MEDIA CITY · MISSION 01

DOCUMENTARY ROOM

YEAR 8 · TERM 1 · WEEK 1

The Story Behind the Story

What changes when you compare the coverage?

Three outlets report the same event. The facts overlap, but the headlines, images and emphasis do not. Your job is to trace what actually came from the evidence — and what came from the telling.

ENTER MISSION →

MISSION DECKMEDIA CITY / WEEK 01SELECT A MODULE

01BRIEFMission

02LEARNIntel

03INVESTIGATEEvidence

04ENGLISHEvidence case

05DECIDEMake the call

06DATANumbers

07PROJECTBuild

08CHECK-INReflect

★GAMEReward

ACTIVE OBJECTIVEThree outlets report the same event. The facts overlap, but the headlines, images and emphasis do not. Your job is to trace what actually came from the evidence — and what came from the telling.

WORLDMEDIA CITY

SEQUENCE01 / 08

REWARDGAME BREAK

Jump to a lesson part

READY?

Watch. Check the clues. Have a go.

Everything you need is on this page.

Start mission →

Need help getting started?

YOU NEED

Required: a device with this page open.
Optional: headphones for video or read-aloud.
Optional: pen + paper for rough working if that helps you think.

HOW TO DO IT

Read or listen to the Briefing + Learn.
Do the interactive mission.
Use facts from the reading and maths parts.
Make your choice and save your project step.
Play the weekly game. Finish Check-in.

WORK YOUR WAY

Short bursts are fine. Use Learning Tools for easier reading, read-aloud, less on screen, stronger contrast, no-rush and quieter-screen options.

If you get stuck, look at the example and try again.

MISSION BRIEFING

Three outlets report the same event. The facts overlap, but the headlines, images and emphasis do not. Your job is to trace what actually came from the evidence — and what came from the telling.

✓Compare how context and framing change a story.

✓Triangulate a claim across multiple sources.

✓Interrogate statistics for scale, skew and missing context.

✓Write a defensible conclusion that acknowledges limitations.

MISSION MEDIA · TED-Ed

How to Choose Your News

Watch for how source choice and framing can change the story an audience receives.

YOUTUBE ↗

Captions are controlled inside the YouTube player. If the embed is unavailable, use the YouTube link.

LEARN

Context + Evidence + Judgement

Year 8 Reality Check adds a second layer. Do not only ask “Is this source reliable?” Ask what the source actually contributes, what it leaves out, who created it, when it was created and what evidence it can access. Then compare it with independent sources. Two reports can share the same facts but create different impressions through headlines, images, scale, emphasis or omission. A strong judgement separates established evidence from interpretation and states what remains uncertain.

INTERACTIVE INVESTIGATION

Build the evidence board.

Read each source, then classify what it can actually contribute. Strong does not mean “proves everything”; context does not mean “useless”.

SOURCE 1

Primary statement

The original statement gives a time, place and measured result, but does not claim a cause.

CHOOSE A CLASSIFICATION

SOURCE 2

Headline A

A headline turns the measured result into a dramatic causal claim that the primary statement does not make.

CHOOSE A CLASSIFICATION

SOURCE 3

Dataset

The full dataset shows the reported value is real but also shows two larger values from earlier dates.

CHOOSE A CLASSIFICATION

SOURCE 4

Commentary clip

A commentator gives an interpretation and clearly labels it as opinion.

CHOOSE A CLASSIFICATION

Classify all four sources correctly. Think about what each source can establish, not whether you like the claim.

INVESTIGATE + ENGLISH · EVIDENCE CASE

Same event, different story

Three reports described the same public event. All used the same initial statement, but one headline implied a cause that the statement did not establish. Another report included the full dataset, which showed that the highlighted result was unusual but not unprecedented. A commentary segment argued that the event reflected a wider problem, while clearly identifying that conclusion as interpretation rather than established fact. Comparing the coverage requires separating shared evidence from framing, emphasis and opinion.

BUILD THE EVIDENCE CASE · CLAIM → EVIDENCE → REASONING

MAKE THE CALL

Would you publish the strongest headline as written, rewrite it, or hold the story? Justify your editorial decision using evidence and limitations.

BUILD YOUR CASE CONCLUSION1. Make the call. 2. Use at least two relevant pieces of evidence. 3. Explain one limitation or uncertainty. 4. Finish with what can responsibly be concluded.Strong structure: My judgement is… The strongest evidence is… However, we still do not know… Therefore…

CASE CONCLUSION: Write 180–250 words explaining which claims are well supported, where framing changes the impression, and what further evidence you would seek before publishing a firm conclusion.

YOUR REASONING

0/180 words minimum for this writing mission.

CLAIMEVIDENCELIMITATIONCONCLUSION

MATHS + DATA LAB

Check the numbers.

HOW TO SUCCEEDRead the situation first. Estimate what a sensible answer should look like, choose an efficient calculation, then use the feedback to check your reasoning.For data questions, explain what the number shows — and what it does not prove.

A value rises from 48 to 66. What is the percentage increase, rounded to the nearest whole percent?

Estimate first, then choose the answer.

MISSION 05 · MATHS + DATA LAB

DATA TRAINING

NUMBER · YEAR 8 EXTENSION

6 PROBLEMS

QUICK METHODNUMBER

Estimate first, choose an efficient operation, then check whether the answer is reasonable.

GUIDED · Q01–Q03Use the quick method, then check the explanation.

Q01

14 × 4 = ?

Q02

56 ÷ 4 = ?

Q03

18 − 4 = ?

INDEPENDENT · Q04

Which is greatest?

INDEPENDENT · Q05

Estimate 14 × 4 to the nearest ten.

INDEPENDENT · Q06

A total of 56 is shared equally among 4 groups. Each group gets…

OPTIONAL CHALLENGE · OPEN RESPONSE

Find two different calculations that produce the same answer as one question above, then justify why both are valid.

0 words · optional

PROJECT HQ · PROJECT FILE 01

CHOOSE — select a Reality Project issue with a clear audience.

Start something real. Build an idea, test it, improve it, and share it. Make your move.

Use strong clues and explain your decisions in your Reality Project.

PROJECT HQ · PROJECT FILE 01

CHOOSE

PROJECT JOURNEYWEEK 1 / 9

Choose a Reality Project issue with a real audience and enough complexity for competing evidence or interpretations.

Need help with this step?

THIS WEEKCHOOSE

Complete only this project step today. Your saved work carries forward, so you do not need to finish the whole project at once.

A STRONG STEPSpecific · useful · achievable

Use evidence from this week's mission, name a real audience or purpose, and make the idea small enough to test and improve.

BEFORE YOU SAVE, CHECK:✓ I answered every field clearly✓ I used evidence or reasoning from this week✓ My next step is realistic

ISSUE / QUESTIONWHO IS IT FOR?WHY THIS?

Write in each box. Your answers save on this device as you type.

IDEA→RESEARCH→PLAN→BUILD→TEST→IMPROVE→PRESENT

Project sharing will be optional. A future upload system must keep private submission separate from public-showcase/marketing permission.

CHECK-IN

What changed in your thinking?

One thing I learned or questioned

YEAR 8 · REMIX · TERM 1 / WEEK 1

SIGNAL MAZE: MASTER

Clear the signal maze while trackers tighten their routes.

UPGRADED DIFFICULTYBEST SCORE SAVED

PLAY SIGNAL MAZE: MASTER

A remastered ICONIC GAMES favourite · phone + keyboard controls.