Student edition
Grades 9–10
Grades 9 and 10 English, civics, journalism and social studies classes.
20 cases
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.
Contents
- 1 Is the screening canceled?3
- 2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?22
- 3 What should a group do after a public mistake?43
- 4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?62
- 5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?81
- 6 What can your family see in your college records?101
- 7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?120
- 8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?140
- 9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?160
- 10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?181
- 11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?201
- 12 When can a school limit what students say?220
- 13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?240
- 14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?261
- 15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?282
- 16 Who wrote the new building rule?301
- 17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?321
- 18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?341
- 19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?360
- 20 Can the crew post this image as true?379
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 6 minutes.
Your role: You’re the one who reads the full transcript before Gia posts. New skill: Find the original source.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is going on?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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?
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.
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
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 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
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 ___.
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
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. | ||
| 2 The transcript: access is removed “through that reader,” and existing bookings remain in place. | ||
| 3 The booking email: Friday 6–9 p.m., screening confirmed, step-free front entrance. |
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 ___.
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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 6 minutes.
Write a holding statement and a follow-up correction for the same chat, twenty minutes apart.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Underline the words the clip cut off.
- Fill in the planner: what you know now and what you are still checking.
- Write Message 1, a holding statement of 30 to 50 words. Say when you will post again.
- Write Message 2, a correction of 60 to 90 words. Give the time, entrance and source.
- Write a rationale of two sentences that explains one word choice.
- Check both messages with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Known now
We know that ___.
Still checking
We are still checking ___.
When you will post again
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Message 1: holding statement, 30 to 50 words
We saw ___. We’re checking ___.
Message 2: correction, 60 to 90 words
Update: the screening is ___.
Rationale, two sentences
I chose ___ because ___.
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 Message 1 say what is being checked and when the next update will come?
YesNoDoes Message 2 replace the claim with the time, the entrance and a source?
YesNoDoes your rationale explain one word choice?
YesNoDid you leave out guesses about why the clip was posted?
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. |
How your work is scored, continued
| Skill | Beginning | Developing | Proficient | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revision | No change after feedback. | Surface edits only. | Adds a missing fact or removes an unsupported claim. | Explains why each edit makes the update more usable. |
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 14 minutes.
1 The clip is real. How did it lead people to the wrong conclusion?
2 Should the crew say why they think the clip was posted? Why or why not?
3 Jordy’s holding message does not repeat the word “canceled.” Why might that matter?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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 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 6 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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Dec gets stuck on the worksheet?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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.
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)
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 12 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: learning goals
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 10 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Besides circuits, the sheet tests ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownRead each decision in the diagram. Write who decides it in each blank box. About 8 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
The teacher, who sets the practice format and the learning goal
Dec, who decides what to share and whether to ask
Start a formal IDEA evaluation or a Section 504 conversation
The school’s evaluation process, with a parent or guardian for a student under 18
IDEA evaluation rule: varied tools, no single measure as the sole basis
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 ___.
Notes
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 8 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Draft a message to the teacher in Dec’s voice, written with his permission, that describes the observations and asks about support options.
- Underline the goal line in Evidence A.
- List two observations from Evidence B: one spoken and one written.
- Write one question the evidence cannot answer.
- Write an email of 60 to 100 words in Dec’s voice on the Your draft page.
- Finish the email with one question Ms. R can answer.
- Write a two-sentence note that explains what you left out and why.
- Check your email with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The learning goal
Observation 1: spoken
Observation 2: written
Your task, continued
One question the evidence cannot answer
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.
Your email to Ms. R, 60 to 100 words
Hi Ms. R,
What I left out, and why: two sentences
I left out ___ because ___.
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 email name the learning goal first?
YesNoDoes it describe two observations without a diagnosis?
YesNoDoes it ask Ms. R a question she can answer?
YesNoWould Dec agree to send it as written?
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. |
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. |
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 10 minutes.
1 Is the practice sheet checking circuit understanding, reading speed or both?
2 How would you know a new format shows Dec’s learning more clearly instead of giving away the answer?
3 What does the IDEA evaluation rule cover, and why does a study session fall outside it?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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 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.
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?
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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what should Gia’s correction say first?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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.
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
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
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 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: corrections
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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 ___.
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
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 8 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
Where they differ
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what goes first in the correction and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 8 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a correction and a one-paragraph repair plan with a named owner and a date to check it.
- Underline the claim about the late start in Evidence A.
- Find the times in Evidence B that show what caused the delay.
- Fill in the plan grid: action, owner, when and how you will know.
- Write a correction of 70 to 100 words on the Your draft page.
- Name the wrong claim in your first sentence.
- Write a repair paragraph of 80 to 120 words with an owner and a date.
- Check that your plan asks nothing of Anika or Dec.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Action
Owner
When
How we’ll know
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.
Your correction, 70 to 100 words
Correction:
Your repair plan, 80 to 120 words
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 correction name the wrong claim before it apologizes?
YesNoDoes it cite the times in the log?
YesNoDoes your plan name who does what, and by when?
YesNoDid you avoid asking Anika or Dec to reassure anyone?
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. |
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. |
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 10 minutes.
1 The caption felt true to Gia because a few people came in late. Why was that not enough evidence?
2 What evidence would show that the repair happened?
3 After the correction goes up, what is still up to Anika and Dec to decide?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
My take, continued
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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 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?
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?”
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 ___.
Notes
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.
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
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
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: trade-offs
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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 ___.
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
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
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 ___.
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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Prepare a 90-second public comment recommending an option, using at least one figure accurately.
- Choose one option from the agenda in Evidence A to support.
- Find one figure in Evidence B that supports your choice.
- Name one person in Evidence C whose evening your option changes.
- Write a comment of about 200 words on the Your draft page.
- Ask the board for one decision or follow-up it can make.
- Read your comment aloud to a partner and time it at 90 seconds or less.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The option I support
One figure, stated as a projection
Someone the choice affects
My request
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.
Your 90-second comment, about 200 words
Good evening.
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 comment name the option you support?
YesNoDoes it use one figure correctly, with words like “projected”?
YesNoDoes it name someone the change would affect?
YesNoDoes it ask for a decision the board can make?
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 | 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. |
Check your work, continued
My time when I read it aloud
One change I made after practice
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 10 minutes.
1 Option B treats the $200 gap as the problem. What does that way of stating the problem leave out?
2 Mari is paid to close the shop and also uses the room at night. How does that shape what she asks for?
3 If the board chooses an option the crew did not support, how should the crew tell the group what happened?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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 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 5 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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.
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead the pay statement and the shift log, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 10 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
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 8 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Payroll should confirm ___, because ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim and write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 8 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 | ||
| 2 The period ended Friday the 12th; the 3-hour shift was Saturday the 13th | ||
| 3 Gross pay of $255.00 matches 15 × $17.00 | ||
| 4 FICA and withholding lines account for the gap between gross and net |
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Gia should do first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write Gia’s payroll question and a short explainer for a friend starting their first job.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Mark each shift that falls after Friday the 12th.
- Fill in the planner: hours in the pay period, the shift after it and one line to ask about.
- Write a payroll message of 50 to 80 words in the Your draft box.
- Write an explainer of 150 to 200 words for a friend starting a first job.
- Explain FICA and federal income-tax withholding as two separate lines.
- Cut any bank details and any other worker’s pay from both pieces.
- Check both pieces with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Hours inside the pay period
The shift after the pay period
Your task, continued
The line to ask about, and why
I will ask about ___ because ___.
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Payroll message, 50 to 80 words
Hi, I’m checking my pay statement for ___.
Explainer for a friend, 150 to 200 words
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 both pieces use the pay-period dates?
YesNoDoes the explainer treat FICA and income-tax withholding as separate lines?
YesNoDoes the payroll message ask about a specific line or period?
YesNoDid you leave out bank details and other people’s pay?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 12 minutes.
1 What would Gia’s statement need to show for the missing hours to be a payroll mistake?
2 Why might a new worker think that every missing dollar went to taxes?
3 Before a first job, what would you want to know about how and when you will be paid?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
My take, continued
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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?
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.
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead the form and the notice, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 10 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: education records
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 8 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Before sharing grades, the registrar would need ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides each question, which rule applies and who can ask. About 8 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?
Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent
FERPA: rights transfer to the student at 18 or on entering college
Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition
Who may see and pay the tuition bill?
Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent
Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose who holds Rafa’s rights and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write Rafa a one-page guide separating paying the bill from seeing grades.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Mark the billing section and the grades section.
- Fill in the organizer: what billing access covers and what academic access covers.
- Write one or two sentences on who holds the FERPA rights now.
- Add one sentence that says exceptions exist, without guessing which one applies.
- List three questions Rafa can ask the records office.
- Write your guide, 200 to 250 words, in the Your draft box.
- Check your guide with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Billing access covers
Academic access covers
Three questions for the records office
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Your guide, 200 to 250 words
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 guide state the transfer rule accurately?
YesNoDoes it keep billing and grades separate?
YesNoDoes it name the records office as the next step?
YesNoDoes it flag exceptions without guessing which one applies?
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 | 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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 12 minutes.
1 What is the smallest amount of access that would give Rafa the help he wants from his family?
2 Why might Rafa want to talk with his family before he checks the box for grades?
3 Someone says, “Parents can never see college records.” How would you revise that claim after reading this case?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think happened to the novel?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead the notice and the input form, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 10 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: book challenges
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 8 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 ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides at each stage, which rules apply and where input goes. About 8 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
The school review committee, which reads the whole work and votes
District-level appeal and, finally, the school board
District reconsideration policy and selection criteria
State law and unsettled First Amendment case law (Pico had no majority opinion)
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what to check first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write input to the review committee using the published selection criteria.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Note what the committee will do and what the form asks.
- Choose one selection criterion from the checklist to anchor your input.
- Plan one piece of evidence from the whole work, not one passage.
- Write one sentence that acknowledges the parent’s concern with respect.
- Write your input, 150 to 200 words, in the Your draft box.
- Check your input with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The criterion I will use
Evidence from the whole work
Your task, continued
How I acknowledge the parent
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Your input, 150 to 200 words
To the Review Committee:
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 input name a selection criterion?
YesNoDo you use evidence from the whole work?
YesNoDo you acknowledge another perspective?
YesNoDo you make a clear request?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 12 minutes.
1 Whose reading experience is missing from the crew’s discussion of the novel?
2 Gia says nobody should go after the parent who asked for the review. Why might that matter for her bookshop discussion?
3 How does calling the same action a “review,” a “restriction” or a “ban” change what people think happened?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, does Gia need to tell viewers the book was free?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
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 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CEdit notes
Caio’s edit notes
“Watch once as a stranger, phone on mute. 0:00–0:03: does anything say free copy? Caption sits below the video; most people won’t open it. Tag = brand name, not relationship.”
Look closely: What does Caio want to test before uploading, and why the first three seconds?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Evidence DViewer comment
A comment on another creator’s review
wait was this sponsored?? kind of feels like an ad now
Look closely: When does this viewer start to wonder about a sponsorship?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: material connections
On your ownRead the key idea and the FTC guide. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
The words “no obligation to post” ___, because ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow each choice to its results. Then write whose view is missing. About 7 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
Disclose aloud and on screen in the first seconds
Viewers weigh the recommendation knowing the relationship
Who is affected
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the change that makes the relationship clearest. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 7 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a revised script and caption and a short note on why a tag alone isn’t enough.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Underline what the publisher gave and where the first cut names it.
- Fill in the planner: the relationship, where it shows now and the four checklist items.
- Write the first three seconds of the script, spoken and on screen.
- Write the rest of the script in Gia’s voice. Keep her honest opinion and cut claims she cannot support.
- Rewrite the caption so it names the relationship.
- Write a note of about 100 words on why a tag alone is not enough.
- Check your work with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The relationship to disclose
Where the first cut shows it
Checklist: words, placement, timing, repetition
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Script: the first three seconds
Spoken: ___. On screen: ___.
Script: the rest of the review
Caption
Note: why a tag alone is not enough, about 100 words
A tag alone is not enough because ___.
Your draft, continued
Note: why a tag alone is not enough, about 100 words, continued
Notes
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 the script name the free copy in the first three seconds?
YesNoIs the disclosure both spoken and on screen?
YesNoDoes your note separate Gia’s opinion from her relationship with the publisher?
YesNoDoes your note describe the FTC guidance accurately?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 12 minutes.
1 Would knowing the book was free change how much you trust Gia’s review? Why or why not?
2 Some viewers may treat a review with a disclosure as just an ad. How could Gia keep their trust?
3 Who should make sure disclosures are clear: creators, brands or platforms?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is on Dec’s ballot?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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.
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.
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
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 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
What it leaves out
Evidence BVoter guide post
A creator’s voter guide
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.
Look closely: Which line could you check, and which lines tell you how to vote?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CGroup-chat draft
Gia’s reminder
Check your registration and your own sample ballot at vote.gov. Deadlines depend on your state. Please don’t post your address here.
Look closely: What does Gia share, and what does she ask friends to keep private?
What it shows
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: sample ballots
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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: ___.
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
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 7 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
His address and district lines, drawn through redistricting
Whether Dec can register and vote in November
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
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 ___.
Notes
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what you would do with a friend’s sample ballot. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a nonpartisan explainer on one local contest: what the office does, what’s on the ballot, and where to verify.
- Choose one local contest on the sample ballot in Evidence A.
- Fill in the planner: what the office does, where to verify and how two guides treat the race.
- Write a heading and one sentence that names the contest.
- Explain what the office does and one decision it does not make.
- Tell readers where to verify, starting with vote.gov.
- Compare two guides fairly, and label any pick as the guide’s opinion.
- Write 250 to 350 words in all, with no picks, on the Your draft page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The contest I chose
What the office does
Your task, continued
Where to verify
How two guides treat the race
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 22 minutes.
Your explainer, 250 to 350 words
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 explainer describe what the office does accurately?
YesNoIs the language neutral, with no picks?
YesNoDoes it send readers to official sources to verify?
YesNoDoes it compare the two guides fairly?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 12 minutes.
1 Which contest on the sample ballot could affect Dec’s school or his bus?
2 Mateo may still be registered in New Bedford. Why might his ballot differ from Dec’s?
3 Anika is 16. How can she be part of this election before she can vote?
4 When could a voter guide that recommends choices help a first-time voter?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
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 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CFlyer
The workshop flyer
The flyer reads “Free Community Workshop Series. Tuesdays, 5–7 p.m., Parks Department Annex. All welcome! Questions? Call the front desk.” It gives no information about accessible entrances or how to request access.
Look closely: What does the flyer tell someone who needs to request access?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: program access
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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 ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownMark whether each piece of evidence supports or narrows each claim. Then write whose view is missing. About 7 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. | ||
| 2 Detour sign points to a path that starts with stairs | ||
| 3 DOJ: Title II requires program access, not every facility to be accessible |
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Mateo should do and explain why. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write an access report to the city’s ADA coordinator about the blocked route.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Write the corner, day and time of the blocked ramp.
- Fill in the planner: what you saw, what you do not know yet and your question.
- Decide how to mention Sami. Mention her only if she agrees.
- Write a report of 120 to 170 words to the city’s ADA coordinator on the Your draft page.
- Write one sentence that explains why you ask a question instead of claiming a violation.
- Check your report with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Location, day and time
What we saw
We saw ___.
Your task, continued
What we do not know yet
Which part of the ADA applies, and why
Our question for the city
Could you tell us ___?
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Your report to the ADA coordinator, 120 to 170 words
Why I asked instead of claimed, one sentence
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 report give the exact corner, day and time?
YesNoDoes it describe what you saw without saying the city broke the law?
YesNoDoes it ask one question the city can answer?
YesNoDoes your rationale explain why you asked instead of claimed?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 10 minutes.
1 Which barrier on Sami’s trip would a photo miss?
2 What is the difference between recording a barrier and making Sami the content?
3 Construction is temporary, but the detour affects people now. What should a city do to keep routes usable during repairs?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess about the pay difference. About 5 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Gia is paid more than Jordy?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: equal pay
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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 ___.
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
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
Where they differ
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Jordy should do first and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft.
Build a private comparison sheet and draft Jordy’s message to the supervisor.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Underline the hours, the duties and the title “shift lead.”
- Fill in the comparison sheet: what Jordy knows for sure and what Gia shared privately.
- Circle what Gia shared privately. Keep it out of the message.
- Write Jordy’s message to Dana, 80 to 120 words, in the Your draft box.
- Ask one clear question about what shift lead includes and how rates are set.
- Check your message with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
What Jordy knows for sure
Jordy knows ___.
What Gia shared privately
Gia shared ___.
What Jordy is asking
Jordy wants to know ___.
Your draft
Jordy’s message to Dana, 80 to 120 words
Hi Dana, I have a question about ___.
Notes
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 message say what Jordy knows and what Jordy is asking?
YesNoDoes it keep Gia’s name and rate out of the message?
YesNoIs the tone polite and specific?
YesNoDoes it avoid saying the pay difference proves discrimination?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 10 minutes.
1 What information could explain the $1.50 difference, and what might challenge that explanation?
2 Whose choice is it to make Jordy’s pay public, and why?
3 What answer from Dana would satisfy Jordy, and what answer 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?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 8 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CGroup chat
The walkout message
Wednesday, 9:02 p.m.
First message: “If they take the poster down we walk out Thursday. Tinker says they can’t touch us.
Reply: “Wait, wear blue AND walk out??
Look closely: Which part is a message, and which part is leaving class?
What it shows
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: precedent
On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Candid advice would say ___, because ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownLink each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges. Then name one missing view. About 6 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 | |||
| 2 A walkout means leaving class, which falls under the attendance rule | |||
| 3 The logo photo makes the poster look like school-sponsored speech |
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the best reply to the group chat and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 5 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a fact-pattern brief comparing Tinker with the wear-blue plan and the walkout.
- List the facts of Tinker: who acted, what they did, where, and what the school did.
- Make a chart with three rows: the poster, the wear-blue plan and the walkout.
- Add the action, the place and the school rule for each row, using Evidence A, B and C.
- Mark the row that matches Tinker’s facts most closely.
- Name one missing fact for each row, such as what the attendance policy says.
- Write your brief of 300 to 400 words. Start on the Your draft page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The poster: action, place, rule
Wear-blue plan: action, place, rule
Your task, continued
Walkout: action, place, rule
Closest match to Tinker
One missing fact for each row
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Facts of Tinker
Rule
Application to the three actions
Open questions
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 brief state Tinker’s rule, including its limit on disruption?
YesNoDoes it treat the walkout as a separate question from the poster and the wear-blue plan?
YesNoDoes it name at least one missing fact, such as what the attendance policy says?
YesNoDoes it avoid promising what a court or the school would decide?
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 | 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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 8 minutes.
1 Which changed fact would make Tinker a weaker comparison for the wear-blue plan?
2 Why might it matter whether a poster looks like it comes from the school?
3 If the poster had Anika’s name and no school logo, what would change?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
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 it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: source reduction
On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 8 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 ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow each choice to its consequences in the diagram. Then name one view that is missing. About 6 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
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
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 ___.
Notes
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the plan the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 5 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a proposal to the event organizers for one purchasing change, with a measurement plan.
- Choose one item from the screening supply list in Evidence A.
- Check the city list in Evidence C to see whether the city recycles that item.
- Name one way to reduce or reuse the item before it reaches a bin.
- Add a backup plan for people who need a disposable item, such as a cup or a straw.
- Plan what you will count before and after the next screening, including any new costs.
- Write your proposal of 250 to 350 words on the Your draft page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The item and how many were used
Does the city list accept it?
Reduce or reuse option
Your task, continued
Backup for people who need a disposable item
What we will count, before and after
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Your proposal, 250 to 350 words
To the event organizers:
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 proposal name one specific change?
YesNoDoes it rely on the city list instead of the label on the item?
YesNoDoes it keep an option for people who need a disposable item?
YesNoDoes it say what you will count, without promising savings you have not measured?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 8 minutes.
1 Could a change that reduces waste create an access problem for someone, and how would you find out?
2 How does “add more bins” define the problem differently from “order less packaging”?
3 What would the crew need to count before saying a change saves money?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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.
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 10 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: fair use
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 10 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
To fill in each row, Caio needs ___.
In the news
Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)May 7, 2015
Copyright, Exceptions, and Fair Use: Crash Course Intellectual Property #3
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
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 | ||
| 2 Copyright Office: no formula makes a set amount safe; the heart of a work matters | ||
| 3 The sample is background mood, not commentary on the song | ||
| 4 Stitch permission applies inside TikTok, not to a downloaded clip in another film |
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 ___.
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
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.
Improve a draft, continued
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
Notes
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 12 minutes.
Write a four-factor analysis of the crew’s planned use and recommend a path.
- Reread Evidence A and C. List the two pieces the crew borrowed.
- Fill in the factor table with one note on each fair-use factor for the song.
- Put a question mark next to any factor the evidence cannot settle.
- Write a first draft of your analysis and recommendation on the Your draft page.
- Include one sentence on why Stitch permission does not cover the festival film.
- Revise it into a final analysis of 300 to 400 words on lined paper or online.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Factor 1: purpose of the use
Factor 2: nature of the work
Factor 3: amount used
Factor 4: effect on the market
Your task, continued
The path I recommend
Before posting, the crew should ___.
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 25 minutes.
First draft: the four factors
First draft: your recommendation
We recommend ___.
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 analysis apply all four factors?
YesNoDoes it mark each factor you cannot settle?
YesNoDoes it explain why Stitch permission does not cover the festival film?
YesNoDoes it recommend a path without promising the use is legal?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 10 minutes.
1 Caio pitched the song up slightly. Does changing a song make it a new work? Why or why not?
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?
3 Suppose a student used the same song in a video for class. What changes if that video becomes a public post?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 10 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
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 10 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 ___.
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
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 | ||
| 2 The listing: Rafa runs the customer inbox all summer | ||
| 3 A paid assistant ran the inbox last year | ||
| 4 The role is openly unpaid and offers credit (factors 1 and 3) |
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 ___.
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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 15 minutes.
Turn the seven DOL factors into an internship questions sheet and fill it in with the studio’s answers.
- Read the seven factors on Fact Sheet #71 from the Department of Labor.
- Write one question each about training, credit and paid work in the planner.
- Write questions for the other four factors on lined paper.
- Mark each answer the studio gave as supported or unknown.
- Write a summary of about 150 words on the Your draft page.
- Check that your summary leaves out any legal verdict.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Training question
The studio’s answer
Credit question
The studio’s answer
Paid-work question
The studio’s answer
Your draft
On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Your summary, about 150 words
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 each question match one factor?
YesNoDid you mark each answer as supported or unknown?
YesNoDoes your summary explain why no single factor decides the test?
YesNoDid you leave out a legal verdict?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 10 minutes.
1 What would count as evidence that the promised training is happening?
2 Unpaid summers are easier for people who do not need a paycheck. Who might an unpaid internship leave out?
3 If Rafa’s school grants credit, does that settle whether the studio should pay him? Why or why not?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 6 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, should Sami follow the new notice?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 10 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: authority
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 10 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Sami first needs these facts: ___.
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
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
Unknown issuer: the owner, the manager or someone else?
Last year’s house rules allowed resident-run workshops
Fair Housing Act: disability is a protected characteristic
Sami and other residents who need the only step-free 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 ___.
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
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
Improve a draft, continued
Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.
Rewrite phrase 1
Rewrite phrase 2
Notes
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 10 minutes.
Write Sami’s message to the building manager asking about the rule and requesting access after 8 p.m.
- Reread Evidence A and B. Underline the two changes the notice announces.
- Fill in the planner: what Sami saw, what she needs and what she is asking.
- Open the message by naming the notice and where it was posted.
- Ask who issued the notice and whether it replaces last year’s house rules.
- Request one specific way in after 8 p.m., such as a key fob.
- Write the message in 90 to 130 words on the Your draft page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
What I saw
On ___, I saw ___.
What I need
What I’m asking
Your draft
On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.
Sami’s message, 90 to 130 words
Hi, I’m Sami in 3B.
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 message quote the notice accurately?
YesNoDoes it ask who issued the notice and what document it changes?
YesNoDoes it make one specific access request?
YesNoDoes it stay factual and respectful, with no legal conclusion?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 12 minutes.
1 Which missing fact would most change how you see the notice?
2 The notice bans “business use” without saying what that means. What would you need to know to decide whether Sami’s workshop counts?
3 A building may want a door locked at night. How could it keep that door secure and still let Sami in?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 8 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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: fair criteria
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 10 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”?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
Option ___ comes closest to an equal share, and option ___ comes closest to individual need, because ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow each option to its effects and write who carries the cost in each box. About 8 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
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
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the note you would send, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Write a 150-word decision note defending one option, its strongest objection and one revision.
- Reread the three options in Evidence C.
- List who gains and who carries the cost under two options in the planner.
- Apply two lenses to your choice, including one that challenges it.
- Write a decision note of about 150 words on the Your draft page.
- Put your choice and your reason in the first two sentences.
- Name the strongest objection and one revision that reduces its cost.
- Check your note with the questions on the Check your work page.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Option 1: who gains, who carries the cost
Option 2: who gains, who carries the cost
Your task, continued
A lens that supports my choice
Under the ___ lens, ___.
A lens that challenges my choice
Under the ___ lens, ___.
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 20 minutes.
Your decision note, about 150 words
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 note state a choice and a reason in the first two sentences?
YesNoDoes it name the strongest objection?
YesNoDoes it use two lenses, including one that challenges your choice?
YesNoDoes it offer a revision that reduces the cost?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 12 minutes.
1 Whose view would most challenge the option you prefer?
2 Anika says she does not need a seat. What is she asking the crew for?
3 Option C would help people who cannot afford the paid workshop. What would applicants give up to be chosen that way?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 5 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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.
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?
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
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Notes
Key idea: per-pupil amounts
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 10 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?
Professional standards, continued
Your answer
The board needs ___. Then it can ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownTrace the curtain request from the photo to the vote and fill in each box. About 6 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
The elected local school board, which adopts the budget
The facilities office, which ranks repair requests (how is still unknown)
State and federal rules and funding streams set limits on district budgets
Proposed building-repairs line: $310,000 for all schools
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what the crew should do first, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 8 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft.
Correct a misleading social post that compares mismatched budget figures, then write a better comparison.
- Read the post in Evidence B. Underline the total and the per-student figure.
- Calculate $48,000,000 ÷ 3,200 students in the calculation box.
- List what you still cannot compare: year, stage and categories.
- Write a correction post of 80 to 120 words in the Your draft box.
- Cite the proposed budget and its year in your post.
- Finish with one question the numbers cannot answer.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Worked calculation
___ ÷ ___ = ___
The mismatch in the post
What still does not match
Your draft
Your correction post, 80 to 120 words
Notes
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 post name the unit mismatch?
YesNoIs your calculation correct and shown?
YesNoDo you cite the source and its year?
YesNoDo you say what the numbers still can’t show?
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 |
| 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. |
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 feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 10 minutes.
1 What could make spending rise without the service getting better?
2 Dec wants to ask the board himself. Why might it matter who brings the question?
3 What else would you want to know before saying one district gets less than another?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
My take, continued
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 4 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
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 ___.
Notes
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?
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?
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 6 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
What it leaves out
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
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
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: remit
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 7 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 ___.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownFollow a comment from the speaker to the final decision and fill in each box. About 6 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.?
Full council: takes the final action
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose the best opening sentence, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 8 minutes.
Cut Gia’s long draft into a 90-second comment, then write a note explaining what you cut and why.
- Reread Gia’s draft in Evidence C and item 4 in Evidence A.
- Sort each part of the draft into Keep or Cut in the planner.
- Rewrite the comment so Gia can read it aloud in 90 seconds or less.
- Keep four parts: the item, one observation, why it matters and one request.
- Leave out private details about other people.
- Write a cutting note of about 100 words that gives a reason for each cut.
- Time the comment aloud with a partner.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
Keep
Cut
Gia’s request in one sentence
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.
Gia’s 90-second comment
Good evening. I’m commenting on item ___.
Cutting note, about 100 words
I cut ___ because ___.
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.
Does the comment keep the item, one observation, why it matters and one request?
YesNoDid you remove private details about other people?
YesNoDoes the comment still sound like Gia?
YesNoDoes your cutting note give a reason for each cut?
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. |
Check your work, continued
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 8 minutes.
1 The parks committee cannot fix the bus problem. Who should get that question instead?
2 How could Gia’s comment respond to the resident’s concern about noise?
3 Court users who work late may miss a 6 p.m. meeting. How could their views reach the committee?
My take
My claim: ___.
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
My take, continued
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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 4 minutes.
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?
Key terms
On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 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.”
Your first guess
Before you look at the evidence, do you think the courtyard flooded today?
My first guess is ___, because ___.
Notes
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.
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).
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
Look at the evidence
On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 7 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
What it leaves out
Evidence BScreenshot
Sami’s zoom-in on the hand
Zoomed screenshot of the foreground hand: the fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. Sami posted it in the crew chat on Wednesday at 3:02 p.m.
Look closely: What does the odd hand tell you? What can it not tell you?
What it shows
What it leaves out
Look at the evidence, continued
Evidence CDetector result
A score from a free online detector
“12% likely AI-generated.”
Look closely: What did the tool measure? Does it say anything about the flood?
What it shows
What it leaves out
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
What it leaves out
What is still missing from the evidence?
Key idea: provenance
On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 7 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.
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
Sort the evidence
On your ownSort each piece of evidence under the claim it bears on and fill in each box. About 6 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 | ||
| 2 Facilities alerts page at 3:10 p.m.: no active alerts | ||
| 3 Secondhand report of water near the library | ||
| 4 An odd hand and a 12% detector score |
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 ___.
Practice: choose a response
On your ownChoose what Jordy should do, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 6 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
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
Rewrite phrase 2
Grades 9–10
Your task
On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 6 minutes.
Write the verification note Jordy posts instead of the image, plus a one-paragraph explanation of your choices.
- Write the caption’s claim in one sentence in the planner.
- List what the crew checked, using Evidence A to D.
- Mark each piece of evidence as supporting, challenging or leaving open the flood claim.
- Write a verification note of 50 to 80 words on the Your draft page.
- Say what the crew checked, what it found, what is still unknown and when it will update.
- Explain your choices in a rationale of about 120 words.
Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.
The caption’s claim
What the crew checked, and what each check shows
Your task, continued
Supports, challenges or leaves open
Notes
Your draft
On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 18 minutes.
Verification note, 50 to 80 words
We’ve seen ___. We checked ___.
Rationale, about 120 words
I chose ___ because ___.
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.
Does your note say what the crew checked?
YesNoDoes it avoid a verdict the evidence cannot support?
YesNoDoes it give followers a next step?
YesNoDoes your rationale explain your hedging choices?
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. |
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. |
One change I made after feedback
I changed ___ because ___.
Notes
Questions to discuss
On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 8 minutes.
1 What would you need beyond the image to support the caption’s claim?
2 Do you agree with Jordy’s choice to leave the image out of the recap, and why?
3 Who could be harmed if the crew called a real photo fake?
4 The alerts page shows nothing new since Monday. Does that prove the courtyard did not flood?
My take
My claim: ___.
My take, continued
The best evidence is ___, because ___.
Someone who disagrees might say ___.
I would change my mind if ___.
Notes
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.
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
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
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
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
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 |
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My progress, continued
| Case | Date | Evidence | Reasoning | Audience and purpose | Revision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 20 |