Mission, Vision, Competencies, Standards, and Benchmarks

‣ How do I know which ideas are “right?” What is my criteria?
‣ What does it mean to listen to other people? How is this different from “hearing?”
o What are the benefits and limitations of online communication? How is “listening”
to people in an online forum or a social media app different than in a face-to-face
conversation?
Core Understandings:
Students will understand that…
‣ The message is influenced by the medium; good ideas can be overlooked or dismissed
on the basis of how they are presented.
‣ Knowing when to consult an “expert” can be the difference between good and great work.
‣ Changing one’s mind in the face of better evidence is a mark of learning and growth.
‣ It is possible to hear without truly listening. Good listening involves engagement with the
speaker’s message…and accurately interpreting what the speaker is saying and how the
speaker is saying it.
Competency: Information and Media Fluency
Description: Students will work to master…
‣ Confidently navigating standard conventions and tools for organizing print and digital
resources.
‣ Using inquiry-based research processes by applying critical thinking skills such as
analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and organization to construct new understandings,
drawing conclusions and creating new knowledge.
‣ Finding, evaluating, and selecting appropriate sources to answer questions and to meet
personal learning needs.
‣ Using technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and
understanding in ways others can view, use, and assess.
‣ Evaluating the accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, coverage and relevance of
information and data sources.
Essential Questions:
‣ What sources are most useful for discovering more about my topic? What evidence am I
missing? Where can I go to find the missing pieces?
‣ What makes a written or online resource reliable? What makes it relevant for what we're
studying?
‣ How do we know which sources are most accurate when sources disagree?
Core Understandings:
Students will understand that…
‣ Some sources, whether documents, media, web pages, or artifacts, are more useful than
others for discovering accurate and useful information.
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