Insider Spotlight: Dave Dallas
Welcome to the Insider Spotlight, where we feature real questions from our team and answers from educators who are making a difference teaching news literacy. This month, our featured educator is Dave Dallas, who teaches U.S. history to middle school students in New Jersey.
Q: What does news literacy education look like in a social studies classroom?
A: News literacy is the real-world application of the skills we learn while studying history, civics and geography. It provides space in our daily routine where students can make sense of the world around them by applying critical thinking skills and analyzing a variety of sources and mediums.
Q: Can you give an example of a lesson or assignment you use that has a particularly strong news literacy component?
A: As an eighth grade history teacher, I often have my students write from historical perspectives. One of the most challenging activities is having students analyze primary sources to better understand and decide whether the American Revolution was truly revolutionary. Engaging directly with original sources allows students to form their own conclusions with minimal bias or preconceived notions. This directly translates to modern media literacy, teaching students to interrogate and analyze today’s news sources through lateral reading, cross-checking and critical questioning.
Q: Do you have a favorite resource from the News Literacy Project?
A: By far, my favorite resource is the Daily Do Now slides. Two to three times a week, I begin my lessons with these slideshows. My students love the engaging topics, consistency, timeliness and the challenge. I’ve also recently adapted the Two Truths and AI™ videos into a student-led weekly news presentation, in which students present a current news story and challenge the class with a synthesized “Two Truths and AI” component.
Q: How do social media, headlines or viral content impact your students’ understanding of history?
A: Outside of school, social media posts are the single biggest tool eighth graders use to make sense of, contextualize and interpret history. It is our job as educators to meet this new medium head-on by using news literacy resources to help them navigate all the benefits and hazards of social media in a controlled environment.
Q: What’s one thing you hope students still carry with them ten years after leaving your classroom?
A: In ten years, I hope my students remember that they have a voice and that it truly matters. My primary goal as an educator is for students to discover who they are and to realize they have the power to make an impact on the world.
Q: If you could bring one historical figure into your classroom for a day, who would it be?
A: Westward expansion is one of my favorite topics to teach. The Gold Rush, Manifest Destiny, and the Lewis and Clark expedition are all right at the top of my list. I would love to have either Meriwether Lewis or William Clark surprise my class with a visit!
