The Block: CASE 1
Source tracing and context
1: STORY
Malik opens a group-chat message about Friday's school dance. Above a seven-second clip, someone has written “Dance canceled??” The assistant principal can be heard beginning an announcement about canceling access, but the clip stops before explaining access to what. That unfinished sentence could affect rides, evening plans, and whether students decide to attend.
The screenshot proves that a cancellation claim is moving through the school community. It does not finish the speaker's sentence. Malik needs the full announcement before turning the caption into advice. Even a video of an actual speaker can leave out the words that make the speaker's meaning clear.
The principal's office announcement, dated September 18, says the east gym doors will be unavailable while their lock is repaired. It also says the dance remains scheduled for 7–10 p.m. and directs students to the main entrance. The activities office's calendar, updated that day, lists the same time, gym location, and entrance.
Those records answer the immediate planning question, but they leave other questions open. They do not reveal who cropped the clip, why it was cropped, or who has seen the correction. Malik's useful update should lead with the dance's status, include the entrance change, and identify the records classmates can check. A printed announcement can carry the same correction for students outside the chat.
2: EVIDENCE
These are NPW practice documents. Real-world sources are credited separately below.
SOURCE A — Group-chat screenshot
NPW practice document; September 18, 2026; school community. “Dance canceled??” appears above a seven-second clip ending after “we are canceling access…”
What it establishes: Establishes that a cancellation claim is circulating. It cannot establish what the speaker said next or whether the event itself was canceled.
Question while reading: What original would let you check the missing sentence?
SOURCE B — Full school announcement
NPW practice document; principal’s office; September 18, 2026. “We are canceling access through the east gym doors while the lock is repaired. The dance remains scheduled for 7–10 p.m. Use the main entrance.”
What it establishes: Establishes event status, time, and entrance change. It does not establish how widely the correction reached students.
Question while reading: Which words change the meaning of the clip?
SOURCE C — Event calendar entry
NPW practice document; activities office; updated September 18, 2026. “Fall dance — 7–10 p.m. — gym — main entrance.”
What it establishes: Corroborates the event status and current entrance. It does not explain why the first clip was cropped.
Question while reading: Which two independent details now agree?
Source A is evidence of a circulating claim, including the seven-second cutoff. Source B supplies the missing context and comes from the principal's office responsible for the announcement. The object of “canceling access” is the east gym doors, not the dance. That distinction changes the action students should take.
Source C corroborates the event time and main entrance in a separate activities-office record. Agreement strengthens the update, although the records may reflect the same underlying decision. Neither B nor C explains the edit in A. A correction should report what the school says, without accusing an unidentified person of deliberately misleading classmates.
3: PRACTICE
B and C agree on the event and entrance. A omits the rest of the sentence; none of the sources establishes the editor's motive.
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4: TASK
Write the update you would send before anyone changes plans. Include one clear claim or question, at least two source references, one statement of uncertainty/scope, the person or office with relevant authority, and one realistic next step.
Update before anyone changes plans: the school's September 18 announcement says the dance is still on for 7–10 p.m. The east gym doors are closed for a lock repair, so use the main entrance (Source B). The activities office calendar gives the same time and entrance (Source C). The seven-second clip in Source A cuts off before that explanation. We do not know why it was shortened or who has received the correction. Check the principal's office announcement or ask the activities office about any later change. Please pass along the complete update, including to classmates who do not use this chat.
A cropped announcement says a tournament is “moving.” What original details would you need before telling a family to change travel plans?
A specific case with student handout and presenter notes about screenshots that impersonate people or organizations. It is not a channel or a generic collection.
Which claim can the screenshot establish by itself, and which claim requires finding the original post?
Use a fictional school-closing rumor in a group-chat frame. Students separate visual clues from actual corroboration, then write a correction that does not amplify the rumor.
Make: A source trail and a three-sentence group-chat correction.
Public case page. Some linked supporting documents use Google Docs. Video playback and captions were not verified.
45–55 min core, 80–100 min full
| Criterion | Beginning | Developing | Strong | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accuracy & scope | Repeats claim. | Mostly accurate; scope incomplete. | Accurate and properly scoped. | Accurate, scoped, and explicit about uncertainty. |
| Evidence | Little or unrelated. | Relevant source, sometimes overstated. | Explains what sources establish. | Compares sources and limits. |
| Authority | Names actor without role. | Plausible authority. | Explains who decides and why. | Maps proposal, approval, implementation, review. |
| Communication | Vague or audience-mismatched. | Main point understandable. | Clear, specific, audience-aware. | Clear, accessible, precise, well-qualified. |
