A Guide to What Teenagers Think is Cool

What is Lit?

Just some teens, enjoying the coolest brands. (Getty Images/ISTOCKPHOTO)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/04/04/teens-think-axe-body-spray-is-cooler-than-espn-mcdonalds-or-vice/?utm_term=.d39e2f77f4a1

https://storage.googleapis.com/think/docs/its-lit.pdf

1)  What evidence is presented in these resources?  Is it compelling for the conclusions the authors come to?  What are the limits in surveying people for research?  To what degree can one trust the conclusion of YouTube being the "coolest" brand?  

2)  Whose perspective is represented in the articles?  Whose perspective is not represented?  In what ways are teenagers' perceptions different than their parents?  Why might a Pewdiepie subscriber think about this report differently than someone who has never heard of this YouTuber?        

3)  In what ways can this report connected to the environment?  To government and politics?  Education?

4)  To what extent would this report have been different if they extended the age range 3 years above and below?  How might these resources be    

5)  In what ways is this significant to you?  What are some assumptions about teenagers?  About the field of advertising?  What are the long-term consequences of this report?  Short-term?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research the techniques used to sell products and bring in ads that use these techniques.  They can then compare them to early techniques in marketing (i.e. Listerine).  

2)  Students can create an guidebook of new words for teachers to be aware of and update it throughout the year.  They can then chart the use and disuse of slang words throughout different periods of time through research or by interviewing family members.

AoK:  Human Sciences

WoK:  Language

Wasteful Spending? US Gov Spends $2M, Finds Out Kids Like Food Un-Sneezed On

Senator Questions the Value of Scientific Research

 (Getty Images/mammamaart)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/11/30/should-the-u-s-spend-200000-on-how-500-year-old-fish-bones-relate-to-tanzanian-social-status/?utm_term=.6218dd1cef44#comments

1)  Which numbers are used as evidence in this article?  What evidence is used by politicians as "appropriate" or "too much" spending?

2)  Why might a scientist have a different opinion on this than that of a builder?  Whose perspective is left out?

3)  In what ways is this connected to sports?  Instagram?

4)  How might this be different if it was written by a scientist?  What would happen if the government did not fund scientific research in the non-STEM related field?

5)  What are some basic assumptions about government?  The role of science in society?  How are those assumptions reinforced in this article?  How are they undermined?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research the history of breakthroughs/inventions that have their roots in seemingly trivial experimentation and create a top ten list.

2)  Students can research Bell Labs/Raytheon and NASA/NSF for the various ways the government and the private sector approach research and development.  

AoK:  Natural Sciences

WoK:  Emotion

Texting Mistake Leads to New Plans for Thanksgiving

Grandma With Wrong Number Makes Holiday Miracle


(Twitter)

http://mashable.com/2016/11/16/grandma-texts-wrong-teen-thanskgiving/?#JSfFo5r7VEqU

1.  In what ways did questions of evidence come up in this story?  How do we know what is true on social media?  What evidence would you need to verify someone's identity from a number you didn't know?    

2.  Whose perspective is represented in this story?  Whose is left out?  In what ways is your perspective limited when reading this story?  With whom do you identify most?  Why might a teenager have a different perspective than a senior citizen?

3.  In what ways is this connected to history?  In what ways is this connected to transportation?  Star Wars?

4.  How might this be different if the gender roles were reversed?  If this was in India?

5.  What are the basic assumptions of the role of a grandmother?  The Thanksgiving holiday?  In what ways is this significant to you?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research the term "doxxing" and decide if this falls under the definition and debate for their viewpoint.

2)  Students can invite someone they normally wouldn't invite to a celebration and reflect on the experience from planning to implementation.

AoK:  Ethics, History

WoK:  Reason, Imagination, Emotion

Single Mother Returns Money from Broken ATM

Bank Customer Lauded for Honesty

(Getty Images)

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20161005/cop-shop-woman-does-the-right-thing-after-gift-from-atm

1)  What could be used as evidence that this story is a fabrication?  What are the limits of financial records as evidence?  What are the limits of video evidence?

2)  Whose perspective is represented?  Left out?  In what ways is your perspective limited on this story?  Why might the CEO of Wells -Fargo feel differently about this story today than 3 years ago?

3)  In what ways is this connected to social media?  Marvel Comics?

4)  How would the story be different if it was a man?  A woman of a different race?  A larger amount of money?  A smaller amount?  A bank teller was responsible?

5)  To whom might this be significant?  What are some basic assumptions about honesty in financial dealings?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can rank which items are the most immoral to steal  a. a car  b.  a painting  c. pirated music  d.  bread for a hungry family.  and then research Kant's categorical imperative and re-rank

2)    Students can write a short story of a character who one day finds $133,000 dollars was deposited into their bank account.

AoK:  Ethics

WoK:  Emotion  

UK Girl Makes Money Naming Chinese Babies

16 Year Old Has Helped Name 200,000 Children

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/37255033/a-16-year-old-british-girl-earns-48000-helping-chinese-people-name-their-babies

1)  What numbers are of significance in this article?  What evidence would be helpful to the clients that their name is appropriate?  If you were seeking a Chinese-influenced name?

2)  Whose perspective is represented in this article?  Whose is left out?  In what ways might a mother's perspective be different than a child's?

3)  In what ways is this connected to the culinary arts?  Sports?

4)  What might happen if a Chinese young woman is discovered doing the same for Europeans?

5)  In what ways is this significant?  What are some basic assumptions about naming children?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can research popular names over time and analyze frequency charts to make predictions about the likelihood of people of different ages having certain names.

2)  Students can read the chapter of Freakonomics discussing names and how they are connected to social status and predict the names of the future indicating education level or relative wealth.

AoK:  Human Sciences

WoK:  Language, Imagination

Canandian Teenager Calls 911 on Her Parents

Teen Upset With Vacation Spot

(Wikimedia Commons/By P199)

https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/gta/2016/08/20/teen-girl-calls-911-after-parents-forced-her-to-vacation-with-them.html


1)  What evidence would help the teen prove her point?  What evidence would help the police convince the teen that her use of 911 was inappropriate?    

2)  Whose perspective is represented in this story?  Whose is left out?  In what ways might your perspective be different than your teacher's about this story?

3)  To what degree is this connected to math?  Geography?    

4)  How might this have been different if it occurred in the U.S.?  About Disneyland?  If the young woman was 9?  19?

5)  To whom might this be significant?  What are the short term effects of this? Long?  What are the basic assumptions about emergency management services?  Teenagers?

Extension Activities:  

1)  Students can research vacation spots and write a series of diary entries from the perspective of a disgruntled teenager to describe the major features and landmarks of thee location.

2)  Students can research emergency management and create a frequency spectrum of likely scenarios and responses based on statistical information available for your hometown.

AoK:  Human Sciences, Ethics

WoK:  Imagination, Language

Umpire Ejects a Heckling Fan

Ump Stops Game to Throw out Unruly Fan

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/08/umpire-bob-davidson-ejects-phillies-fan-heckling-mlb-giants

(USA Today)

1)  What numbers are used in this article as evidence?  What evidence would a judge need to determine if the umpire acted accordingly?      

2)  Whose perspective is left out of this article?  Why might the owner of the team feel differently than the child of the umpire?

3)  To what degree is this connected to education?  Economics?

4)  In what ways would this story be different if it happened during an Olympic event?  

5)  What are the short term consequences of this ejection?  To whom might this be most significant?

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can create a continuum of fan behavior from the positive to the negative.

2)  Students can research the history of booing or cheering from a cultural perspective and write a small guide of do's and don't's for first-time visitors.   

AoK:

WoK: