jordy and Gia work event shifts for the same company. On Saturday, they worked the same event, 3 to 11 p.m. Both did setup and closing. Jordy also ran the caption and audio check, a job Jordy takes seriously because Jordy is hard of hearing and knows when captions miss a line. They were paid the following Friday.

On Sunday afternoon, Jordy sends Gia a screenshot: $16.50 an hour. Gia’s reply comes fast. Hers says $18.00. Then she asks the question neither of them can answer: is it because she is shift lead?

The crew schedule lists Gia as “shift lead” and says nothing else about it. Gia remembers opening up and handling one guest issue. Gia only learned she makes more because Jordy showed her their statement. Nobody ever told her what the title pays for.

Jordy’s next message sets the course. Same event, same hours, and Jordy is asking Dana, the supervisor, before this goes anywhere. Your role in this case is to line up both shifts side by side before Jordy writes to Dana.

Stop and think. List the facts that are the same for both jobs and the facts that differ. Which difference matters most?

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Comparing like with like

Lesson 5 gave you the habit of reading a pay statement line by line. Jordy’s shows 8.0 hours at $16.50, for gross pay of $132.00. Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. At $18.00, the same eight hours would come to $144.00.

The new skill is comparing two cases on the same terms. Line up every fact the documents give you. Hours: the same. Setup from 3 to 5: all crew. Closing from 10 to 11: all crew. Caption and audio check: Jordy. Title: Gia is shift lead. Lead duties, according to Gia: opening up and one guest issue. What the title pays: unknown.

Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime. A job title, extra duties or more experience can explain a pay difference. So can a mistake. The comparison narrows the question without answering it. If shift lead carries real extra duties and a set rate, the title may explain the $1.50. If it does not, Jordy has a specific question to ask.

Lesson 10 taught you to bring a question to the office responsible. Dana sets rates, so Dana gets the message. It should state what Jordy knows for sure: the hours, the duties and Jordy’s own rate. It should ask one clear question: what does “shift lead” include, and how are rates set? It does not need Gia’s statement. Gia is fine with Jordy knowing her rate, but she does not want her statement posted anywhere. Jordy, for their part, will decide what to do if Dana’s answer does not make sense. It is Jordy’s paycheck.

Stop and think. What answer from Dana would satisfy Jordy, and what answer would not?

The law, and a comparison that shaped a lawsuit

The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work. Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Talking about pay is protected too. The National Labor Relations Board says most private-sector workers have a right to discuss pay with coworkers, with or without a union (NLRB, no date listed).

The U.S. women’s national soccer team shows why the comparison matters. In 2020, a federal judge dismissed their equal pay claim, pointing to differences in how the teams’ contracts were structured (NPR, May 2, 2020). The players appealed, saying he had not looked at rates of pay. In 2022, they reached a $24 million settlement with a promise of equal pay rates (NPR, February 22, 2022). A settlement is an agreement, not a court finding, and it decides nothing about Jordy’s employer.

Stop and think. Why might it matter that the judge compared contract structures while the players wanted him to compare rates?

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceNational Labor Relations Board (NLRB)No date listed

Your Right to Discuss Wages

Real sourceNPRMay 2, 2020

Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim

Real sourceNPRFebruary 22, 2022

The U.S. national women’s soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement

Notes

207

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 8 minutes.

Evidence APay statement

Jordy’s pay statement

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

Look closely: Multiply the hours by the rate. Does it match the gross pay?

What it shows

Jordy worked 8 hours at $16.50 an hour, for $132.00 in gross pay.

What it leaves out

How the rate was set, and what other crew members earned.

Evidence BWork schedule

The crew schedule

Saturday event, 3:00–11:00 p.m. Crew: Gia (shift lead), Jordy and two other crew members. Setup, 3:00–5:00: all crew. Caption and audio check: Jordy. Closing, 10:00–11:00: all crew.

Look closely: Circle “shift lead.” Does the schedule say what that job includes?

What it shows

Gia is listed as shift lead. All crew did setup and closing.

What it leaves out

What a shift lead does, and whether the title comes with a higher rate.

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Lesson 11Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on “shift lead.” What would you need to know about that title?” — Wait for “what the job includes” and “whether it pays more.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat Gia’s pay statement as Jordy’s to share. Listen for: “Jordy can show everyone Gia’s statement.” Then: Point to Evidence C. Gia agreed to let Jordy know her rate, not to post her statement.

Support

Give students a four-column table: duties, hours, title, rate.

Read the text messages aloud with two voices.

Cognates: compensation (compensación), discrimination (discriminación), supervisor (supervisor), evidence (evidencia), criteria (criterios), difference (diferencia), information (información), private (privado), legitimate (legítimo).

Stretch

Ask which duty on the schedule belongs only to Jordy, and whether it could matter as much as shift lead.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CText messages

Jordy and Gia compare notes

Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Gia: I’m fine with you knowing my rate. I just don’t want my statement posted anywhere.

Jordy: Got it. Did you do anything different as shift lead?

Gia: I opened up and handled one guest issue. Honestly, I don’t know if that’s why. Let’s ask Dana.

Look closely: What does Gia agree to share, and what does she ask Jordy not to do?

What it shows

Gia lets Jordy know her rate but not post her statement. She did some lead work.

What it leaves out

Whether her lead work explains the $1.50, and whether Gia wants Dana to see her rate.

What is still missing from the evidence?

What the shift-lead role officially involves and how rates are set, whether Gia’s higher rate reflects experience or other criteria, how other crew members are paid, and whether the company has any written pay policy.

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Lesson 11Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on “shift lead.” What would you need to know about that title?” — Wait for “what the job includes” and “whether it pays more.”

Watch for

Support

Give students a four-column table: duties, hours, title, rate.

Read the text messages aloud with two voices.

Cognates: compensation (compensación), discrimination (discriminación), supervisor (supervisor), evidence (evidencia), criteria (criterios), difference (diferencia), information (información), private (privado), legitimate (legítimo).

Stretch

Ask which duty on the schedule belongs only to Jordy, and whether it could matter as much as shift lead.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: equal pay

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

Before you can say why Jordy is paid less, you need to know what each job included. Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime. A job title, extra duties or more experience can explain a pay difference. So can a mistake. The pay statements show the rates, but they do not show how the rates were set.

Federal laws limit the reasons an employer can use to set pay. The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work. Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Both laws apply to covered employers, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces them. A legitimate reason, such as different job duties, can lawfully explain a pay difference.

Talking about pay is protected too. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) says most private-sector workers have a right to discuss pay with coworkers. That right holds with or without a union. It does not make Gia’s pay statement Jordy’s to share. Jordy can ask Dana how rates are set without naming Gia’s rate.

Professional standards

Real sourceSociety for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

SHRM Code of Ethics: Fairness and Justice

“Develop, administer, and advocate policies and procedures that foster fair, consistent and equitable treatment for all.”

In plain words: HR professionals who belong to SHRM agree to use workplace policies that treat workers fairly and consistently.

Question: The schedule lists Gia as shift lead. What written policy would show whether that title explains the higher rate?

Your answer

A written policy that shows ___ would answer this, because ___.

A written policy that shows what shift lead includes and what it pays would answer this, because the schedule gives only the title.

210

Lesson 11Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The Equal Pay Act and Title VII limit the reasons for a pay gap. Which reason could be lawful here?” — Wait for “different job duties.”

“The SHRM code asks for fair, consistent policies. What written policy would help Jordy?” — Accept “a job description” or “a pay chart.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the SHRM code as a law. Listen for: “The company broke the SHRM code, so it’s illegal.” Then: Say: “SHRM’s code binds its members, who are HR professionals. The laws here are the Equal Pay Act and Title VII.”

Support

Read the code quotation aloud. Point out its label: a quotation from a real source.

Stretch

Use the second SHRM card: what should a complete answer from Dana include?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPRFebruary 22, 2022

The U.S. national women's soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement

A real ‘same work, different pay’ dispute that ended in a settlement and a promise of equal rates.

Real sourceNPRMay 2, 2020

Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim

Why the claim was first dismissed: the judge compared how the contracts were structured. What you compare shapes the answer.

Notes

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownLine up the accounts in the diagram. Then name one view that is missing. About 6 minutes.

Line up the accounts. Where do they agree, where do they differ, and which difference could be a legitimate factor? What would you need to find out before calling it unfair?

Account 1

Jordy’s record: 8 hours, setup, caption and audio check, closing, $16.50

Account 2

Gia’s account: same hours, setup and closing, opened up and handled one guest issue, $18.00

Account 3

The schedule: Gia listed as shift lead, with no description of the role

Where they agree

Both worked the same event, the same hours, and setup and closing.

Where they differ

Title and rate: shift lead at $18.00 versus crew at $16.50

Check: Ask the supervisor how rates are set and what the shift-lead role requires

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 ___.

Dana’s view is missing, because Dana knows how rates are set. I would ask what the shift-lead role involves and how someone qualifies.

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Jordy should do first and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

Jordy’s statement shows $16.50 an hour. Gia’s shows $18.00 for the same Saturday event, and the schedule lists her as “shift lead.” What should Jordy do first?

A Tell the rest of the crew that Gia is paid more for the same work.
B Compare what each of them did, find out what “shift lead” means and ask Dana how rates are set.
C Let it go, because an employer can set any pay rate it chooses.

Why I chose it

B. It tests the most likely explanation, the shift-lead title, first. A treats the work as the same and ignores Gia’s request. C ignores the limits the law puts on pay.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, I found out Gia makes more than me and we did the exact same work so 1 this is discrimination. I know it’s because of who I am. I want the same rate as her starting now or I’m going to post about it everywhere so people know how this company treats workers. 2 I have her pay stub as proof. I’ve worked here longer than some people and I always show up on time. Let me know by tomorrow. Jordy

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Could you explain how rates are set for event crew?

Rewrite phrase 2

My own statement shows $16.50 an hour for the Saturday event.

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Lesson 11PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Jordy has just seen Gia’s rate. What should Jordy do first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because employers can pay what they want. Listen for: “It’s their company, they decide.” Then: Ask what the key idea says. Employers set rates, but federal laws limit the reasons.

Support

Read the options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Students may share their own pay or a boss’s treatment.

Cool-down: Return to Jordy: “What does Jordy know for sure?” No one needs to describe their own job.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi Dana, I have a question about my pay rate for the Saturday event. I worked setup and closing, from 3 to 11 p.m., and ran the caption and audio check. My statement shows $16.50 an hour. I understand another worker on the same shift was paid a higher rate. Could you explain how rates are set for event crew, including what the shift-lead role involves and how someone qualifies? If there are criteria I haven’t met, I’d like to know what they are. I’d appreciate a reply this week. Thanks, Jordy

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.

Closely compare Jordy’s and Gia’s statements and the crew schedule, and write an evidence-based paragraph on what could explain the rate difference.

Use: The two statements and the schedule with job titles.

You’ll make: Comparison grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Fill in the comparison grid for Jordy and Gia: duties, hours, title and rate.
Answer this question: what would “shift lead” need to mean for this to be fair?
List three explanations for the $1.50 difference.
Rank the explanations with a partner. Name the document behind each ranking.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words on the Your draft page.
End your paragraph where the evidence ends. Do not name a cause the documents cannot show.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Jordy: duties, hours, title, rate

Setup, caption and audio check, closing; 3–11 p.m.; crew; $16.50.

Gia: duties, hours, title, rate

Setup, opening, one guest issue, closing; 3–11 p.m.; shift lead; $18.00.

What “shift lead” would need to mean

Shift lead would need real extra duties, set in writing, that come with a higher rate.

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My ranking, strongest first

1. The shift-lead title (Evidence B). 2. A mistake (no document yet). 3. Discrimination (no evidence yet).

Notes

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 15 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The shift-lead title is the best-supported explanation for the $1.50 difference, but the evidence does not prove it. The schedule lists Gia as “shift lead.” Both Gia and Jordy worked from 3 to 11 p.m., and both did setup and closing. Jordy also ran the caption and audio check, a task Gia did not have. Gia says she “opened up and handled one guest issue.” For the title to justify the difference, “shift lead” would need extra duties that come with a higher rate in writing. No document shows those duties or that rule. A mistake is possible, but nothing points to one. Discrimination would need evidence about how rates are set, and the documents show none. The next step is to ask Dana how event-crew rates are set.

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP 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 6 minutes.

Does your grid match the documents exactly?
YesNo
Did you consider at least three explanations?
YesNo
Does each ranking name the document behind it?
YesNo
Does your paragraph avoid any conclusion the documents cannot support?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Relies on assumption.	Mentions the gap only.	Cites duties, hours and rate.	Cites records and acknowledges what isn’t known.
Reasoning	Declares discrimination.	Assumes the reason.	Asks for criteria before concluding.	Identifies possible legitimate factors to test.
Audience & purpose	Threatens or exposes coworkers.	Polite but vague.	Specific question to the right person.	Specific question that protects coworkers’ privacy.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Replaces conclusion with a question.	Explains how changes protect Jordy and get an answer.

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Lesson 11Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Say this

“Read your message as Dana. Could you answer it in one reply?” — Partners swap and underline the question.

Watch for

Misconception: Students revise tone only. Listen for: “I made it nicer.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask them to replace a conclusion with a question.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The grid is checked for accuracy, and the paragraph is scored for considering several explanations, justifying the ranking with evidence and avoiding conclusions beyond it.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites duties, hours and rate.

Reasoning: Asks for criteria before concluding.

Audience & purpose: Specific question to the right person.

Revision: Replaces conclusion with a question.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I cut a sentence calling the company unfair, because no document shows how rates are set.

Notes

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 8 minutes.

1 What information could explain the $1.50 difference, and what might challenge that explanation?

Lead duties could explain it if the role has written criteria. Gia’s account challenges that, because one opening and one guest issue may be little extra work.

2 Whose choice is it to make Jordy’s pay public, and why?

It is Jordy’s choice. Most private-sector workers have a right to discuss pay, and the pay is Jordy’s. That right does not cover posting Gia’s statement.

3 What answer from Dana would satisfy Jordy, and what answer would not?

A written explanation of what shift lead involves and how someone qualifies would satisfy Jordy. A vague answer that names no criteria would not.

4 In the soccer case, the judge looked at contract structures, and the players wanted him to compare rates of pay. Why does that choice matter?

What you compare can change the answer. The judge focused on how the contracts were structured, and the players said he had not looked at rates of pay.

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Lesson 11Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a guess about the company.” — Hear one answer per question, then ask who disagrees.

Stretch

Draft the pay-policy page the company could share: each role, its duties, its rate and how to qualify.

Going further: Read the EEOC page on pay discrimination. Which law could apply to Jordy’s question? Which facts would you need before saying the law was broken?

Going further: What might make it hard for a worker like Jordy to ask about pay? Write one sentence that names Jordy’s concern without claiming more than Jordy knows.

Going further: Draw a timeline of the evidence, from the posted schedule to Jordy’s question for Dana. Mark each open question on it. Then compare it with your message: which one makes the open questions easier to follow?

Going further: When you start a job, ask for your pay rate and how it is set, in writing. Keep your own record of hours and duties. If something seems off, talk with a trusted adult or a school counselor.

Find your state labor department’s page on pay equity

Research the EEOC’s filing deadlines and how they vary by state

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

My take

My claim: ___.

Jordy should ask Dana how rates are set before deciding the difference is unfair.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The schedule, because it lists Gia as shift lead but never says what that job includes.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

The difference is clear, so Jordy should report it right away.

I would change my mind if ___.

Dana refused to explain how rates are set.

Notes

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?

In this case, two friends who worked the same event find out one is paid $1.50 more an hour. Your student compared their records and wrote a respectful message asking a supervisor how pay rates are set.

Questions to talk about

What questions could someone ask about pay when starting a new job?
Why might a person want to keep their pay private?
What makes a question to a boss sound respectful?

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

See the case online.

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Lesson 12Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?

Content note

The news sources include 2026 student walkouts against federal immigration enforcement, which grew after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis. Preview them, and keep discussion on the legal questions in Anika’s case.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read about Anika, a high school junior whose poster asks students to wear blue Thursday to keep the library open at lunch. They compare her poster, a posting policy and a group chat about a walkout with a summary of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). They then compare the fact patterns and write two questions for a school contact about the posting policy.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

describe an image before interpreting it

tell an observation from an inference

support a claim with details from a text

Objectives

Students will be able to:

observe the poster’s image, text and placement before making a claim

Objectives, continued

decide who the poster appears to speak for, with evidence

connect the poster to the handbook’s posting policy

redesign one element and explain how it changes the perceived speaker

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B

A visual observation grid: image, text, placement, effect

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe Anika’s poster as a visual text, including the logo photo, the slogan and the layout, and write an evidence-based paragraph on who the poster appears to speak for.

Students make: Annotated poster plus paragraph (150–200 words) and redesign note

Pacing

Opener (page 222): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key terms (pages 223 and 224): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 228 and 229): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 230 and 231): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 232): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 233): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 234 and 235): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Your draft (page 236): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Check your work (pages 237 and 238): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Questions to discuss (pages 239 and 240): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 241): at home.

Periods: full chapter 72 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Plan 12

Lesson 12Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 12 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask who the audience thinks is speaking.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students support a claim about the poster with evidence.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 2.1 Advisor

Codes of ethics, continued

PRSA Code of Ethics: Disclosure of Information

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to the public

Heat map

Opener (page 222): Medium

Key terms (pages 223 and 224): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 228 and 229): Low

Key idea (pages 230 and 231): Medium

Sort the evidence (page 232): Low

Practice (page 233): Medium

Your task (pages 234 and 235): Low

Check your work (pages 237 and 238): Low

Try it at your school

Read your school’s expression policy before you print.

Find your student handbook’s section on posting, dress or expression

Write down which spaces allow student posters and whether approval is needed

Make student-made materials clearly student-made, with no school logo

Bring questions to student council or an advisor before planning an action

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: Student council advisor, a civics or government teacher, an assistant principal

Safety: Don’t pressure classmates to join a protest or skip class. Talk with a trusted adult before any action that could lead to discipline.

Sources

U.S. Courts, “Facts and Case Summary: Tinker v. Des Moines,” No date listed

U.S. Courts, “Fictional Scenario: Tinker v. Des Moines,” No date listed

Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969),” 1969

Plan 12b

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?

Anika’s poster asks her school to keep the library open at lunch, and now someone in her group chat suggests a walkout.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline each plan: the poster, wearing blue and the walkout. About 4 minutes.

Anika records a voice memo while Mateo listens beside a phone on a small tripod.

Your role: You’re the one who compares Tinker with each action before anyone says “can’t touch us.” New skill: Apply a precedent by comparing fact patterns.

What happened

Anika is a junior at a public high school. She wants the school library to stay open at lunch. On Tuesday afternoon, she prints a poster that says “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.”

Mateo did the photo and layout. He put a photo of the school’s sign and logo across the top. The poster does not name Anika or any student group. The student handbook says posters need approval from the main office and the name of the student or group responsible.

On Wednesday night, someone in the group chat suggests a walkout if the school takes the poster down. The message says a 1969 Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines, means the school “can’t touch us.” Anika never suggested a walkout.

Your question: How far does Tinker cover the poster, the wear-blue plan and the walkout, and what facts are missing?

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Precedent A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.

En español: precedente

In this case: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) guides Anika’s case only as far as the facts match: quiet expression at a public school.

Fact pattern A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.

En español: conjunto de hechos

In this case: Anika lists each plan’s action, place, timing and rule: the poster on a school board, wearing blue on Thursday and leaving class.

Substantial disruption Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.

En español: alteración sustancial

In this case: Wearing blue on Thursday is quiet, like the armbands. Leaving class is conduct under the attendance rule, which Tinker does not settle.

Who is involved

Anika

Made the poster

“My poster says keep the library open at lunch, and wear blue Thursday. Now the chat says we walk out. I never said walk out.”

Mateo

Did the photo and layout

“I put the school sign across the top because it looked good. Now it reads like the school is announcing it. It isn’t.”

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, can the school do anything about the poster or the walkout?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that Tinker protects all of it, because it was a student protest case.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

How far does Tinker reach?

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

Precedent: A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.
Fact pattern: A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.
Substantial disruption: Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

The story: A poster grows a plan

Anika, a junior at a public high school, wants the library to stay open at lunch. On Tuesday at 3:15 p.m., she prints a poster: “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.” Mateo did the photo and layout. Because it looked good, he ran a photo of the school’s sign and logo across the top. No student name or group appears anywhere on the poster.

By Wednesday at 9:02 p.m., the idea has grown in the group chat. “If they take the poster down we walk out Thursday. Tinker says they can’t touch us.” The next reply shows the confusion: “Wait, wear blue AND walk out??”

Anika never proposed a walkout, and she says so. She also checks the student handbook. Page 14 allows posters on the boards outside the cafeteria and the library, but only with office approval and the name of the student or group responsible. Her poster has neither. Mateo sees his own problem. The school sign makes it look like the school is announcing the plan, and it is not. He decides to redo the photo.

Your role is to compare Tinker with each action before anyone says “can’t touch us.”

Stop and think. Anika separates her poster from the walkout. Why is that separation important?

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Precedent and fact patterns

A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases. Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) is the precedent the chat invokes. Public-school students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, the school suspended them, and the Supreme Court ruled for the students. Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities. The Court also said a mere fear of disruption was not enough.

A precedent guides a new case only as far as the facts match. A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to. The new skill builds on Lesson 11, where you compared two jobs on the same terms. Here you compare Tinker’s facts with three actions. Wearing blue is quiet and stays in class, like the armbands. A walkout means leaving class, which falls under the attendance rule, and Tinker does not settle that. The poster raises a separate question. It shows the school’s logo and no student name, so it may look like the school is speaking. Schools have more control over speech that looks like it comes from the school.

Two Lesson 1 terms fit here. “Tinker says they can’t touch us” is a claim that goes far beyond the precedent. And the logo is a form of framing, choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. It brings the school forward as the apparent speaker.

Stop and think. Which changed fact would make Tinker a weaker comparison for the wear-blue plan?

What courts and schools have done since

The Tinker opinion says students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate” (Legal Information Institute, 1969). The federal courts publish a teaching exercise about a walkout scenario that separates the message from the act of leaving class and describes the usual attendance consequences (U.S. Courts, no date listed).

The Supreme Court returned to student speech in 2021. In the case of a cheerleader’s Snapchat post, it ruled 8 to 1 for the student but said schools may still act on some off-campus speech, such as threats (PBS NewsHour, June 23, 2021). In early 2026, students in Indiana and other states walked out of class to protest federal immigration enforcement. Schools responded differently. Some counted it as an unexcused absence, and one high school gave one-day suspensions (Chalkbeat Indiana, February 11, 2026).

Stop and think. If the poster had Anika’s name and no school logo, what would change?

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School1969

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)

Real sourceU.S. CourtsNo date listed

Fictional Scenario: Tinker v. Des Moines

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (Associated Press)June 23, 2021

Supreme Court rules in favor of cheerleader who published critical social media post in First Amendment case

Real sourceChalkbeat IndianaFebruary 11, 2026

How schools in Marion County responded to anti-ICE student protests

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 10 minutes.

Evidence APoster

Anika’s poster, first version

Printed Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. The poster reads “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.

Look closely: Cover the logo photo with your hand. Who seems to be speaking now?

What it shows

The poster’s message, with the school logo at the top and no student name.

What it leaves out

Whether the office approved it, and whether the school has objected to it.

Evidence BHandbook policy

Student handbook, page 14

Students may post materials on the student bulletin boards outside the cafeteria and the library. Materials must be approved by the main office and must show the name of the student or group responsible.

Look closely: Underline the two requirements for every poster.

What it shows

Students may post on two boards if the office approves and a name appears.

What it leaves out

What happens to posters that break the rule, and any rule about leaving class.

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Lesson 12Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“The handbook names two requirements for every poster. Which one is missing from Anika’s poster?” — Wait for “the name of the student or group responsible.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students say the handbook bans the poster’s message. Listen for: “The school can’t allow a poster about the library.” Then: Point to Evidence B. The rule covers where posters go, approval and a name. It says nothing about topics.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the chat messages aloud and name who is speaking in each.

Cognates: precedent (precedente), constitutional (constitucional), expression (expresión), protest (protesta), suspension (suspensión), decision (decisión), logo (logotipo), conduct (conducta).

Stretch

Ask what the walkout message assumes about Tinker, and which document would test that assumption.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

We don’t know what the attendance policy says about leaving class. We also don’t know if the school has objected, or what process comes before any discipline.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: precedent

On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases. In Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), public-school students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The school suspended them, and the Supreme Court ruled for the students. The Court wrote that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” It also said a mere fear of disruption was not enough to limit their expression.

A precedent guides a new case only as far as the facts match. Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities. Wearing blue on Thursday is quiet, like the armbands. A walkout is different, because students leave class. The school’s attendance rule covers that conduct, and Tinker does not settle it.

The poster raises another question. It shows the school’s sign and logo but no student name, so it may look like the school is speaking. Schools have more control over speech that looks like it comes from the school. A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to. Write a fact pattern for each action before you decide whether Tinker fits it.

Professional standards

Adapted from a real sourceAmerican Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 2.1 Advisor

Summary: Summary, not a quotation: in representing a client, a lawyer must use independent professional judgment and give candid advice. A lawyer may refer to moral, economic, social and political factors as well as the law.

In plain words: Lawyers must give their clients honest, independent advice, even when the client would rather hear something else.

Question: The chat says “Tinker says they can't touch us.” What would candid advice say about the walkout and attendance policy?

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Lesson 12Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Tinker protected quiet armbands. Which of the three plans looks most like that?” — Wait for the wear-blue plan.

“Rule 2.1 asks lawyers for candid advice. What would candid advice tell the group chat?” — Accept “Tinker doesn’t cover leaving class.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students read “schoolhouse gate” as meaning schools can never limit speech. Listen for: “Students can say anything at school.” Then: Read the next idea aloud: a school may limit speech that would substantially disrupt school.

Support

Read the two In the news cards aloud. Both are about Mahanoy, a 2021 case about a student’s off-campus post.

Stretch

Use the PRSA card: who would a reader think is behind the first poster?

Heat check

Medium. The In the news cards cover a cheerleader punished for an off-campus Snapchat post. Students may bring up their own posts.

Cool-down: Keep to what the Court decided. Nobody needs to describe their own posts or discipline.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Candid advice would say ___, because ___.

Candid advice would say Tinker does not settle a walkout, because leaving class is conduct under the attendance rule.

In the news

Real sourcePBS NewsHourApril 28, 2021

Student free speech makes it to the Supreme Court in former high school cheerleader's case

Explains the Snapchat case the Court used to ask when a school can punish off-campus student speech.

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (Associated Press)June 23, 2021

Supreme Court rules in favor of cheerleader who published critical social media post in First Amendment case

The 8-1 ruling protected the student but said schools may still act on some off-campus speech, like threats.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownLink each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges. Then name one missing view. About 5 minutes.

Test the slogan against the facts. Which evidence supports each claim, which challenges it, and which fact would you still need?

Evidence	Claim 1Tinker means nobody can face consequences for walking out.	Claim 2The wear-blue plan closely matches Tinker’s facts.	Claim 3The poster should carry a student byline instead of the school logo.
1 Tinker’s facts: silent armbands, no substantial disruption, a public school	Narrows	Supports	Neither
2 A walkout means leaving class, which falls under the attendance rule	Challenges	Neither	Neither
3 The logo photo makes the poster look like school-sponsored speech	Neither	Neither	Supports

Still open

What does the attendance policy say, and what process follows?

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 ___.

The main office’s view is missing. I would ask whether the office approved the poster and what the attendance policy says about walkouts.

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the best reply to the group chat and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 4 minutes.

Someone in Anika’s group chat says, “Tinker means nobody can get in trouble for walking out of class.” How should you respond?

A Agree, because Tinker protected students who protested at school.
B Disagree, because schools can make any rule they want about student speech.
C Say that the message and leaving class are separate questions, then check the attendance rule.

Why I chose it

C. It separates the speech from the conduct. A goes too far, because Tinker was about silent armbands. B goes too far the other way, because Tinker recognized student speech rights.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

No, the school can’t take it down because of Tinker v. Des Moines. In that case 1 the Supreme Court said students have free speech at school. The poster is just saying the library should stay open at lunch which is not hurting anybody. We even used a nice photo of the school sign so it looks professional. The principal would be breaking the law if he took it down. This is America and students have rights. Everyone should wear blue Thursday and 2 walk out if they try.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Students keep speech rights at school unless it would substantially disrupt school.

Rewrite phrase 2

Wear blue Thursday. A walkout means leaving class, which the attendance rule covers.

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Lesson 12PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Someone says Tinker means nobody gets in trouble. What do you reply?” — Vote first, then discuss.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick B: schools set the rules. Listen for: “Schools can do whatever they want.” Then: Point to the schoolhouse-gate sentence.

Support

Read the options aloud.

Heat check

Medium. Talk may turn to real protests at school.

Cool-down: Ask which fact in Anika’s case decides it. Keep real students’ names out.

Answer key

A revised version: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) says public-school students keep free-speech rights at school, unless their expression would substantially disrupt school or invade others’ rights. Anika’s message, keep the library open at lunch, and the plan to wear blue Thursday are quiet and look a lot like the armbands in Tinker. But two facts matter. The poster uses a school-logo photo, so it may look like an official announcement, which schools can regulate more. And walking out of class is conduct under an attendance rule, a different question. I’d remove the logo and ask the office which posting policy applies.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely observe Anika’s poster as a visual text, including the logo photo, the slogan and the layout, and write an evidence-based paragraph on who the poster appears to speak for.

Use: The poster description and the handbook posting policy.

You’ll make: Annotated poster plus paragraph (150–200 words) and redesign note

Time: 45 minutes

Fill in the observation grid for the poster: image, text, placement and effect.
Ask a partner: who would a stranger think made this?
Write a claim about who the poster appears to speak for.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words on the Your draft page. Use the grid and the handbook.
Redesign one element of the poster. Write a note on how it changes the speaker.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Image

A photo of the school’s sign and logo across the top.

Text

“KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.” No name.

Placement

Logo at the top, above the message; no name anywhere.

Effect

It reads like a school announcement.

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Lesson 12Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 12 min.

Say this

“Who would a stranger think made this poster? Point to the part that tells you.” — Pair talk for two minutes before anyone writes.

Watch for

Misconception: Students write effects in the observation boxes. Listen for: “I see that it looks official.” Then: Ask what is on the page. The word “official” goes in the effect box; “logo at the top” goes in placement.

Support

Visual observation grid: image, text, placement, effect

Question stems: “Who would a stranger think made this?”

Pair talk before writing

Frame: “Because the poster shows ___ and leaves out ___, a reader would think ___.”

Stretch

Redesign one element and explain how it changes the speaker the audience perceives.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My claim

The poster appears to speak for the school, not for Anika.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 15 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The first version of Anika’s poster appears to speak for the school, not for Anika. A reader sees a photo of the school’s sign and logo first, across the top. The message below it, “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday,” has no student name or group attached. A stranger would have only one source to go on, and that source is the school. The handbook points to the same problem. It says posters must show “the name of the student or group responsible,” so readers can tell who is speaking. Anika’s poster leaves that out, and the logo fills the space a byline could use. Mateo sees it too: the layout “reads like the school is announcing it.” As a result, the design says “school announcement,” even though the message is a student request.

Redesign note

Replace the logo photo with Anika’s name. The poster would then read as her own message.

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP 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 6 minutes.

Do your observations cover both the image and the text?
YesNo
Is your claim about who seems to be speaking supported by details?
YesNo
Does your paragraph connect to the posting policy?
YesNo
Does your redesign note explain how the change affects the reader?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No case facts.	Names Tinker without its rule.	States Tinker’s facts and substantial-disruption test.	Adds a second precedent or the walkout exercise accurately.
Reasoning	Treats a slogan as the answer.	Applies Tinker to everything.	Compares facts and separates speech from conduct.	Varies facts to show where the precedent stops fitting.
Audience & purpose	Tells others to break rules.	Argues for one side only.	Recommends a clear next question for the school.	Balances effective expression with respect for process.
Revision	No change.	Softens tone only.	Adds the rule’s limit and removes a legal conclusion.	Explains how each edit makes the argument more precise.

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Lesson 12Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Say this

“Find the sentence where you separate the message from leaving class.” — If it is missing, that is the revision.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone and call it revision. Listen for: “I made it sound nicer.” Then: Point to the Revision row: add the rule’s limit or remove a legal conclusion.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The annotated poster is checked for observations of both image and text, and the paragraph and redesign note are scored for a supported claim linked to the posting policy.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: States Tinker’s facts and substantial-disruption test.

Reasoning: Compares facts and separates speech from conduct.

Audience & purpose: Recommends a clear next question for the school.

Revision: Adds the rule’s limit and removes a legal conclusion.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I moved my claim to the first sentence and cut my comment that the poster looks bad, because the grid showed the effect.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 6 minutes.

1 Which changed fact would make Tinker a weaker comparison for the wear-blue plan?

If wearing blue came with leaving class, or caused a substantial disruption, the plan would no longer match the quiet armbands.

2 Why might it matter whether a poster looks like it comes from the school?

If readers think the school is speaking, the school has more say over the message. The logo photo creates that impression.

3 If the poster had Anika’s name and no school logo, what would change?

It would meet the handbook’s name rule and read as student speech, so Tinker would be the better comparison. It would still need office approval.

My take

My claim: ___.

Tinker fits the wear-blue plan, but it does not settle the walkout.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The Tinker facts, because the armbands were silent and nobody left class.

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Lesson 12Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Change one fact at a time. Say which fact you changed before you answer.” — Hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Rewrite the walkout message so it says only what the chat knows for sure.

Going further: Read the U.S. Courts summary of Tinker. List two facts from Tinker and two facts from Anika’s situation. Which difference matters most, and why?

Going further: Write two headlines about the same walkout, one using the words “a protest” and one using “leaving class” instead. What does each headline make readers think the dispute is about?

Going further: Write a short dialogue in which Anika explains to a friend why Tinker fits the wear-blue plan better than the walkout. Ask a reader to explain the difference back to you.

Going further: Find the section of your student handbook on posting, dress or expression. Write down which spaces allow student posters and whether you need approval. Bring questions to a student council advisor before you plan any action.

Read about Bethel v. Fraser (1986) and Morse v. Frederick (2007) and add them to the comparison

Find your district’s student expression or posting policy and compare it with Tinker

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Any protest at school is protected, so a walkout is too.

I would change my mind if ___.

The attendance policy allowed students to leave class for a protest.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?

In this case, a student’s poster asks her school to keep the library open at lunch, and someone in a group chat suggests a walkout. Your student compared a 1969 Supreme Court case with each plan and wrote a short analysis.

Questions to talk about

What rules do schools often have about posters or flyers?
Why might a school treat wearing a color differently from leaving class?
How can a reader tell who made a poster?

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

See the case online.

241

Lesson 13Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?

Overview

Students read a story in which Dec’s box of replacement parts arrives half full of packaging. The crew’s “recyclable” cups turn out to be on the city’s not-accepted list. They place items from the supply list on EPA’s waste hierarchy and check them against the city’s accepted-materials list. They then fill in an event materials sheet and propose one change with a way to measure it.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

record numbers from a document accurately

ask where something came from

write a paragraph that supports a claim with data

Objectives

Students will be able to:

log every quantity on the supply list and the parts order

trace items upstream to their purchase

propose one reduction grounded in the data

predict the effect of the change and say how to measure it

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

Evidence A, B and C

A quantity log and a paragraph frame

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe the supply list and packaging box, record quantities, and write an evidence-based paragraph proposing one reduction.

Students make: Quantity log plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 242): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key terms (pages 243 and 244): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 248): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 249): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key idea (pages 250 and 251): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (pages 252 and 253): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 254): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 255 and 256): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Pacing, continued

Your draft (page 257): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Check your work (pages 258 and 259): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Questions to discuss (pages 260 and 261): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 262): at home.

Periods: full chapter 72 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students record quantities and sources of waste.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students propose a change grounded in data.

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask where waste enters the chain.

Plan 13

Lesson 13Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 13 plan, continued

Standards, continued

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260): § 260.12 Recyclable claims

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to society and the environment

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I do not guarantee results”

Heat map

Opener (page 242): Low

Key terms (pages 243 and 244): Low

Heat map, continued

Look at the evidence (page 248): Low

Look at the evidence (page 249): Low

Key idea (pages 250 and 251): Medium

Sort the evidence (pages 252 and 253): Low

Practice (page 254): Medium

Your task (pages 255 and 256): Low

Check your work (pages 258 and 259): Low

Try it at your school

Change one thing before the next event.

Pick one repeated item at a school event: cups, flyers, plates

Count how many were used last time

Check your city’s recycling list and propose one reduction or reuse option

Count again after the event and share results with the organizers

Who to ask: Student council, custodial or facilities staff, a science teacher, your city’s sanitation or recycling office

Safety: Don’t sort through trash with your hands; unsafe items can be hidden. Make sure changes don’t leave out people who need disposable items.

Sources

NPR, “Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020,” July 9, 2018

NPR, “Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible,” July 11, 2018

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy,” No date listed

Plan 13b

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?

The last Common Room screening used about 120 cups the city won’t recycle, and a box of parts arrived half full of packaging.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the number of cups and what the city list says about them. About 4 minutes.

Anika, Dec and Sami react to a round of their tabletop game.

Your role: You’re the one who counts the cups before and after the change. New skill: Count a starting point before you claim a change works.

What happened

It is Tuesday in the theater shop. Dec opens a box of replacement parts. Three separate orders of small LED connectors and switches, placed over one week, arrived together. About half of the box is plastic air pillows and foam.

The supply list from last Friday’s screening at the Common Room shows a second problem. The crew used about 120 single-use cups. The cups are plastic-lined paper and labeled “recyclable.” But the city’s recycling list does not take plastic-lined paper cups.

Dec wants to fix how they order parts before anyone redoes the recycling sign. Anika tracks the parts and the budget. She agrees with Dec, but she wants numbers before anyone says a change saves money. Some people need a disposable cup or a straw, so any plan has to work for them too.

Your question: What could the crew change before the next screening, and how would they know it worked?

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Source reduction Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.

En español: reducción en la fuente

In this case: Dec wants to combine the parts orders so less packaging arrives in the first place.

Reuse Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.

En español: reutilización

In this case: Borrowing washable cups from the bookshop is reuse. Washing uses water and someone’s time.

Local acceptance Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.

En español: materiales aceptados en tu ciudad

In this case: The cups say “recyclable,” but the crew’s city does not accept plastic-lined paper cups.

Who is involved

Dec

Opened the parts order

“Three orders of tiny connectors in one week. One big box, and half of it’s packaging.”

Anika

Tracks the parts and the budget

“I’m in. But if anyone says it saves money, I want the numbers. Right now we have one box and a guess.”

243

Lesson 13Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Source reduction happens before the waste exists. Which item in the story could the crew stop buying?” — Listen for the packaging and the cups.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat reuse and recycling as the same. Listen for: “Reusing is recycling.” Then: Reuse means using the same item again, like a washable cup. Recycling depends on what the city list accepts.

Support

Use picture cards: a washable cup, a paper cup and a recycling bin.

Cognates: reduction (reducción), recycle (reciclar), plastic (plástico), material (material), accessible (accesible), alternative (alternativa), container (contenedor), quantity (cantidad).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what is the best way for the crew to cut waste?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is a clearer recycling sign, because people may be putting cups in the wrong bin.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Count first, then claim

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

Source reduction: Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.
Reuse: Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.
Local acceptance: Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.
Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

The story: The box and the supply list

Dec opens the box in the theater shop on Tuesday and laughs, a little. Over one week, the crew placed three separate orders for small LED connectors and switches. All three arrived together in one full box, and about half of it is plastic air pillows and foam wrapped around parts the size of a fingernail.

Anika tracks the parts and the budget, so she has the other half of the picture. The supply list from last Friday’s screening at the Common Room shows about 120 single-use cups, plastic-lined paper and labeled “recyclable.” It also lists 80 paper plates, 150 printed flyers and 40 paper straws handed out on request. The folding chairs were borrowed from the bookshop.

Dec, who is thinking about an electrical apprenticeship and likes following a problem to where it starts, wants to fix the ordering before anyone redoes the recycling sign. Anika is on board, with a condition. If anyone says a change saves money, she wants the numbers. Right now, she says, they have one box and a guess.

Your role in this case is to count the cups before and after the change.

Stop and think. Why does Dec start with the order form instead of the recycling bins?

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Upstream and downstream

Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging. Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use. Dec’s ordering fix is source reduction. Borrowing the bookshop’s washable cups is reuse.

The cups show why checking matters. They are labeled “recyclable,” but the city’s recycling list accepts metal cans, glass, rigid plastic bottles and containers and flattened cardboard. It does not accept plastic-lined paper cups, plastic bags and film, foam or items labeled compostable. Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city’s recycling or compost program actually takes. Lesson 9 taught you to go to the official source for your own area, and this is the recycling version of that skill. Anika adds a warning. Compostable cups are not on the list either, so switching to them would not solve anything by itself.

The new skill is counting a starting point before you claim a change works. The baseline is about 120 cups. The test is one screening with washable cups. The count covers cups used and cups left, plus the new costs of water and washing time. Lesson 4 gives you the words for the result. It is a proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. It is also a trade-off, a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Anika also rejects a total ban on disposables. Some people need a disposable cup or a straw, so the plan keeps some on request.

Stop and think. What does the baseline of 120 cups let the crew claim later, and what does it not?

What the EPA and the straw debate show

The Environmental Protection Agency ranks ways to handle waste. Source reduction and reuse come first. Recycling and composting come next, then energy recovery, then treatment and disposal. The EPA also notes that no single approach fits every item (EPA, updated December 19, 2025). An NPR investigation found that less than 10 percent of plastic has ever been recycled, which is one reason reduction comes first (NPR, September 11, 2020).

In 2018, Starbucks announced it would phase out plastic straws by 2020 using a sippable lid (NPR, July 9, 2018). Two days later, NPR reported that some people with disabilities need flexible plastic straws, and advocates said few people seemed to know about the exemption in Seattle’s straw ban (NPR, July 11, 2018).

Stop and think. How could a change that reduces waste create an access problem, and how would you find out?

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)December 19, 2025

Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy

Real sourceNPRSeptember 11, 2020

How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled

Real sourceNPRJuly 9, 2018

Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020

Real sourceNPRJuly 11, 2018

Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 8 minutes.

Evidence ASupply list

Screening supply list, last Friday

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.

Look closely: Which item did the crew use the most? Could it be reused?

What it shows

What the screening used, including about 120 cups labeled “recyclable.”

What it leaves out

Where each item went after the event, and which items could be reused.

Evidence BDelivery

The parts order

Delivered Tuesday to the theater shop. Three separate orders of small LED connectors and switches, placed over one week, arrived together. They came in one full box, about half of it plastic air pillows and foam around tiny parts.

Look closely: How many orders came in this one box? Why does that matter?

What it shows

Three small orders arrived in one box that was about half packaging.

What it leaves out

Whether one combined order would come with less packaging.

248

Lesson 13Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Put the supply list next to the city list. Which item appears on both?” — Wait for the plastic-lined paper cups.

Watch for

Misconception: Students say the cup label is a lie. Listen for: “The label is fake.” Then: Ask what the city list tells us: this city does not accept them. Other places are not in the evidence.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the city list aloud, pausing after “Not accepted.”

Cognates: reduction (reducción), recycle (reciclar), plastic (plástico), material (material), accessible (accesible), alternative (alternativa), container (contenedor), quantity (cantidad).

Stretch

Ask which document shows waste made before the event and which shows what happens after it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CSanitation guide

City recycling list

Accepted in recycling: metal cans, glass bottles and jars, rigid plastic bottles and containers, flattened cardboard. Not accepted: plastic-lined paper cups, plastic bags and film, foam, items labeled compostable.

Look closely: Find the plastic-lined paper cups. Which list are they on?

What it shows

The city does not recycle plastic-lined paper cups, foam or items labeled compostable.

What it leaves out

Where the items the city does not accept end up.

What is still missing from the evidence?

We don’t know how many cups reuse would replace or what washing costs in water and time. We also don’t know if the bookshop can lend cups every time.

Notes

249

Lesson 13Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“Put the supply list next to the city list. Which item appears on both?” — Wait for the plastic-lined paper cups.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the city list aloud, pausing after “Not accepted.”

Cognates: reduction (reducción), recycle (reciclar), plastic (plástico), material (material), accessible (accesible), alternative (alternativa), container (contenedor), quantity (cantidad).

Stretch

Ask which document shows waste made before the event and which shows what happens after it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: source reduction

On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks ways to handle waste. Source reduction and reuse come first. Recycling and composting come next, then energy recovery, then treatment and disposal. The EPA also notes that no single approach fits every item or situation.

Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use. Borrowing washable cups from the bookshop is one example. Reuse has costs too. Washing takes water and someone’s time, so a fair comparison counts those costs along with the cups.

A “recyclable” label does not tell you where an item will go. Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes. The crew’s cups say “recyclable,” but their city’s list does not take plastic-lined paper cups. The list does not take items labeled compostable either. So the crew has to check the list before choosing any new cup.

Professional standards

Real sourceLaw or regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)

FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260): § 260.12 Recyclable claims

“A product or package should not be marketed as recyclable unless it can be collected, separated, or otherwise recovered from the waste stream through an established recycling program”

In plain words: FTC guidance says a company should call a product recyclable only when recycling programs can collect and process it.

Question: The crew's city rejects plastic-lined paper cups. What else must you know before saying the “recyclable” label breaks the guide?

Your answer

Before saying the label breaks the guide, I would need to know ___, because ___.

Before saying the label breaks the guide, I would need to know whether other programs collect these cups, because the guide asks about established programs.

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Lesson 13Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The EPA ranks source reduction and reuse first. Where on that list is Dec trying to act?” — Wait for “source reduction.”

“This card is FTC guidance, not an ethics code. Who does it apply to?” — Marketers who call a product recyclable.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the EPA ranking as a rule for every item. Listen for: “Reuse is always better.” Then: Reread the key idea: no single approach fits every item. Washing has costs too.

Support

Draw the ranking as a staircase, with source reduction and reuse on the top step.

Stretch

Use the AIGA card: what could the next parts order change before anything reaches the shop?

Heat check

Medium. The straw story raises disability access, and students may describe their own needs or others’.

Cool-down: Keep the talk to the NPR report. No one needs to say what they or anyone they know needs.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPRJuly 9, 2018

Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020

A throwback to a company cutting waste at the counter, before anything reached a bin.

Real sourceNPRSeptember 11, 2020

How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled

Investigation finding less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled, which is why reduction comes first.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each choice to its consequences in the diagram. Then name one view that is missing. About 5 minutes.

Follow each choice to its consequences, including new costs. Which consequence would you measure first, and what would count as success?

Keep buying “recyclable” single-use cups

About 120 cups go to the trash because the city does not accept them
Who is affected
The city collection service and the neighborhoods near where waste ends up

Borrow washable cups and run a wash station

Fewer cups in the trash, if people use the washable ones
Who is affected
Check: Count cups and bags after the next event and compare with last time
New costs: water, washing time and volunteers
Who is affected
Check: Count cups and bags after the next event and compare with last time

Combine parts orders into one shipment

Less packaging arrives before anything reaches a bin
Who is affected

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

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 ___.

The bookshop’s view is missing. I would ask whether it can lend washable cups every time, and who would wash them.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the plan the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 4 minutes.

The last screening used about 120 single-use cups, and the city’s recycling list does not take that type. Which plan should the crew try for the next screening?

A Compare a washable-cup option, washing time, cost, access and the city list, then test one change.
B Buy a different cup labeled “recyclable” and put up a clearer recycling sign.
C Stop offering disposable cups and straws, and ask everyone to bring their own.

Why I chose it

A. It names the trade-offs: washing time, cost, access and the city list. B repeats the label mistake, and C could leave out guests who need a cup or a straw.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We should make the screening zero waste. Everyone should bring their own cup and we’ll 1 ban all plastic. We can also put up posters that say “save the planet” so people remember to recycle. Recycling is the best thing you can do for the environment. This will be easy and 2 it will save money too. Last screening there were cups everywhere and the bins were overflowing by the end of the night. People will love it once they get used to it. Let’s start next week!

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

Rewrite phrase 1

We will offer washable cups and keep disposable cups and straws on request.

Rewrite phrase 2

We won’t say it saves money until we count cups and washing costs.

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Lesson 13PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“You are planning the next screening. Which plan would you try first?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because a ban cuts the most waste. Listen for: “Just ban them all.” Then: Ask who at the screening might need a disposable cup or a straw. Point to the straw story.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Talk about bans can turn to who “really” needs a straw.

Cool-down: Say: “Nobody has to prove a need.” Keep the focus on how the plan offers items on request.

Answer key

A revised version: For the next screening, we propose one change: cups. Last time we used about 120 single-use cups, and our city’s recycling list doesn’t accept that type. We’ll borrow 60 washable cups from the bookshop, keep 40 compostable cups for anyone who needs one, and ask Rafa and Jordy to run a quick wash station. Flexible straws and single-use cups stay available on request. We’ll count cups used and leftover supplies after the event and compare with last time before deciding whether to keep the change. We’re not claiming it saves money yet.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.

Closely observe the supply list and packaging box, record quantities, and write an evidence-based paragraph proposing one reduction.

Use: The screening supply list, the parts order and the city accepted-materials list.

You’ll make: Quantity log plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Log every quantity on the supply list and the parts order.
Ask of each item: where did this item enter the chain?
Test your proposed reduction with a partner against the city list and one access concern.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words on the Your draft page.
End with a prediction and a way to measure it.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Quantities: supply list

Cups about 120, plates 80, flyers 150, straws 40, chairs borrowed.

Quantities: parts order

3 orders in one week, 1 box, about half packaging.

Where the most waste entered the chain

At purchase: single-use cups and separate small orders.

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Lesson 13Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Log first, propose later. Every number on both lists goes in the log.” — Check logs against Evidence A and B before students propose a change.

Watch for

Misconception: Students start at the bin. Listen for: “We need a bigger recycling bin.” Then: Ask where this item entered the chain. Follow it back to the order form.

Support

Quantity log

Question stems: “Where did this item enter the chain?”

Paragraph frame

Frame: “The waste started at ___. The data shows ___. I predict ___, and we will measure it by ___.”

Stretch

Predict the effect of your change and say how you’d measure it.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Evidence-based writing; Higher-order questioning.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.1; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My proposed reduction

Combine the parts into one order and ask the supplier about packaging.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 15 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The crew’s packaging waste started at the order form, not at the bin. On Tuesday, three separate orders of small LED connectors and switches, placed over one week, arrived together in one full box. About half of that box was plastic air pillows and foam, and the city’s recycling list does not accept foam. Recycling cannot fix that part of the waste, because the city will not accept it. The better option is source reduction. The crew could combine parts into one order instead of ordering every time a part breaks. It could also ask the supplier about packaging before the order ships. I predict that a combined order would arrive with less packaging per part, but the evidence does not prove it yet. To measure the change, the crew should compare the next box with this one. It should count the orders, the boxes and how much of each box is packaging.

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP 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 6 minutes.

Are your quantities accurate?
YesNo
Is your proposal grounded in the data?
YesNo
Did you check the city list?
YesNo
Does your paragraph end with a prediction and a way to measure it?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No data.	General claims about recycling.	Uses quantities and local rules.	Uses quantities, local rules and a before/after plan.
Reasoning	Treats one fix as solving everything.	Ignores trade-offs.	Applies the hierarchy and names a trade-off.	Weighs trade-offs including access and cost with a measurement boundary.
Audience & purpose	Commands people.	Relies on slogans.	Specific change organizers can do.	Specific, inclusive change with roles assigned.
Revision	No change.	Wording only.	Narrows to a measurable change.	Explains how narrowing makes success testable.

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Lesson 13Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Say this

“Find the sentence that says what you will count. Is there a number in it?” — If not, that is the revision.

Watch for

Misconception: Proposals still promise savings. Listen for: “It will definitely save money.” Then: Ask what the crew has counted so far. Replace the promise with the count.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The quantity log is checked for accuracy, and the paragraph is scored for a data-grounded proposal, a checked local rule and a measurement plan.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses quantities and local rules.

Reasoning: Applies the hierarchy and names a trade-off.

Audience & purpose: Specific change organizers can do.

Revision: Narrows to a measurable change.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added “the evidence does not prove it yet” after my prediction, because nothing has been measured.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 6 minutes.

1 Could a change that reduces waste create an access problem for someone, and how would you find out?

Yes. Banning disposable cups or straws could leave out people who need them, as the NPR straw story shows. The crew could ask guests and keep some on request.

2 How does “add more bins” define the problem differently from “order less packaging”?

The phrase “add more bins” treats waste as a sorting problem at the end. The phrase “order less packaging” treats it as a buying problem, which the EPA ranks higher.

3 What would the crew need to count before saying a change saves money?

Cups used and left over, compared with about 120 last time, plus the cost of water and volunteer time for washing.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should test washable cups at one screening and count the result.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The city list, because it shows the “recyclable” cups are not accepted.

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Lesson 13Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Use a number or a document in every answer.” — Hear one answer per question, then ask for a different view.

Stretch

Design the count sheet for the next screening: items, numbers before and after, and new costs.

Going further: Compare two plans for the theater shop: order all the parts at once, or keep ordering when a part breaks. What problem does each plan solve? What new problem could each one create?

Going further: List who would have to change a routine if the crew switched to washable cups. Write a two-sentence note to them. Say what the crew will count to show whether the change worked.

Going further: Write two event plans for the next screening and a small test for each. After the tests, explain which plan you would improve and which you would drop.

Going further: Pick one item that appears at many school events, such as cups, flyers or plates. Count how many were used last time, and check your city’s recycling list. Do not sort through trash with your hands.

Find your city’s recycling rules and compare with a neighboring city

Research where your area’s trash goes after pickup

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Washing cups uses water and time, so it might not help.

I would change my mind if ___.

The count showed washing cost more than it saved, or guests could not use the cups.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?

In this case, a group of friends learns that the cups from their movie night can’t be recycled in their city. Your student planned one change to cut waste before the next event and a way to count whether it worked.

Questions to talk about

How could someone find out what their city or town recycles?
What is one item people often throw away after a party or event?
Why might a rule to cut waste need an exception for some people?

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

See the case online.

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Lesson 14Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which Caio’s film recap uses a sampled track and a six-second TikTok clip. Mateo wants to post it tonight with a credit in the caption. They separate attribution, permission and fair use, then apply the U.S. Copyright Office’s four fair-use factors to the crew’s planned use. They then complete a rights log and propose a licensed or original alternative.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

quote a text word for word

tell an observation from an inference

challenge a partner’s idea politely

Objectives

Students will be able to:

inventory every outside element in a rough cut

connect an element’s purpose to a fair-use factor

write a paragraph that supports one claim with evidence from the case

revise the claim after a partner discussion about the pitch change

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B printed side by side

The U.S. Copyright Office fair-use page

The case rubric, printed on the Check your work page

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe Caio’s rough cut and list every outside element, then write an evidence-based paragraph on which one raises the biggest rights question and why.

Students make: Inventory plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 263): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 264 and 265): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 269): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 270): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence C aloud; skip its boxes.

Key idea (pages 271 and 272): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 273): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Practice (pages 274 and 275): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (page 276): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Model the first inventory row, then let pairs finish.

Your draft (page 277): 18 min. Short on time: 14 min. Students write the claim and first two sentences in class and finish at home.

Check your work (pages 278 and 279): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric; students fill in only the two boxes.

Questions to discuss (pages 280 and 281): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 282): at home.

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

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students inventory a film’s outside elements.

Plan 14

Lesson 14Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 14 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students support a claim with a fair-use factor.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to other designers

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Independence and transparency

PRSA Code of Ethics: Competition

Heat map

Opener (page 263): Low

Key terms (pages 264 and 265): Low

Look at the evidence (page 269): Low

Look at the evidence (page 270): Low

Key idea (pages 271 and 272): Low

Sort the evidence (page 273): Low

Practice (pages 274 and 275): Low

Check your work (pages 278 and 279): Low

Try it at your school

Start a rights log for your next project.

List every outside clip, image, sound and quote before you edit

Record the source and the license or permission for each

Use your school’s licensed media or openly licensed libraries when you can

Ask your media teacher or librarian about uses you’re unsure of

Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, a media or film teacher, a college library’s copyright help page

Safety: Don’t share other people’s creative work as your own. If you get a takedown notice, talk with a trusted adult before responding.

Sources

NPR, “TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift,” February 1, 2024

U.S. Copyright Office, “Fair Use Index,” No date listed

Plan 14b

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?

Mateo wants to post the crew’s film tonight and credit the song’s artist, but Caio wants to check the license first.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the two pieces of the film that the crew did not make. About 5 minutes.

Caio, Mateo and Rafa laugh as they look at photos on a small digital camera.

Your role: You’re the one who fills in the rights log before the film goes up. New skill: Check permission, not just credit.

What happened

It is Friday night, and Caio, 24, is editing the crew’s festival film. The film is a short recap made from crew footage and interviews. At 9:40 p.m., he saves a rough cut. For 20 seconds, a released song plays under the setup montage. Caio pitched the song up slightly, and the song sets the mood for the whole scene.

The cut borrows one more piece. From 1:40 to 1:46, it shows a six-second clip downloaded from a TikTok post. That post used Stitch, TikTok’s remix tool. The crew did not make the song or the clip.

At 10:02 p.m., Mateo texts the crew chat: “We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?” He wants the film online tonight. Caio asks what the credit gets them, and Mateo does not have an answer. Caio wants to check the license before they post.

Your question: Does a credit give the crew permission to use the song, and what should they do before they post?

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Attribution Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.

En español: atribución

In this case: Mateo’s plan, “We’ll credit them in the caption,” would name the artist. It answers who made the song, not whether the crew may use it.

License A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.

En español: licencia

In this case: The rights log says “permission unknown” for both borrowed pieces. A license from each owner would fill in that column.

Fair use Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.

En español: uso justo

In this case: The crew would weigh the four factors for 20 seconds of a released song used as background mood. No number of seconds settles it.

Who is involved

Caio

Editing the crew’s festival film

“Twenty seconds of that song carries the whole montage. That’s exactly why I can’t just borrow it and hope.”

Mateo

Wanted the film online tonight

“I really texted ‘we’ll credit them, post tonight?’ Then Caio asked what the credit gets us. I didn’t have an answer.”

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Lesson 14Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will check it against the evidence later.” — First guesses stay private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “fair use” as any use that seems fair. Listen for: “It’s fair because they aren’t making money.” Then: Point to “judged case by case on four factors.” Everyday fairness does not decide it.

Support

Draw three boxes: credit, permission, fair use. Students add one detail from the case to each box.

Cognates: attribution (atribución), license (licencia), permission (permiso), credit (crédito), music (música), original (original), factor (factor), purpose (propósito), market (mercado).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, do you think a credit in the caption lets the crew use the song?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the credit covers it, because the crew names the artist and uses only 20 seconds.

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

What a caption credit can and cannot do

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

Attribution: Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.
License: A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.
Fair use: Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.
Disclosure: A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.

The story: Rough cut, 9:40 p.m.

Caio edits freelance projects and runs film nights at the bookshop, so he knows what a song can do to a scene. On Friday night, he is cutting the crew’s festival film, a short recap built from crew footage and interviews. His rough cut, saved at 9:40 p.m., has a problem he likes too much. From 0:18 to 0:38, a released song plays under the setup montage, pitched up slightly, and it carries the whole sequence. From 1:40 to 1:46, the cut also uses a six-second clip downloaded from a TikTok post made with Stitch, TikTok’s remix tool.

At 10:02 p.m., Mateo texts the crew chat: “We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?” Mateo wants the film online tonight. Caio replies with a question: credit gets them what, exactly? Mateo admits he does not have an answer.

Caio’s reasoning is simple. Twenty seconds of the song carries the montage, and that is exactly why he cannot just borrow it and hope. He wants to check the license before anyone posts. Your role is to fill in the rights log before the film goes up.

Stop and think. Why does Caio say the song carrying the montage is a reason not to borrow it?

Credit, permission and the rights log

Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video. It answers “Who made this?” A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Credit, permission and the rights log, continued

It answers “Did the owner say yes to this use?” Mateo’s caption answers the first question and says nothing about the second.

Lesson 8 taught you that a disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know. Attribution is honest in the same way. It tells viewers where something came from. But honesty about the source is not permission to use it. Changing the pitch does not change ownership either. As Caio puts it, the song is still theirs, just a little higher.

Lesson 1 taught you to trace a clip to its original source. The rights log does that for every borrowed piece. It has columns for the element, who made it, where it came from, the permission or license and the date. Row 1 is the setup-montage music from a streaming download, permission unknown. Row 2 is the six-second clip from a TikTok creator, permission unknown. Mateo assumed Stitch covered the clip. Stitch permission works inside TikTok, and the festival film is not on TikTok, so the row stays “unknown” until the crew finds out.

Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors. The factors are the purpose of the use, the nature of the original work, the amount used and the effect on the original’s market (U.S. Copyright Office, updated July 2026). Lesson 12 taught you to compare facts against a legal standard, and fair use works the same way. No number of seconds is automatically safe. A short clip can count against fair use if it is the most recognizable part of a song.

Caio’s plan avoids the question entirely if the license falls through. The crew can use a library track with clear terms, or Dec can record a drum loop the crew owns. The film goes up Sunday.

Stop and think. Mateo marks the TikTok clip “unknown.” What would the crew need to find out to fill in that row?

When platforms and courts decide

When Universal Music Group’s licensing deal with TikTok expired in February 2024, videos using its artists’ songs, from Taylor Swift to Olivia Rodrigo, went silent (NPR, February 1, 2024). Credit was never the issue.

The Supreme Court tested fair use in 2023. It ruled against the Andy Warhol Foundation, finding that Warhol’s new version of a photograph was not fair use when it served the same purpose as the original (NPR, May 18, 2023).

Stop and think. Caio pitched the song up. Does changing a song make it a new work? Why or why not?

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceNPRFebruary 1, 2024

TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift

Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2023

Supreme Court sides against Andy Warhol Foundation in copyright infringement case

Real sourceU.S. Copyright OfficeJuly 2026

Fair Use Index

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 8 minutes.

Evidence AEdit timeline

Caio’s rough cut, Friday, 9:40 p.m.

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.

Look closely: Which two parts of the cut did the crew not make?

What it shows

The cut borrows 20 seconds of a released song and a six-second TikTok clip.

What it leaves out

Who owns each piece, and whether any license covers this use.

Evidence BGroup-chat message

Mateo’s message, Friday, 10:02 p.m.

We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?

Look closely: Which question does the caption answer? Which question does it skip?

What it shows

Mateo plans to name the artist in the caption and post tonight.

What it leaves out

Whether anyone who owns the song agreed to this use.

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Lesson 14Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on each row of the rights log. Which column says “unknown”?” — Wait for “permission or license” in both rows.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the pitch change makes the song the crew’s own. Listen for: “They changed it, so it’s theirs now.” Then: Ask what the change added. The song is still recognizable, and nobody gave permission.

Support

Reduce the work to one element, the song, for students who need it.

Read the timeline aloud and list each borrowed piece on the board.

Cognates: attribution (atribución), license (licencia), permission (permiso), credit (crédito), music (música), original (original), factor (factor), purpose (propósito), market (mercado).

Stretch

Ask why Stitch permission inside TikTok may not cover the same clip in a festival film.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CRights log

Rights log, started Saturday morning

Columns: element, who made it, where it came from, permission or license and date. Row 1: setup-montage music, the recording artist, a streaming download, permission unknown. Row 2: 6-second clip, a TikTok creator, downloaded from TikTok, permission unknown.

Look closely: Which column says “unknown” in both rows?

What it shows

Both borrowed pieces, who made them and where each one came from.

What it leaves out

A license or permission for either piece.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether the track has any license that covers this use, which part of the song the 20 seconds come from, where the film will be shown, and what the TikTok creator agreed to when the clip was posted.

Notes

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Lesson 14Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence C aloud; skip its boxes.

Say this

“Put your finger on each row of the rights log. Which column says “unknown”?” — Wait for “permission or license” in both rows.

Watch for

Support

Reduce the work to one element, the song, for students who need it.

Read the timeline aloud and list each borrowed piece on the board.

Cognates: attribution (atribución), license (licencia), permission (permiso), credit (crédito), music (música), original (original), factor (factor), purpose (propósito), market (mercado).

Stretch

Ask why Stitch permission inside TikTok may not cover the same clip in a festival film.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: fair use

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

Credit and permission answer different questions. Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video. It answers the question “Who made this?” A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms. It answers another question: “Did the owner say yes to this use?” Mateo’s caption would give attribution. It would not give the crew a license.

Without a license, the crew could ask whether the use is fair use. Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors. The U.S. Copyright Office names the four factors. They are the purpose of the use, the nature of the original work, the amount used and the effect on the original’s market. No number of seconds is automatically safe. Even a short part can count against fair use if it is the most recognizable part of the song.

Platform tools come with their own limits. Stitch lets people remix another person’s video inside TikTok. That permission does not automatically cover a downloaded clip in a film shown somewhere else. Using music the crew records, or a track with a clear license, can avoid the fair-use question. Caio’s two backup plans follow this idea: a library track with clear terms, or a drum loop that Dec records.

Professional standards

Real sourceAIGA, the professional association for design

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to other designers

“A professional designer shall not accept instructions from a client that involve infringement of another person’s property rights without permission”

In plain words: Designers who belong to AIGA agree not to use other people's creative work without permission, even when a client asks.

Question: The rights log says “permission unknown” for the track and the TikTok clip. What does Caio need for each row?

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Lesson 14Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Credit answers one question and a license answers another. Which question does each answer?” — Accept “who made it” and “did the owner say yes.”

“The AIGA code says not to use someone’s work without permission. What would Caio need?” — Wait for “a license for each row.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the AIGA code as a law. Listen for: “The crew could get arrested for breaking it.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its members. AIGA’s code binds its members, not the crew.”

Support

Read the code quotation aloud. Point out the label: it is a real source, quoted word for word.

Stretch

Compare the RTDNA line, which calls using work without attribution or permission plagiarism. Why does it name both?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

To fill in each row, Caio needs ___.

To fill in each row, Caio needs a license or permission, with its date, from the song’s owner and from the TikTok creator.

In the news

Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)May 7, 2015

Explains why giving credit is not the same as permission, and how fair use is weighed.

Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2023

Supreme Court sides against Andy Warhol Foundation in copyright infringement case

Even a famous artist’s new version wasn’t fair use when it served the same purpose as the original.

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownMatch each piece of evidence to the claim it supports, challenges or narrows. About 8 minutes.

Test the crew’s two assumptions against the sources. Which evidence knocks each one down, and what single check could still make the plan work?

Evidence	Claim 1Crediting the artist makes the use okay.	Claim 2Twenty seconds is short enough to be fair use.
1 Credit names the creator but grants no permission	Challenges	Neither
2 Copyright Office: no formula makes a set amount safe; the heart of a work matters	Neither	Challenges
3 The sample is background mood, not commentary on the song	Neither	Challenges
4 Stitch permission applies inside TikTok, not to a downloaded clip in another film	Narrows	Neither

Still open

Does any license cover this use? Check before posting.

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 ___.

The song’s owner is missing. I would ask whether a license exists for a festival film and what it allows.

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the plan you would pick and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.

Caio’s cut uses about 20 seconds of a released song as background mood for the crew’s festival film. Mateo texts, “We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?” Which plan should the crew choose?

A Credit the artist in the caption and post tonight.
B Pause the upload. Check the track’s license, and swap in licensed or original music if the license does not cover this use.
C Cut the song to ten seconds, since short clips are fair use.

Why I chose it

B. It treats permission as its own question and gives a backup plan. A mixes up credit and permission. C relies on a seconds rule that does not exist.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We’re good to post! 1 We only used like 20 seconds of the song and we’re putting the artist’s name in the caption so they get credit. Plus it’s not like we’re making money off it, it’s just for our page. 2 Everyone uses songs like this on TikTok anyway so it’s fine. We even changed the pitch a little so it’s basically our own version now, and the whole cut is under two minutes. If they don’t like it they can just ask us to take it down.

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Improve a draft, continued

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

Rewrite phrase 1

We used about 20 seconds for mood. No number of seconds is automatically fair use.

Rewrite phrase 2

In-app sounds have their own licenses. Our downloaded track needs its own check.

Notes

275

Lesson 14PracticePre-AP educator edition

This page continues page 274.

Answer key

A revised version: Plan: we’re pausing the upload tonight. We used about 20 seconds of the song as background mood, which isn’t commentary on the song, and crediting the artist doesn’t give us permission. We’ll try two options. First, Caio will check whether the track has a license that covers this use. If not, we’ll swap in a track from a library with a clear license, or Dec will record a short drum loop we own. We’ll keep a rights log with the source, license and date for every clip and sound, then post by Sunday.

Other notes on the draft:

“putting the artist’s name in the caption” Good practice, but credit isn’t permission.

“it’s not like we’re making money off it” Noncommercial use is one consideration, not an automatic yes.

“they can just ask us to take it down” That puts the risk on the artist. Check first.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely observe Caio’s rough cut and list every outside element, then write an evidence-based paragraph on which one raises the biggest rights question and why.

Use: The rough-cut description, Mateo’s chat message and the Copyright Office fair-use page.

You’ll make: Inventory plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Read Evidence A line by line. List each element the crew did not make.
Answer the question “What is this element doing in the film?” for each element.
Choose the element that raises the biggest rights question.
Write a claim sentence that names it and one fair-use factor.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words on the Your draft page.
Discuss the pitch change with a partner, then revise your paragraph.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Element 1 and what it does in the film

The sampled song, 0:18–0:38. It sets the mood under the setup montage.

Element 2 and what it does in the film

The six-second TikTok clip, 1:40–1:46. It adds footage from a stitched post.

My claim sentence

The biggest rights question is ___, because ___.

The biggest rights question is the song, because it plays for 20 seconds only to set a mood, which weighs against fair use.

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Lesson 14Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Model the first inventory row, then let pairs finish.

Say this

“List before you judge. What does each borrowed element do in the film?” — Model one row with the song.

Watch for

Misconception: Students leave the TikTok clip out of the inventory. Listen for: “The only problem is the song.” Then: Ask them to read Evidence A to the last line. The clip at 1:40 is borrowed too.

Support

Element inventory

Question stems: “What is this element doing in the film?”

Paragraph frame

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Academic conversation; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.1; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Answer key

A strong response:

Complete inventory

Supported claim

Uses one fair-use factor accurately

Revision reflects discussion

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The song in Caio’s rough cut raises the biggest rights question. The edit timeline lists a “sampled track, pitched up slightly, under the setup montage” from 0:18 to 0:38. The song is there to set a mood, and the film does not comment on the song itself. That matters for the first fair-use factor, the purpose of the use. Using a song for mood, with no commentary, probably weighs against fair use. The rights log also lists “permission unknown” for the song. Mateo’s plan to “credit them in the caption” does not change this, because credit names the artist but grants no permission. The pitch change adds a new sound, but the song is still recognizable and still used for mood. The TikTok clip raises a question too, but the song carries the scene.

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 8 minutes.

Does your inventory list every element the crew did not make?
YesNo
Is your claim supported by words from the evidence?
YesNo
Do you use one fair-use factor accurately?
YesNo
Does your revision reflect the partner discussion?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Relies on myths.	Cites credit as permission.	Uses the four factors or license terms.	Uses factors, license terms and platform differences.
Reasoning	Assumes any use is fine.	Applies one factor.	Separates credit, permission and fair use.	Weighs factors honestly and chooses a lower-risk path.
Audience & purpose	Ignores the artist.	Considers only the crew.	Considers the artist and the audience.	Balances creative goals with respect for the original creator.
Revision	No change.	Adds a credit.	Replaces myths with a rights plan.	Explains each step and a realistic alternative.

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Lesson 14Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric; students fill in only the two boxes.

Say this

“Mark your level in each row. Then make one change and say why.” — Circulate and ask for one myth removed or one source added.

Watch for

Misconception: Students add a credit line and call it a revision. Listen for: “I added the artist’s name.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Adding a credit is level 2; a rights plan is level 3.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The inventory is checked for completeness, and the paragraph is scored for a supported claim, one accurately used factor and a revision that reflects the discussion.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses the four factors or license terms.

Reasoning: Separates credit, permission and fair use.

Audience & purpose: Considers the artist and the audience.

Revision: Replaces myths with a rights plan.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

The question my partner asked

My partner asked ___.

My partner asked whether pitching the song up makes it a new work.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I added a sentence about the pitch change, because the song is still recognizable and still used for mood.

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 8 minutes.

1 Caio pitched the song up slightly. Does changing a song make it a new work? Why or why not?

No. The song still belongs to its owner, only a little higher. A pitch change adds no new purpose, so the license question stays open.

2 Mateo says the TikTok clip goes in the rights log as “unknown.” What would the crew need to find out to fill in that row?

Who the creator is, what Stitch permission covers and whether the creator agrees to this use, with a date.

3 Suppose a student used the same song in a video for class. What changes if that video becomes a public post?

More people see it. A public video could replace a license the artist might sell, and that is the fourth factor, the effect on the market.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should pause the upload, check the license and swap in licensed or original music if needed.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The rights log, because it shows “permission unknown” for both borrowed pieces.

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Lesson 14Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not a rule you heard online.” — Post the question numbers and collect one answer per question.

Stretch

Compare Caio’s two backup plans: a library track with clear terms or a drum loop Dec records. What does each need in the rights log?

Going further: Apply the four fair-use factors to the six-second TikTok clip instead of the song. Which factor is hardest to judge, and why?

Going further: Sketch two short storyboards of the setup montage: one with the sampled song and one with licensed or original music. Compare what each version makes viewers feel and what each one needs before it can be posted.

Going further: Choose a sound or clip you have seen reused in several online videos. Trace it back to the earliest post you can find. Write a credit line for it, and note whether that post says anything about permission.

Going further: Before you edit your next video or slideshow, list every outside clip, image, sound and quote. Record the source and the license or permission for each one. Ask your school librarian or media teacher about any use you are unsure of.

Compare Creative Commons license types and what each allows

Research how your school’s media policy handles copyrighted material

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

The credit shows respect for the artist, and the song plays for only 20 seconds.

I would change my mind if ___.

The crew found a license that covers a festival screening.

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?

In this case, a group of friends wants to post a short film that uses 20 seconds of a released song. Your student compared giving credit with getting permission, then planned what the crew should do before posting.

Questions to talk about

What is the difference between giving credit and getting permission?
Why might a short part of a song still need permission?
Where could a student find music they have permission to use?

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

See the case online.

282

Lesson 15Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which a studio offers Rafa an unpaid summer internship running its inbox. The studio says college credit makes it legal. They read the listing, the studio’s reply and Gia’s questions, and they apply the seven factors in the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71. They then write Rafa’s email asking the studio about the learning plan and supervision.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

quote a text word for word

tell an observation from an inference

discuss a claim with a partner politely

Objectives

Students will be able to:

mark learning words and work words in a listing

turn a listing into a concrete week

support a claim about training or work with the listing’s own words and one factor

write a question that tests the studio’s claim about credit

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B printed side by side

Fact Sheet #71 from the U.S. Department of Labor

The case rubric, printed on the Check your work page

The task in this edition

Task: Closely read the internship listing and the studio’s reply, and write an evidence-based paragraph on whether the listing describes training or work.

Students make: Annotated listing plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 283): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 284 and 285): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 289): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 290): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence C aloud; skip its boxes.

Key idea (pages 291 and 292): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 293): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Practice (page 294): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 295 and 296): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Annotate the listing together, then let pairs plan the week.

Your draft (page 297): 18 min. Short on time: 14 min. Students write the claim and first two sentences in class and finish at home.

Check your work (pages 298 and 299): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric; students fill in only the two boxes.

Questions to discuss (pages 300 and 301): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 302): at home.

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

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students analyze the listing’s word choices.

Plan 15

Lesson 15Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 15 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students test a claim with a question.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice: 4. Comply with laws

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 4.3 Dealing with Unrepresented Person

Heat map

Opener (page 283): Low

Key terms (pages 284 and 285): Low

Look at the evidence (page 289): Low

Look at the evidence (page 290): Low

Key idea (pages 291 and 292): Low

Sort the evidence (page 293): Low

Practice (page 294): Low

Check your work (pages 298 and 299): Low

Try it at your school

Ask what the work is before you accept it.

Before accepting any internship, ask for duties, hours, supervision and pay in writing

Take the offer to your school counselor or college career center

Check your state labor department’s page on minimum wage and youth work

Compare the offer with your other commitments before deciding

Who to ask: School counselor, college career center, work-permit officer where your state uses them, state labor department

Safety: If you’re under 18, federal and state rules limit hours and certain jobs. Involve a trusted adult before accepting any work arrangement.

Sources

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, via Justia, “Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures,” 2016

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, “Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” No date listed

Plan 15b

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

A studio offers Rafa an unpaid summer internship running its customer inbox and says college credit makes it legal.

On your ownRead What happened and underline what Rafa would do all summer. About 5 minutes.

Nexo, one of the crew’s companions, points to where a meeting and a work shift overlap on a calendar. Rafa’s internship would take time from his shifts at the family shop.

Your role: You’re the one who checks each factor of the test before Rafa says yes. New skill: Apply a legal test factor by factor.

What happened

Rafa, 18, is a first-year college student who commutes to class and helps at his family’s shop. In April, a studio posted a listing on the campus job board for a “Summer Editing Intern.” The internship is unpaid. The listing says the intern will run the customer inbox all summer. Rafa reads it twice, looking for the editing.

On Tuesday at 11:20 a.m., the studio answers Rafa’s message. The email says college credit makes it “totally legal” not to pay him. It also asks him to start right after finals.

At lunch, Rafa talks it over with Gia, who fits café shifts around her classes. Gia asks whether the studio paid someone to run the inbox last year. Rafa says the studio’s assistant ran it. Taking the internship would also cost Rafa paid shifts at the shop. He has not said yes yet.

Your question: Is the internship mainly training for Rafa or unpaid work for the studio, and what should he ask before he decides?

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Primary beneficiary test The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.

En español: prueba del beneficiario principal

In this case: The studio gets its customer inbox answered all summer. Rafa asks what he would learn and who would train him.

Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.

En español: Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo

In this case: If Rafa counts as an employee under this law, the studio must pay him at least the minimum wage.

Academic credit Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.

En español: créditos académicos

In this case: The studio says credit makes the unpaid role “totally legal.” Credit is one factor out of seven.

Who is involved

Rafa

Offered an unpaid summer internship

“The listing says ‘Summer Editing Intern.’ Then it says I’d run the customer inbox all summer. I read it twice looking for the editing.”

Gia

Talking the offer over with Rafa

“I almost said ‘take it, it’ll look good.’ Easy for me to say. I’m not the one giving up a summer.”

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Lesson 15Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will check it against the evidence later.” — First guesses stay private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the test asks whether Rafa likes the job. Listen for: “He benefits if he enjoys it.” Then: Reread the term. The test asks who mainly benefits: the intern’s learning or the employer’s work.

Support

Give factor cards with an icon and one line each: training, credit, school calendar, length, paid work.

Cognates: academic (académico), credit (crédito), employee (empleado), supervision (supervisión), beneficiary (beneficiario), factor (factor), minimum (mínimo), experience (experiencia).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, is Rafa’s offer more like training or more like a job?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is training, because the title says “Editing Intern” and the role offers college credit.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

An internship or an unpaid job?

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

Primary beneficiary test: The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.
Fair Labor Standards Act: The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.
Academic credit: Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.
Compensation: Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.

The story: The work behind the title

Rafa, 18, is a first-year commuter who helps at his family’s shop after class. In April, a listing goes up on the campus job board: “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.” Rafa reads it twice. The title says editing. The duties say inbox.

He writes to the studio. On Tuesday at 11:20 a.m., the reply arrives: “Since interns get college credit, it’s totally legal for us not to pay. We’d love for you to start right after finals.” Rafa pastes it into the group chat. Gia asks whether that is how it works. Rafa says he does not know yet and starts looking it up on the train.

At lunch, Gia, who fits café shifts around her own classes, asks the question that changes the conversation. Didn’t the studio pay someone to run the inbox last year? Rafa says their assistant did it. Gia also counts what the summer would cost him: shifts at the shop, the commute and a whole summer with no pay. “Exposure,” she points out, does not cover the train fare.

Your role is to check each factor of the test before Rafa says yes.

Stop and think. What does the gap between the job title and the duties tell Rafa?

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Applying a test factor by factor

The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee. It asks whether the intern or the employer mainly benefits from an unpaid internship. If the intern is really an employee, the Fair Labor Standards Act applies. That is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.

The Labor Department lists seven factors. They include training, links to coursework or academic credit, the school calendar and how long the learning lasts. Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship. Another factor asks whether the intern’s work adds to paid employees’ work or replaces it. The test is flexible, and no single factor decides it. Calling a position an internship does not decide it. Neither does college credit, or an intern agreeing to no pay.

The new skill is applying a written test one factor at a time. It builds on Lesson 12, where you set fact patterns beside a precedent. Match each factor to a fact, and mark what is missing. On replacing paid work, the evidence is strong: a paid assistant ran the inbox last year. On academic credit, the listing says credit is “available,” but nobody knows yet whether Rafa’s school will grant it. On training and supervision, there are no facts at all. Rafa’s own summary is exact: credit is one factor out of seven, so what about the other six?

Lesson 11 gave you the word compensation, all the pay and benefits a worker receives. Here, the compensation is zero, and the cost to Rafa is real. His email to the studio can ask for the missing facts in writing: who trains him, what a normal week looks like, how many hours and whether this is the job the assistant did last year.

Stop and think. Which factor does the paid assistant’s job speak to, and which way does it point?

The case that set the test

Two unpaid interns on the 2010 film Black Swan sued Fox Searchlight, arguing that they should have been paid as employees. In 2015, a federal appeals court adopted the question of who is the primary beneficiary (LAist, July 2, 2015). The Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71 now lists the seven factors (U.S. Department of Labor, updated January 2018).

Unpaid internships are still common. PBS NewsHour reported that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022 and asked who can afford to take those jobs (PBS NewsHour, August 26, 2023).

Stop and think. Unpaid summers are easier for people who do not need a paycheck. Who might an unpaid internship leave out?

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceLAist (AirTalk)July 2, 2015

Appeals court reverses ‘Black Swan’ interns’ victory over Fox

Real sourceU.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour DivisionJanuary 2018

Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (YouTube)August 26, 2023

Why unpaid internships still exist despite hardships for young workers

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 8 minutes.

Evidence AJob listing

Studio listing on the campus job board, 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.”

Look closely: Which words describe learning? Which words describe work?

What it shows

The role is unpaid, offers credit and names the customer inbox as the main duty.

What it leaves out

Who trains and supervises the intern, the weekly hours and any editing work.

Evidence BEmail

Studio reply to Rafa, Tuesday, 11:20 a.m.

“Thanks for your interest, Rafa! Since interns get college credit, it’s totally legal for us not to pay. We’d love for you to start right after finals.”

Look closely: Is credit one factor or the whole test? What does the email skip?

What it shows

The studio says college credit is why it does not have to pay Rafa.

What it leaves out

Training, supervision, weekly hours and whether Rafa’s school will grant credit.

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Lesson 15Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Underline every task in the listing. Now circle the ones where Rafa learns.” — Pause and ask what that tells them.

Watch for

Misconception: Students call the studio’s email a lie. Listen for: “They’re lying to him.” Then: The email makes a claim. Ask which document could test it. Nobody knows what the studio believes.

Support

Read the listing aloud and offer it on its own half-page.

Reduce the factors to three: training, credit and paid work.

Cognates: academic (académico), credit (crédito), employee (empleado), supervision (supervisión), beneficiary (beneficiario), factor (factor), minimum (mínimo), experience (experiencia).

Stretch

Ask which factors the studio’s email addresses and which it skips.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CChat

Gia and Rafa, Tuesday lunch

Gia: Didn’t they pay someone to do the inbox last year?

Rafa: Yeah, their assistant.

Gia: And it’s your summer, not theirs. What about your shifts at the shop?

Look closely: Who ran the customer inbox last year? Was that person paid?

What it shows

A paid assistant ran the inbox last year, so the role may replace paid work.

What it leaves out

How many paid shifts at the family shop Rafa would give up.

What is still missing from the evidence?

What training and supervision the studio actually provides, how many hours a week the role takes, whether Rafa’s school will grant credit, and how many paid shifts at the family shop Rafa would give up.

Notes

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Lesson 15Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence C aloud; skip its boxes.

Say this

“Underline every task in the listing. Now circle the ones where Rafa learns.” — Pause and ask what that tells them.

Watch for

Support

Read the listing aloud and offer it on its own half-page.

Reduce the factors to three: training, credit and paid work.

Cognates: academic (académico), credit (crédito), employee (empleado), supervision (supervisión), beneficiary (beneficiario), factor (factor), minimum (mínimo), experience (experiencia).

Stretch

Ask which factors the studio’s email addresses and which it skips.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: the primary beneficiary test

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

A job title does not show how the work is arranged. The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee. It asks whether the intern or the employer mainly benefits from an unpaid internship. An intern who counts as an employee must be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.

The Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71 lists seven factors. They include training, links to coursework or academic credit, the school calendar and how long the learning lasts. Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship. Another factor is whether the intern’s work adds to paid employees’ work or replaces it. The test is flexible, and no single factor decides it.

So the studio’s email does not settle the question. Calling a job an internship does not decide it. Neither does college credit, or an intern agreeing to work for no pay. The test also has limits. It applies to for-profit employers, and state rules may differ. To apply the test, you need facts about the duties, training, supervision and hours.

Professional standards

Real sourceNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice: 4. Comply with laws

“Comply with laws … associated with local, state, and federal entities”

In plain words: Career offices and employer recruiters who belong to NACE agree to follow federal, state and local laws.

Question: The campus job board lists the internship. What should the career office ask the studio about the seven DOL factors?

Your answer

Before posting, the career office should ask ___.

Before posting, the career office should ask about training, supervision, hours and whether the role replaces a paid assistant.

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Lesson 15Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The studio says one factor settles the test. What does the key idea say about a single factor?” — Wait for “no single factor decides it.”

“The NACE principle asks career offices to follow the law. What should the office ask the studio?” — List answers on the board.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the NACE principles bind the studio. Listen for: “The studio broke the NACE code.” Then: Say: “NACE’s principles guide its members, career offices and employer recruiters. A code of ethics is not a law.”

Support

Read the code quotation aloud. Point out the label: it is a real source, quoted word for word, with a gap marked “…”.

Stretch

Try the ABA Rule 4.1 question: what does Fact Sheet #71 say about whether one factor, credit, decides the test?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (YouTube)August 26, 2023

Why unpaid internships still exist despite hardships for young workers

Reports that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022 and who can afford to take those jobs.

Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2013

Internships: Low-Paid, Unpaid Or Just Plain Illegal?

Explains when an unpaid internship can break wage law, using the ‘Black Swan’ intern lawsuit.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownMatch each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges, and mark what is still unknown. About 8 minutes.

Test the studio’s claim against the factor list. Which evidence points toward training, which toward a job, and what is still unknown?

Evidence	Claim 1College credit makes the unpaid internship legal.	Claim 2The role looks more like a job than training.
1 DOL: credit is one of seven factors, and no single factor decides	Challenges	Neither
2 The listing: Rafa runs the customer inbox all summer	Neither	Supports
3 A paid assistant ran the inbox last year	Neither	Supports
4 The role is openly unpaid and offers credit (factors 1 and 3)	Neither	Challenges

Still open

Is there a learning plan, and who supervises?

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 ___.

The person who would supervise Rafa. I would ask what he would learn each week and how they would give feedback.

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Rafa should do next and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.

The studio’s unpaid internship has Rafa running its customer inbox all summer, the job a paid assistant did last year. The studio says college credit makes it legal. What should Rafa do next?

A Accept the studio’s answer, since college credit settles the question.
B Ask for the learning plan, supervision, schedule and how the role relates to paid employees’ work.
C Tell the studio that unpaid internships are against the law.

Why I chose it

B. It gathers the facts the test looks at. A treats one factor as the whole test, and C swaps one broad claim for another.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, thanks so much for the offer! I’m really excited about this opportunity and I know it will look great on my résumé. I just wanted to ask 1 if this is legal since it’s unpaid? My friend said unpaid internships aren’t allowed. Also how many hours is it? 2 I can start whenever you need me. I really want to get into editing and this seems like a good way in. Let me know! Thank you again for thinking of me, Rafa

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Could you describe the training and who would supervise me?

Rewrite phrase 2

I also work at my family’s shop, so I need the schedule before I commit.

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Lesson 15PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Rafa has the studio’s email open. What should he do next?” — Hold a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose to tell the studio the internship is illegal. Listen for: “Unpaid internships are against the law.” Then: Ask where the evidence says that. The test depends on facts, so ask what facts Rafa needs first.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi, thank you for the offer. Before I decide, could you help me understand the arrangement? What would a normal week look like, and how much of it is the customer inbox? Who would supervise and give feedback, and is there a written learning plan? How many hours per week, and for how many weeks? Does the role cover work a paid staff member did before? You mentioned college credit; I’m checking with my school about that. I also work at my family’s shop, so I need to know the schedule before committing. Thanks, Rafa

Other notes on the draft:

“I know it will look great on my résumé” Repeats the listing’s pitch. What do you want to learn?

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely read the internship listing and the studio’s reply, and write an evidence-based paragraph on whether the listing describes training or work.

Use: The listing, the studio email and DOL Fact Sheet 71.

You’ll make: Annotated listing plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Mark each learning word in Evidence A with an L and each work word with a W.
Plan a normal week for the intern, using only the listing’s words.
Write a claim sentence: does the listing describe training or work?
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words on the Your draft page.
Add one question that tests the studio’s claim about credit.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Learning words

“exposure to the industry,” “College credit available”

Work words

“run the customer inbox all summer,” “help with client files”

A normal week, from the listing

Answer the customer inbox and help with client files. No editing is listed.

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Lesson 15Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Annotate the listing together, then let pairs plan the week.

Say this

“Plan the intern’s week using only the listing’s words. How much of it is learning?” — Model one line of the week together.

Watch for

Misconception: Students count “exposure” as training. Listen for: “He’ll learn by being there.” Then: Ask who teaches and what skill. The listing names neither.

Support

Word-level annotation: learning words, work words

Question stems: “What would a week actually look like?”

Paragraph frame

Question stem: “What would a normal week look like?”

Stretch

Add a question that tests the studio’s claim about credit.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Evidence-based writing; Higher-order questioning.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My claim sentence

The listing describes ___, because ___.

The listing describes work, because its duties are the inbox and client files.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The studio’s listing describes work more than training. Its title promises a “Summer Editing Intern,” but the duties never mention editing. The intern would “run the customer inbox all summer” and “help with client files.” Those are tasks a business needs done, and last year a paid assistant ran that inbox. The only learning words are “great exposure to the industry” and “College credit available.” Exposure is not a lesson, and the listing names no one who would teach. Fact Sheet #71 asks whether an intern’s work adds to paid employees’ work or replaces it. Here the evidence points toward replacing it. The studio’s reply says credit makes it “totally legal” not to pay. Credit is one factor, though, so Rafa should test that claim. He could ask which parts of the week are training and who leads them.

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 8 minutes.

Do your annotations mark learning words and work words precisely?
YesNo
Is your claim supported by the listing’s wording?
YesNo
Do you use one factor from Fact Sheet #71 accurately?
YesNo
Do you ask a question that tests the claim about credit?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Relies on rumor.	Mentions pay only.	Asks about several factors.	Asks about factors and notes what the credit claim doesn’t settle.
Reasoning	Declares legal or illegal.	Asks for a verdict.	Gathers facts before deciding.	Connects each question to a reason it matters.
Audience & purpose	Gives away leverage or accuses.	Polite but vague.	Specific, respectful questions.	Specific questions plus Rafa’s own constraints.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Replaces rumor with factor-based questions.	Explains how each question helps Rafa decide.

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Lesson 15Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric; students fill in only the two boxes.

Say this

“Mark your level in each row. Then change one question so it asks for a fact.” — Circulate and ask which factor each question connects to.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone but keep the legal question. Listen for: “I made it more polite.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Tone alone is level 2; replace the legal question with factor questions.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The annotation is checked for precision, and the paragraph is scored for a claim supported by the listing’s wording, one DOL factor used accurately and a testable question about credit.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Asks about several factors.

Reasoning: Gathers facts before deciding.

Audience & purpose: Specific, respectful questions.

Revision: Replaces rumor with factor-based questions.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

My question about credit

If my school does not grant credit, would the role still be unpaid?

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I changed “they are lying about credit” to a question, because the evidence shows a claim, not what the studio believes.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 8 minutes.

1 What would count as evidence that the promised training is happening?

A written learning plan, a named supervisor who gives feedback and hours set aside for editing, not only the inbox.

2 Unpaid summers are easier for people who do not need a paycheck. Who might an unpaid internship leave out?

Students who need summer pay, like Rafa, who helps at his family’s shop. They may have to turn the internship down.

3 If Rafa’s school grants credit, does that settle whether the studio should pay him? Why or why not?

No. Credit is one of seven factors, and no single factor decides the test. The inbox work a paid assistant did still points toward a job.

My take

My claim: ___.

Rafa should ask for the learning plan, supervision and hours in writing before he decides.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The chat, because a paid assistant ran the same inbox last year.

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Lesson 15Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not a story about a job you or your family had.” — Post the question numbers and collect one answer per question.

Stretch

Compare what the offer costs Rafa with what it would cost a student who does not need summer pay.

Going further: Read Fact Sheet #71 from the Department of Labor. For each of the seven factors, mark whether Rafa’s offer points toward training, toward a job or is still unknown.

Going further: Suppose the studio answers, “We’ll give college credit.” What problem does that solve for the studio? What problem does it leave for Rafa?

Going further: Make a two-column worksheet that compares what the listing promises with a normal week of duties. Ask a classmate to fill it in, and see which gaps they find.

Going further: Before you accept any internship, ask for the duties, hours, supervision and pay in writing. Take the offer to your school counselor or college career center. If you are under 18, involve a trusted adult before you agree to any work.

Look up whether your state has its own internship or minimum-wage rules

Compare the for-profit test with guidance for volunteering at nonprofits

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

College credit shows the studio cares about his education.

I would change my mind if ___.

The studio showed a written plan with real editing training.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

In this case, a college student is offered an unpaid summer internship, and the studio says college credit makes that legal. Your student compared the offer with a federal test and wrote questions to ask before saying yes.

Questions to talk about

What questions would you ask before accepting an unpaid internship?
How can someone tell whether a role is mostly learning or mostly work?
Who can help a student check a job or internship offer?

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

See the case online.

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Lesson 16Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?

Content note

This case involves disability access and a request for an exception to a building rule. No student should share their own disability, health information or housing situation, so keep the discussion on Sami’s building.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a short story in which an unsigned notice says a building’s rear door will be locked at 8 p.m. That step-free door is the only one Sami can use. Students compare the notice with last year’s house rules and the entrance plan, and they map how the rule affects different residents. They read HUD’s Fair Housing Act overview as a source of questions, then rewrite the notice or write Sami’s question to the building manager.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

describe what a text looks like before explaining it

tell an observation from an inference

disagree with a partner politely

Objectives

Students will be able to:

Objectives, continued

log each visual and verbal feature of a notice before explaining it

reason about authority by imagining a signed version

support a claim with the notice’s exact wording and last year’s rules

reflect a structured conversation in one sentence of the paragraph

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B printed side by side

The observation grid on the task page

The case rubric, printed on the Check your work page

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe the unsigned notice’s form (bold type, imperatives, no issuer) and write an evidence-based paragraph on how it claims authority.

Students make: Annotated notice plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 303): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 304 and 305): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Look at the evidence (page 309): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 310): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the entrance plan aloud; skip its boxes.

Key idea (pages 311 and 312): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 313): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (pages 314 and 315): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 316 and 317): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Model the first row of the grid, then let pairs finish.

Your draft (page 318): 18 min. Short on time: 14 min. Students write the claim and first two sentences in class and finish at home.

Check your work (pages 319 and 320): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric; students fill in only the two boxes.

Questions to discuss (pages 321 and 322): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 323): at home.

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

Plan 16

Lesson 16Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 16 plan, continued

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students analyze how a notice’s form creates authority.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 303): Medium

Key terms (pages 304 and 305): Low

Look at the evidence (page 309): Low

Look at the evidence (page 310): Low

Key idea (pages 311 and 312): Low

Sort the evidence (page 313): Medium

Practice (pages 314 and 315): Low

Check your work (pages 319 and 320): Low

Try it at your school

Ask who wrote the rule before you argue about it.

When a new rule is posted where you live or at school, write down the date and take a photo

Look for who issued it and what document it changes

Ask a trusted adult to help you ask the building manager or office

Try it at your school, continued

Find your city’s or county’s tenant or housing help page with an adult

Who to ask: A parent or guardian, the building manager, a local tenant or housing help line, a school social worker

Safety: Don’t post neighbors’ names, unit numbers or private situations online. Let adults handle lease disputes.

Sources

Gothamist, “Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan,” November 21, 2019

Legal Services NYC, “Brooklyn tenants file legal opposition to landlord’s application to install facial recognition entry system in building,” May 1, 2019

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), “Fair Housing Act overview,” No date listed

Plan 16b

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?

An unsigned notice says the building’s only step-free door locks at 8 p.m., and Sami’s workshop runs later.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the two changes the notice announces. About 5 minutes.

Mari hands a yellow sheet to Sami across a white table while Caio listens. This scene comes from Lesson 4.

Your role: You’re the one who photographs the notice and writes down when and where it was found. New skill: Find who has the authority to make a rule.

What happened

It is Monday morning in Sami’s apartment building. A new notice is posted beside the common-room door. It says the rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. every night. It also says the common room is “for resident social use only,” with “NO BUSINESS USE” in capital letters. The notice has no name, no date and no contact.

That rear door matters to Sami, who lives in apartment 3B and uses a manual wheelchair. It is the building’s only step-free entrance. The front entrance has four steps and no ramp. Sami also runs a workshop in the common room, and it goes past 8 p.m.

Caio reads last year’s house rules beside the notice. Those rules let residents reserve the common room for classes and resident-run workshops. The new notice does not say whether it replaces them. Before anyone starts arguing, Sami photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it.

Your question: Who has the authority behind this notice, and what should Sami ask the building manager?

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Authority Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.

En español: autoridad

In this case: The notice uses bold type and capital letters but names no issuer. Sami has to find out who has the power to make this rule.

Reasonable accommodation A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.

En español: acomodo razonable

In this case: Sami could ask the building for a key fob for the rear door, so she can get in after 8 p.m.

Documentation Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.

En español: documentación

In this case: Sami photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it, before anyone argues about what it said.

Who is involved

Sami

Lives in 3B and runs a workshop in the common room

“Rear door locked at 8. That’s the only door I can get through. My workshop runs later. So, questions. Plural.”

Caio

Reading last year’s house rules beside the notice

“All caps, bold, no name, no date. Somebody made it look official. I still don’t know who.”

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Lesson 16Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will test it against three documents.” — First guesses stay private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think a building must grant every accommodation request. Listen for: “She asks, so they have to say yes.” Then: Point to the key idea: whether a building grants an accommodation depends on the facts.

Support

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

Cognates: authority (autoridad), documentation (documentación), reasonable (razonable), resident (residente), access (acceso), discrimination (discriminación), disability (discapacidad), federal (federal).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, should Sami follow the new notice?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that she has to follow it, because it says “effective immediately.”

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Bold type is not authority

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

Authority: Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.
Reasonable accommodation: A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.
Documentation: Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
Barrier: A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.

The story: Monday morning, 3B

On Monday morning, a new notice is posted beside the common-room door in Sami’s apartment building. “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.” There is no name at the bottom, no date and no phone number or email.

Sami reads it twice. She lives in apartment 3B and uses a manual wheelchair. The entrance plan in the lobby directory tells the rest. The front entrance has four steps and no ramp, and the side door is for service use only. The rear door is the only step-free way in. She also runs a workshop in the common room that goes past 8 p.m. “So, questions,” she tells Caio. “Plural.”

Her first move is not an argument. She takes a photo of the notice and writes down when and where she found it. Caio, who rents a room on the block, brings last year’s house rules, the ones residents got at lease signing, so they can read the two side by side.

Your role is to help Sami keep a clean record of the notice before anyone starts arguing about what it said.

Stop and think. Sami’s first move is a photo, not an argument. Why?

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Finding the source of a rule

Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision. The notice uses every visual sign of authority, including capital letters, bold type and “effective immediately.” It gives no evidence of who holds that authority. An unsigned notice is not automatically invalid, either. Sami has to find out who issued it and which document it claims to change.

Earlier cases prepared this skill. Lesson 1 sent you to the original source, and last year’s house rules are one. They say residents may reserve the common room for “gatherings, classes and resident-run workshops” through the building office. Lesson 4 gave you the decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. Lesson 7 taught you to ask what stage a process has reached. Is this notice final, a draft or a mistake? Nobody knows.

Caio spots the gap in the wording. Last year’s rules allow resident-run workshops. The notice bans “business use” without defining it. Is Sami’s workshop business? The notice never says.

Lesson 10’s term barrier, something that blocks or limits a person from taking part, describes what a locked rear door would mean for Sami after 8. A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place. For Sami, a key fob for the rear door would work. Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when. Her photo and note are documentation.

Her message to the building manager will ask three things: who issued the notice, whether it replaces last year’s rules and how she gets in after 8. Neither she nor Caio calls it illegal yet.

Stop and think. What would you need to know to decide whether Sami’s workshop counts as business use?

What the law says and what tenants have done

The Fair Housing Act is a federal law. HUD, the federal housing department, says it bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability, and it covers most housing, with some exceptions (HUD, no date listed). HUD has also explained how a person with a disability can ask for an exception to a building rule (HUD, January 31, 2014).

Tenants have used process before. At a Brooklyn complex, a landlord applied to install a facial-recognition entry system. Because the change needed a state agency’s permission, tenants could object, and in November 2019 the landlord withdrew the plan (Gothamist, November 21, 2019).

Stop and think. A building may want a door locked at night. How could it keep that door secure and still let Sami in?

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)No date listed

Fair Housing Act overview

Real sourceHUD (YouTube)January 31, 2014

The Federal Fair Housing Act and Reasonable Accommodations

Real sourceGothamistNovember 21, 2019

Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 8 minutes.

Evidence APosted notice

Unsigned notice by 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.

Look closely: Which features give the notice an official look? What is missing?

What it shows

The rear door locks at 8:00 p.m. nightly, and the room is for social use only.

What it leaves out

Who issued it, the date, a contact and what “business use” means.

Evidence BHouse rules (excerpt)

Last year’s house rules, given out at lease signing

“Residents may reserve the common room for gatherings, classes and resident-run workshops. Reservations are made through the building office.”

Look closely: What did last year’s rules allow in the common room?

What it shows

Residents could reserve the room for classes and resident-run workshops.

What it leaves out

Whether these rules are still in effect or the notice replaces them.

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Lesson 16Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Lay the notice beside last year’s rules. What changed, and what does the notice leave out?” — Wait for the missing issuer, date and contact.

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide the notice is fake because it is unsigned. Listen for: “No name means it doesn’t count.” Then: Ask what happens at 8:15 if the door is locked anyway. Unsigned does not mean invalid.

Support

Give the notice and last year’s rules side by side with the changes highlighted.

Read the entrance plan aloud and sketch it on the board.

Cognates: authority (autoridad), documentation (documentación), reasonable (razonable), resident (residente), access (acceso), discrimination (discriminación), disability (discapacidad), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask which document would settle the business-use question, and who holds it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CEntrance plan

Building entrance plan from the lobby directory

Front entrance: four steps, no ramp. Rear door: step-free, opens to the elevator hallway. Side door: service use only.

Look closely: Which entrance is step-free? What happens to it after 8 p.m.?

What it shows

The rear door is the building’s only step-free entrance.

What it leaves out

Any other way in after 8 p.m. and how the building handles access requests.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Who issued the notice and why, whether it replaces or adds to the house rules, what Sami’s lease says, whether there has been a security problem at the rear door, and how the building handles accommodation requests.

Notes

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Lesson 16Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the entrance plan aloud; skip its boxes.

Say this

“Lay the notice beside last year’s rules. What changed, and what does the notice leave out?” — Wait for the missing issuer, date and contact.

Watch for

Support

Give the notice and last year’s rules side by side with the changes highlighted.

Read the entrance plan aloud and sketch it on the board.

Cognates: authority (autoridad), documentation (documentación), reasonable (razonable), resident (residente), access (acceso), discrimination (discriminación), disability (discapacidad), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask which document would settle the business-use question, and who holds it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: authority

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

A building rule should name who made it, give a date and list a contact. This notice has none of them. Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision. Bold type and capital letters do not show who has that power. An unsigned notice is not automatically invalid, either. Sami has to find out who issued it and which document it claims to change.

A landlord’s policy and the law are different sources of rules. The Fair Housing Act is a federal law. HUD, the federal housing department, says it bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. It covers most housing, with some exceptions. Under the Act, a person with a disability can ask a building for a reasonable accommodation. A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place. For Sami, that could be a key fob for the rear door.

Sami cannot yet say the notice breaks the law. She does not know who wrote it, whether it replaces the house rules or how the building handles access requests. Whether a building grants an accommodation also depends on the facts. Documentation helps her keep those facts straight. Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when. Her photo of the notice, with the date and place she found it, is documentation.

Professional standards

Adapted from a real sourceAmerican Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions

Summary: Summary, not a quotation: a lawyer may not bring or defend a proceeding, or argue an issue in it, without a basis in law and fact that is not frivolous. The ABA comment says lawyers must first learn the facts and the applicable law.

In plain words: Before lawyers bring a claim, they must have facts and law that support it.

Question: Before claiming a Fair Housing Act violation, what should Sami learn about the notice’s author and the building’s access process?

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Lesson 16Key ideaPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Bold type and capital letters: do they tell you who has authority?” — Accept “no,” then ask what would.

“The ABA rule asks lawyers for facts before a claim. What facts does Sami need first?” — List them on the board.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think ABA Rule 3.1 binds Sami. Listen for: “Sami breaks the rule if she complains.” Then: Say: “Rules like this bind lawyers. Each state adopts its own version, and lawyers can be disciplined. It shows how professionals check facts first.”

Support

Read the summary aloud. Point out the label: it is adapted from a real source, not a quotation.

Stretch

Try the NCA credo’s question: what could Sami ask the building office to learn who wrote the notice and why?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Sami first needs these facts: ___.

Sami first needs these facts: who issued the notice, whether it replaces the house rules and how the building answers access requests.

In the news

Real sourceGothamistNovember 21, 2019

Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan

A throwback about a door rule: the landlord needed state permission to change how tenants got in, and tenants used that process to object.

Real sourceHUD (YouTube)January 31, 2014

The Federal Fair Housing Act and Reasonable Accommodations

HUD explains how a person with a disability can ask for an exception to a building rule.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFill in each box of the map: who decides, which rules apply, who is affected and where to ask. About 8 minutes.

Map who made this rule, which rules it has to fit, who it affects and where residents can take a question. Which box is still empty?

Lock the rear door at 8 p.m. and ban business use of the common room

Who decides

Unknown issuer: the owner, the manager or someone else?

Under which rule

Last year’s house rules allowed resident-run workshops

Fair Housing Act: disability is a protected characteristic

Who lives with it

Sami and other residents who need the only step-free entrance

Your way in

A local tenant or housing help line, or HUD for a fair-housing concern

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 ___.

The building manager’s view. I would ask whether there has been a security problem at the rear door.

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Sami should do first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 minutes.

The notice says the rear door, the building’s only step-free entrance, locks at 8 p.m. It also bans “business use” of the common room. It has no name, no date and no contact. What should Sami do first?

A Ignore it until someone signs it, since an unsigned notice may not be official.
B Photograph it, compare it with last year’s house rules and ask the manager who issued it and how residents get in after 8.
C Post online that the building is breaking disability law.

Why I chose it

B. It records the facts and asks about authority and access. A could leave Sami locked out, and C claims a violation she cannot support yet.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, I saw the notice about the common room and rear door. 1 This is illegal and discriminatory against disabled people like me. You can’t just make rules like this without asking. Nobody signed it and nobody told us it was coming, so I don’t even know if it’s real. I’m going to keep using the room for my workshop because the old rules said I could. A lot of neighbors are upset too. 2 Please take the notice down. Sami, 3B

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Improve a draft, continued

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

Rewrite phrase 1

The rear door is the only step-free entrance, so the 8 p.m. lock affects my access.

Rewrite phrase 2

I’d like to request an accommodation, such as a key fob for the rear door.

Notes

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Lesson 16PracticePre-AP educator edition

This page continues page 314.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi, I’m writing about the notice posted by the common room on Monday. It says the rear door will be locked after 8 p.m. and bans business use of the room. I use a wheelchair, and the rear door is the building’s only step-free entrance, so I need a way to get in after 8. I’d like to request an accommodation, such as a key fob for that door. Could you also tell me who issued the notice and whether it replaces the house rules from last year, which allowed resident workshops? Thank you, Sami, 3B

Other notes on the draft:

“disabled people like me” Sami’s access need is real and relevant. Describe it concretely: the step-free door.

“because the old rules said I could” Useful: quote the older rule so the manager can check it.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely observe the unsigned notice’s form (bold type, imperatives, no issuer) and write an evidence-based paragraph on how it claims authority.

Use: The notice and last year’s house rules.

You’ll make: Annotated notice plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Log each feature of the notice in Evidence A: type, layout and wording.
Answer the question “What would a signed version change?”
Discuss with a partner whether residents should follow an unsigned rule.
Write a claim sentence about how the notice claims authority.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words on the Your draft page, with one sentence from your discussion.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

I see

All caps, bold, “Effective immediately,” no name, date or contact.

I infer

The form makes the notice feel official without saying who issued it.

What a signed version would change

Residents would know whom to ask and whether the writer has authority.

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Lesson 16Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Model the first row of the grid, then let pairs finish.

Say this

“Describe the notice to someone who cannot see it. Only what is on the page.” — Model one row: “I see capital letters.”

Watch for

Misconception: Inferences go in the I see column. Listen for: “I see that the landlord is being unfair.” Then: Ask: can you point to that on the page? If not, it goes in the I infer column.

Support

Visual and verbal observation grid

Question stems: “What would a signed version change?”

Paragraph frame

Question stem: “What would a signed version change?”

Stretch

Hold a short academic conversation on whether residents should follow an unsigned rule, then add one sentence reflecting the discussion.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Academic conversation; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My claim sentence

The notice claims authority through ___.

The notice claims authority through its form, not through a named issuer.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The notice by the common-room door claims authority through its form, not through a named issuer. It opens with “NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS” in capital letters and ends with “NO BUSINESS USE.” The phrase “Effective immediately” adds urgency. Yet the page gives no name, no date and no contact. Last year’s house rules were different. They were given out at lease signing and said reservations are made “through the building office,” so residents knew where the rule came from. A signed version would tell residents whom to ask and whether the writer has the power to change the old rule. In our discussion, my partner argued that residents should follow the notice until they learn more, because the door may be locked either way. I agree that Sami cannot ignore it, but the form alone does not prove it is a valid rule.

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 8 minutes.

Are your observations precise?
YesNo
Is your claim about authority supported by the notice’s wording?
YesNo
Do you compare the notice with last year’s rules?
YesNo
Does your paragraph reflect the conversation accurately?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No specifics from the notice.	Mentions the notice generally.	Quotes the notice and older rule.	Quotes both and names what is still unknown.
Reasoning	Declares a legal violation.	Complains without a clear need.	Connects the rule to a concrete effect.	Separates the communication problem from the legal question.
Audience & purpose	Hostile or vague.	Polite but no request.	Specific request the manager can act on.	Specific request plus questions that clarify authority.
Revision	No change.	Tone edits only.	Replaces the conclusion with a question and request.	Explains how each change makes a yes more likely.

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Lesson 16Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Skip the rubric; students fill in only the two boxes.

Say this

“Mark your level in each row. Then change one sentence so the manager can say yes to it.” — Circulate and ask for one request made more specific.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone and keep the legal conclusion. Listen for: “I said it nicely.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Replace the conclusion with a question and a request.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The annotated notice is checked for precise observations, and the paragraph is scored for a supported claim, a comparison with the older rules and an accurate reflection of the conversation.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Quotes the notice and older rule.

Reasoning: Connects the rule to a concrete effect.

Audience & purpose: Specific request the manager can act on.

Revision: Replaces the conclusion with a question and request.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

The point my partner made

My partner said ___.

My partner said residents should follow the notice until they learn more.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I changed “the notice is fake” to “the form alone does not prove it is valid,” because an unsigned notice may still be real.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 8 minutes.

1 Which missing fact would most change how you see the notice?

Whether it replaces last year’s house rules. If it does not, residents may still reserve the room for workshops.

2 The notice bans “business use” without saying what that means. What would you need to know to decide whether Sami’s workshop counts?

The building’s definition of business use, whether Sami charges for the workshop and whether resident-run workshops still count under the old rules.

3 A building may want a door locked at night. How could it keep that door secure and still let Sami in?

Keep the door locked to the public but give residents who need it a key fob, as Sami suggests.

My take

My claim: ___.

Sami should document the notice and ask the manager who issued it, with a request for a key fob.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The entrance plan, because it shows the 8 p.m. lock falls on the only step-free door.

321

Lesson 16Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence. You do not need to share details about your own home.” — Post the question numbers and collect one answer per question.

Stretch

List every kind of resident the 8 p.m. lock could affect, without names or unit numbers, and one question each would ask.

Going further: Read HUD’s Fair Housing Act overview. Which protected characteristic applies to Sami? List two facts you would need before saying the law was broken.

Going further: The notice affects other residents too. Write a short note from Sami to other residents that explains the change and asks who else it affects. Leave out names, unit numbers and claims you cannot support.

Going further: Rewrite the notice so every resident can tell who issued it, what changed, when it starts and who to ask. Put your version next to the original. Ask a reader which details they would still want to check.

Going further: When a new rule is posted where you live or at school, write down the date and take a photo. Look for who issued it and what document it changes. Ask a trusted adult to help you bring your questions to the building manager or school office.

Research what local tenant organizations exist in your area and what they offer

Compare federal fair-housing protections with your state’s list of protected characteristics

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

An unsigned notice isn’t official, so Sami can ignore it.

I would change my mind if ___.

The manager said the notice was a mistake and the door stays open.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?

In this case, an unsigned notice in an apartment building says the only step-free door will lock at 8 p.m. Your student compared the notice with last year’s building rules and practiced asking who made the new rule.

Questions to talk about

What should a clear building or school notice include?
Whom can people ask when a posted rule is unclear?
Why might someone keep a photo of a notice with the date?

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

See the case online.

323

Lesson 17Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?

Overview

Students read a short story in which the crew has ten free workshop seats and thirty people who want one. They compare three options, first come, a lottery and a needs-based rubric, and apply two ethical lenses from the Markkula Center framework. They then write a note that explains one method to the people affected, names its strongest objection and revises it.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

tell an observation from an inference

ask a question that goes beyond recall

quote a classmate or a text accurately

Objectives

Students will be able to:

record each option’s rule and whom it favors before judging it

ask and answer a higher-order question about fairness in a Socratic seminar

quote a classmate’s point accurately in writing

explain with case evidence how their view changed or held

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B and C

Materials, continued

Seminar norms and question stems

Reflection frame: I thought, I heard, I now think

The task in this edition

Task: Hold a Socratic seminar on “Is first-come, first-served fair?” using the three options, then write an evidence-based reflection on how your view changed.

Students make: Seminar participation plus reflection (200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 324): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud and go straight to the evidence.

Key terms (pages 325 and 326): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 330): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Look at the evidence (page 331): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence C aloud. Students fill in only its What it shows box.

Key idea (pages 332 and 333): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 334): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Practice (page 335): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 336 and 337): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Your draft (page 338): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Check your work (pages 339 and 340): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Questions to discuss (pages 341 and 342): 5 min. Short on time: 2 min. Use question 2 as an exit ticket.

Talk about this case at home (page 343): at home.

Periods: full chapter 77 minutes; one period 50 minutes.

Standards

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students generate higher-order questions about fairness.

Plan 17

Lesson 17Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 17 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students write a reflection citing evidence.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

The Belmont Report: B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice

The Belmont Report: C. Applications: 1. Informed Consent

ASPA Code of Ethics: 4. Strengthen social equity.

Heat map

Opener (page 324): Low

Key terms (pages 325 and 326): Low

Look at the evidence (page 330): Low

Look at the evidence (page 331): Low

Key idea (pages 332 and 333): Low

Sort the evidence (page 334): Medium

Practice (page 335): Low

Your task (pages 336 and 337): Low

Your draft (page 338): Low

Check your work (pages 339 and 340): Low

Try it at your school

Ask how your school decides who gets limited spots.

Pick one limited resource at school: a class, a trip, a club seat

Find out the selection method and whether it’s published

Ask who the method helps and who it might leave out

Suggest publishing criteria in advance if they aren’t

Who to ask: Club advisor, activities director, school counselor, student council

Safety: Never ask classmates to share financial or personal information for a needs-based process. Adults should handle that privately.

Sources

Ticketmaster, “The Eras Tour onsale explained,” November 19, 2022

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” No date listed

Plan 17b

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?

Thirty people want ten free workshop seats, and the crew must choose a fair way to decide who gets them.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the sentence that tells how many people want a seat. About 4 minutes.

Duda holds up a phone and points at a blank card on a bulletin board.

Your role: You’re the one who writes down the rule before the crew picks the ten names. New skill: Set fair criteria before choosing.

What happened

The crew has ten free seats for a workshop, and thirty people want one. The crew opened a sign-up sheet on Monday at 9 a.m. Twenty-two names were on it before 10 a.m. By Wednesday, the sheet has thirty names.

The sheet says only “How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” The crew has argued about the rule since dinner on Sunday. Gia is running the sign-up. She wants to give the seats to the first ten names, because that is simple and fast. Mateo suggests a lottery instead.

Anika, 16, is at rehearsal most days, and she checks her phone after rehearsal ends. Under first-come, she would see the message after the seats were gone. A third option on the crew’s whiteboard would give seats to people who cannot afford the paid version of the workshop. That option would ask people for personal information.

Every method seats exactly ten people. The crew has to decide which ten, and then explain the rule to all thirty.

Your question: How should the crew choose who gets the ten seats, and how should they explain the choice to all thirty people?

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Criteria Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.

En español: criterios

In this case: The sheet says “How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” Twenty-two names arrived before 10 a.m. Monday, before the crew stated any criteria.

Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

En español: compensación entre opciones

In this case: First-come is fast for Gia to run but favors whoever sees the message first. A lottery gives everyone the same chance but needs a sign-up window and a drawing.

Equity Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.

En español: equidad

In this case: Option C would give seats to people who cannot afford the paid version of the workshop. It would also ask applicants for personal information.

Who is involved

Gia

Running the sign-up

“First ten to reply get a seat. It’s simple, I can post it tonight, and I have a shift at seven.”

Anika

Checks her phone after rehearsal

“By the time I see the message, ten people will have answered. I don’t even need a seat. I just want to know how you’re picking.”

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Lesson 17Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Criteria are stated before anyone decides. Why does the timing matter?” — Point to “to be announced” on the sign-up sheet.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat equity and equality as the same word. Listen for: “Equity means everyone gets the same.” Then: Contrast option B, the same chance for all, with option C, which adjusts for need.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with an example from the case.

Cognates: criteria (criterios), equity (equidad), option (opción), method (método), decision (decisión), consequence (consecuencia), information (información), justice (justicia).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, how do you think the crew should choose who gets the ten seats?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is first-come, first-served, because it is simple and Gia can post it tonight.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Fair before, not fair after

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

Criteria: Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.
Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
Equity: Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.
Consent: Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.

The story: To be announced

The crew has ten free seats for a workshop and a sign-up sheet that filled faster than anyone expected. It opened Monday at 9 a.m. Twenty-two names were on it before 10. By Wednesday, there are thirty. The line at the bottom still reads, “How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” The crew has been arguing about that line since dinner on Sunday.

Gia is running the sign-up, and she wants first come, first served. It is easy to explain, she can post it tonight and she has a shift at seven. Mateo suggests a lottery. Gia points out what that costs: a sign-up window and someone to run the drawing. A third option sits on the whiteboard, a needs-based rubric that would favor people who cannot afford the paid version of the workshop.

Anika, 16, is at rehearsal most days, and her phone lives in her bag until rehearsal ends. Under first-come, she would see the message after the seats were gone. She is careful about what she is asking for. She does not need a seat. She wants to know how the crew is picking, and she wants them to be honest that someone like her would lose out.

Your role is to write down the rule before the crew picks the ten names.

Stop and think. Gia’s reason for first-come is partly about her own time. Is that a fair criterion? Why or why not?

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Criteria, trade-offs and equity

Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision. The new skill is setting fair criteria before choosing and saying honestly who each rule leaves out. The whiteboard already does part of that work. Option A, first come, first served, is fast to run and favors whoever sees it first. Option B, a lottery after a three-day sign-up, gives everyone an equal chance but needs a sign-up window and a drawing. Option C, a needs-based rubric, prioritizes people who cannot afford the paid version but needs personal information and someone to judge it.

Lesson 4 gave you the word trade-off, a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Every option seats exactly ten people, so every option leaves twenty without a seat. The choice is which cost to accept. Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance. Option C aims at equity, and it carries a cost Lesson 6 prepared you to see. Consent is permission a person gives for something specific. A needs-based rule asks applicants to share personal information, so the crew would need their consent and a plan for who sees it.

Timing matters as much as the rule. The sign-up sheet shows most names arrived in the first hour, before any rule was posted. If the crew picks a rule now, after seeing the names, people may wonder whether it was chosen to favor someone. A rule stated clearly and early is easier to accept, even for the twenty who miss out.

Anika also suggests a better way to compare the options. Ask two questions. Which option helps the most people? And is the way we pick fair to everyone? Gia, for her part, admits she mostly wanted the job off her list. What would change her mind is learning that the people the crew most wants in the room are the ones who would see the message last.

Stop and think. Option C would help people who cannot afford the paid workshop. What would applicants give up to be chosen that way?

Real rationing decisions

Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center suggests looking at a decision through several ethical lenses, including consequences, rights, fairness, the common good, character and care (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, revised November 5, 2021). The lenses can point to different answers.

Real institutions face the same choice. New York City uses random lotteries for some middle and high school seats (Chalkbeat New York, October 1, 2024). For Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, more than 3.5 million people registered for presale codes. Ticketmaster says about 1.5 million received codes, and 2 million were waitlisted (Ticketmaster, November 19, 2022).

Stop and think. What would make the twenty people without seats accept the result as fair?

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceMarkkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara UniversityNovember 5, 2021

A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

Real sourceChalkbeat New YorkOctober 1, 2024

What your ‘lottery’ number for middle and high school applications means

Real sourceTicketmasterNovember 19, 2022

The Eras Tour onsale explained

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 6 minutes.

Evidence ASign-up sheet

The workshop sign-up sheet

“Free workshop: 10 seats. Add your name to show interest. How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” The sheet opened Monday at 9 a.m. By Wednesday it had thirty names. The first 22 names were added before 10 a.m. on Monday.

Look closely: When did most names arrive, and what rule was posted then?

What it shows

Thirty names for ten seats. Twenty-two came in the first hour, before any rule.

What it leaves out

Who signed up after 10 a.m., and why they saw the sheet later.

Evidence BGroup-chat thread

The crew’s thread, Sunday at 8:30 p.m.

Gia: first come is easiest to run, we just take the top ten.

Anika: I’m at rehearsal most days, I’d see it after it’s full.

Mateo: lottery?

Gia: then we need a sign-up window and someone to run the drawing.

Look closely: Which cost does each person name? Which cost does nobody name?

What it shows

Gia names how much work each method needs. Anika names who first-come leaves out.

What it leaves out

The views of the thirty people on the sheet. Only the crew is talking.

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Lesson 17Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Say this

“Look at the times on the sign-up sheet. Who was likely to see it in the first hour?” — Wait for someone to connect the times to Anika at rehearsal.

Watch for

Misconception: Students read an early sign-up as proof of stronger interest. Listen for: “The first ten wanted it more.” Then: Ask what else could explain an early name. The sheet shows timing, not need.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the crew’s thread aloud with three voices.

Cognates: criteria (criterios), equity (equidad), option (opción), method (método), decision (decisión), consequence (consecuencia), information (información), justice (justicia).

Stretch

Ask which document would let the crew count need, and why none of the three can.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CWhiteboard

Three options on the whiteboard

A. First come, first served: fast to run; favors whoever sees it first. B. Lottery after a three-day sign-up: equal chance for everyone; needs a sign-up window and a drawing. C. Needs-based rubric: prioritizes people who can’t afford the paid version; needs personal information and someone to judge it.

Look closely: Underline the cost the crew wrote for each option.

What it shows

A benefit and a cost for each option. Only option C looks at need.

What it leaves out

Who would see applicants’ personal information, and if a second session is possible.

What is still missing from the evidence?

How many applicants have the greatest need, whether a second session is possible and who would see personal information under option C.

Notes

331

Lesson 17Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read Evidence C aloud. Students fill in only its What it shows box.

Say this

“Look at the times on the sign-up sheet. Who was likely to see it in the first hour?” — Wait for someone to connect the times to Anika at rehearsal.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the crew’s thread aloud with three voices.

Cognates: criteria (criterios), equity (equidad), option (opción), method (método), decision (decisión), consequence (consecuencia), information (información), justice (justicia).

Stretch

Ask which document would let the crew count need, and why none of the three can.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: fair criteria

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

Any way of giving out ten seats to thirty people leaves twenty people without one. A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. First-come is fast, but it favors people who see the message first. A lottery gives everyone the same chance, but it does not consider need. A needs-based rubric aims at equity by helping people who cannot afford the paid version, but applicants must share personal information. Each option has a cost, so the crew has to choose which cost to accept.

Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision. When the crew states its criteria early, everyone knows the rule before anyone is chosen. Even people who do not get a seat may accept the result if the rule was clear in advance. If the crew picks a rule after seeing the names, people may wonder whether it was chosen to favor someone.

The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University suggests looking at a decision through several ethical lenses. They include consequences, rights, fairness, the common good, character and care. The lenses can point toward different options, and they do not add up to one automatic score. A strong decision explains which concern matters most in this case, who carries the cost and what could reduce it.

Professional standards

Adapted from a real sourceNational Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

The Belmont Report: B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice

Summary: Summary, not a quotation: the report treats justice as fairness in distribution and lists five widely accepted ways to share benefits and burdens: an equal share, individual need, individual effort, societal contribution and merit.

In plain words: The Belmont Report, written for research with people, lists several fair ways to share limited benefits, such as equal shares or need.

Question: Which whiteboard option comes closest to “an equal share,” and which comes closest to “individual need”?

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Option ___ comes closest to an equal share, and option ___ comes closest to individual need, because ___.

Option B comes closest to an equal share, because everyone has the same chance. Option C comes closest to individual need.

In the news

Real sourceNPRDecember 20, 2020

The Ethics Of Who Gets The COVID-19 Vaccine And When

A bioethicist explains how leaders chose who went first when there wasn’t enough for everyone.

Real sourceScientific AmericanSeptember 3, 2020

How to Decide Who Should Get a COVID-19 Vaccine First

Lays out competing criteria such as risk, fairness and benefit, the same lenses the crew uses.

Notes

333

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each option to its effects and write who carries the cost in each box. About 6 minutes.

Follow each method to its consequences. Who carries the cost under each one, and what makes the chosen process legitimate to the twenty who lose?

First come, first served

The ten fastest responders get seats; people at rehearsal or work see the sign-up late
Who is affected
Anika and others who check messages late

Lottery after a three-day sign-up

Each of the thirty has the same chance, and need is not considered
Who is affected

Needs-based rubric

Those with the greatest need are prioritized; applicants must share personal information
Who is affected
Applicants asked to disclose their finances

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 ___.

The thirty applicants’ view is missing. I would ask people who signed up after 10 a.m. how they first saw the sheet.

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the note you would send, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 4 minutes.

Gia is drafting a note to the thirty people on the sign-up sheet. Which sentence could the crew defend?

A “We picked the fairest method, so nobody loses out.”
B “We’re holding a lottery so everyone has the same chance. A lottery doesn’t favor people with the most need, so we’re looking into a second session.”
C “Seats go to the first ten names on the sheet, because those people wanted it most.”

Why I chose it

B. It names the method, the reason and the cost. A claims nobody loses out, but twenty people will. C treats signing up first as wanting a seat most.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We should do first come first served because 1 it’s the most fair. Everyone has the same chance to sign up and if you really want it you’ll sign up fast. It’s simple and 2 nobody can complain because they had the same opportunity as everyone else. Also it’s way less work for us than reading thirty applications or doing some random drawing. The people who don’t get in can just come to the next workshop whenever we have one. This is obviously the best way.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

First-come is the fastest to run, but it favors people who see the message first.

Rewrite phrase 2

People like Anika, who check their phones after rehearsal, would start behind.

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Lesson 17PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia has to post tonight. Which note could the crew defend to all thirty people?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick the note that sounds kindest. Listen for: “A is nicest, nobody gets upset.” Then: Ask whether A is accurate. Twenty people will not get a seat.

Support

Read the three notes aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: We recommend a lottery after a three-day sign-up period. A lottery gives each of the thirty people an equal chance, while first-come, first-served favors whoever sees the message first, which leaves out people like Anika who check their phones after rehearsal. The cost is that a lottery doesn’t prioritize people with the greatest need. To reduce that, we’ll announce the sign-up in the group chat, at the bookshop counter and on paper, and we’ll run a second session for the twenty people who don’t get seats. We’d reconsider if the second session can’t happen.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 20 minutes.

Hold a Socratic seminar on “Is first-come, first-served fair?” using the three options, then write an evidence-based reflection on how your view changed.

Use: The three selection options and the crew’s dinner debate.

You’ll make: Seminar participation plus reflection (200 words)

Time: 50 minutes

Fill in the observation log: each option’s rule and whom it favors.
Write one higher-order question for the seminar on “Is first-come, first-served fair?”
Join the seminar. Ask your question and answer one classmate.
Write down one classmate’s point word for word.
Write a reflection of about 200 words on the Your draft page.
Quote your classmate accurately and cite one piece of case evidence.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

First come: the rule and whom it favors

Top ten names get seats. It favors whoever sees the sheet first, like the 22 before 10 a.m.

Lottery: the rule and whom it favors

A drawing after three days. It favors no one, but it gives people in need no extra chance.

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

Needs-based rubric: the rule and whom it favors

Seats go to people who cannot afford the paid version. It favors need and costs privacy.

My seminar question

If first-come rewards whoever checks their phone first, is speed a fair measure of who wants a seat?

A classmate’s point, word for word

“A lottery is fair to the process, but it isn’t fair to people who need the workshop most.”

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 12 minutes.

Your reflection, about 200 words

I thought ___. I heard ___. I now think ___.

I thought first-come, first-served was fair, because everyone could see the same sign-up sheet. The sheet itself changed my mind. Twenty-two of the thirty names arrived before 10 a.m. on Monday, before the crew posted any rule. That means first-come rewarded whoever happened to see the sheet first. Anika checks her phone after rehearsal, so she would start behind. In the seminar, a classmate said, “A lottery is fair to the process, but it isn’t fair to people who need the workshop most.” I now think a lottery is fairer than first-come, because the chance does not depend on timing. My classmate’s point still holds. The whiteboard shows that only option C considers need, and it costs applicants their privacy. So I now think the crew should use a lottery and plan a second session, if it can, for the people who miss out. I would change my mind if most applicants could not afford the paid version.

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.

Did you contribute one question and one response in the seminar?
YesNo
Does your reflection cite case evidence?
YesNo
Do you quote a classmate accurately?
YesNo
Do you explain how your view changed or held?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No reference to who is affected.	Mentions people vaguely.	Names specific people and effects from the case.	Uses case facts to show who gains and who pays.
Reasoning	Claims an option is obviously best.	Gives one reason only.	Uses a lens and names the strongest objection.	Uses two lenses and proposes a revision tied to the objection.
Audience & purpose	Ignores the twenty who miss out.	Mentions them briefly.	Explains the process to all applicants.	Builds legitimacy by publishing criteria and a remedy.
Revision	No change.	Wording only.	Adds a named cost and revision.	Explains how the revision addresses the objection.

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Lesson 17Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Say this

“Find the sentence that names who carries the cost. If you cannot find it, add one.” — Circulate and ask for one named cost or one fix.

Watch for

Misconception: Students revise wording only. Listen for: “I fixed my spelling.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for an added cost or a change tied to the objection.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Participation is recorded for one question and one response, and the reflection is scored for an accurate peer quotation, case evidence and an explained change or confirmation of view.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Names specific people and effects from the case.

Reasoning: Uses a lens and names the strongest objection.

Audience & purpose: Explains the process to all applicants.

Revision: Adds a named cost and revision.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I checked my classmate’s words with her, because my first version was a paraphrase.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 5 minutes.

1 Whose view would most challenge the option you prefer?

I prefer the lottery. Someone who cannot afford the paid workshop would challenge it, because a lottery gives them no extra chance.

2 Anika says she does not need a seat. What is she asking the crew for?

She is asking the crew to explain the rule and to admit who loses under it. Then they can look for a fix.

3 Option C would help people who cannot afford the paid workshop. What would applicants give up to be chosen that way?

They would give up privacy. Someone would have to read their personal information and judge their need.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should hold a lottery after a three-day sign-up and post the rule first.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The sign-up sheet, because 22 names came in before 10 a.m., before any rule was posted.

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Lesson 17Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 2 min. Use question 2 as an exit ticket.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, such as a time on the sheet or a line on the whiteboard.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

Find out how your school fills one limited spot, such as a trip or a club seat, and whether the rule is published first.

Going further: Each method treats a different problem as the main one. For each of the three options, write the problem it tries to solve and one problem it leaves unsolved.

Going further: Write down the option you picked first. Then find one person in the case that option treats unfairly. Decide whether you would change your criteria or explain them more carefully.

Going further: Write two short sign-up announcements, each using a different method. Ask a friend to read both. Check whether they can tell who each plan leaves out and how to ask a question about it.

Going further: Pick one limited spot at school, such as a class, a trip or a club seat. Find out how people are chosen and whether the rule is published. Ask who the rule helps and who it might leave out. Never ask classmates to share financial or personal information.

Research how a real program uses a lottery and what critics say

Design a hybrid method and test it against all three lenses

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

A lottery ignores need, so someone who cannot afford the paid version gets no help.

I would change my mind if ___.

The crew could not run a second session for the people left out.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?

In this case, a group of friends has ten free workshop seats and thirty people who want one. Your student compared three ways to choose and wrote a note that explains the choice and who carries its cost.

Questions to talk about

When something is limited, like tickets or seats, what makes a way of choosing feel fair?
Why might it help to announce a rule before anyone signs up?
What is one kind way to tell people they were not picked?

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

See the case online.

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Lesson 18Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?

Overview

Students read a short story in which the theater curtain at Dec and Anika’s school will not close. Meanwhile, a social post points to the district’s $48 million budget. Students label a proposed-budget excerpt by year, stage and units, explain why the post compares a total with a per-pupil figure and map who decides. They then write a budget question and a 60-second comment for the school board.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

read a document’s labels and notes

divide a total by a count

support a claim with evidence from a text

Objectives

Students will be able to:

label the budget excerpt’s year, stage, units and category

calculate a per-pupil figure and explain what it changes

explain in writing what the $48 million can and cannot tell the theater crew

connect the explanation to the curtain question

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

Evidence A and B printed side by side

A label-check card: year, stage, units, category

A calculator

The task in this edition

Task: Closely read the budget excerpt’s labels, units and notes, then write an evidence-based explanation of what the $48 million figure can and cannot tell the theater crew.

Students make: Annotated excerpt plus explanation (200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 344): 4 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read What happened aloud and go straight to the evidence.

Key terms (pages 345 and 346): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 350): 8 min. Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Look at the evidence (page 351): 3 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read Evidence C aloud and skip its boxes.

Key idea (pages 352 and 353): 6 min. Short on time: skip. The calculation happens on the task page.

Pacing, continued

Sort the evidence (page 354): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 355): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Vote on the three options and skip the marked draft.

Your task (pages 356 and 357): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Your draft (page 358): 14 min. Short on time: 14 min.

Check your work (pages 359 and 360): 6 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Questions to discuss (pages 361 and 362): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 363): at home.

Periods: full chapter 72 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students read budget labels and notes closely.

Plan 18

Lesson 18Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 18 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students explain a figure’s meaning with evidence.

Higher-order questioning Students answer questions that ask them to predict, compare, combine ideas and evaluate, not only recall. In this case: Students ask what changes when the unit changes.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise.

Codes of ethics, continued

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 344): Low

Key terms (pages 345 and 346): Low

Look at the evidence (page 350): Low

Look at the evidence (page 351): Low

Key idea (pages 352 and 353): Low

Sort the evidence (page 354): Low

Practice (page 355): Low

Your task (pages 356 and 357): Low

Your draft (page 358): Low

Check your work (pages 359 and 360): Low

Try it at your school

Find one line in your school’s budget.

With a teacher or advisor, find your district’s budget on its website

Label the document’s year and stage

Find one line connected to something you use (facilities, arts, technology)

Try it at your school, continued

Ask your student council how students can submit a budget question or comment

Who to ask: Student council advisor, school business office, school board clerk, principal

Safety: Get permission before photographing spaces or people at school. Stick to observed facts when posting about budgets.

Sources

ABC, “About Abbott Elementary,” No date listed

National Center for Education Statistics, “Revenue sources for public schools by state, 2022–23 (Digest table 235.20),” No date listed

Plan 18b

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?

The district’s proposed budget is $48 million, the school theater curtain won’t close, and Dec wants to ask the school board about it.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the three dollar amounts. About 4 minutes.

Anika, Dec and Mari test a small light circuit in a theater workshop, with Pauta beside them.

Your role: You’re the one who works out the per-student number before anyone repeats the post. New skill: Compare numbers on the same scale.

What happened

The curtain in the school theater is torn, and it no longer closes all the way. Dec, 17, pulls that curtain at every show. He and Anika, 16, are on the theater crew. The facilities office gave the theater advisor a quote to replace the curtain: $6,800.

Mari, 19, is helping them prepare a question for the school board. They find the district’s proposed budget for next school year. The total is $48 million for a projected 3,200 students. One line sets aside $310,000 for building repairs at all schools. A note says the figures may change before the board adopts the budget.

On Tuesday at 6:10 p.m., a post starts going around. It compares the district’s $48 million with another district, Westbrook, at $21,000 per student. “And they can’t fix ONE curtain??” it asks. Dec has a photo of the torn curtain. He wants to be the one who asks the board about it.

Your question: What can the $48 million total tell Dec about the curtain, and what should he ask the school board?

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Revenue Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.

En español: ingresos

In this case: NCES reports that public schools get revenue from federal, state and local sources. That national data cannot show what Dec’s district spends on a curtain.

Expenditure An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.

En español: gasto

In this case: The $48 million is a proposed plan for next school year. It lists planned expenditures, but none of that money has been spent yet.

Per-pupil amount A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.

En español: monto por estudiante

In this case: $48,000,000 ÷ 3,200 students = $15,000 per student. Westbrook’s $21,000 is already per student, but its year and stage are unknown.

Who is involved

Mari

Helping the theater crew with a budget question

“Forty-eight million dollars, and the curtain still won’t close. Ay, bendito. Before we get mad at the big number, which line is supposed to fix it?”

Dec

Pulls the curtain at every show

“I pull that curtain every show. It doesn’t close all the way anymore. That part I can show you.”

345

Lesson 18Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Has any of the $48 million been spent yet?” — No. It is a proposed plan. Planned expenditures are not money already spent.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat revenue and expenditure as the same. Listen for: “Revenue is what they spend.” Then: Revenue comes in and an expenditure goes out. Draw two arrows on the board.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with a number from the case.

Cognates: district (distrito), total (total), proposed (propuesto), student (estudiante), repair (reparación), comparison (comparación), calculate (calcular), federal (federal).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think the theater curtain is still not fixed?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the money is going somewhere else, because $48 million sounds like plenty.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

A total is not a per-student number

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

Revenue: Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.
Expenditure: An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.
Per-pupil amount: A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.
Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

The story: A curtain and a viral post

Dec pulls the stage curtain at every show. The fabric is torn, and the curtain no longer closes all the way. Dec, 17, and Anika, 16, are on the theater crew, and the facilities office has already given the theater advisor a quote to replace it: $6,800.

Mari, 19, is helping them prepare a question for the school board. Together they find the district’s proposed budget for next school year. The top line is $48 million for a projected 3,200 students. One line reads “Facilities, building repairs (all schools): $310,000.” A note at the bottom says the figures are proposed and may change before the board adopts the budget.

Then, on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m., a post starts circulating: “Our district: $48 MILLION. Westbrook: $21,000 per student. And they can’t fix ONE curtain?? Where is the money going?” Anika sends it to the chat. Dec admits the curtain part is true. Mari asks where the numbers come from.

Your role is to work out the per-student number before anyone repeats the post.

Stop and think. What three labels should you check before comparing budget numbers?

Year, stage and unit

Before comparing two budget numbers, check three labels: the year, the stage and the unit. The post skips all three. Its $48 million is a proposed total for a whole district next year.

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Year, stage and unit, continued

Its Westbrook figure is a per-student amount from an unknown year and stage.

A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared. The new skill is comparing numbers on the same scale, and it builds on Lesson 11, where you compared two jobs on the same terms. Divide $48,000,000 by 3,200 students, and the district’s proposed amount is $15,000 per student. The post’s comparison now looks different. It is still incomplete, because Westbrook’s budget year and stage are unknown. A per-pupil figure also cannot say whether either district has enough for its students’ needs.

Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants. An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends. The budget is a plan for expenditures, and it is a proposal, the Lesson 4 term for a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. A proposed budget, an adopted budget and actual spending are three different documents.

Lesson 5 taught you to read a document line by line. Mari applies that to the budget. She reads the labels before reacting to the big number, and she looks for the line that could cover a curtain. Lesson 13 taught you to keep a claim as small as your evidence. Dec does that. His photo shows the tear, and that is all it shows. He brings the photo, the $6,800 quote and a question.

The Lesson 4 decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice, is the school board, which adopts the budget. Dec’s question should name one line, one need and the board’s next chance to hear requests. He also wants to ask it himself, because it is his crew’s curtain.

Stop and think. After you work out $15,000 per student, what is still missing from the comparison?

Real budgets, real limits

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that public schools get revenue from federal, state and local sources, and the mix differs by state (NCES, May 2024). NPR has explained how local property taxes make school budgets very different from one district to the next (NPR, April 18, 2016). Many large districts are now making cuts because of inflation and enrollment declines, which shows how a large budget can leave little room for extras (Chalkbeat, May 28, 2026).

Stop and think. Dec wants to ask the board himself. Why might it matter who brings the question?

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceNational Center for Education StatisticsMay 2024

Public School Revenue Sources (Condition of Education)

Real sourceNPRApril 18, 2016

Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem

Real sourceChalkbeatMay 28, 2026

A financial reckoning is hitting America’s public schools

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.

Evidence ABudget excerpt

The proposed budget 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.

Look closely: Circle the year, the stage and the unit for each number.

What it shows

A proposed total of $48 million for 3,200 students, and $310,000 for all repairs.

What it leaves out

What the district spent this year, and whether a curtain counts as a building repair.

Evidence BSocial media post

A post shared Tuesday at 6:10 p.m.

Our district: $48 MILLION. Westbrook: $21,000 per student. And they can’t fix ONE curtain?? Where is the money going?

Look closely: Which number is a total, and which is per student?

What it shows

Someone is upset about the curtain and compares two dollar figures.

What it leaves out

That one figure is a total and one is per student, plus Westbrook’s year and stage.

350

Lesson 18Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 7 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Say this

“Before you react to any number, find its year, its stage and its unit.” — Model it on the $48 million: next year, proposed, whole district.

Watch for

Misconception: Students read the proposed budget as money already spent. Listen for: “They spent $48 million and didn’t fix it.” Then: Point to “PROPOSED” and “NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.” Nothing here has been spent.

Support

Give students a calculator and the budget excerpt with its labels highlighted.

Read the budget note aloud.

Cognates: district (distrito), total (total), proposed (propuesto), student (estudiante), repair (reparación), comparison (comparación), calculate (calcular), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask why the $310,000 line cannot show whether the curtain is funded, even though it is the right kind of line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CRepair quote

The facilities quote for a new curtain

Stage curtain replacement, main auditorium: remove the torn curtain, supply and install a flame-retardant replacement. Total: $6,800.

Look closely: What does the quote confirm, and who received it?

What it shows

Replacing the curtain would cost $6,800. The facilities office priced it.

What it leaves out

Which budget line pays for it, and how it ranks against other repairs.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether the building-repairs line covers stage equipment, how repairs are ranked, and Westbrook’s budget year and stage.

Notes

351

Lesson 18Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 3 min.

Short on time: 2 min. Read Evidence C aloud and skip its boxes.

Say this

“Before you react to any number, find its year, its stage and its unit.” — Model it on the $48 million: next year, proposed, whole district.

Watch for

Support

Give students a calculator and the budget excerpt with its labels highlighted.

Read the budget note aloud.

Cognates: district (distrito), total (total), proposed (propuesto), student (estudiante), repair (reparación), comparison (comparación), calculate (calcular), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask why the $310,000 line cannot show whether the curtain is funded, even though it is the right kind of line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: per-pupil amounts

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 6 minutes.

Before you compare two budget numbers, check three labels: the year, the stage and the unit. An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends. A proposed budget is a plan for expenditures. An adopted budget is the plan the board approves. Actual spending is what the district really spent. The $48 million is a proposed total for the whole district. The Westbrook figure is an amount per student.

A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared. Dec’s district proposes $48,000,000 for a projected 3,200 students. That works out to $15,000 per student. The comparison is still not complete, because Westbrook’s budget year and stage are unknown. A per-pupil figure also cannot show whether either district has enough for its students’ needs.

Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that public schools get revenue from federal, state and local sources. The mix differs from state to state. National data like this gives context, but it cannot say what one district spends on a curtain. In most states, an elected local school board adopts the budget within state and federal rules. That is why Dec’s question should name one budget line, one need and the board’s next chance to hear requests.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise

“Provide accurate, honest, comprehensive, and timely information and advice to elected and appointed officials and governing board members”

In plain words: ASPA members agree to give decision-makers, such as school board members, accurate and complete information.

Question: The $6,800 curtain quote went to the theater advisor. What should the board see to rank that repair?

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

The board needs ___. Then it can ___.

The board needs the $6,800 quote, the photo and the budget line that would pay for it. Then it can compare the curtain with other repairs.

In the news

Real sourceNPRApril 18, 2016

Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem

Explains how local property taxes make school budgets very different from one district to the next.

Real sourceChalkbeatMay 28, 2026

A financial reckoning is hitting America’s public schools

Big districts are making cuts, showing how a huge budget can still leave little for extras like a stage curtain.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownTrace the curtain request from the photo to the vote and fill in each box. About 5 minutes.

Trace the curtain request from the photo to the vote. Who ranks it, who adopts the budget, which rules limit them, and where can students speak?

Fund the $6,800 curtain replacement next year

Who decides

The elected local school board, which adopts the budget

The facilities office, which ranks repair requests (how is still unknown)

Under which rule

State and federal rules and funding streams set limits on district budgets

Proposed building-repairs line: $310,000 for all schools

Who lives with it

Your way in

A written question or public comment before the budget is adopted

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 ___.

The facilities office is missing. I would ask how it ranks repair requests and where the curtain is on the list.

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what the crew should do first, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

A post compares the district’s $48 million total with Westbrook’s $21,000 per student. Someone reposts it and adds “we get way less.” What should the crew do first?

A Share it. Both figures are in dollars, and the curtain really is torn.
B Check that both figures use the same year, budget stage and units before comparing them.
C Divide $48 million by 3,200 students, and post that the district is underfunded.

Why I chose it

B. A total and a per-student amount cannot be compared directly. C fixes the units but still overclaims, because one figure cannot show underfunding.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Our district has a 1 $48 million budget but our theater curtain is ripped and gross. That’s so much money and they can’t even fix one curtain? It has been like this since before any of us joined the crew and it keeps getting worse every show. Where is all the money going? Other districts get way more. I saw a post that said so. We deserve better and 2 the board needs to explain themselves. We are honestly tired of waiting for this.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Our district has a proposed $48 million budget for next school year.

Rewrite phrase 2

Could the board explain which line covers stage equipment and how repairs are ranked?

355

Lesson 18PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Vote on the three options and skip the marked draft.

Say this

“Someone reposts the comparison with “we get way less.” What do you do first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick C because the math is right. Listen for: “$15,000 is less, so we’re underfunded.” Then: Ask what one per-student figure can prove. It cannot show need.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Our question is about next year’s proposed budget. The theater curtain is torn at the seam and no longer closes fully; we have a photo and a $6,800 replacement quote from the facilities office. The proposed budget lists $310,000 for building repairs across the district. We’d like to know whether stage equipment is covered by that line or a different one, how repair requests are ranked, and when the board considers them. Could a student from the theater crew submit a written request before the budget is adopted? Thank you for considering it.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.

Closely read the budget excerpt’s labels, units and notes, then write an evidence-based explanation of what the $48 million figure can and cannot tell the theater crew.

Use: The proposed-budget excerpt and the misleading social post.

You’ll make: Annotated excerpt plus explanation (200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Annotate Evidence A: mark the year, stage, units and category of each figure.
Calculate the per-pupil amount from the total and the enrollment.
Compare your figure with the post in Evidence B.
Talk with a partner about what the per-pupil figure proves.
Write an explanation of about 200 words on the Your draft page.
Finish with the curtain question the total cannot answer.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

$48,000,000: year, stage, units

Next school year; proposed; total for the whole district

$310,000: year, stage, category

Next school year; proposed; building repairs at all schools

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Lesson 18Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 12 min.

Say this

“Label before you judge. What year, what stage, what unit?” — Model the first label on the $48 million.

Watch for

Misconception: Students skip the note at the bottom of the excerpt. Listen for: “It says they have $48 million.” Then: Ask a student to read the note aloud. The figures may change.

Support

Label-check card: year, stage, units, category

Question stems: “What would this look like per student?”

Explanation frame

Question stem: What would this look like per student?

Stretch

Calculate a per-pupil figure from given enrollment and explain what it changes.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Evidence-based writing; Higher-order questioning.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

My calculation

___ ÷ ___ = ___

$48,000,000 ÷ 3,200 = $15,000 per student

What the calculation changes

The units now match the post’s $21,000 per student. The year and stage may not.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 14 minutes.

Your explanation, about 200 words

The $48 million figure tells the theater crew less than it seems to. It is a proposed total for next school year, for the whole district. The note says figures may change before the board adopts the budget. It is not money already spent. Divided by 3,200 projected students, it comes to $15,000 per student. That puts it in the same unit as the post’s $21,000 for Westbrook, but the post gives no year or stage for Westbrook. So the comparison is still not fair. The number that matters more for the crew is smaller. The budget sets aside $310,000 for building repairs at all schools. The total cannot tell the crew whether a stage curtain counts as a building repair, or how the district ranks the $6,800 request. That is the question Dec should bring to the board.

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 6 minutes.

Did you label the year, stage and units?
YesNo
Does your explanation name a limit of the total?
YesNo
Is your calculation correct?
YesNo
Does it connect to the curtain question?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Uses an unlabeled total.	Uses a figure without year or stage.	Labels year, stage and line and cites the need.	Adds a repair quote and notes what the figures can’t show.
Reasoning	Assumes waste or theft.	Compares mismatched numbers.	Links the need to a specific budget line.	Explains process questions: ranking, timing, decision-maker.
Audience & purpose	Accuses the board.	Complains without a request.	Asks a question the board can answer.	Asks a question and offers a concrete way for students to contribute.

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Lesson 18Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Students answer the Check your work questions only.

Say this

“Find the sentence in your question that names one budget line and one need.” — Circulate and ask for the label “proposed” if it is missing.

Watch for

Misconception: Revisions only soften the tone. Listen for: “I took out the rude part.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for an added label or a specific budget line.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The annotated excerpt is checked for complete labels, and the explanation is scored for the limits of the total, a correct per-pupil calculation and a link to the curtain.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Labels year, stage and line and cites the need.

Reasoning: Links the need to a specific budget line.

Audience & purpose: Asks a question the board can answer.

Revision: Adds labels and a specific line.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Removes insults only.	Adds labels and a specific line.	Explains how each change makes an answer more likely.

One change I made after my partner’s challenge

I changed ___ because ___.

I removed my claim that we get less, because the post gives no year or stage for Westbrook.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 5 minutes.

1 What could make spending rise without the service getting better?

Prices could go up, so the district pays more for the same repairs. More money would not mean better service.

2 Dec wants to ask the board himself. Why might it matter who brings the question?

Dec uses the curtain at every show, so he can speak to what he has seen. The board hears from a student who is affected.

3 What else would you want to know before saying one district gets less than another?

Westbrook’s budget year and stage, and whether both figures count the same costs.

My take

My claim: ___.

Dec should ask which line covers stage equipment and bring the $6,800 quote.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The budget excerpt, because it shows $310,000 for repairs at all schools.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

The district must have money for a curtain, because the total is $48 million.

361

Lesson 18Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a label or a number from the evidence.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

With an adult, find your district’s budget, label its year and stage and find one line for a space you use.

Going further: Write two headlines about the same budget: one with the $48 million total and one with $15,000 per student. Compare the story each headline tells. Then name one group that uses the theater but is missing from this discussion.

Going further: Some people say every school should get the same amount. What problem does that plan assume it is solving? Name one need it might miss.

Going further: Make a chart of the proposed budget that shows the total, the per-student amount and the building-repairs line. Label the year, the stage and the units. Ask a reader to explain what the chart cannot show.

Going further: With a teacher or advisor, find your district’s budget on its website. Label its year and stage. Find one line for something you use, such as facilities, arts or technology. Ask your student council how students can send a budget question. Get permission before you photograph spaces or people at school.

Find your own district’s adopted budget and locate the facilities or capital line

Compare two years of the same line and explain what might explain a change

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

I would change my mind if ___.

The board showed that the curtain is already funded.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?

In this case, a group of friends reads a school district budget to find out why a torn theater curtain has not been fixed. Your student checked what the numbers mean and wrote a clear question for the school board.

Questions to talk about

Where do you think a school’s money comes from?
Why can it be misleading to compare a total with an amount per person?
Who would you ask if something at school needed fixing?

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

See the case online.

363

Lesson 19Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?

Overview

Students read a short story in which Gia wants to speak against a proposal to close the park’s lighted courts at 8 p.m. They read the parks committee agenda, the comment instructions and a nearby resident’s comment. They find the item, the deciding body, the deadline and the time limit. They then cut Gia’s three-page draft into a timed comment that makes one specific request.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

read instructions line by line

restate what a speaker said in one sentence

revise a short text after feedback

Objectives

Students will be able to:

log the deadline, time limit, written option and public-record rule before drafting

support a spoken comment with one observation

revise the comment until two listeners restate the request the same way

document each revision in a listener log

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B printed side by side

Materials, continued

A timer and the listening frame “I heard your request as…”

The task in this edition

Task: Closely read the comment instructions and agenda item, then rehearse Gia’s comment in an academic conversation where listeners must restate her request.

Students make: Revised 90-second comment plus a listener log

Pacing

Opener (page 364): 3 min. Short on time: 3 min.

Key terms (pages 365 and 366): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 370): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 371): 4 min. Short on time: 2 min. Read Evidence C and D aloud; skip their boxes.

Key idea (pages 372 and 373): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 374): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 375): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Your task (pages 376 and 377): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the instruction log only and skip the action box.

Your draft (page 378): 14 min. Short on time: 14 min.

Check your work (pages 379 and 380): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 381 and 382): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 383): at home.

Periods: full chapter 72 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students read procedural instructions closely.

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students support a comment with an observation.

Plan 19

Lesson 19Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 19 plan, continued

Standards, continued

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and acknowledgement of dissent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

SPJ Code of Ethics: Minimize Harm

Heat map

Opener (page 364): Low

Key terms (pages 365 and 366): Low

Heat map, continued

Look at the evidence (page 370): Low

Look at the evidence (page 371): Low

Key idea (pages 372 and 373): Low

Sort the evidence (page 374): Medium

Practice (page 375): Medium

Your task (pages 376 and 377): Low

Your draft (page 378): Low

Check your work (pages 379 and 380): Low

Try it at your school

Find your next local agenda.

With a trusted adult, find the website for your city council, school board or parks board

Open the next meeting agenda and find one item that affects you

Read the public-comment instructions: sign-up, time limit, written option

Draft a practice comment and decide with your adult whether to submit it

Who to ask: Clerk of the council or school board, a civics teacher, a student representative to the board if your district has one

Try it at your school, continued

Safety: Public comments and names may be published. Leave out addresses, phone numbers and anyone else’s private story. Attend meetings with a trusted adult.

Sources

Peacock, “Parks and Recreation,” No date listed

Seattle City Council, “Public Comment,” No date listed

Plan 19b

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?

Gia has two minutes to speak to the parks committee about the court lights, but her draft is three pages long.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the sentence that says what item 4 proposes. About 3 minutes.

Gia and Mateo sit on a front stoop, each holding pages of notes.

Your role: You’re the one holding the timer and listening for the request. New skill: Fit a request to the body’s remit and time limit.

What happened

It is Tuesday, 5:40 p.m. The parks committee meets at 6. Item 4 on its agenda is a proposal to turn off the park’s court lights at 8 p.m. The reason given is complaints about evening noise from nearby residents.

Gia, 21, wants to speak against item 4. It is her first time speaking at a public meeting. Each speaker gets two minutes. On Monday night, Gia wrote a three-page draft. When she reads page one out loud, it takes two minutes and forty seconds.

Mateo, 22, is timing her from a bench. He follows every word, but he cannot tell what she wants the committee to do. The draft also mentions a friend’s private situation, and page two is about the bus. Everything Gia says will become part of the public record, along with her name.

Your question: What should Gia keep in her two-minute comment, and what should she cut?

364

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Agenda item An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.

En español: punto del orden del día

In this case: Item 4, “Evening court hours,” proposes turning off the court lights at 8:00 p.m. Its action is a committee recommendation to the full council.

Remit A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.

En español: competencia

In this case: The parks committee can recommend court hours. It cannot change bus routes, so page two of Gia’s draft belongs with a different body.

Public record A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.

En español: registro público

In this case: Comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record. That is why Gia leaves her friend’s private situation out of her comment.

Who is involved

Gia

Speaking at a public meeting for the first time

“I timed page one out loud. Two minutes forty. There are three pages.”

Mateo

Timing Gia’s practice run from a bench

“I followed all of it. I still couldn’t tell you what she wants them to do.”

365

Lesson 19Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Which part of item 4 tells you what the committee can do?” — Point to the action line: a recommendation to the full council.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the committee makes the final decision. Listen for: “The committee decides tonight.” Then: Reread the action line. The committee recommends, and the full council decides.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with an example from the case.

Cognates: agenda (agenda), committee (comité), public (público), comment (comentario), recommendation (recomendación), residents (residentes), private (privado), observation (observación).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think Gia should say in her two minutes?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that she should read page one fast, because she has a lot to say.

Notes

366

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

One request the committee can answer

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

Agenda item: An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.
Remit: A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.
Public record: A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.
Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

The story: A practice run on a bench

At 5:40 p.m. on a Tuesday, twenty minutes before the parks committee meets, Gia is reading her public comment out loud to Mateo. Item 4 on the agenda proposes turning off the park’s court lights and closing the lighted courts at 8 p.m., because nearby residents have complained about evening noise. Gia, who grew up in Fort Greene, wants to speak against it. It is her first time at a public meeting.

The rules are simple. Sign up by 5 p.m., speak for two minutes, and know that comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record. Written comments may be sent in before the meeting too. Gia’s problem is length. On Monday night, she wrote three pages. Page one alone takes two minutes and forty seconds.

Mateo is timing Gia from a bench, and he listens the way a committee member might. He follows all of it. He still could not tell anyone what she wants the committee to do. Instead of rewriting her draft, he asks one question. If they only remember one sentence, what is it? Whatever she answers, he says, that sentence goes first.

Your role is to hold the timer and listen for the request.

Stop and think. Mateo asks what one sentence the committee should remember. Why is that more helpful than rewriting Gia’s draft?

367

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Cutting to the remit

An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business. Item 4 is narrow: court lights and a closing time. Gia’s draft asks the committee not to close the park, which nobody has proposed. A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on. Page two, about the bus, is a real problem outside the parks committee’s remit. Lesson 10 taught you to send a problem to the office responsible, so the bus goes to a different office on a different day.

The new skill is fitting a request to the body’s remit and time limit. It builds on Lesson 4. There, the crew prepared a comment for a nonprofit board, and you learned that a proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. You also learned that a decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. The agenda shows the chain. The committee makes a recommendation, and the full council decides.

Gia’s answer to Mateo’s question becomes the spine of the comment. Name item 4. Share what she counted: twenty or thirty people on the courts between 8 and 9. Explain why it matters: a lot of them work late. End with one request the committee can act on: keep the lights on until 9 on weekdays this summer.

The comment should also acknowledge the other side. A nearby resident wrote that the courts are good for the neighborhood but that late noise carries into their apartment, and they have kids with school in the morning. A request for 9 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. gives the committee a middle option.

Finally, Gia cuts her friend’s private situation. A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments. The story is her friend’s, not hers.

Stop and think. How could Gia’s comment respond to the resident’s concern about noise?

How public comment works in real places

Every body sets its own rules. Seattle City Council, for example, takes spoken comments in person or by phone and written comments by email, and each speaker gets up to two minutes (Seattle City Council, no date listed). A Philadelphia guide walks residents through signing up, finding the agenda item and fitting a point into the time limit (The Philadelphia Citizen, March 10, 2025). Students have used this process too. In Newark, a student coalition brought its own research and specific requests to the school board (Chalkbeat Newark, November 26, 2025).

Stop and think. Court users who work late may miss a 6 p.m. meeting. How could their views reach the committee?

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Sources

Real sourceSeattle City CouncilNo date listed

Public Comment

Real sourceThe Philadelphia CitizenMarch 10, 2025

How to Speak at Philadelphia City Council, School Board Meetings

Real sourceChalkbeat NewarkNovember 26, 2025

How a Newark student coalition is using its own research to press for change in schools

Notes

369

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.

Evidence AMeeting agenda

Item 4 on the parks committee agenda

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.

Look closely: Circle the item number, the proposed time and the action.

What it shows

Item 4 is only about the court lights and closing time. The committee only recommends.

What it leaves out

How many residents complained, and whether other closing times were considered.

Evidence BComment rules

How to comment at the meeting

Sign up to speak by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Each speaker has 2 minutes. Written comments may be submitted before the meeting. Comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record.

Look closely: Underline the deadline, the time limit and what becomes public.

What it shows

What it leaves out

How the full council usually treats the committee’s recommendation.

370

Lesson 19Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Find three facts in the comment rules: the deadline, the time limit and what becomes public.” — List them on the board: 5:00 p.m., 2 minutes, comments and names.

Watch for

Misconception: Students skip the public-record line. Listen for: “It’s just a meeting, nobody reads that.” Then: Reread the last sentence of Evidence B. Names and comments stay on the record.

Support

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

Read Gia’s draft and the resident’s comment aloud.

Cognates: agenda (agenda), committee (comité), public (público), comment (comentario), recommendation (recomendación), residents (residentes), private (privado), observation (observación).

Stretch

Ask which document shows who decides and which shows how to speak, and what neither one says about the complaints.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CDraft

Gia’s three-page draft (excerpt)

“The park is really important to everyone and closing it is a terrible idea. I go there all the time with my friends… You guys never listen to young people. Please don’t close the park.”

Look closely: Find the request. Does it match what item 4 proposes?

What it shows

Gia cares about the park. Her request is “Please don’t close the park.”

What it leaves out

The item number, the court lights and 8 p.m. Item 4 does not close the park.

Evidence DWritten comment

A comment from a nearby resident

The courts are good for the neighborhood, but the noise late in the evening carries into our apartment. We have kids with school in the morning.

Look closely: What does this resident like, and what is the problem?

What it shows

This resident likes the courts but hears late noise at home. Their kids have school.

What it leaves out

What time the noise becomes a problem for this family.

What is still missing from the evidence?

How many residents complained and when the noise happens, whether other hours were considered, and what court users who cannot come at 6 p.m. think.

371

Lesson 19Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 2 min. Read Evidence C and D aloud; skip their boxes.

Say this

“Find three facts in the comment rules: the deadline, the time limit and what becomes public.” — List them on the board: 5:00 p.m., 2 minutes, comments and names.

Watch for

Support

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

Read Gia’s draft and the resident’s comment aloud.

Cognates: agenda (agenda), committee (comité), public (público), comment (comentario), recommendation (recomendación), residents (residentes), private (privado), observation (observación).

Stretch

Ask which document shows who decides and which shows how to speak, and what neither one says about the complaints.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: remit

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 5 minutes.

A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on. The parks committee can make a recommendation about court hours. It cannot change bus routes. That is why Gia’s comment should ask for something the parks committee can do.

An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business. Each committee, council or board sets its own rules for who can speak, when and for how long. Seattle City Council is one real example. Its public comment page describes speaking in person or by phone and signing up before the meeting. Each speaker gets up to two minutes, and written comments can be sent by email.

A short comment can do four jobs. It names the agenda item, shares something the speaker observed, says why it matters and ends with a clear request. Before adding personal details, check whether comments become public. A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments. At Gia’s meeting, comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation

“Inform the public and encourage active engagement in governance. Be open, transparent and responsive, and respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations.”

In plain words: ASPA's code asks people in public service to make it easy for every affected person to take part in decisions.

Question: The instructions allow written comments in advance. How does that help court users who cannot come at 6 p.m.?

Your answer

A written comment lets ___.

A written comment lets court users who work during the 6 p.m. meeting reach the committee before it makes its recommendation.

372

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceChalkbeat PhiladelphiaApril 3, 2026

‘Not what democracy is all about’: Philly students slam school leaders’ approach to school closures

Students testified at board meetings and used district data, real public comment with a clear destination.

Real sourceChalkbeat NewarkNovember 26, 2025

How a Newark student coalition is using its own research to press for change in schools

Teens brought evidence and specific requests to their school board, the formula this case teaches.

Notes

373

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow a comment from the speaker to the final decision and fill in each box. About 4 minutes.

Follow a comment from the speaker to the final decision. Which body hears it, which body decides, and whose concerns reach the room?

Turn off the court lights at 8 p.m.?

Who decides

Full council: takes the final action

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Your way in

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 ___.

The committee’s view is missing. I would ask whether it looked at other closing times, such as 9 p.m.

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the best opening sentence, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

Gia has two minutes on item 4. Which opening sentence gives the committee the most to work with?

A “The park is really important to everyone, and closing it is a terrible idea.”
B “Good evening. I’m Gia, and I’m commenting on item 4, the proposal to turn off the court lights at 8 p.m.”
C “You guys never listen to young people, so I hope tonight is different.”

Why I chose it

B. It names the item and the exact proposal. A gets the proposal wrong, and C uses up time without asking for anything.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, my name is Gia and I have lived in this neighborhood my whole life. The park is really important to everyone and closing it is a terrible idea. I go there all the time with my friends and it’s one of the only free things to do around here. My friend works late and this is the only time she can play and 1 she’s been going through a lot at home. You guys never listen to young people. 2 Please don’t close the park.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

Cut it. Many court users work until evening, so after 8 is their time to play.

Rewrite phrase 2

Please keep the lights on until 9 p.m. on weekdays through the summer.

375

Lesson 19PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia has two minutes. Which opening gives the committee the most to work with?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because it feels honest. Listen for: “But it’s true, they never listen.” Then: Ask what the committee could do with that sentence.

Heat check

Medium. Students may voice frustration about adults ignoring young people.

Cool-down: Acknowledge the feeling. Then ask which sentence gives the committee a request.

Answer key

A revised version: Good evening. I’m Gia Brooks-Romano, and I live two blocks from the park. I’m commenting on item 4, the proposal to turn off the court lights at 8 p.m. I play there after café shifts, and on weekday evenings I’ve counted twenty to thirty people using the courts between 8 and 9. Many of us work until evening. I understand the concern about noise from nearby residents. I’m asking the committee to keep the lights on until 9 p.m. on weekdays through the summer and to review noise complaints before making a permanent change. Thank you.

Other notes on the draft:

“I have lived in this neighborhood my whole life” Good: it establishes a stake. Keep it short.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.

Closely read the comment instructions and agenda item, then rehearse Gia’s comment in an academic conversation where listeners must restate her request.

Use: Agenda item 4, the comment instructions and Gia’s draft.

You’ll make: Revised 90-second comment plus a listener log

Time: 45 minutes

Read the comment rules in Evidence B line by line.
Log the deadline, the time limit, the written option and the public-record rule.
Read item 4 in Evidence A and log its action type.
Revise Gia’s comment so she can read it aloud in 90 seconds.
Read it to two listeners. Each one restates the request with “I heard your request as…”
Revise until both listeners restate the request the same way.
Record each listener’s words and your change on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Sign-up deadline

5:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting

Time limit

2 minutes per speaker

Written option

Written comments may be sent in before the meeting.

Public record

Comments and speakers’ names become public.

376

Lesson 19Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the instruction log only and skip the action box.

Say this

“Read the rules like a checklist. Which rule would a first-time speaker most likely miss?” — Log all four: deadline, time limit, written option, public record.

Watch for

Misconception: Listeners judge the comment instead of restating it. Listen for: “That was good.” Then: Ask for the frame “I heard your request as…” Then compare the two versions.

Support

Instruction-reading checklist

Listening frame: “I heard your request as…”

Timer

Stretch

Revise the comment until two listeners restate the request the same way.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Academic conversation; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.1; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

Action type for item 4

A committee recommendation to the full council, not a final decision.

Notes

377

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 14 minutes.

Revised comment, 90 seconds

Good evening. I’m Gia, and I’m commenting on item 4, the proposal to turn off the court lights at 8 p.m. I play there after café shifts. On weekday evenings, I’ve counted twenty to thirty people on the courts between 8 and 9. Many of us work until evening, so that hour is our time to play. I know nearby residents have complained about evening noise. My request is one sentence: please recommend keeping the court lights on until 9 p.m. on weekdays through the summer. Thank you.

378

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 10 minutes.

Does your comment follow the instructions exactly?
YesNo
Did two listeners restate your request the same way?
YesNo
Do you use one observation as evidence?
YesNo
Did you record what you changed and why?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No facts.	General claim about importance.	One specific observation tied to the item.	Observation plus acknowledgment of another perspective.
Reasoning	Attacks the body.	States a feeling only.	Explains why the change matters.	Weighs the concern and offers a middle path.
Audience & purpose	Wrong body or no request.	Request is vague.	Names the item and a specific request.	Request fits the body’s remit and includes a follow-up.
Revision	No change.	Shortens only.	Removes private details and adds a request.	Explains each cut in terms of time, privacy and purpose.

379

Lesson 19Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one removed private detail or one sharper request.

Watch for

Misconception: Students only shorten the draft. Listen for: “I just cut some words.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask why each cut helps the committee or protects someone.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The comment is scored for exact use of the instructions, a request two listeners restate the same way, one observation used as evidence and a documented revision.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: One specific observation tied to the item.

Reasoning: Explains why the change matters.

Audience & purpose: Names the item and a specific request.

Revision: Removes private details and adds a request.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work, continued

Listener 1 heard

I heard your request as ___.

I heard your request as keeping the courts open later this summer.

Listener 2 heard

I heard your request as ___.

I heard your request as keeping the lights on until 9 p.m. on weekdays.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I added “until 9 p.m. on weekdays” and gave the request its own sentence, because Listener 1 missed the hours.

Notes

380

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 5 minutes.

1 The parks committee cannot fix the bus problem. Who should get that question instead?

The body whose job includes bus routes. Gia would need its agenda and comment rules, the same steps as for item 4.

2 How could Gia’s comment respond to the resident’s concern about noise?

Gia could say she understands the noise concern and ask for lights until 9 on weekdays, not later.

3 Court users who work late may miss a 6 p.m. meeting. How could their views reach the committee?

Through written comments before the meeting, which the rules allow. Gia could also tell other court users about item 4.

My take

My claim: ___.

Gia should name item 4, share her count of people on the courts and ask for lights until 9 on weekdays.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The agenda, because it shows item 4 is about the lights and that the committee only recommends.

381

Lesson 19Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a guess about the committee.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

Compare Evidence B with Seattle City Council’s public comment page. Which rules match, and which would you check locally?

Going further: Write Gia’s request as one sentence a listener could repeat. Then reread your comment. Does it speak for anyone who has not asked you to?

Going further: Compare the comment rules in Evidence B with Seattle City Council’s public comment page. Which rules match? Which would you need to check for your own city or school board?

Going further: Record your comment as audio, then turn it into a written comment. Keep the same point in both. Ask a listener which version made the request clearer.

Going further: With a trusted adult, find the website for your city council, school board or parks board. Open the next meeting agenda and find one item that affects you. Read the comment rules: the sign-up, the time limit and the written option. Leave addresses, phone numbers and other people’s private stories out of anything you submit.

Compare comment rules for two different local bodies

Track a real agenda item from discussion to vote

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

The noise is a real problem for families nearby, so the lights should go off at 8.

I would change my mind if ___.

The resident showed that the noise starts well before 9 p.m.

Notes

382

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?

In this case, Gia gets two minutes at a parks committee meeting to speak about a plan to turn off the court lights. Your student helped cut her three-page draft into a short comment with one clear request.

Questions to talk about

Who makes decisions about parks and other public spaces in a town or city?
What makes a short request easy for a listener to remember?
Why might someone leave a friend’s story out of a public comment?

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

See the case online.

383

Lesson 20Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?

Content note

The real sources include AI-generated images from disasters such as Hurricane Helene. Preview them, and do not share images of real people in distress, even to debunk them.

Overview

Students read a short story in which a realistic image captioned “Courtyard flooded today, stay away” spreads through a campus group chat. They compare the image, Sami’s zoom-in, a secondhand reply, a detector score and the campus alerts page with NIST’s overview of detection. They then write the verification note Jordy posts instead of the image.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

describe an image without interpreting it

tell an observation from a claim

revise a sentence after a discussion

Objectives

Students will be able to:

separate what is in the image from what the caption claims

predict what evidence a true claim would leave

match a stated confidence level to the evidence

Objectives, continued

revise the confidence statement after an academic conversation

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and D printed side by side

An observation grid: in the image, claimed by the caption

The task in this edition

Task: Closely observe the courtyard image and its caption, record what can and can’t be seen, and write an evidence-based verification paragraph.

Students make: Observation grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Pacing

Opener (page 384): 3 min. Short on time: 3 min.

Key terms (pages 385 and 386): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (pages 390 and 391): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Key idea (pages 392 and 393): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Sort the evidence (page 394): 4 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Practice (page 395): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 396 and 397): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Your draft (page 398): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Check your work (pages 399 and 400): 9 min. Short on time: 9 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 401 and 402): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 403): at home.

Periods: full chapter 68 minutes; one period 45 minutes.

Standards

Close observation and analysis Students look carefully at one text, image or data set and note what they see before they explain or judge it. In this case: Students separate what an image shows from what a caption claims.

Plan 20

Lesson 20Case planPre-AP educator edition

Lesson 20 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evidence-based writing Students write arguments from relevant, valid evidence, building from precise sentences to longer pieces. In this case: Students write a verification paragraph.

RI.9-10.1 Support an analysis with solid, complete evidence from the text, both for what it states and for what it implies.

W.9-10.2 Write an explanatory text that presents complex ideas and information clearly and accurately.

W.9-10.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.9-10.1.c Move a discussion forward with questions that connect it to larger ideas, bring others in and test ideas and conclusions.

SL.9-10.1.d Respond to different views, sum up where people agree and disagree, and adjust your view when the evidence calls for it.

Codes of ethics

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

PRSA Code of Ethics: Disclosure of Information

Heat map

Opener (page 384): Low

Key terms (pages 385 and 386): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 390 and 391): Low

Key idea (pages 392 and 393): Low

Sort the evidence (page 394): Low

Practice (page 395): Low

Your task (pages 396 and 397): Low

Your draft (page 398): Low

Check your work (pages 399 and 400): Low

Try it at your school

Pause before you share an image as news.

Find where the image first appeared before reposting

Check an official or independent source for the event

If you can’t confirm it, say so or don’t share it

Suggest a “check before posting” rule for a club account you help run

Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, journalism advisor, campus communications office

Try it at your school, continued

Safety: Don’t download or share images of real people that could embarrass or harm them, even to debunk them. Report harmful fakes to a trusted adult and the platform.

Sources

UC Berkeley School of Information, “Hany Farid breaks down the viral Helene image,” October 4, 2024

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content: An Overview of Technical Approaches to Digital Content Transparency,” No date listed

Plan 20b

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?

A realistic image says the campus courtyard flooded today, and Jordy must decide what the six o’clock recap can say about it.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the caption’s claim. About 3 minutes.

Lupa holds a cropped photo of a courtyard next to the full photo pinned on a board. The full photo also shows a blue doorway.

Your role: You’re the one who writes the verification note Jordy posts at six. New skill: Confirm an image with independent sources.

What happened

It is Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. For twenty minutes, an image has been going around the group chat. It looks like a photo of the campus courtyard, with water over the paving and benches. The caption says, “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” It showed up at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date and no name.

Jordy is putting together the crew’s recap, which goes out at six. Sami has zoomed in on a hand in the picture, and the fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. Someone ran the image through a free online detector. It reported “12% likely AI-generated.”

A reply in the chat says the writer’s roommate’s friend saw water near the library. Jordy checks the campus facilities alerts page. It shows no active alerts, but its last update was Monday morning.

Your question: Did the courtyard flood today, and what should the recap say about the image?

384

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 4 minutes.

Provenance Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.

En español: procedencia

In this case: The courtyard image arrived at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date and no named poster. Its provenance is unknown.

Corroboration Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.

En español: corroboración

In this case: A campus alert or someone’s dated photo of the courtyard could corroborate the flood. A roommate’s friend’s report of water near the library cannot.

Verification note A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.

En español: nota de verificación

In this case: Instead of posting the image, the recap says what the crew checked, what it found and what is still unknown.

Who is involved

Sami

Checking where the image came from

“Everyone’s zooming in on the hand. I did too, and it’s weird. But I still don’t know who posted this.”

Jordy

Putting the six o’clock recap together

“The recap goes out at six. Right now I have an image with no source, a strange hand and an alerts page that hasn’t updated since Monday.”

385

Lesson 20Key termsPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Provenance asks where a file came from. What do we know about this image’s provenance?” — Only when it appeared, 2:48 p.m. No link, no date, no name.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat any second report as corroboration. Listen for: “Someone else saw water, so it’s confirmed.” Then: Ask who saw what, where and when. The report is secondhand, and the library is a different place from the courtyard.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with an example from the case.

Cognates: image (imagen), evidence (evidencia), verification (verificación), corroboration (corroboración), original (original), confirm (confirmar), alert (alerta), independent (independiente).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

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

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, do you think the courtyard flooded today?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that it flooded, because the image looks like a real photo.

Notes

386

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Reading passage

Checked, found, still unknown

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

Provenance: Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.
Corroboration: Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.
Verification note: A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
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.
Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

The story: An image with no when or where

At 2:48 p.m. on a Wednesday, an image lands in the group chat with no link, no date and no name attached. It looks like a photo of the campus courtyard, with water covering the paving and the benches. The caption is urgent: “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” By 3:10, it has been circulating for twenty minutes.

Jordy has a deadline. The crew’s recap goes out at six, and the first question in the chat is whether the courtyard picture goes in. The evidence piles up quickly, and none of it settles anything. Sami, who studies design and photographs things most people walk past, zooms in on a hand in the foreground. The fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. Someone runs the image through a free detector and gets “12% likely AI-generated.” A reply says the writer’s roommate’s friend saw water near the library. Jordy checks the campus facilities alerts page. It lists no active alerts, but it has not been updated since Monday at 9:15 a.m.

Sami redirects the conversation. Everyone is zooming in on the hand, and she did too. But she still does not know who posted the image. When she takes a photo, it has a when and a where. This one has neither.

Your role is to write the verification note Jordy posts at six. It is the final skill in the casebook, and it combines many of the others.

387

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Stop and think. Sami shifts the question from how the image looks to where it came from. Why is that the stronger question?

From clues to a verification note

Start where Lesson 1 started, with the original source. Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled. This image arrived without any, so its provenance is unknown.

The caption makes a claim, the Lesson 1 term for a statement that something is true that you can check with evidence. Look at each clue honestly. The hand is a reason to look closer, not proof of anything. A natural-looking hand would not prove an image is real, either. The detector score is a number without context. Sami asks, twelve percent of what? These tools can be wrong in both directions, and none of them can say whether the courtyard flooded today. The secondhand report fails as a source twice. It is a roommate’s friend, and it is about the library, not the courtyard. Jordy would welcome it if that person had a photo with a time on it.

Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source. The best candidates are an official alert or a dated photo from someone on site. Lesson 9 taught you to check the official source for your area, and the alerts page is that source. Its silence is weak evidence, because it has not been updated since Monday.

Jordy considers posting the image with a question mark and rejects it, because a question mark still spreads the picture. Instead, the recap will carry a verification note, a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown. It shares its logic with Lesson 1’s holding statement, which says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. Lesson 3 adds the last piece. If new evidence changes the answer, a correction goes where people saw the original note.

Stop and think. The alerts page shows nothing new since Monday. Does that prove the courtyard did not flood?

How real newsrooms handle it

After Hurricane Helene in October 2024, an image of a crying girl clutching a puppy in a rescue boat spread widely. Fact-checkers found no original photographer or news source. Digital-forensics researcher Hany Farid pointed to details that did not hold together, like a boat floor with impossible perspective (UC Berkeley School of Information, October 4, 2024). In 2023, fake images of an explosion near the Pentagon spread quickly and briefly moved markets before officials confirmed nothing had happened (NPR, May 22, 2023).

Looking closely is not enough. Research found that people could not reliably tell AI-generated faces from real ones (Nightingale and Farid, PNAS, February 14, 2022).

388

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Stop and think. Do you agree with Jordy’s choice to leave the image out of the recap? Why or why not?

Sources

Real sourceUC Berkeley School of InformationOctober 4, 2024

Hany Farid breaks down the viral Helene image

Real sourceNPRMay 22, 2023

Fake viral images of an explosion at the Pentagon were probably created by AI

Real sourcePNAS (Nightingale & Farid)February 14, 2022

AI-synthesized faces are indistinguishable from real faces and more trustworthy

Notes

389

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 minutes.

Evidence AGroup-chat post

The courtyard image and its caption

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.” Shared Wednesday at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date on the image and no original poster named.

Look closely: Underline what the caption claims. Circle what the post is missing.

What it shows

Someone claims the courtyard flooded today. The image looks like it shows that.

What it leaves out

Who first posted the image, and when and where it was taken.

Evidence DWeb page

The campus facilities alerts page, checked at 3:10 p.m.

“No active alerts. Last update: Monday, 9:15 a.m. Scheduled elevator maintenance in Science Hall, completed.”

Look closely: When was this page last updated? Compare that with the caption’s claim.

What it shows

At 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday, the page listed no alert about the courtyard.

What it leaves out

How quickly the page would report a flood on the same day.

390

Lesson 20Look at the evidencePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“For each document, ask two questions: what can it show, and what can it not show?” — Model it on the odd hand: a reason to look closer, not proof.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the detector score as a verdict. Listen for: “Twelve percent means it’s real.” Then: Ask what the tool measured and how often it is wrong. The score is silent about the flood.

Support

Describe the image and the zoomed hand aloud.

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

Cognates: image (imagen), evidence (evidencia), verification (verificación), corroboration (corroboración), original (original), confirm (confirmar), alert (alerta), independent (independiente).

Stretch

Ask which evidence bears on how the image was made and which bears on whether the courtyard flooded.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Who first posted the image and when, and whether it shows this courtyard today. Also, whether anyone has a dated photo of water there.

Notes

391

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Key idea: provenance

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 5 minutes.

Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled. Check it first when an image claims to show a news event. An image can look polished and still be generated, edited, old or shared with the wrong caption. The courtyard image arrived with no link, no date and no named poster, so its provenance is unknown.

A detail or a tool can give a clue, but it cannot settle the question. An odd-looking hand is a reason to look closer. A natural-looking hand does not prove that an image is real, either. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes several ways to track, label, watermark and detect synthetic content, such as AI-generated images. NIST explains that each approach has technical limits.

For a claim about a real event, look for the earliest post, its date and place, and corroboration. Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source. Here, that could be a campus alert or someone’s dated photo of the courtyard. If you cannot confirm the claim, write a verification note. A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.

Professional standards

Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all

“Journalism verifies, provides relevant context, tells the rest of the story and acknowledges the absence of important additional information.”

In plain words: The RTDNA code asks news staff to say what they checked and to admit what they still do not know.

Question: The facilities page shows no active alerts but was last updated Monday. What should Jordy's note say is still unknown?

Your answer

The note should say ___ is still unknown.

The note should say whether the courtyard flooded today is still unknown. The alerts page has not been updated since Monday.

392

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPRMay 22, 2023

Fake viral images of an explosion at the Pentagon were probably created by AI

A realistic fake image spread fast and briefly moved markets before officials confirmed nothing happened.

Real sourceCNNMay 22, 2023

‘Verified’ Twitter accounts share fake image of ‘explosion’ near Pentagon, causing confusion

A blue check was not proof: accounts that looked trustworthy still shared an image with no real source.

Notes

393

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownSort each piece of evidence under the claim it bears on and fill in each box. About 4 minutes.

Two claims are in play: the flood and the image. Sort each piece of evidence under the claim it actually bears on. What would settle either one?

Evidence	Claim 1The courtyard flooded today.	Claim 2The image was generated by AI.
1 The image shows water in a courtyard, with no date or source	Supports	Neither
2 Facilities alerts page at 3:10 p.m.: no active alerts	Challenges	Neither
3 Secondhand report of water near the library	Supports	Neither
4 An odd hand and a 12% detector score	Neither	Leaves open

Still open

The image’s earliest source and date

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 ___.

The facilities office is missing. I would ask whether it has any report of water in the courtyard today.

394

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Jordy should do, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

The recap goes out at six. What should Jordy do about the courtyard image?

A Post the image with a question: “Is the courtyard flooded?”
B Say the image is fake, because the hand looks wrong.
C Leave the image out, report what the crew checked and say the flood is not confirmed.

Why I chose it

C. A still spreads the picture, and B treats a clue as proof. C reports only what the evidence supports.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Heads up everyone!! 1 The courtyard flooded today so don’t go over there. Some people are saying the picture is AI because the hand looks weird but I ran it through a detector and it said 12% AI so it’s basically real. My roommate also said her friend saw water near the library earlier, so that pretty much confirms it. Stay safe and 2 tell your friends, we don’t want anyone getting hurt or ruining their shoes lol. We’ll post more if we hear anything else about it.

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

Rewrite phrase 1

We can’t confirm the courtyard flooded today. No independent record shows it yet.

Rewrite phrase 2

Check the official alerts page before you share or change plans.

395

Lesson 20PracticePre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The recap goes out at six. What should Jordy do about the image?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose B because the hand looks wrong. Listen for: “Look at the fingers, it’s obviously fake.” Then: Ask whether the image could be a real photo from another day. The hand cannot rule that out.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: About the courtyard flood image going around: we can’t confirm it yet. We couldn’t find who posted it first, and the campus alerts page shows no active alerts, though its last update was Monday. A detector gave a low score, but detectors make mistakes and can’t tell us whether the event happened. So we’re not sharing the image as news. If you’re on campus now, check the official alert page before changing plans. We’ll update here by 6 p.m. Thanks for checking before sharing. If you have a dated photo or an original post, send it to Jordy.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Pre-AP

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.

Closely observe the courtyard image and its caption, record what can and can’t be seen, and write an evidence-based verification paragraph.

Use: The image description, caption and campus alerts page.

You’ll make: Observation grid plus paragraph (150–200 words)

Time: 45 minutes

Read the image description and the caption in Evidence A.
Fill in the observation grid: in the image, and claimed by the caption.
Write what you would expect to see if the flood happened today.
Check the alerts page in Evidence D for that evidence.
Write a paragraph of 150 to 200 words that matches your confidence to the evidence.
Discuss with a partner how confident to be. Then revise your confidence statement.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

In the image

Water over paving and benches. A person in the foreground holds up a phone.

Claimed by the caption

The courtyard flooded today, and people should stay away.

396

Lesson 20Your taskPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“What would you expect to see if the courtyard flooded today? List it before you look.” — Then check Evidence D for each item on the list.

Watch for

Misconception: Claims go in the observation column. Listen for: “I see a flood today.” Then: Ask whether “today” is in the image or in the caption. It is only in the caption.

Support

Observation grid: in the image, claimed by the caption

Question stems: “What would I expect to see if this were today?”

Paragraph frame

Stretch

Lead a short academic conversation on how confident to be, then revise the confidence statement.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

Pre-AP English: Close observation and analysis; Academic conversation; Evidence-based writing.

Common Core: RI.9-10.1; W.9-10.2; W.9-10.5; SL.9-10.1.c; SL.9-10.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Your task, continued

What I would expect to see if this were today

A campus alert, a dated first post, or other people’s photos of the courtyard with today’s time.

Notes

397

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 15 minutes.

Your paragraph, 150 to 200 words

The image shows water over the paving and benches of a courtyard, but it does not show when or where it was taken. The caption adds two claims the image cannot prove: that this is the campus courtyard and that it flooded today. If the flood happened on Wednesday, I would expect a campus alert or dated photos from other people. The facilities alerts page, checked at 3:10 p.m., shows “No active alerts.” That challenges the claim, but only weakly, because its last update was Monday at 9:15 a.m. The page may not report a same-day flood. The image arrived at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date and no original poster. So my confidence that the courtyard flooded today is low. It is not zero. The most accurate word is unverified, and a dated photo or an official alert would change my mind.

398

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 9 minutes.

Do you keep what you see apart from what the caption claims?
YesNo
Does your confidence match the evidence?
YesNo
Do you cite the campus alerts page?
YesNo
Does your revision reflect the discussion?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Treats the image as proof.	Cites a detector or a detail as a verdict.	Checks the earliest source and an independent record.	Checks several sources and names what each can’t show.
Reasoning	Declares real or fake with no basis.	Hedges without explaining why.	Matches confidence to evidence.	Separates authenticity of the file from truth of the event.
Audience & purpose	Urges spreading.	Warns without guidance.	Gives followers a safe next step.	Gives a next step, a follow-up time and a way to contribute evidence.

399

Lesson 20Check your workPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 9 min.

Short on time: 9 min.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one removed verdict or one added source.

Watch for

Misconception: Revisions only soften words. Listen for: “I changed fake to probably fake.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Replace the verdict with what was checked.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The grid is checked for keeping observations apart from claims, and the paragraph is scored for calibrated confidence, a cited source and a revision that reflects the discussion.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Checks the earliest source and an independent record.

Reasoning: Matches confidence to evidence.

Audience & purpose: Gives followers a safe next step.

Revision: Replaces the verdict with a verification note.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Softens words only.	Replaces the verdict with a verification note.	Explains how each change protects followers and credibility.

My confidence statement before the discussion

The flood definitely did not happen, because the alerts page is empty.

What I changed, and why

I changed ___ because ___.

I changed my statement to low confidence and unverified, because the page was last updated Monday.

Notes

400

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 5 minutes.

1 What would you need beyond the image to support the caption’s claim?

The earliest post with a date, and corroboration from an independent source, like a campus alert.

2 Do you agree with Jordy’s choice to leave the image out of the recap, and why?

Yes. A question mark still spreads the picture, and many people see the image and skip the words.

3 Who could be harmed if the crew called a real photo fake?

The person who took it, and anyone who needed the warning. If the courtyard really flooded, people could walk into water.

4 The alerts page shows nothing new since Monday. Does that prove the courtyard did not flood?

No. The page was last updated Monday, so it might not show a flood from Wednesday.

My take

My claim: ___.

The recap should post a verification note and leave the image out.

401

Lesson 20Questions to discussPre-AP educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a feeling about the image.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

Compare the crew’s note with the RumorGuard check on the Helene image. What does each say is known and unknown?

Going further: List every place the crew could look for the first post of the courtyard image. For each one, write what it could prove and what it could not.

Going further: Write two captions that say the flood is not confirmed. Which one makes the image feel more trustworthy than it is? Name who could be hurt if the crew gets this wrong.

Going further: Write two short notices that tell followers the flood is not confirmed. Ask two readers what each notice lets them conclude. Rewrite any line that made them more certain than the evidence allows.

Going further: Before you repost an image as news, find where it first appeared. Check an official or independent source for the event. If you cannot confirm it, say so or do not share it. If you help run a club account, suggest a “check before posting” rule.

Compare how two news organizations describe their image-verification process

Research what content credentials record and what they cannot show

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

My take, continued

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The alerts page, because it is an official source and it shows no courtyard alert.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

People need a fast warning in case the flood is real.

I would change my mind if ___.

Someone shared a dated photo of water in the courtyard today.

Notes

402

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?Pre-AP student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?

In this case, a realistic image in a group chat claims that a campus courtyard flooded today. Your student checked where the image came from and wrote a short note that says what is known and what is not.

Questions to talk about

What would you check before you share a picture of breaking news?
Where does your town or school post official alerts?
Why can saying you are not sure yet be better than guessing?

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

See the case online.

403

Key termsPre-AP student edition

Key terms

Academic credit Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.

En español: créditos académicos

Accountability Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.

En español: rendición de cuentas

ADA coordinator An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.

En español: coordinador de la ADA

Agenda item An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.

En español: punto del orden del día

Attribution Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.

En español: atribución

Authority Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.

En español: autoridad

Barrier A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.

En español: barrera

Challenge A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.

En español: impugnación

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

En español: afirmación

Compensation Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.

En español: compensación

Consent Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.

En español: consentimiento

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

En español: contexto

Correction A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

En español: corrección

Corroboration Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.

En español: corroboración

Criteria Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.

En español: criterios

Decision-maker A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

En español: quien toma la decisión

Disclosure A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.

En español: divulgación

404

Key termsPre-AP student edition

Key terms, continued

Documentation Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.

En español: documentación

Education record An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.

En español: expediente educativo

Eligibility Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.

En español: elegibilidad

Endorsement An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.

En español: respaldo

Equal Pay Act The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.

En español: Ley de Igualdad Salarial

Equity Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.

En español: equidad

Evaluation An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.

En español: evaluación

Expenditure An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.

En español: gasto

Fact pattern A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.

En español: conjunto de hechos

Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.

En español: Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo

Fair use Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.

En español: uso justo

FERPA FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.

En español: FERPA (Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad de la Familia)

FICA FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.

En español: FICA (Seguro Social y Medicare)

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

En español: encuadre

Gross pay Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.

En español: salario bruto

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

Jurisdiction A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.

En español: jurisdicción

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Key termsPre-AP student edition

Key terms, continued

Learning goal A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.

En español: meta de aprendizaje

License A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.

En español: licencia

Local acceptance Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.

En español: materiales aceptados en tu ciudad

Material connection A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.

En español: conexión material

Net pay Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.

En español: salario neto

Per-pupil amount A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.

En español: monto por estudiante

Precedent A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.

En español: precedente

Primary beneficiary test The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.

En español: prueba del beneficiario principal

Program access Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.

En español: acceso a los programas

Proposal A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.

En español: propuesta

Provenance Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.

En español: procedencia

Public record A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.

En español: registro público

Reasonable accommodation A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.

En español: acomodo razonable

Reconsideration policy A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.

En español: política de reconsideración

Registration Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.

En español: inscripción electoral

Remit A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.

En español: competencia

406

Key termsPre-AP student edition

Key terms, continued

Reuse Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.

En español: reutilización

Revenue Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.

En español: ingresos

Sample ballot A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.

En español: boleta de muestra

Selection criteria Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.

En español: criterios de selección

Source reduction Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.

En español: reducción en la fuente

Substantial disruption Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.

En español: alteración sustancial

Title VII Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

En español: Título VII

Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

En español: compensación entre opciones

Verification note A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.

En español: nota de verificación

Voter guide A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.

En español: guía para votantes

Withholding Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.

En español: retención

407

My progressPre-AP student edition

My progress

After each case, write the date and your level for each skill: Beginning, Developing, Proficient or Advanced.

Case	Date	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience and purpose	Revision
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

408

My progressPre-AP student edition

My progress, continued

Case	Date	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience and purpose	Revision
18
19
20

409

Track the work across the yearPre-AP educator edition

Track the work across the year

Each case has the same four rubric rows, so growth is easy to see. Mark the level each student or group reached, case by case.

Case	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience	Revision	Took a civic step
1 Is the screening canceled?
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?
6 What can your family see in your college records?
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?
12 When can a school limit what students say?
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

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Track the work across the year, continuedPre-AP educator edition

Track the work across the year, continued

Case	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience	Revision	Took a civic step
16 Who wrote the new building rule?
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?
20 Can the crew post this image as true?

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About course names and standardsPre-AP educator edition

About course names and standards

AP, Pre-AP and IB activities are practice designed by No, Pero Why?. They are not official College Board or IB materials. Honors expectations are set by your school.

Framework sources

Pre-AP shared instructional principles (College Board)

College Board, Pre-AP shared principles and instructional practices: https://pre-ap.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/shared-principles-instructional-practices.pdf
College Board, Pre-AP English 1 course page: https://pre-ap.collegeboard.org/courses/english-1
College Board, Pre-AP English 2 course page: https://pre-ap.collegeboard.org/courses/english-2

Checked September 25, 2026.

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