The Call for Change Youth Media Challenge is the new and improved version of the election challenge for 2022. Explore the free curriculum and student exemplars!
Teaching Election 2020 may feel like the rest of 2020: complex, hard to predict and packed with teachable moments. Whether your students are preparing to vote for the first time, already engaged in civic activities or still figuring out where they stand, KQED’s Above the Noise breaks down multiple perspectives around election issues. A video series designed to cut through the hype never sounded so good.
As they learn about the issues, students can also discuss their views in a variety of media formats with fellow students across the country on KQED Learn, a safe online space for middle and high school students.
In fact, the discussion on KQED Learn around Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? might surprise you. Students from across the country are split about whether their peers are ready to step into the voting booth at 16. And in light of the protests sweeping the country, how would your students respond to How Can We Get More Young People to Vote?
The mechanics around our election have never been more relevant. The video How Does the Practice of Gerrymandering Make You Feel About Voting in the Future? analyzes historic and current gerrymandering tactics. Students also draw on history to unpack the drama of election night in The Electoral College: Why Such a Big Debate?
We know students care about complex issues, like healthcare, immigration and climate change. Above the Noise videos like those listed below help students encounter multiple perspectives and build evidence-based arguments to support their views. Each video also comes with sentence frames, a lesson plan, student viewing guide, glossary, and English and Spanish transcripts to support remote, blended or in-person learning.
- What Does It Mean To Be Anti-Racist?
- Should the U.S. Have Universal Healthcare?
- Is a Carbon Tax the Best Way to Slow Climate Change?
- Does the U.S. Asylum System Need to Change?
- Should We Get Free Money From the Government?
- Should College Be Free?
After students explore election issues, the next step is making their voices heard beyond the classroom. KQED’s Youth Media Challenge: Let’s Talk About Election 2020 asks students to create an audio or video commentary on an issue that matters to them, then publish it on the KQED Learn showcase. Students from across the country have already started sharing their voices. These already published commentaries are mentor texts that can inspire you and your students.