Truth or Consequences

We are taught not to lie or mislead others. Yet lying, misleading, misinformation does happen, and it can have serious consequences. Get the truth about honesty and lying, misinformation and disinformation, as you do these online activities.

CONNECT:

• Watch these kid-friendly videos about honesty and lying: https://www.socialworkerstoolbox.com/videos-for-kids-on-honesty-and-lying/ There are also worksheets that accompany the videos.
• What is fake news? Watch how to identify them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Cd9-eJ-No&ab_channel=SmileandLearn-English
• For preteens and up: Now is election time, and voters need to know the truth about the candidates. See examples of misinformation that can falsely influence voters at https://misinfodashboard.newslit.org/?utm_source=election-2024&utm_campaign=election-resource-bundle-cvc-oct15-24b&utm_medium=email&emci=0e37ec2f-238b-ef11-8473-0022483029fa&emdi=1137ec2f-238b-ef11-8473-0022483029fa&ceid=8384968

 

CREATE:

• Build up your honesty superpower with these 10 honesty activities for kids: https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/honesty-activities-for-kids
• Can you believe everything you read? Sometimes it is hard to know the truth. Follow these tips to spot fake news, and test your ability, at https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/fake-news
• Play these games to learn about fake news: https://teachingkidsnews.com/fakenews/

 

CARE:

• Watch how to be safe on social media at https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=9osg-yh6uA0&ab_channel=TwinklTeachingResources-UnitedStates
• For parents: here are tips for teaching kids at different ages about honesty: https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/discipline/improper-behavior/fantastic-fibs/ and here are insights about fibbing as part of child development: https://houstonfamilymagazine.com/featured/lying-or-pretending-teaching-kids-to-tell-the-truth/
• For preteens and above: watch these 3 tips on how to deal with a lie: https://www.tiktok.com/@justaskjefferson/video/7341850295942548778?lang=en

 

CAREERS:

Are you a truth seeker? News reporting can be a good career for you, or you might consider becoming a teacher or a librarian. Get the truth about these careers at the following websites.

• https://kpcnotebook.scholastic.com/post/what-it-be-journalist
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO02Z_l38VA&ab_channel=ABCBigKids
• https://www.ucumberlands.edu/blog/high-impact-jobs-with-a-journalism-degree
• What are librarian careers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyOpL1Q8N-Y&ab_channel=CareerOneStop
• A day in the life of a children’s librarian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy-vERPOqdU&ab_channel=CityofDenton
• What do teachers do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMZRaMWxkps&ab_channel=LittleBoat

Your Government Voice

The political system is a central aspect of all countries. At every level, citizens elect their representatives. Presidential elections are especially important, and showcase each person’s involvement as active citizens. Whether it’s voting for a class president or the President of the U.S., you should be informed because your voting voice does count.

CONNECT:

• Ben Franklin’s avator explains the election process for different age groups: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/election/index.html
• Television greatly expanded the access to presidential debates. Watch the history and debate the quality of today’s election debates: http://www.museum.tv/debateweb/html/
• It’s important to be media literate in election season. Get informed at “The Living Room Candidate” about presidential commercials: http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/
• Technically, it’s the Electoral College who elects the President; watch how at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFJ2e82Nvnw
• The Machinery of Democracy (http://americanhistory.si.edu/vote/index.html) explores how ballots and voting systems have evolved over the years.

CREATE:

• Make your prediction about presidential winners at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/map/predict.html
• Look at historical political cartoons at http://elections.harpweek.com/, and compare them to today’s cartoons. Try making your own – maybe about elections at school.
• Create a trivia game using fun facts about US elections: http://www.gallopade.com/client/electionsforkids/index-1.html
• Create your own voting booth by following the directions at http://creeksidelearning.com/elections-for-kids/

CARE:

• How can kids participate in elections? PBS shows how at http://pbskids.org/democracy/vote/
• Watch kid reporters in the current election cycle, and take a poll about the presidential election at http://election.scholastic.com/kid-reporters/
• Speak up for kids during elections. Washington state’s Children’s Alliance gives suggestions for actions: http://www.childrensalliance.org/our-current-work/vote-kids
• Stay informed, and raise your voice about election issues at http://www.nick.com/kpp/

 CAREER:

Politics can be a lifetime career – or a one-time effort. And there are many careers that related to politics: journalism and other mass communications jobs, marketing, historian, lobbyist, lawyer.

https://www.themuse.com/advice/love-politics-make-it-your-job

http://www.apsanet.org/CAREERS/Careers-In-Political-Science

https://gspm.gwu.edu/sites/gspm.gwu.edu/files/downloads/careersebook.pdf