Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration — or tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.
Post it in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.
Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
C.A. had never shared space with young people before us and had a cat’s distaste for any change in his environment. We brought chaos and noise to his well-ordered life, upending a careful balance I couldn’t see at the time. I was a careless dishwasher and a laundry spendthrift, oblivious to the expense of each laundromat visit. We were deeply poor in the way of hippies who value experience over material goods, and I was a tight budget’s nightmare.
It never occurred to me to offer him a little generosity of spirit back then. Instead, I made sure he knew I’d had my fill of dads and that my wily heart was a Mad Lib he’d never decipher. Our constant battles wore Mom down to pencil shavings. My sister, Tekla Waterfield, was more of a choose-your-own-adventure kid. She usually chose peace.
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word wily in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.
If you want a better idea of how wily can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try using multiple Words of the Day in a 50-word story that you submit to our Monthly Vocabulary Challenge.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
Prisons were not built to handle pandemics. In fact, it’s hard to imagine worse conditions for preventing the spread of the coronavirus than those in prisons: large groups of people living together, in crowded indoor spaces, with a security staff that comes and goes regularly.
A recent New York Times report found that the rate of Covid-19 cases in United States correctional institutions was more than three times the rate in the general population. A follow-up report found that the infection rate in detention centers run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was 20 times that of the general population.
This data raises important questions, both statistical and moral. In this lesson, you will analyze the pandemic’s impact on correctional facilities across the United States — and close to home. Then you will have the opportunity to weigh the ethics of prioritizing — or not prioritizing — prison communities for vaccination, and to explore the realities of statistical bias in data collection.
Warm-Up
Look closely at the graph below. These connected-dot plots compare the coronavirus infection rates in each state’s entire population with the rates in its state prisons, including for incarcerated people and prison staff.
1. The graph in the warm-up activity reveals the disproportionately high Covid rates in state prisons across the United States compared with the general population. Why are correctional facilities “among the nation’s most dangerous places when it comes to infections from the coronavirus”?
2. How did The New York Times collect this data?
3. After reading this introductory section, what are your reactions to what you learned about Covid in prisons? Why?
Math Activity #1: Counts and Rates
Note to teachers: Answers to the math problems are at the bottom of this post. Classes can do the activity below with any county that has a state or federal correctional facility on the map in the article. They will explore their home county in Math Activity #2.
According to the map “Inmate infections in U.S. correctional facilities,” in the featured article, San Quentin State Prison has had 2,243 Covid-19 cases and 28 Covid-related deaths during the pandemic. The peak number of prisoners over that time was 3,462. The prison is in Marin County, Calif., which has had 13,855 Covid-19 cases and 227 deaths in its general population. According to the Census Bureau, Marin County has 258,826 residents. The following table summarizes this information:
Imagine that a local politician says, “There have been more than six times as many Covid-19 cases in our county than in the prison. In addition, there have been more than eight times as many deaths. So, let’s focus on disease mitigation among the county’s citizens, who clearly have been more affected than people in prison.”
Are the numbers in the politician’s statement accurate? How might they be misleading?
1. Verify the politician’s statistics by showing:
2. Answer the following, in writing or in class discussion:
3. One way to measure the impact of Covid-19 is by calculating infection and death rates. Two formulas for these statistics are given below:
4. Answer the following, in writing or in class discussion:
Math Activity #2: The Incarcerated and Your Community
Let’s find, calculate and interpret measures of Covid-19’s spread in your community and in nearby prison facilities. Draw a blank table, similar to the one we used in the warm-up:
First, find the closest prison to your community using the interactive map in the article. Hover your cursor over the circle representing the prison, and then fill in the cells in the table under the “nearby prison” column. (Use the “inmates at peak” statistic as the population size.)
Next, open the New York Times Covid-19 database. Navigate to the “County trends” section and find your county. Change the menu from “Recent trends” to “All time.” Fill in the corresponding cells in the table with the case count and the death count. To find your county’s population size, look up your county name in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Quick Facts site.
Once you’ve compiled all the data, respond to the following:
Calculate and compare the infection rates in your county with those in the nearby prison. Which one is higher? Why do you think that is?
Calculate and compare the death rates in your county with those in the nearby prison. Which one is higher? Why do you think that is?
Going Further
Option 1: Weigh the ethics of prioritizing prison communities for vaccination.
Before Covid vaccines were widely available in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that prison workers and incarcerated people be placed in early phases of the rollout. Responses were mixed. Read the following two quotes from a March article about how Covid-19 prison vaccination policies differed from state to state:
“There’s no way [the vaccine is] going to go to prisoners before it goes to people who haven’t committed any crime.” — Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado
“People are unwilling to say we should vaccinate people who are incarcerated — who may have done something bad — before us. It’s like, ‘How dare they?’ But that’s not the question here. It’s not what we value or who we value. This is about who is at risk of disease. That’s it.” — Dr. Jaimie Meyer, associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of independent experts who advise the C.D.C. on its vaccine policies, identified four ethical principles to guide their decision-making process when vaccine supply is limited:
Maximize benefits and minimize harms — Respect and care for people using the best available data to promote public health and minimize death and severe illness.
Mitigate health inequities — Reduce health disparities in the burden of Covid-19 disease and death, and make sure everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.
Promote justice — Treat affected groups, populations and communities fairly. Remove unfair, unjust and avoidable barriers to Covid-19 vaccination.
Promote transparency — Make a decision that is clear, understandable and open for review. Allow and seek public participation in the creation and review of the decision processes.
Imagine that you are the governor of your state. Use those four principles to help guide your vaccine prioritization plan and determine what priority status prisoners and prison workers should have as part of the vaccine rollout. What recommendations would you make?
Option 2: Explore the potential for statistical bias.
Let’s dig a bit deeper into how these statistics were generated. Reread this paragraph from the article:
The cramped, often unsanitary settings of correctional institutions have been ideal for incubating and transmitting disease. Social distancing is not an option. Testing was not a priority inside prisons early in the pandemic. With little public pressure, political leaders have been slow to confront the spread.
Statistical bias occurs when a method for estimating a quantity, such as using case counts to estimate the total number of infections in a prison, is inaccurate. Biased methods lead to overestimates or underestimates.
Given that testing for the coronavirus was “not a priority inside prisons early in the pandemic,” do you think the prison infection rates listed in the article are biased? If so, are they underestimates or overestimates?
Now, let’s think about estimating the infection rate outside of prisons.
Think about the testing conditions in your community during the pandemic. Do you think there are people who were infected with Covid-19 who never got tested? Why? Do you believe the overall infection rates listed in the article are biased? If so, are they underestimates or overestimates?
In your opinion, how should we deal with the possibility of statistical bias in the data we analyzed? How much should statistical bias affect our conclusions?
This lesson was written by Dashiell Young-Saver, who is a high school teacher of statistics and the founder of the site Skew the Script. Sharon Hessney, who curates the Learning Network’s weekly feature “What’s Going On in This Graph?” contributed to the lesson.
About Lesson of the Day
• Find all our Lessons of the Day in this column. • Teachers, watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to use this feature in your classroom.
Jane Austen’s House, a museum based in a home where the writer lived, is expanding its interpretation to include information about her and her family’s ties to the slave trade. However, British tabloids and fans of Austen’s work have pushed back against the museum’s inclusion of such information.
In this lesson, you will hear both sides of the debate on including slavery and its legacy in conversations about Austen and her literature.
Warm-Up
Jane Austen was an English novelist known for her critical interpretation and commentary on 18th-century society. Austen died over 200 years ago, but her novels are still read today, and movies based on her books continue to be made and remade. Some superfans annually visit Austen’s home in Bath, England, and dress in costume to celebrate the anniversary of when one of her novels was published. Today, there are even TikTok videos with thousands of views about the aesthetics of her novels and reviews of books about her books.
Have you ever read a Jane Austen novel? Or watched a movie version of one of her famous novels? Are you or anyone you know a fan of Austen’s work? Why do you think there is such a love for her novels and the time period she lived in?
When reading Austen’s books or thinking about her world, do you consider the realities of slavery at the time period and how that might have been part of her life? Why or why not?
1. How is the museum, Jane Austen’s House, trying to broaden its interpretation of Austen’s life and time period?
2. Why does the museum’s director, Lizzie Dunford, believe it is important to include this information? Do you agree with her reasoning? Why or why not?
3. How does the museum’s action fit into a larger conversation about the legacy of slavery as it relates to the British Empire? Can you think of other examples of similar conversations taking place at universities, museums or other public institutions in the United States, or elsewhere in the world?
4. How have British tabloids and fans of the novel reacted to the decision made by Jane Austen’s House?
5. What are the connections to slavery and abolition in Austen’s novels and personal life? What are the gaps in what historians and Austen scholars know?
Going Further
Consider different sides of the debate. Some argue that bringing conversations about slavery into Austen book clubs or museums is going too far and takes away from her work. But others assert that it is impossible to talk about 18th-century England and Austen’s life without talking about the slave trade. These two quotes from the article highlight the differing points of view. Read the quotes and then prepare to discuss or write your reaction.
Myretta Robens, the founder and president of an Austen fan group, said she had worked to prevent conversations about racism and current events in the groups she facilitates:
“We don’t want combat,” she said of her fan group. Referring to two of Austen’s most well-known characters, Ms. Robens said, “It’s hard to talk about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and talk about the current environment in the same forum.”
Claudia L. Johnson, a professor and author of the book “Jane Austen’s Cults and Cultures,” said people had long tried to separate Austen from the world around her:
“A large part of her readership has always wanted to isolate her from the sort of messy hubbub of history, and to imagine that she lived in this quieter, more civil world,” Professor Johnson said. “There is this deep longing to isolate Austen from all of the storms and stresses of modernity.”
Now, reflect on the two sides of the argument as presented above. You can choose one of the questions below and write your response, citing examples from the article, Austen’s novels or your own research. Or you can engage in a class discussion about the issue. If you’re having this conversation in class, you might do a Barometer activity to rank how strongly you agree or disagree with the perspectives presented above.
Do you believe it is important to contextualize Jane Austen, her home and her novels in 18th-century English history by acknowledging slavery, the slave trade and race relations during that time period? Or do you think it is more important to focus on the beauty of her novels, the worlds she created within them and what was special and simple about her time period?
Do you think these two perspectives are mutually exclusive? Or do you think it is possible to hold both perspectives at the same time? For example, Professor Johnson said, “Just because you involve Austen in the messiness of history doesn’t mean you don’t love her.” Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
About Lesson of the Day
• Find all our Lessons of the Day in this column. • Teachers, watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to use this feature in your classroom.
Sébastien Breteau is the founder of the Breteau Foundation, a charity committed to promoting access to education in developing countries. The Breteau Foundation believes that every child, regardless of location or background, should have access to a quality education.
Since its inception in 2013, the Breteau Foundation has implemented a range of educational initiatives that today reach 25,000 children. The foundation also empowers hundreds of teachers through their teacher training programs which provide educators with the digital skills necessary to bring forward the next generation. Through its network of partner schools across 10 different countries, as well as through refugee settlements and daycare centers, the Breteau Foundation is providing quality digital educational tools to some of the world’s disadvantaged children
Hi Sébastien, tell us what inspired you to choose a career in education?
Education is the stem of everything. My parents were teachers and I relate very much to the act of mentoring/coaching/passing on knowledge. When I was a teenager, I provided Mathematics tuition to a young girl, who found it very challenging. She persisted and after completing an assessment and gaining a high result, I could really see a change in her self-esteem. I found that a fabulous moment of humanity, when you are able to help someone and you see their progress and improvement. I founded the Breteau Foundation with a view of helping disadvantaged primary school children, providing them with tablets, high quality educational content and providing training to the teachers who support them.
What’s your single proudest achievement in the education sector?
Sadly, global education is not equal. Bringing our programme to the world’s most disadvantaged children is a small step in helping to give children everywhere, regardless of their background and location, an opportunity to succeed. Today, we now have 25,000 children enrolled in our programmes.
What has been the most important development you’ve witnessed in education in your professional lifetime?
The most important development I have witnessed is the quality and diversity of digital technology innovation and the role it has played in enhancing learning. Technology is continually evolving and providing opportunities to improve learning experiences for children. With more educational apps, tablets and mobile devices, children have more interactive and engaging ways to learn which, as we have seen with the children that we work with, motivates them to want to learn and improves their chances of completing education.
Why is free education so important in addressing global inequality?
Education provides freedom and dignity. Where children and adults cannot access education, there is lower educational attainment and fewer opportunities to build a career or a sustainable future. Free education allows anyone from anywhere in the world, no matter their background, to have the same opportunities. This increases their chances for a better future and enables individuals to play a bigger role towards building a stronger community.
Why do you think that online learning has been such a game changer when it comes to democratising education?
For those who do have connectivity, online learning improves access to resources, knowledge and learning. For some countries, switching to online learning has been a tremendous help during the global pandemic.
Unfortunately, for the majority of the communities we work with, online learning is not a possibility and without access to this, these children are significantly worse off. Our initiatives directly address connectivity inequality such as our offline Homeschooling Tablet Programme and our Mobile Education bus in Lebanon which brings education to refugee children. We also have offline Educational apps available in local languages and printed academic workbooks that are distributed into communities so learning can continue.
What in your opinion is the most pressing educational issue globally?
Learning poverty. Pre-Covid, learning poverty was already high, with many children in middle to low income countries not being able to read at a basic level by age 10. Currently, the World Economic Forum has reported that an additional 72 million children will be pushed into learning poverty. We need to be on the front-foot with education and find alternative ways to continue learning for these children.
If you were to recommend one online course to our Learners, what would it be and why?
We have recently partnered with Learn to Be a Better Human (LTBABH), an online e-learning platform that allows you to access micro classes for personal and professional development whilst also giving back a percentage of profits to charities. With LTBABH, we are developing a series of micro-classes that feature children we work with in the countries that our programmes reach. We have just launched our first micro-class ‘Friends Around The World: South Africa – Cape Town’ that aims to develop empathy and to help others understand how children in other countries live their lives. Our micro-classes are a valuable way to learn about someone else’s culture and their day-to-day lives in places that many of us may not have the opportunity to visit.
What advice would you give to Alison’s Learners who are using free online learning to empower themselves?
Learning is a life journey, it should never stop and we should be constantly seeking ways to grow and develop ourselves.
We’ve partnered with Black and Brilliant on an AI Accelerator and have been following along as participants make their way through the 10-week course. In addition to working through Codecademy’s Data Scientist curriculum, participants are exploring topics like responsible AI and social justice, the business of AI, and more with mentorship and coaching from industry experts.
We had a chance to speak with a few of the students participating in the Black and Brilliant AI Accelerator. In our conversations, we asked them about what problems they hope to solve with AI, as well as their advice for people who are interested in AI or are early in their technical learning journeys. Read on to find out what they had to say.
Siphu Langeni
Toronto, CA
After 15 years in the healthcare industry working in critical care and anesthesia, Siphu was exposed to a lot of data, which inspired her to go back to school and make the switch to data science. In the past year, she returned to school for additional coursework in data science, enrolled in the Black and Brilliant AI Accelerator, completed a 100 Days of Code challenge, and will soon join the Data Science and Engineering team at Shopify.
What Siphu wants to do with AI:
I’m really interested in building better access to healthcare, and I feel like AI could play a significant role in that. There’s so much disparity between those who can and cannot access the system and it creates a dividing line for humanity in general. Access isn’t always financial — sometimes it’s access to transportation, providers, and even information. There’s so much data out there, so figuring out a way to harness that data and make it helpful for others is my goal.
Her advice:
Career switching is challenging. It’s like starting over, so you need to be comfortable with not being comfortable. There were many points during my career path when I would just freeze, but you can’t be afraid to take that next step forward. Don’t be shy about reaching out either — what has helped me a lot has been networking. Speak to people who are ahead of you, but find people who are like yourself because they’re the ones who will understand your experience the most. I have a lot of friends who are in similar situations, and I find I’m most encouraged when we encourage each other. It’s about finding your tribe.
Lastly, stay curious. There’s not enough time in the world to know everything you need to know, but if you take it one bite at a time, you’re on your way.
Leonard Paul-Kamara
Fremont, CA
Leonard is a freelance data analyst consultant who believes that “learning never stops” in technology careers. He has been using Codecademy for the past two years to stay up to date on his technical skills. With experience in the oil and energy space, his goals are to work as a machine learning engineer to promote clean energy.
What Leonard wants to do with AI:
I’m interested in using AI to drive the growth and use of sustainable, renewable energy. I have a mechanical engineering background, and I know the whole world is concerned about climate change and the use of fossil fuel. There has been progress made, but I want to jump in and contribute to that growth.
His advice:
There are a lot of resources and self-studies out there for anyone who’s interested in tech, and they’re very accessible and affordable. You can do something with Codecademy, which has all the resources and materials you need. In my job, I’ve used what I’ve learned on Codecademy to improve my work and it’s brought a lot of value to my life.
Cierra Hall
Chesapeake, VA
After always being interested in math and science, Cierra decided to switch careers and go back to school for engineering while in her thirties. Graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree in computational modeling, simulation, and visualization engineering, her ultimate goal is to use AI to tackle a pressing issue in healthcare.
What Cierra wants to do with AI:
What I would ultimately like to tackle with AI is racial disparity among maternal mortality rates. In the United States, the mortality rate amongst Black women is really, really high. I think data science would be a really good tool that I could use to help get those numbers in check. I love machine learning, but one day I’d like to go into the healthcare space to help these women and hopefully overcome the mortality rate.
Her advice:
Take a class, whether that’s online through something like Codecademy where you can learn in a non-traditional space that fits around your career or family. It’s never too late to learn, go back to school, or take a class. Talk to other people in the industry to see what’s worked for them — not everyone is going to have a traditional path.
Dr. Audrey Deyawe Kongmeneck
Nancy, France
After receiving her PhD in Computational Chemistry, Audrey is setting out to evolve the field of research in computational drug discovery. Machine-learning skills are a must-have for her industry, and she’s using the Black and Brilliant AI Accelerator to further expand her skillset.
What Audrey wants to do with AI:
My goal is to improve people’s health. The reason I want to be a drug designer is to find medicines for any disease, and AI plays an important role in that discovery.
Her advice:
In research fields like computational chemistry, data science is mandatory. You’re dealing with a lot of data, and in order to enhance the way you present that data, data science is one of the most helpful tools. It actually helps drive science further.
Shamel Lakin
Tampa, Florida
After launching a website for a nonprofit, Shamel realized that technology, specifically coding, can be used to make a positive impact on people’s lives. He decided to enroll in a bootcamp, and after recently graduating, is seeking a software engineering role at a mission-driven company. He is using the Black and Brilliant AI Accelerator to learn more about AI and expand his technical skills even further.
What Shamel wants to do with AI:
People get confused about AI and what it entails. Through this program, I’ve learned about the importance of AI and how it’s all around us, whether that’s through Alexa, Google Home, self-driving cars, or voice or facial recognition. As we accumulate all this data, the question is how are we taking care of it? How are we nurturing this data so that it is handled with care and responsibility, and that when it’s being used, it’s being used righteously and correctly. We have a huge responsibility, and we all have to carry it together.
His advice:
Be patient with yourself. Think about perseverance and commitment. When you’re on any journey, you need to have an intended target… that could be supporting your kids, your family, or getting out of poverty. If you’re coding and you get stuck — and you know you will get stuck, sometimes for a day straight — keep going back to that target and remind yourself why you’re doing this and why you’re working so hard to tackle this specific skill set.
Decorate your screen with soft brown and teal shades with a touch of subtle gold accents. Such calming combination will help you go through busy days and keep focused. I love earthy tones, and I hope they will steal your heart too!
As always, our May’s free wallpaper comes with two different mobile phone layouts. They are great to use at once – the simple version for your phone background and the one with a quote for the lock screen.
This month quote
With May’s quote, I wanted to give you some positive energy that will keep you going. I know how exhausting the last year was. We are still far from over, but hopefully, we will get back to normal soon. Remember that you are not alone.
You didn’t come this far to only come this far.
P.S the square image is also included in the download package below! Feel free to post it on your Instagram.
What font is it?
Free May’s wallpaper features a sans serif font called Marschel. It may look simple, but there are many alternative letter shapes with fancy curves to choose from! Make sure to give it a try.
In conclusion, the free download includes three desktop options – one with the calendar and one without the calendar and one with a quote. There is also a wallpaper for tablet and two options for the phone. We have also included an Instagram ready square with the weekly quote.
Your voice matters!
If you have your favorite quotes and would like them to appear on the next free wallpaper, make sure to post them in the comments below or send us your ideas via email.
Enjoy!
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How do you feel about celebrities, influencers and athletes promoting Covid-19 vaccination on social media? What does this trend have in common with celebrity endorsements you have seen in the past? How is it different?
Do you think that these images will convince more people to get vaccinated? Would they convince you?
Pelé, Dolly Parton and the Dalai Lama have little in common apart from this: Over a few days in March, they became the latest celebrity case studies for the health benefits of Covid-19 vaccines.
“I just want to say to all of you cowards out there: Don’t be such a chicken squat,” Ms. Parton, 75, said in a video that she posted on Twitter after receiving her vaccine in Tennessee. “Get out there and get your shot.”
This is hardly the first time public figures have thrown their popularity behind an effort to change the behavior of ordinary people. In medicine, celebrity endorsements tend to echo or reinforce messages that health authorities are trying to publicize, whether it’s getting a vaccine, or other medical treatment. In 18th-century Russia, Catherine the Great was inoculated against smallpox as part of her campaign to promote the nationwide rollout of the procedure. Almost 200 years later, backstage at “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Elvis Presley received the polio vaccine in an effort to help reach at-risk teenagers.
But do the star-studded endorsements really work? Not necessarily. Epidemiologists say there are plenty of caveats and potential pitfalls — and little scientific evidence to prove that the endorsements actually boost vaccine uptake.
The author details how some celebrities have promoted vaccination:
Such posts are notable because they instantly allow millions of people to see the raw mechanics of immunization — needles and all — at a time when skepticism toward Covid vaccines has been stubbornly persistent in the United States and beyond. The rapid-fire testimonials by Pelé, Ms. Parton and the Dalai Lama in March, for example, collectively reached more than 30 million followers and prompted hundreds of thousands of engagements across Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. In April, the singer Ciara hosted a star-studded NBC special meant to promote vaccinations, with appearances by former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jennifer Hudson, Matthew McConaughey and others.
He also considers whether celebrity endorsements actually boost vaccine uptake:
For the most part, though, the science linking celebrity endorsements to behavioral change is tenuous.
He cited a 2018 study that found few gun owners in the United States rated celebrities as effective communicators about safe gun storage. The owners were far more likely to trust law enforcement officers, active-duty military personnel, hunting or outdoor groups, and family members.
Dr. Najera and other researchers have been convening focus groups of Americans to find out what has prompted them to agree — or not — to be vaccinated against Covid-19. He said the primary finding so far was that rates of uptake or hesitancy often corresponded to vaccine behavior among a given person’s racial, ethnic or socioeconomic peer group.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
Has a celebrity or influencer ever convinced you to do something? Who was the celebrity, and what did they suggest? Why did their message sway you?
Do you think that we should pay attention to celebrities’ public health recommendations? How about their political opinions or brand endorsements? Why or why not? Does it matter to you whether a celebrity endorser is being paid?
How do you feel about getting vaccinated? If you are eligible, have you gotten a vaccine? If you are not yet eligible, do you plan to? What factors, including celebrity endorsements, have influenced your opinion on vaccination?
Are you more likely to be swayed by a famous person or by one of your peers? What role do you think peer-to-peer recommendation should play in the vaccine rollout?
If you were famous, would you post a picture or video of yourself getting vaccinated? Why or why not?
Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
MI5, the British domestic intelligence agency known for its spying and secret-keeping, is now on Instagram. It joins other intelligence agencies on social media in an effort to appeal to job applicants, debunk myths about spies and help explain intelligence to the masses.
In this lesson, you will explore what you know — or think you know — about spies and spying. Then, we invite you to evaluate whether intelligence agencies should be on social media at all. How useful are these accounts to the general public? What can we learn from them? What limits do they have? Can they help us get a more accurate understanding of the world of espionage?
Warm-Up
On your own, or with a partner or a small group if you are in a classroom, brainstorm everything you know or think you know about spies and spying. What do spies do? Why? Where and how do they do it today? What would you have to do if you wanted to have a career in intelligence? What famous spies can you name from history? What spies can you remember from popular culture — movies, books, comics and TV shows? How would you describe their looks and personalities?
Now, take a close look at this list. Which of these descriptions do you think might be accurate, and which do you think are probably myths? Circle any items you think could be untrue. Where might you look for reliable information about spies and spying?
1. What is MI5? Why did the organization start an Instagram account?
2. Why might some people rule themselves out as job applicants for MI5? According to Ken McCallum, the agency’s director general, how might an Instagram account help attract a more diverse applicant pool?
3. What does MI5’s first post reveal about what its Instagram account might be like? How does it align to the agency’s goals for its social media presence?
4. Why might some people think it’s ironic that an intelligence organization would make its social media debut in the name of transparency?
5. Michael Landon-Murray, a professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs who has researched social media use by American intelligence agencies, said that social media could be a way to, “in a sense, almost hoodwink the public.” What does he mean by this?
6. Do you think intelligence agencies like MI5 and the C.I.A. should have social media accounts? Do they help humanize intelligence officials and educate the public about the art of spying, as the organizations claim? Or, as Dr. Landon-Murray said, are they more useful for image and brand management? What do you think would make these accounts worthwhile, if anything?
Going Further
Option 1: Explore intelligence on Instagram.
Spend a few minutes exploring the Instagram account of MI5 (@mi5official) or the C.I.A. (@cia) with a critical eye. Click on the posts, look closely at the pictures and read the captions and comments. Then, reflect — in writing or in a discussion with your classmates — on the following questions:
What is one thing you learned about the intelligence agency that you didn’t know before? Did any of the posts debunk misconceptions you had about spies and spying?
Do you think the agency is accomplishing its goals for its social media presence, as detailed in the article? Does its Instagram account humanize intelligence officials? Does it combat stereotypes about spies? Does it explain the world of intelligence to the public? What else does the account do well? What could it do better?
Dr. Landon-Murray said in the article that these Instagram accounts could, in a sense, “hoodwink the public” about the real work that spy agencies do. Do you see evidence of this in the posts you viewed?
After exploring the social media presence of MI5 or the C.I.A., has your answer to the question “Do you think intelligence agencies should have social media accounts?” changed or been reinforced? If so, how so? If not, why not?
If you were in charge of the Instagram account for MI5 or the C.I.A., how would you run it? What do you think your audience would want to see? What kinds of images and information would you post? How would you interact with your followers? What tone would you try to strike? What other social media platforms do you think would work well for your organization’s message, and why?
Option 2: Debunk myths about spies and spying.
In the warm-up activity, you circled descriptions of spies and spying that you thought might be inaccurate. Choose one of those statements and do more research to find the truth. Here are some places you might start:
Then, imagine MI5 or the C.I.A. has invited you to create a post on the topic you researched for its Instagram account, or imagine that you have decided to create your own independent account to educate the public. Design a panel or a slide show that clearly and succinctly explains your topic for a general audience. You might outline your post by hand or use a design program like Canva.
Share your posts with your classmates and see how many new things you can learn about the art and history of spying.
A recent T Magazine feature celebrated friendship — the importance of which has been felt especially deeply this past year — in all its many forms.
Tell us about your friends. Do you have a “best friend,” a few close friends or a large group of friends? What interests, experiences, passions and circumstances forge those relationships? What are some of your favorite memories or admirable characteristics you associate with your friends?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more about the bonds of friendships.
Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
