On the afternoon of August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot to death in a confrontation with Darren Wilson, a white police officer in Ferguson, MO. Within a week, the shooting became a flashpoint for a national discussion about race, policing, and justice in the United States.
Using Ferguson as a case study, students will explore the media coverage and the protests that followed—driven to a large degree by social media—and learn to become informed and effective civic participants in today’s digital landscape.
Before you teach this lesson, please review the following guidance to tailor this lesson to your students’ contexts and needs.
This unit is made up of 11 lessons, which feature video interviews with award-winning journalists and scholars, analysis of news coverage and images, and a range of activities designed to develop students’ critical thinking, literacy, and social–emotional skills and competencies.
Early lessons establish a foundation for exploring the news and news literacy through a reflection on the impact of identity and bias on the way we respond to news and other kinds of information. The middle section uses examples of news reports and social media posts about Ferguson, raising important questions about such news literacy topics such as sourcing and verification, the role of social media, and the role of a free press in democracy.
Moving beyond the events in Ferguson, the concluding lessons examine some of the challenges and opportunities that today’s dynamic media landscape presents to the public for meaningful civic engagement. Whereas in the past the means to distribute information widely were held almost exclusively by professional journalists, today the power to create and disseminate information is literally in the hands of the people. While quality journalism serves as a watchdog for democracy, citizens can play a parallel or complementary role by disseminating information that exposes and highlights injustice.
Before you begin teaching this unit, we suggest that you:
In addition, because this unit deals with sensitive and difficult topics, we suggest that you review our thoughts about creating a reflective classroom. The unit includes many opportunities for student reflection through journaling. You may want to read about effective strategies for using journals in the classroom.
Facing History and Ourselves is designed for educators who want to help students explore identity, think critically, grow emotionally, act ethically, and participate in civic life. It’s hard work, do we’ve developed some go-to professional learning opportunities to help you along the way.
