#sschat Archive
#sschat is a network of educators, resources, and ideas that started on Twitter, but has expanded to Facebook, an annual NCSS unconference, and more. Join us to chat asynchronously on Twitter or Facebook, or chat with us live on Mondays from 7-8pm EST.
Monday April 18, 2016
And thanks for the invite and help
Greetings! I am excited to learn how you engage students in media, politics & the 2016 campaign! Please introduce yourselves.
Hi and , this is Bill Chapman, a retired secondary social studies teacher, checking in from Berkeley, CA.
Excited for my first ! My name is Bobby Sheaffer, I'm a 7th grade teacher from Pottsville, PA
helming DC-CHE from warm Wash DC! Thanks for hosting!
Dan Krutka checking in from rainy north Texas. This topic brings me back to teaching . Looking forward to it.
Joanne from Missouri. 7th grade world history and 11th grade modern global issues.
Jacqueline, NJ AP Government & Econ
Hello, I'm , I'm a preservice teacher from
Brandon Haas in New Hampshire where spring is finally arriving
Bruce 8th grade SS from NC ! At Boy Scouts, so I will be lurking
Chris from Bloomington, IN. Teach world history for online HS.
Jacqueline, NJ AP Government & Economics teacher, joining the chat.
Hi , Matt Doran, Social Studies Coordinator, checking in from Columbus, OH
Greetings and ! My name is Unix Diza and I am a social studies education major university
Phil fro, Sarasota checking in tonight while making dinner. Currently teaching 6-8 Civics. love the topic for tonight
3 more weeks until I can participate in again. Happy chatting while I'm in class everyone!
Greetings Todd Elem Coordinator looking to rewrite SS next year, must learn learn learn
Carrie from Florida 7th Civics and 8th US History
Q1: What are the most important concepts for students to know about the role of media in political campaigns?
Let’s get started! We will follow the Q1:A1 format for our discussion.
Tim from PA - user of comics in social studies - watching Flyers game - excuse the odd angry tweets https://t.co/Wu4fX4VqPq
Adam, 5/6 social studies, St. Michael, Independence, OH.
Ken from Western Oregon Univ. Enjoying blue skies & record temps. Checking in until become uber driver for daughter in about 30 min
Hi, My name is Michael and I am a Social Studies Ed major !
Student teacher, hopefully a full time teacher next school year. Looking to be a great cutting edge SS teacher.
Melissa from Poughkeepsie. Just found out my baby’s sex. It’s a boy! on cloud 9 right now
A1 - no such thing as an "unbiased" source - really don't like seeing that on source evaluations
A1) Role of media should be to get accurate information to citizens. Not sure that is always the case, though.
A1: students have to be tgt what bias is. Media today is not the same as Cronkite's day. Stdts hv 2b able to diff bw fact & fiction
A1: I think students must get past the media as a neutral force & analyze their gatekeeper role.
A1: I find it's important to teach bias first and then show roles of media - watchdog, agenda setter, etc.
A1: 1) media bias 2) role media plays in covering/influencing elections & public policy, 3) impact of 24-hour news environment
A1. Media has a narrative to tell and sources and stories are selected to fit it.
A1: Students need to understand how things can be "spinned" and what bias is
A1: Definitely that the media is very biased in what it chooses to share so we need to consult primary sources
A2 Media frames the message. There always bias, even in the choices made to include or omit info. Right
Congrats! https://t.co/wAqedM5lHM
Melissa from Poughkeepsie. Just found out my baby’s sex. It’s a boy! on cloud 9 right now
Jacob 11th Grade US History from TN
thanks Chris.but only if it comes out OK. :-)
A1: Also, not just students but teachers must explore how new media (blogs, ind. sites, social media) are shifting media terrain.
A1: Understanding bias and point of view of media.
sadly, not the case. They are for profit organizations.
A1 understanding how to analyze reliability, bias, & fallacies used in media.
A1: what the media chooses to cover (& not cover) shows what they deem as important
yep - but primary sources also biased - just ask any police officer or parent interrogating guilty children
A1: explain bias...show bias...Ss have to see that media controls what we learn. Provide non-mainstream sources to research.
A1: I think we can all agree bias is number one: what they choose to cover and how they cover it
yep - my first lesson when handing out world history textbook - what was left out and why?
A1) like so many have said before the midis is bias towards certain candidates, you have to look past the media to find answers.
. The sooner students get over the myth of objectivity, the better. Every perspective comes w/ motives, background...
Yes - bias often = lie to students - I use "perspective" instead - and what motivates o a particular story?
Social media certainly democratizes availability of information, but does it also pose greater problems of credibility?
Joining from Tennessee! 7th grade SS teacher.
Very true but it is a good starting point
Q2: How can we develop student critical media literacy related to political advertising?
Especially when people may choose to see only one side by who they follow.
exactly - My class was very upset about the publicity behind Paris and Brussels but none for Kenya Univ. attacks
yes!!!! Perspective is so impt in history classes. And cause wonderful classroom debates.
A1: important to stress how bias affects the news media & our perception of stories, especially during the election cycle.
Primary sources are biased too. One person's pov.
I was in my writing zone, so I'm late to , but happy to be here & learn from you all.
two ways to control population - hide info or bury it in a landslide of too much
Demonstrating the one-sided perspectives of media can help students develop their analytical lens
re: the dev'ment of fast media. A story can be all over social media and b4 ppl know it's wrong, theres another story out
Yes. Been struggling to overcome Ss perception that primary sources > secondary sources. S today said value depends on ? :)
A2 Make the Ss the fact checkers. Multiple sources please.
Media is a tough one for this election. Definitely have to show different points of view to compare for accuracy.
Absurdly biased media, like slanted textbooks, offers an opportunity for systemic analysis in the hands of a good teacher.
A2: Its important that we encourage students to explore political issues in depth when forming opinions
A2: Teaching them what sort of questions to ask when viewing any sort of source
A2: shoes that political commercials and advertising isn't a new thing! Conduct projects on political buttons...Ss do research!
that's great discussion for Night -Elie states that his memory not reliable - blocked out some horrible things - not a lie
Understanding why cable television has given massive amounts of free time to the Trump campaign is a vital media literacy lesson.
Always preaching corroboration. Ss identify it as important but whether they always/often practice it . . .
A2: must tch Ss how to fact check all media, including primary sources.
A2: look at as many sources as possible! Compare coverage/tone/delivery and evaluate responses.
But at the same time, social media has forced major media to cover stories. Social media is a blessing & a burden.
We want them to have the primary sources so Ss can evaluate and create their own secondary sources. Then compare.
Ultimately, media bias is a bias towards sensationalism, because that's what sells.
Ss see the langauge and assume primary > sec. I wish they were called first-degree, second-degree sources instead
A2: By offering resources with varying perspectives on an issue and training them to be the investigators
Yes & agree w/ that. However, they seem to think primary sources are inherently more valuable/reliable than sec sources.
A2: There really isn't hard news anymore. Media analyzes our reading/viewing habits & feeds us news with our preferred slant.
My students have to evaluate and defend credibility of all sources and have me ok them BEFORE beginning research paper
I have a hearing impaired S who points out nonverbals for her classmates. Powerful
We need to present both sides; not just within a party or between parties; but also one news outlet to another for media bias.
Yes - the filter bubble is real and we need to actively seek out other sources and perspectives!
Both/And applies here. People still trust major media more, even if indep media has more credibility (reporter was there)
Yes, like a preferred t-shirt.
A2: we need to discuss these issues in the classroom. students develop skills we stress/focus on in the classroom.
Q3: How do you teach about the role of $ in campaigns – post Citizen’s United?
A2: The purpose of advertising is to get you to buy/like something. Have Ss create a short video ad about one of the candidates.
A2) it's our job as educators to teach our students to explore the facts and for us not to sway our own opinion.
A2: Use ads from https://t.co/Py7IPOT4RU w/out sound & then w/out video. Isolation makes Ss analyze parse out media strategies.
A2 cont: rise of 24hr news cycle has led to sensationalism & students need to be taught how to evaluate w/o getting lost in hysteria
Political ads & media coverage of campaigns are intriguing reflections both of our ugly realities & what we want to be
Absolutely! Ts & Ss need to challenge their perspectives on a regular basis. https://t.co/veTuRufbv1
Yes - the filter bubble is real and we need to actively seek out other sources and perspectives!
A3 I have my students do a web search on funding of campaigns. They are always so surprised with Pacs and super pacs
Outstanding question. Am looking for answers from ! https://t.co/lPdCAb59k9
Q3: How do you teach about the role of $ in campaigns – post Citizen’s United?
A2 Learn about the history of psychological manipulation in politics via Adam Curtis' Century of the Self. https://t.co/Hj1XLwQnL6
A1. Understanding logical fallacies is a timeless standard for sharpening reasoning capacities. https://t.co/4UqU2WDl8A
We use front page headlines. It's eye-opening to see point of view.
I use the Living Room Candidate to have students analyze ads, categorize them, and rate effectiveness https://t.co/7k9eNRMbdN
if you have very limited time for this and/or limited internet access - what other ideas do you have?
A3: Its important to inform students that finances directly affect every aspect of politics, especial elections. Money = Power
agree! hard sometimes, but a very valuable lesson for students when they form their own opinions!
A3: Aside from studying McCain-Feingold & Citizens United, Ss could have follow the $$$ project & seek answers from politicians.
A3 The same way as before CU, by looking at why we know next to nothing about candidates who have next to no money to spend.
Students have lots of questions about campaign funding. Most are astounded by the price tag.
Looks like I'm missing an amazing while doing bedtime. Looking forward to reading through everything later.
A2: Focus on encouraging students to form their own opinions and back up their opinions with multiple sources.
fantastic! Thanks! End of Course state exam coming up in 19 school days - time is of the essence!
I always taught that the first role of the media is to make money. Everything else makes sense after that.
. I try my best to be unbiased especially when talking about politics.
A3: tgh Q, give Ss scavenger hunt to follow the $$$. Eye opening & upsetting 2 my Ss
A3: At high school level, worth discussing how much money really impact elections? Perhaps not as much as we think.
A3: PBL on the campaigns! Ss create their own campaigns (including T/staff "donors" to finance) and hold a mock election.
Friendly reminder to report/block any spam that invades our space. :)
True for commercial media, how about non profit such as NPR and Pro Publica?
A3) this is something I don't teach on but would love to see all answers
A3: 2012 Republican SuperPACs spent way more $ than the Democrat SuperPACs.
A3 Have Ss trace the money. Compare to candidate views. Chicken/egg?
Awesome idea!!! I love this https://t.co/f21qYOTVwU
A3: PBL on the campaigns! Ss create their own campaigns (including T/staff "donors" to finance) and hold a mock election.
A3: I don't have an opportunity to teach this but love the ideas so far! It's really important that our students know this
A3: I will have my students look up not only how much has been raised, but from whom (McCain-Feigngold also)
Q4: How can we get students to think about how big data and social media are used to target voters (including them)?
Sorry - game is awesome! I'll check the archives. See ya next week - great topic tonight. Sorry. https://t.co/6lhoqvlbRS
the prof 4 the campaigns & elections class has ss read the campaign news section in the . would include $ topics too
CNN reporting right now on the "obscene amount of money" used for campaigning. is so timely!
My Ss loved their campaigns. They were shocked at the $ spent on candidates & how it can influence the vote.
A3: also, have students decide on a candidate they would be willing to support financially and why
I have had Dark Money recommended to me, but I have not read it yet.
A3: Interesting to compare/contrast 527s, 501cs, and SuperPACs.
A3 Tie back 2 what media show using media lit Qs &Ss investigate how corproate $overlaps w/ media, candidates, &what is said/leftout
A4: I guess the 1st step is investigating with students the big brother/privacy implications of big data & tailored content, right?
A4 This article highlights Cruz campaign use of psychological data and analytics for success https://t.co/u5Nw0hRSEJ
A4: I will talk openly with my students about how politicians strive to sway voters by targeting other candidates.
A2: Reading a variety of primary sources ! The more POV , the better
At local caucus, a speaker rather mocked the oldsters for not understanding how young ppl get their info - ALL from Internet.
A4: intro by tlkg abt targeted ads on FB/Twitter/IG. Same data pulls...or Newest HoC season also deals w this issue
They are the exception. Ben Franklin wasn't printing to spread the truth.
A4: Have Ss follow candidates on different platforms and design a rubric for them to categorize their activity?
Gotta call it an early night. Looking fwd to the recap. Keep your powder dry
A4: Can start by teaching the basics of persuasion techniques & ask Ss which ads/approaches persuade them.
Have Ss do research a "focus" area & create an infographic displaying the info. https://t.co/I9Psa5kl68
Q4: How can we get students to think about how big data and social media are used to target voters (including them)?
Very hard to do, since the most effective techniques make us believe the ideas are our own.
Is it sad that I'm more happy than not that I am teaching world history & don't have to teach the election?
My students did well in identifying ads w/ more central vs peripheral routes to persuasion. https://t.co/w8btGSI16z
A4: Can start by teaching the basics of persuasion techniques & ask Ss which ads/approaches persuade them.
A4: i think infographics are a good way 2 show ss the impact of social media. like the one at this link https://t.co/OihmoU6ePS
not going so well; couldn't keep up...on both and dinner. glad this is archived. try again next week.
What, no current events component to your course?
Q5: How can we help students understand the primary election and caucus media coverage and electoral college?
All the more valuable, then, to practice and analyze our own susceptibilities!
Let Ss do research & create their own infographic. Have Ss manipulate data in different ways to show bias. https://t.co/L4oJlJDqbw
A4: i think infographics are a good way 2 show ss the impact of social media. like the one at this link https://t.co/OihmoU6ePS
A4: discuss voter turnout by age & how social media could make/break the election in age groups.Ss research candidates' SM presence
A4: Explain to them how that big data is used (demographics, etc.) and how social media is manipulated
A5: Its vital to teach about this by following the election in the classroom and using it as a conversation starter!
A5 Ask them to explore who a vote is actually for? In our system it is for convention delegates, then electoral slates.
A5: I like this somewhat appropriate clip on the electoral college for starting a dialogue: https://t.co/PVRNCLJIJx
Do you have a lesson plan for that? If so, could you share? https://t.co/4BOcEtEwkd
A4: discuss voter turnout by age & how social media could make/break the election in age groups.Ss research candidates' SM presence
A5. Separate teaching of primaries (function of political parties) & general election/electoral college (function of the Const)
A5: Have them follow the results as they roll in on a primary night. I also like using interactive maps like https://t.co/XxTFuYCmyD
A5: linking back to an earlier answer, PBL is a great way to dive into the electoral process. Long project, but worth it!
One of the most important things I can do is to help students see the many realities & nuances of issues -this includes $ & politics
A5 Might help to pair procedures with interviews from voters about process.
So many great tools for Ss to create awesome infographics.
Most people, let alone students, realize how data and searches are received and delivered. Show this https://t.co/flTc48CsgS
It’s important to explain super delegates so that students understand how the “current totals” work and how they can change
We're doing that in the next few weeks, so I'll DM you when I have it ready and tested!
A5: I asked students which was the most democratic - primaries, caucuses, conventions, electoral college, or general?
A5: gotta brk up the 2. Primaries/caucuses vs election/electoral college. We hv a vr confusing system :/
I have used & just introduced me to ! Definitely have on my list to try! https://t.co/dQOvJSx2iO
So many great tools for Ss to create awesome infographics.
Great opportunity for inquiry and discussion/debate
I've seen this before, thought it was great!
Q6:What should students know and do related to journalism and “the media” during the campaign? To counter the “horse race” coverage?
A5: teachers could cover a primary night live and then upload it to the web for ss to view later. any suggestions for how to do so?
Nice! https://t.co/keidrjJEZh
A5: I asked students which was the most democratic - primaries, caucuses, conventions, electoral college, or general?
Hey ! I'm a preserivce teacher at BYU and made this video about Maps and longitude and latitude
https://t.co/ERXrRETzNF via
A6: Students should read and watch as much as they can from as many different sources as possible and then form their own opinions
A5: I think Ss need to recognize elections are about winning states & not individual votes. Have them argue for/against this.
A6: Students can track daily stories and compare to long term trends on issues.
A6: Ss should strive to consult as many unbiased sources as they can and watch the debates, those speak volumes.
Most people, let alone students, don't realize how data and searches are received and delivered. Show this https://t.co/flTc48CsgS
Q6: Focus on the long term metrics. Delegate count. Remaining delegates available. Mathematical probabilities for success.
Lookin forward to taking our 7th graders and spending time with y'all on Wednesday!
Gotta go. Time to take my daughter to ballet. Thanks for the discussion & resources !!
Fabulous! So glad you're coming!
Use social media apps, Twitter, Voxer, Blab, Anchor, etc. https://t.co/ZXIHT46vrk
A5: teachers could cover a primary night live and then upload it to the web for ss to view later. any suggestions for how to do so?
A6: Keep a log & jot down thoughts after watching debates/coverage. How do our impressions of candidates change over time?Why?
Wld <3 2 assign grp of Ss a cand to follow on media for 3 mths & then rpt findings to class...need 2 figure out how 2 wrk it out
I've modified this for time and used it in small group centers! Great lesson!
I'm referring to watching the whole debate instead of just watching recaps by CNN or Fox
A6. Focus on issues and which ones resonate with particular demographics. Ultimately, the convention decides the nominee.
Some Ts have Ss live tweet during the State of the Union - could do the same w/ primary coverage.
Sorry for some format issues. Still getting used to participating.
A6: students must dig deeper than what the media provides. e.g- considering all the candidates rather than those that get air time
Great with debates too https://t.co/OiDTakZKwn
Some Ts have Ss live tweet during the State of the Union - could do the same w/ primary coverage.
beyond that, the # of delegates is more important than the number of states! Ss can discuss how democratic that is
. has lots of election clips that give students highlights of events
A6: Have students study issues across different media. Here's a lesson I wrote that could be adapted: https://t.co/LbHbSUwnfj
A6: Write a review of media coverage for an event // Write their own piece of media coverage for an event/candidate
As well as why that is - historical background.
Q7: What about the concept of “earned media”? Trump is a case study of this approach to getting cheap and free coverage.
Thank you for this insightful conversation.
Even entire debates are highly orchestrated - both in question creation & answers. Need to be approached critically
The Twitter stream during debates is pretty entertaining. ;)
one narrative I've heard is the Founders didn't trust the common voter to vote in their best interest
Have students identify POV & watch political speeches from that POV. Do the candidates speak to them? If yes, how? If no, why not?
A6: Critical analysis stemming from inquiry -commercials, conventions, coverage, etc. can all be more deeply analyzed for bias, etc.
A7: who gets to determine wh cand "earns" the time?
True but the answers the candidates provide can tell us a lot about how they will lead.
delegates are based on state's population. Yes, the founding fathers wanted checks on people & government.
And why/how are "rules" (or at least past practices) changed for certain candidates?
A7 Article that explains "earned media" - case study of Trump’s Advantage in Free Media https://t.co/sEOrMworP3 via
A7: what are they doing to "earn" the media coverage? how can other candidates learn from this?
And what should we as voters take from this? How do we find out how they "earn" the coverage?
A7: Discuss the rise of "glitzy politics" (and free coverage) v. actual politics
Does that still hold true today? 🙄😜🤓 https://t.co/XJtE4ukgkM
moreso that founders found (lol) common voter fickle and subject to mob rule.
and can all candidates follow the same tactics and get the same result?
So had to pick between dinner with my wife tonight and . I made the right choice, but missed an awesome chat. 😉 Any takeaways?
Agreed! Esp once you give students the tools to identify different forms of bias. https://t.co/I8w7oLhYof https://t.co/wDgsiSEvYr
A6: Critical analysis stemming from inquiry -commercials, conventions, coverage, etc. can all be more deeply analyzed for bias, etc.
A7: The concept of "earned media" goes back to the media's gatekeeper role, right? Or just the profit motive?
It’s interesting to compare/contrast current and past ads that address similar issues and to analyze for tone, POV, etc.
A7: the media covers what sells (e.g."if it bleeds it leads") this year's election will b a case study 4 teachers in years 2 come
oh dear...no comment?? :-p politician don't fear it anymore and use it to their advantage?
would be a great discussion!what do we do when the candidates are acting like our Ss (or sometimes worse) to earn coverage?
Related to discussions of purposeful obscurity in political rhetoric. Are they really speaking to any one person?
Delegates are function of pol. parties, not founders. Impt. to distinguish from electoral coll.
my 7th graders call it "throwing glitter" and "throwing shade"
Yes - both - the need for $ and ratings drives them to sensationalize and promote "idiocy"
https://t.co/Vl4aaVopEy
A7: The concept of "earned media" goes back to the media's gatekeeper role, right? Or just the profit motive?
That could probably spark a quite interesting class discussion. https://t.co/JOdmIZISXE
A7: The concept of "earned media" goes back to the media's gatekeeper role, right? Or just the profit motive?
teach media bias! It matters!
2 shamless plugs - follow & for social studies ed research; for & my new podcast.
Does the media spoon-feed us what we want or do we really make our own viewing choices?
A7 Why to teach about the campaign thoughtfullly - article on bullying and campaign rhetoric https://t.co/e3wsiIA4PZ
Great question. Answered in Jeffrey Schrank's Snap, Crackle and Popular Taste: The Illusion of Free Choice in Am.
Thank you for a great chat. My first. Any advice on integrating tech into the classroom and engaging activities would be welcome.
you are off the hook. It is worth asking Ss the question. It is a great debate topic.
Sadly, I think the media spoon feed us narratives set up as fictionalized drama.
Any suggestions for good, free class polling? https://t.co/XF4rpVzZcQ
Okay and friends. I wanna use polls in class for engagement. Over 100 students. Recommendations?
Special Thanks for for a great . Storify will be posted in a little bit.
A7 Another reason to teach about media & campaign - increase media literacy = increase polit engage https://t.co/6J6u9xBDXZ
A blog post that may be helpful during election season: Don't Believe Everything You Read on the Internet: https://t.co/sAZUdP6S7Q
I second this. Great questions and fantastic chat, .
I've used Poll Everywhere and it worked very well!
Sorry to have missed tonight. Looks lively. :)
I have so many tabs open it is absolutely ridiculous. Thanks for all the great ideas and resources!
Thanks community for your ideas about teaching media literacy through the 2016 campaign!
I recently discovered . Still testing it out though.
Thanks, ! Great - we learned a lot! https://t.co/qSmua9eLeI
Special Thanks for for a great . Storify will be posted in a little bit.
Would love to see your resources/tabs!!
Thank you 4 hosting an informative ! I look forward 2 join sometime again in the future. Great resource 4 teachers!
Thank you for an awesome first for DC CHE!
