Common Ground: Working for Change

CONCEPTS

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Fact
Opinion
Statistics
Diversity

PROJECT/TASK

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The role of the news media in a free society traditionally has been to provide factual information that allows citizens to draw their own conclusions about current events; however, the media also serve as a forum for community discussion. Editors and producers may not agree with all the opinions expressed in their forums, but they nevertheless provide a place for those opinions to be shared. In Cincinnati, the media have formed a collaborative to expand that forum and to allow citizens to discuss racial relations as a whole community rather than in isolation. By studying media presentation of events that stir public reaction, by gathering schoolwide facts and opinions via surveys, and by viewing Common Ground: Working for Change, students will differentiate between fact and opinion, will draw conclusions from statistical data about their peers' views of racial relations, and will observe the modeling of a forum and draw conclusions about its value to the community.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

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http://www.ode.state.oh.us/ca/learn_outcomes.htm

Students will:

• Focus on the topic with adequate supporting ideas or examples; convey messages related to that topic, exhibit word choice appropriate to audience, purpose and subject, and use language as an expression of self. (4th Grade Writing a, b, f; 6th Grade Writing a, c; 9th Grade Writing a, e; 12th Grade Writing a, h, k)
• Draw inferences; determine whether a statement is a fact or opinion; and determine the different between statements based on fact and statements based on opinion. (4th Grade Reading 17; 6th Grade Reading 12; 9th Grade Reading 12, 14, 15; 12th Grade Reading 13, 14, 15)
• Identify data needed to solve problems; organize data into tables, charts and graphs; note trends and draw conclusions; calculate averages, means and modes; and use deductive reasoning. (4th Grade Mathematics 4, 24; 6th Grade Mathematics 4, 21, 22, 23; 9th Grade Mathematics 12, 14; 12th Grade Mathematics 16)
• Understand that many different peoples with diverse backgrounds make up our nation today, evaluate the actions of public officials on the basis of a given set of criteria, understand that the evolution of democratic principles can occur through civil disobedience, compare and contrast points of agreement and disagreement among sources, identify and weigh alternative viewpoints, and recognize that local and national issues can be related to those confronting a global society. (9th Grade Citizenship 2, 14c; 12th Grade Citizenship 12, 18b, 18d, 19)

LEARNING STRATEGIES / ACTIVITIES

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• Ask students to define the words fact and opinion. Provide a list of statements to students and ask them to identify them as fact or opinion and to provide an explanation of why their answer for each is correct. Examples: Girls are smarter than boys; 57x62=3534; George Washington Carver invented peanut butter; poetry is more enjoyable when it rhymes.
• Introduce students to the difference between fact and opinion in the news. Provide copies of the Enquirer and Post to the class and ask them to identify articles that are fact-based and pieces that are primarily opinion. (Be sure to note that fact-based articles may contain quotations that offer opinion.) Have them underline or highlight statements of fact and opinion in different colors of ink. Questions for discussion: Where are the different types of stories located in the newspaper? Did you find opinion pieces on the same topic that differed in opinion? Why would the editors print all those different opinions? Did you identify the editorial cartoon as opinion?
• In the computer lab or using a projected overhead screen, visit a TV news station website, such as WCPO (http://www.wcpo.com/). Provide time for a similar activity here. (For opinion, try the Forums http://www.cincinow.com/opinion/index.shtml.) Radio station websites can also be a good resource, especially stations that feature news and public affairs. A link to Cincinnati media is in the Resource section.
• Hold a mock press conference on a topic important or controversial to the students. If nothing comes to mind, try year-round school, drug testing for all students or a similar topic sure to stir student emotions. The teacher (or a guest) serves as the person holding the press conference (role-playing as a superintendent or another authority figure). After the "press conference," ask students to write a completely fact-based article. No opinion! Afterward have peer editing sessions and second drafts. Follow-up questions: How difficult was the activity? What steps did you take to ensure that you did not include your own opinion? Did anyone use facts but still have an article that seems to take a side? If so, what does it contain that makes it appear so?
• Move into a discussion of recent powerful news in Cincinnati: racial tension, riots and attempts to heal. Both teachers and students may need to do some research here. A good resource is Cincinnati.Com's Unrest in the City: http://cincinnati.com/unrest/. Sample questions for discussion: What is the "real" cause of the unrest in the city? Are the events in April the root of the problem or a symptom? What if anything can be done to improve racial relations in Greater Cincinnati? Why?
• Ask students to take a critical look at their classroom and their school. What is the school racial and ethnic make-up? Why? Ask students to predict how the majority of their peers would respond to the questions they have been discussing.
• Next coach students in creating and distributing a school survey based on their discussion. They will need to include demographic information (the facts about their school make-up) and also their peers' opinions. Check the Resources section for help with developing a school survey. Be sure to check out Enquirer survey information as a model. Hint: Numeric values (such as a 1 to 5 scale) given to answers help when it's time to compile data.
• After the survey is completed, the teacher may wish to have students calculate statistics by hand or by using a spreadsheet. In either case, students should investigate not only the big picture, but breakdown of stats by demographic information. Have students find average, mode and mean as well as use appropriate types of charts (pie, bar, etc.) to represent data breakdown. Follow-up questions: What did the survey reveal about school attitudes and opinions? Were predictions about opinions on target? Is gathering the information helpful? Why?
• Students watch Common Ground: Working for Change. repeated throughout day September 7 on Time Warner Cable Channel 19. Educational use: Teachers may tape and use for up to one year. Video will also be available on the CET website: http://www.cetconnect.org/.
• After viewing all or parts of the program, ask students to identify key points made by participants. How did the forum compare with the information gathered in their survey? Is there value in the media providing this forum to the community?
• Finally, allow students to respond to the program, their survey and their own feelings about the topics discussed through their own opinion piece. It may be a column, a letter to the editor, an editorial cartoon or a photo essay. Before beginning, students should review samples in the newspaper and check for length and other guidelines.
• See examples of editorial cartoons.
• See information about the creative process for editorial cartoons.

PUBLISHING

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Some students may wish to submit their final projects to the Enquirer or other news organization for consideration of publication. Include the required information cover sheet (click here to print one out). Other publishing ideas include the school newspaper or website, or a classroom bulletin board.

ASSESSMENT

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For less formal activities, such as discussion or small group work, teacher may monitor progress: Are students on task? Are they following directions? Is the assignment being taken seriously? (Teacher may choose ungraded or a scale of 1-10 or A-F.)

Teachers may wish to set up a point system for correct/incorrect calculations of data in the mathematics portion. Another option is to grade a final project of calculations, charts and presentation, allowing a balance of grading across several project goals.

For writing, teachers may develop, or have students develop, a rubric of standards for assignments.

Any of the activities may also be graded upon a rubric representing the Ohio Learning Outcomes listed for this lesson.

RESOURCES

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Cincinnati Enquirer race relations poll information
Cincinnati Enquirer survey educational resources
CincinnatiCAN
Cincinnati.Com Search / Archives
Cincinnati.Com's Unrest in the City
Cincinnati Media Links
The Community Speaks
Editorial Cartoon Resource: Jim Borgman
Eisenhower National Clearinghouse Math Topics
National Center for Education Statistics Student Classroom
NIE Lesson: "Information Please"
Ohio Learning Outcomes
Statistics: Cast Your Vote
Surveys and Statistics Lesson Plan

RESOURCES FOR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN

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With links to Amazon.com reviews

Topics: Fact vs. Opinion / Real vs. Unreal / Mathematics / Diversity

The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss
Cows Can't Fly, by David Milgrim
The Crocodile and The Dentist, by Taro Gomi
Eating Fractions, by Bruce McMillan
Henny Penny, by H. Werner Zimmermann
The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss
The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
The True Story Of The Three Little Pigs, by Jon Scieszka
"You Can Never Go Down The Drain," by Fred Rogers

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