I'll come back and add the video and more information, but the Ice Bucket Challenge gives us a great opportunity to teach digital citizenship and all kinds of great information. I'll talk more about this later, but here is my bellringer for today in this teachable moment.
My Ice Bucket Challenge Bellringer
You have permission to copy and paste this for your classroom and distribute it to your teachers. You don't have permission to sell it or put it in a book without my permission.
Ice Bucket Challenge – NAME: ______________________________
Bell Ringer
The ice water challenge is a fundraising program that has gone viral on the Internet in support of ALS. As with any campaign there are good and bad things happening with it. To be wise digital citizens, we need to be able to act with wisdom and know how we need to respond. Look on the web and answer these questions.
- What is ALS?
- What does ALS do?
- What is the Ice Bucket Challenge? What are the rules?
- Some have criticized this fundraiser for promoting slactivism? What is that?
- It is fun but where are the funds? Are they actually raising money? What impact has this challenge had on ALS Fundraising?
- What is one of the biggest criticism of the celebrity videos made on this?
- What is the ice bucket challenge fail
- What is a pop culture phenomenon?
- Are there ways that something like this could be used to promote a cause that is not worthy?
- What should you do to make up your mind as to whether you will participate in something like this?
5 Essential Points When You Have a Social Media Fundraising Challenge
- Encourage research and education when a challenge is issued.
- Encourage donation — funds not just fun when you have a serious disease like this that an organization is fighting.
- Use this as an opportunity to teach and educate about digital citizenship.
- When you record a video be clear about: the cause and what you're asking your friends to do.
- If in doubt, opt out. Remind everyone that they always have a choice to opt out and not participate. We're encouraging giving into peer pressure when we don't make up our minds and decide what we're doing.
The type of society we inherit tomorrow will be determined by how we discuss this sort of thing today. While I think this is a great cause, there will be a time that someone creates a funny viral challenge for a ridiculous or harmful program. If in doubt, opt out.
And yes, I did it.
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8 comments
Thanks for this, Vicki! I’ve been thinking about how to use this example with some social media literacy activities, but you did it for me!
Good luck, Mary! Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for this bellringer. This particular “event” has caused me to ask some of the same questions you raise here. It makes me happy to learn that others share my concerns since I have been viewed by some as one who might be too “fussy” about questioning things. But truly where is the money that is being raised? Would it not be good to share how much is being pledged or raised through this challenge? Why would it be of advantage to have a bucket of ice water doused over oneself? There is nothing wrong with raising valid questions; supplying creditable answers should not cause concern either.
We have to question things but I did do this and challenge my students to donate not just “participate” in making a video. We should give if we’re going to participate.
So glad I visited here. I am inspired and humbled by your work. The Ice Bucket Challenge is perfect for the time. I have learned the ALS cause of it was “borrowed” from Breast Cancer Ice Bucket Challenge(s ); maybe another point about proprietary debates. Thanks, I’ll be back to learn more!
Interesting. It was borrowed from the breast cancer ice bucket challenge? I hadn’t heard that. Interesting. Thanks for dropping by.
This is a fantastic Bell ringer! I am always looking for ways to keep current content and real life application in my 8th grade science classroom. I also feel that it is important to help students understand digital citizenship. With all of the publicity in social media on this topic, almost all of my students have connections with this information, but very little background knowledge. I find it hard to get intermediate students to apply situations to themselves, so I love the last few questions because they make them think about the choices they would make after gathering the information. I look forward to trying this with my students. Thanks!
So glad this approach is helpful!! I hope this goes well for you like it did for me! We had great conversations about it!
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