On the afternoon of August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot to death in a confrontation with a white police officer in Ferguson, MO. Within a week, the shooting and the protests that followed—driven to a large degree by social media—became a flashpoint for a discussion about race, policing, and justice in the United States.
Using a new unit co-created by Facing History and Ourselves and the News Literacy Project, this workshop will:
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model how to create a safe and reflective space for dealing with difficult topics;
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examine how confirmation and other implicit biases can shape our understanding of the world;
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share how to use news literacy skills and concepts as a set of critical thinking tools to help students find reliable information to make decisions, take action, and responsibly share news and information through social media; and
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explore what it means to become effective and informed civic participants in today’s complex information landscape.
After this workshop you will:
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Become part of the Facing History educator network, with access to a rich slate of educator resources, including downloadable unit and lesson plans, study guides, and multimedia
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Be able to borrow books and DVDs through our online lending library at no cost
