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:
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a compelling and timely question;
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related current and age-appropriate public media content including audio, video, and text;
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extension resources for advanced or highly-interested students;
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student graphic organizers;
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a simple debate tool;
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a teacher's guide to the module;
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and a guide to the 5 Key Questions of Media Literacy.
This Teacher's Guide supports the Should school districts ban contact sports with potential for concussions? module on thinkalong.org. Here is the full module and below is a summary.
Youth sports – especially in schools – have been under scrutiny for player safety issues in the last few years, especially when talking about concussions. With the NCAA, NFL, and state legislatures reevaluating the safety of their players, use this module to bring the conversation from the locker room to the classroom and ask if we should throw the flag on high-contact sports in schools.
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.
