Double Take: There Are (At
Least) Two Sides to Every Story
There's an old saying that perception is reality -- as
humans, we each have a unique perspective to see or perceive things differently
than other people. For example, even though scientists strive for accuracy and
truth in their research, they are often confronted with counterclaims and
alternate viewpoints that point out possible inaccuracies. Reporters, policemen
and lawyers are required to consider all angles of a story or event before
drawing conclusions about what actually happened. This month, MarcoPolo is
featuring lessons and resources to shed light on the problems of bias and
perception, because what you think you see is not always what you will get. Use
the warm-up activities below to help students sharpen their analysis skills;
then, scroll down for links to more lessons and Partner-reviewed Web sites.
Check out the offerings of our newest Partner, ReadWriteThink. The site, produced by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, provides educators and students access to the highest-quality lessons and resources in reading and language-arts instruction.
The MarcoGram is created in HTML. If you are unable to properly view the images or hyperlinks, please view the online version at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/marcograms/10-25-02.html.
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| Warm-up Activities |
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1.
Statistics are often represented in graphs or charts to help readers quickly
understand the significance of the data. The type of data generally dictates
the type of chart or graph used.
What are some different types of graphs and charts? (Bar, block, line, pie.) Where do you often see data represented graphically? (Stock market charts, fundraising "thermometers," survey results.) Ask students to develop a survey to collect information from their classmates about a certain topic that is interesting to them. The survey should contain one question, such as choosing a favorite color or TV show, with four or five answer choices. Have students chart or graph their survey responses. (More advanced students can include percentages, mean and median.) What type of chart best represents their findings? Ask students to analyze everyone else's findings. Determine the relationship between data and graphs in:
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Image of the New York Times newsroom courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. |
2.
Journalists, reporters, advertisers and researchers often adhere to similar
codes of ethics that require responsibility, accuracy, integrity and
independence when relaying news, events and information to the public.
Individual perceptions about an event may differ, so it is important to strive
for truth and accuracy when relaying information.
How can consumers ensure they are not purchasing misrepresented goods or receiving biased information? How do some reporters "cross the line" and misrepresent the truth in their stories? What is the definition of primary materials and how can researchers ensure their historical research is uncovering the truth about actual events? Ask students to find examples of dubious reporting or advertising in TV, magazines, the Internet or newspapers. Have them select five pieces of information from the report or claim and conduct a fact-finding mission in the library or local archives to find resources that either support or discount the information. Ask them to supply a bibliography of primary resources they consider trustworthy and reliable. Examine the pitfalls of bias and inaccurate reporting
in:
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3. Optical
illusions trick the brain into "seeing" things that aren't really there.
Sometimes the brain compensates for missing pieces of an image by filling in
the gaps, but other times the brain gets confused, which affects its perception
of reality.
What are some optical illusions? (3-D images, backwards spinning wheels, M.C. Escher's illustrations) How do they trick the brain? What parts of the brain and the eye are affected in optical illusions? What are some illusions or false perceptions that can affect the other senses? Separate students into five groups. Assign each group one of the five senses. Ask each group to research and collect illusions that can trick their assigned sense. Hold a science fair where students can test their sensory perception. Investigate illusions in:
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What are the tactile differences between each coin? Which coins have reeded edges, and which ones are sized differently? Can you find any other differences by touching the coins? What other senses can be used to determine the denomination of a coin?
Put a random sampling of coins in a bag. Ask students to close their eyes and feel the coins in the bag. Can they determine by touch how much money is in the bag? Ask the students to think up ways that paper money could contain tactile features to help the visually impaired tell the difference between one-, five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills.
Design money for the visually impaired in:
"The
Need for Money That Everyone Can Use"
(Grades 6-8), EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education.
Show students some photographs of different types of schoolrooms, then and now, available through the "Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic" lesson from EDSITEment, below. What are the similarities between their current classroom or school and the one-room schoolhouse? What are the differences? Do students think it is easier or more difficult to be a student now versus 100 years ago?
Divide the students into two groups. Ask one half to pretend they live and go to school in the early 1900s, and the other half to pretend they live in the future. Have students write a pen pal letter to a student in the other "era," describing a typical day at school.
Explore childhood and schooling in:
"Childhood
Through the Looking Glass" (Grades
6-8) and
"Reading,
Writing and 'Rithmetic in the One-Room Schoolhouse" (Grades
K-2), both from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities.
| Featured Lessons |
"Backwards Spinning Wheels" (All
Grades)
Science NetLinks, American Association for the
Advancement of Science
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30sci_wheels.cfm
This Science Update explains why car wheels on TV
appear to spin backwards.
"Born on a Mountaintop?: Davy
Crockett, Tall Tales and History" (Grades 3-5)
EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ed_tales.cfm
Students discuss the connections between "tall tales"
and historical events.
"Childhood Through the Looking Glass"
(Grades 6-8)
EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ed_glass.cfm
Students explore the relationship between childhood
fictions and the real experience of growing up.
"Color Burst" (Grades 3-5)
Science NetLinks, American Association for the
Advancement of Science
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30sci_color.cfm
Students develop questions to help them gain
perspective on results from an experiment in color separation.
"Counting Embedded Figures" (Grades
9-12)
Illuminations, National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ill_figures.cfm
Students develop visualization skills by working
together to find patterns in puzzles and algebra problems.
"The CPI -- A Crystal Ball?" (Grades
9-12)
EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ill_cpi.cfm
Students use the Consumer Price Index to predict
economic trends.
"Critical Literacy: Point of View"
(Grades 6-8)
ReadWriteThink, International
Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30rwt_view.cfm
Students learn to look at texts from
different viewpoints. For example, was the "Big Bad Wolf" really bad?
"Evaluating Eyewitness Reports"
(Grades 9-12)
EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ed_reports.cfm
Students determine the reliability of eyewitness
reports and primary sources while conducting research on the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871 and the Civil War.
"Hollywood Dinosaurs" (Grades 6-8)
Science NetLinks, American Association for the
Advancement of Science
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30sci_dinosaur.cfm
Students differentiate between fact, theory and
speculation as they relate to dinosaurs.
"Information Represented Graphically"
(Grades K-8)
Illuminations, National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ill_graph.cfm
Students sharpen their analytical skills by looking at
selected graphs and writing about the information they find.
"Integrated Dance Curriculum: Straight
and Curved Pathway 'Maps'" (Grade 3)
ARTSEDGE,
Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ae_maps.cfm
Students use guided movements to enhance spatial
perception and their understanding of maps.
"The Need for Money That Everyone Can
Use" (Grades 6-8)
EconEdLink, National Council on Economic Education
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30econ_money.cfm
Students design paper money that can be used by the
visually impaired.
"Perception of Place" (Grades 9-12)
Xpeditions, National Geographic Society
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30xp_place.cfm
Students consider how and why people perceive the same
place in different ways.
"Pursuit of Meaning" (Grades 9-12)
ARTSEDGE,
Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ae_meaning.cfm
In this curriculum unit, students explore creation
stories from various cultures and write a play based on a story. Then, they
create a "museum" exhibit based on a culture.
"Reading Between the Lines" (Grades
9-12)
Xpeditions, National Geographic Society
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30xp_lines.cfm
Students evaluate news stories by determining their
sources and recognizing biases or viewpoints.
"Reading, Writing and 'Rithmetic in
the One-Room Schoolhouse" (Grades K-2)
EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ed_school.cfm
Students examine the similarities and differences of
attending school in a one-room schoolhouse as compared to a well-equipped
modern school.
"School Space: An Analysis of Map
Perceptions" (Grades 6-8)
Xpeditions, National Geographic Society
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30xp_space.cfm
Students explore the factors (e.g., culture, age, sex,
occupation and experience) that influence people's perception of places.
"Truth in Advertising: When to Ask
Questions" (Grades 9-12)
ARTSEDGE,
Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ae_truth.cfm
Students review commercials to evaluate what makes an
effective public service announcement or advertisement.
"What Comes Nex_?" (Grades 3-5)
Illuminations, National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ill_next.cfm
Students discover the importance of looking at data
from more than one perspective.
"What Portraits Reveal" (Grades 9-12)
EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities
http://www.marcopolo-education.org/partner/30ed_portraits.cfm
Students consider how portraits can be manipulated to
express a specific point of view.
Adventures of Chip Tracer, Cyberjournalist
American Memory: Selected Civil War Photographs
Earth From Space
The Field Museum
Grade 4 Chance and Uncertainty
Gulliver's Travels
Hyper History
Probability
Witchcraft in a Salem Village
WonderNet!
Search for more lessons and resources
Forums, Xpeditions' communications center, invites teachers, students and families to submit a new message, answer a question, join a debate or simply peruse the postings. Invite your students and their families to start a new discussion about a geography topic that's in or out of this world! Forums
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Catch up with the MarcoGram October 2002: Money Matters: Become a Financial Wizard September 2002: MarcoPolo Does the Body Good August 2002: Let Freedom Ring
Find more MarcoPolo lessons Explore the current list of new Partner lessons by visiting the Teacher Resources section of the MarcoPolo Web site. Use the MarcoPolo Search Engine to search for lessons by topic, keyword, grade level or Partner.
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