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Challenge | 1-3 Days

LIVE - Beyond school: learning Black history on my own

OVERVIEW

Black history

How do you learn outside of the classroom? For Black History Month, Student Reporting Labs wants to hear from you about the ways you explore history on your own!

“History” is a school subject. It’s also anything you find interesting and worth knowing about in the past.

Tell a story about something specific you learned about Black history outside of school. What was it? Where did you learn the information (ie TikTok, a friend or family member) and how did this information change your perspective?

Why is it important for other people to know about it? What does Black history mean to you? Who are the Black Americans who inspire you?

ASSIGNMENT

Tell a story about something specific you learned about Black history outside of school.

Some ideas to think about:

  • Artists
  • Writers
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Leaders in government, business, academia, military ect.
  • Beauty & fashion
  • Movies & TV
  • Social media influencers
  • Social/political activism
  • Important historical events left out of school textbooks
  • The legacy of slavery and its effects on the present day
  • How social media/technology has changed the conversation around Black history

DEADLINE: February 7, 2023

CREATE A SHORT VIDEO DIARY (60-90 seconds)

Film horizontally. Check out SRL’s tutorial on how to record a video diary. Practice before you record, speak from the heart (don’t read from a script!), and remember to share what it means to you personally to learn new information, and how you found it!

Include broll to add visual interest. Here’s more on how to film broll on your phone.

  • For this option, you can submit raw footage OR an edited piece with broll. No matter what, please include a transcript.
  • If you choose to submit an edited piece, have fun and be creative! Feel free to use the editing tricks you use on Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

**ON CAMERA IDENTIFICATION: For the record, please say and spell your full name (first and last) on camera. Also please describe how you want to be identified in this video. For example, “I’m an 11th-grade student at Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California” NOTE: SRL’S EDITORS NEED THIS INFORMATION AND WON’T BE ABLE TO PUBLISH YOUR VIDEO WITHOUT IT**

Questions:

  • What does Black history mean to you?
  • Who are the Black Americans who inspire you?
  • What have you learned from sources other than school– like social media, your friends/family, movies, TV, books, podcasts ect.?
  • How did you find the information?
  • What did you learn?
  • Why is that person or that story important?
  • How has learning about Black history in the U.S. affected you?
  • How has Black culture shaped you and/or your worldview?
  • How does history connect to the present day?
  • How does social media/technology affect the conversation around Black history?

EXAMPLES:

HOW TO SUBMIT - DEADLINE: February 7th

SUBMIT HERE

Journalism

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.

Source: American Press institute

Community

A group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood). It can also be a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.

Source: Merriam Webster

Diversity

The condition of having or being composed of differing elements. Especially in the context of the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization

Source: Merriam Webster

Inclusion

The act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (as because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)

Source: Merriam Webster

Human Interest

People are interested in other people. Everyone has something to celebrate and something to complain about. We like unusual stories of people who accomplish amazing feats or handle a life crisis because we can identify with them.

Relevance

People are attracted to information that helps them make good decisions. If you like music, you find musician interviews relevant. If you’re looking for a job, the business news is relevant. We need to depend on relevant information that helps us make decisions.

Story Angle

In news, it’s a story’s point or theme. It's the lens through which the producer or writer filters the information they have gathered and focuses it to make it meaningful to viewers or readers.

Source: ThoughCo.

Interview

A conversation between two or more people where the purpose is to gather information and facts. The interviewer asks questions and the interviewee provides information based on their knowledge about a specific topic or issue.

Story

An account of past or current events. In journalism, stories are presented with a combination of people, facts, and typically includes a beginning, middle and end.

Character

A person or other physical being in a narrative. Stories are made up of different characters who provide information and help shape the narrative with their knowledge, experience and perspective.

Empathy

The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. A generally definition is the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. In media-making, creators can have empathy for their subjects and the audience can empathize with the characters.

Curiosity

A desire to learn and know about something or anything.

Topics

Active Prompts

Race and Justice

Levels
Materials

Camera

Mobile Phone

Notebook

Estimated Time

1-3 Days