Thousands of Black Marines fought in World War II. But they had to fight for the right to do so. Now their nation wants to honor them, if they can be found. Montford Point Marines attend a Congressional Gold Medal Commemorative Ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington...
If a child is old enough to learn to read, it’s time to teach them to be media literate. But how to implement that in schools takes some problem solving skills. A teen shrugs at the difference between two computer screens. One shows an article by the New York...
Today’s students are digital natives, but are they digitally literate? In this Classroom #Decoder, guest writer Michael Leedom of the University of Toronto surveys media literacy curriculums around the globe, finding that media literacy education in Finland may be the world’s most robust.
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then have students try their hand at “lateral reading”. This is defined in the text as “checking the credibility of a claim by consulting other sources. Rather than remaining on a website with questionable information to find answers, known as ‘vertical reading’, students are taught to open a new tab and see if new information conflicts with what more trusted websites offer.” Present students with a web page and have them verify the credibility of that page by practicing lateral reading.
Selling books in English in Montreal is a political statement, unless you are simply someone who loves books in any language. Caution tape warns bookstore shoppers that the books are in English. (Photo illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced...
For one Canadian artist, the vibrancy of Japanese washi pulled her out of the darkness of mental illness. Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka and Ashoona Ashoona with their collaborative art piece at the Fogo Island Arts gallery in 2023. The piece, “Uummatima tillirninga, I can...
The global toy industry has a plastics predicament: How to feed children’s appetite for new toys, keep prices low and not harm the Earth in the process. A pile of plastic toys at a toy landfill. (Illustration by News Decoder) Plastic is omnipresent in our lives...
90% of the world’s new toys feature some form of plastic. As the industry continues to grow, especially in places like North America, how can we ensure toy makers are thinking of the environment — and not just profit? University of Toronto Journalism Fellow Preety Sharma covers potential solutions.
Exercise: Sharma’s article suggests that pro-environmental behavior is most commonly adopted when it is a default option. That means it is the easiest or cheapest option. In pairs, have students think about the default options in their lives. Are these the most environmentally-friendly options, or is there room for improvement? For example: students may think about the accessibility of recycling/compost bins in their local community, the types of food packaging they see in the grocery store, etc.
The Olympics are the pinnacle of an athletic career. But after athletes step off the podium a deeper challenge awaits. Who are they when the uniforms come off? Olympic rower Christine Roper (frontside) hugging her teammate as they celebrate their gold medal victory....
Across cultures and times, midwives have been at the side of women, helping bring healthy babies into the world. Finally, the world recognizes their value. Midwife Sifa Ndeze attends to mother and baby. (Credit: UNFPA DRC/Junior Mayindu) Call them “baby catchers,”...
In the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s unrelenting attacks on Gaza, around the world people curious about Islam flock to their local mosque. The Gothenburg Mosque in Sweden has seen an uptick in visitors since 7 October. Credit: Andrzej Otrębski...
A spiral-shaped algae is cheap and easy to grow. It’s so nutritious that NASA thinks it can power people to Mars. On earth it can keep kids healthy. Spirulina powder. (Credit: Madeleine Steinbach for Getty Images) An algae that has been around since before...
We pass down our eye color and baldness to our kids. It seems we also pass along health problems from bad food we consume and smoke we inhale. Two hands hold a fast food burger against the backgrop of DNA strands. Illustration by News Decoder This article was...