Blast Example

​How do contemporary issues and culture shape your world view?​

Blast Away!

In StudySync Blasts, you and your peers will weigh in on a variety of topical issues. You’ll read about breaking news, innovations in STEM-related fields, and historical and global issues. Each individual Blast begins with a “driving question” about an important issue, followed by a short article. Interactive infographics including a Number Crunch and a QuikPoll question give you a chance to engage even more with the material.

Once you’ve read the Blast, the next step is to sound off with a tweet-length response. This is your chance to integrate the knowledge you’ve amassed from multiple sources in one succinct opinion. You and your classmates will be able to read each other’s comments. Then, you can offer your own reactions.

In today’s increasingly global and technological world, it is an exciting time to be a student. Never before in history have humans had access to so much information. “People think the world’s getting worse,” notes author and data scientist Ray Kurzweil. But he doesn’t agree. “What’s actually happening,” he thinks, “is our information about what’s wrong in the world is getting better.”

What do you think? How does engaging with topical issues develop our view of the world?

Welcome to StudySync Readings!

You are one of more than 55 million K-12 students attending schools across the United States this year. Your experiences in the classroom will help to shape the person you will become.

Yet an education is more than simply solving equations and memorizing dates. Your store of knowledge is incomplete unless it’s applied to real-world problems. How, for instance, does watching reality TV affect us? What is the significance of putting Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill? How can we improve the election process? With StudySync Blasts, issues like these are the starting points for reflection and discussion.

This process is more familiar than it sounds. You probably already think critically and voice your opinions on current events every day. Think about Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Snapchat. These popular social media platforms provide you with the opportunity to share openly with people from around the world. You can talk with others about anything you’re thinking, reading, or doing. Trending topics spark conversation and debate. Information and misinformation can travel at an equal speed.

Background

Open Ended

How do contemporary (present time) issues and culture shape your world view?

Poll

Which kind of news do you find yourself reading and responding to the most?

• World affairs

• Sports

• Arts and culture

• According to the weatherman, it rains cats and dogs.

• Something else

Multiple Choice

Number Crush: Guess what the number 24 means. It is okay if you get it wrong.

• According to me, I will be on Santa's good list.

• According to my dog, I am his favorite human.

• According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, 24 percent of teens say they are online “almost constantly.”

• According to the weatherman, it rains cats and dogs.