About This Lesson
Thinkalong.org is a free, evidence-based interactive tool for students to develop media literacy skills by applying the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy to public media content. Importantly, the tool does not require registration for teachers or students, abides by student privacy laws, and is advised by a board of both youth and educators.
Each module consists of:
- a compelling and timely question;
- related current and age-appropriate public media content including audio, video, and text;
- extension resources for advanced or highly-interested students;
- student graphic organizers;
- a simple debate tool;
- a teacher's guide to the module;
- and a guide to the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy.
This Teacher's Guide supports the Is the presidential pardon too powerful? module on thinkalong.org. Here is the full module and below is a summary.
Article II, section 2 of the United States Constitution grants the president the power to grant pardons “for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment” and U.S. presidents since George Washington have exercised this power to varying degrees. Those who have been pardoned and how those decisions are made can be controversial, and some critics are calling for reforms to limit the abuse of this power. Is the presidential pardon an important tool to correct injustices and ease tensions, or is it an unfair opportunity to show favoritism?
To use this module with learners in any setting, we recommend using one of the structured discussion formats outlined at thinkalong.org/structuring-discussions. You can find options for a small or large group, so that all students or just a few participate, and examples of some discussion formats.
