by Skyler Kelley Duval | 20 Apr 2023 | Educators' Catalog, La Jolla Country Day School, Media Literacy, Politics, United States, Youth Voices
When the business model for news corporations depends on blurring the lines between fact and opinion, how can we move from partisanship to problem solving? Photo illustration by News Decoder. In 2017, the political landscape collectively scoffed at Donald...
With news media inundating our feeds with content, youth guest author Skyler Kelley Duval dissects the blurred lines between fact and fiction. Central to being able to responsibly consume media is investment in critical thinking and media literacy education in schools. Are your students media literate?
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then introduce the CRAAP test to your students as a tool to evaluate media sources. The CRAAP test assesses sources for Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose — with a goal of determining trustworthiness. You can find an example of the CRAAP test here. Consider analyzing a media source together as a class using the test.
by Emily Yang | 14 Apr 2023 | Contest winners, Realgymnasium Rämibühl Zürich, Student Posts, Youth Voices
The galgo is a popular hunting dog in Spain. But a worldwide network of dog lovers march each year to stop a practice they believe is inhumane. On the left Eden, a rescued Spanish Greyhound, was found covered by ticks when rescued from a pound in Almeria, Spain. On...
by Samantha Crystal and Phoebe Diamond | 12 Apr 2023 | Contest winners, Hewitt, Student Posts, Women, Youth Voices
Women and girls across the world are lobbying to make menstrual products free or at least tax-free. Illustration: News Decoder This article, by high school students Samantha Crystal and Phoebe Diamond was produced out of News Decoder’s school partnership program. The...
by Kamuskay Kamara | 28 Mar 2023 | Africa, African Leadership Academy, Youth Voices
Overdevelopment has caused so much destruction. It is time to replant the trees we have cut down and be better stewards of our land. Volunteers search for bodies after heavy flooding and mudslides just outside of Freetown, Sierra Leone, 15 August 2017. (AP...
by Micah Earnest | 24 Mar 2023 | Educators' Catalog, Health and Wellness, Student Posts, Tatnall School, Youth Voices
Extracurricular activities and sports can help students gain admission to university. But is the need to ace exams and win one for the team too much pressure? Photo illustration of teen athletes against a backdrop of grades and college application. This article, by...
Youth correspondent Micah Earnest of News Decoder partner The Tatnall School gives us a glimpse into the life of a student athlete in an article that asks us to redefine “success” for young people. With mounting pressure to succeed in academics and extracurricular activities, some student athletes with college aspirations are seeing declines in mental health. What can we do to change that?
Exercise: Have students read the article, then launch a discussion to answer the question that appears at the end of the text: “What can we do for people now and future generations to make schooling a better learning space for high schoolers who want to succeed without feeling inferior to others if they do not do a sport or reach the top 1% of their class?” You may consider using the Think-Pair-Share protocol for this discussion (i.e. Students think and jot down notes independently, discuss with one partner and finally, volunteers share ideas with the class.).
by Pénélope Flouret and Goldie Zarabi | 14 Mar 2023 | Contest winners, Health and Wellness, Hewitt, Student Posts, United States, Women, Youth Voices
If you are in need of an abortion in the United States, you might have to travel cross the country to get one. Or a clinic could be just blocks away. A woman enters Alamo Women’s Reproductive Services, Thursday, 7 October 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. The clinic...
by News Decoder | 13 Mar 2023 | Contest winners, Health and Wellness, Realgymnasium Rämibühl Zürich, Science, Student Posts, Youth Voices
I had five screws implanted in my back at age 13. Then I learned of spinal implants improperly tested. Can we know if medical procedures are safe? Photo illustration of a doctor examining a woman’s spine. (Credit: Albina Gavrilovic) This article was authored by...
by Riya Patel | 7 Mar 2023 | Student Posts, Tatnall School, Youth Voices
It isn’t difficult to find a caring home for one cat or dog. But millions roam the world and there aren’t enough shelters. What do we do with them all? Stella, a gray cat, waits to be adopted. Credit: Riya Patel This article, by high school student Riya...
by Aiden Huber | 28 Feb 2023 | Health and Wellness, Student Posts, Tatnall School, Youth Voices
People of lesser means have few food buying choices where they live, while supermarkets seem to crop up where markets already thrive. Can we change that? Photo illustration by News Decoder. This article, by high school student Aiden Huber, was produced out of News...
by Sara Kane | 22 Feb 2023 | Health and Wellness, Student Posts, Tatnall School, Youth Voices
Few countries have policies on sex education. In the United States, policies vary from state to state and might depend on whether a school is public or private. Books used to teach sex education. Credit: Sara Kane. This article, by high school student Sara Kane, was...
