Imagining the figure of the fictional detective as an archetype in the study of modern culture, the author argues that contemporary detective fiction can help us better comprehend fundamental shifts of the Digital Age--in communication, family, entertainment, society, even the way we think as individuals. The nature of the detective story itself models how we build and share knowledge. Drawing on concepts from literature and media studies, the author reveals clues about modern phenomena like conspiracy theory, groupthink and the nature of our digital identities.
In Jonathan Kellerman’s gripping novels, the city of Los Angeles is as much a living, breathing character as the heroes and villains who roam its labyrinthine streets. Sunny on the surface but shadowy beneath, this world of privilege and pleasure has a dark core and a dangerous edge. In True Detectives, Kellerman skillfully brings his renowned gifts for breathless suspense and sharp psychological insight to a tale that resonates on every level and satisfies at every turn. Bound by blood but divided by troubles as old as Cain and Abel, Moses Reed and Aaron Fox were first introduced in Kellerman’s bestselling Bones. They are sons of the same strong-willed mother, and their respective fathers were cops, partners, and friends. Their turbulent family history has set them at odds, despite their shared calling. Moses—part Boy Scout, part bulldog, man of few words—is a no-frills LAPD detective. Aaron, sharp dresser and smooth operator, is an ex-cop turned high-end private eye. Usually they go their separate ways. But the disappearance of Caitlin Frostig isn’t usual. For Moses, it’s an ice-cold mystery he just can’t outrun, even with the help of psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis. For Aaron, it’s a billable-hours bonanza from his most lucrative client. Like it or not, Moses and Aaron are in this one together–and the rivalry that rules them won’t let either man quit till the case is cracked. A straight-arrow, straight-A student from Malibu, Caitlin has only two men in her life: her sullen single father and her wholesome college sweetheart, who even the battling brothers agree seems too downright upright to be true. Reluctantly tag-teaming in a desperate search for fresh leads, Moses and Aaron zero in on Caitlin’s white knight as their primary “person of interest,” hoping that, like most people in L.A., he has a secret side. But they uncover more than just a secret as they descend into the sinister, seamy side of the City of Angels after dark, populated by a Hollywood Babylon cast of the glamorous and the damned: a millionaire movie director turned hatemongering eccentric; a desperate Beverly Hills housewife looking for an exit from the fast lane; a heartthrob actor being eaten alive by personal demons; a hooker who’s probably seen it all . . . and might just know too much. And at the center, a dead young woman whose downward spiral and brutal end loom over Moses and Aaron like an omen of what may come to be if the dark end of the street claims another lost soul.
In our media-saturated environment, how can we teach students to distinguish true statements from those that are false, misleading, or manipulative? How can we help them develop the skills needed to identify biases and stereotypes, determine credibility of sources, and analyze their own thinking and its effect on their perceptions? In Teaching Students to Decode the World, authors Chris Sperry and Cyndy Scheibe tackle these questions as they introduce readers to constructivist media decoding (CMD), a specific way to lead students through a question-based analysis of media materials—including print and digital documents, videos and films, social media posts, advertisements, and other formats—with an emphasis on critical thinking and collaboration. Drawing from their decades of experience as teachers, consultants, and media literacy advocates, the authors explain how to * Develop and facilitate CMD activities in the classroom and in virtual teaching environments; * Implement CMD across the curriculum, at all grade levels; * Connect CMD with educational approaches such as project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and antiracist education; * Incorporate CMD into assessments; and * Promote CMD as a districtwide initiative. This comprehensive guide explains the theoretical foundations for CMD and offers dozens of real-life examples of its implementation and its powerful impact on students and teachers. Equipped with CMD skills, students will be better able to navigate a complex media landscape, participate in a democratic society, and become productive citizens of the world.
This is the first comprehensive study of the Bow Street Runners, a group of men established in the middle of the eighteenth century by Henry Fielding to confront violent offenders on the streets and highways around London.
From “one of the great (greatest?) contemporary popular writers on economics” (Tyler Cowen) comes a smart, lively, and encouraging rethinking of how to use statistics. Today we think statistics are the enemy, numbers used to mislead and confuse us. That’s a mistake, Tim Harford says in The Data Detective. We shouldn’t be suspicious of statistics—we need to understand what they mean and how they can improve our lives: they are, at heart, human behavior seen through the prism of numbers and are often “the only way of grasping much of what is going on around us.” If we can toss aside our fears and learn to approach them clearly—understanding how our own preconceptions lead us astray—statistics can point to ways we can live better and work smarter. As “perhaps the best popular economics writer in the world” (New Statesman), Tim Harford is an expert at taking complicated ideas and untangling them for millions of readers. In The Data Detective, he uses new research in science and psychology to set out ten strategies for using statistics to erase our biases and replace them with new ideas that use virtues like patience, curiosity, and good sense to better understand ourselves and the world. As a result, The Data Detective is a big-idea book about statistics and human behavior that is fresh, unexpected, and insightful.
Join a playful pack of digital dogs while building privacy & data protection skills! When Lucy's beloved dog bones suddenly disappear, she sets out with her pup pals to solve the mystery only to discover she's been over-sharing some digital data herself without even knowing it! Snuffles barked, "Wait! Hold up... Is that a tracker on your collar I see? That could be a clue to the missing bones, it shows everywhere you've been and everywhere you go!" Join Lucy and her pals on the path to critical thinking with surprising twists and turns that help kids learn to track their own data trails, keep information private, and think about the ways they use media every minute. Open up important discussions with free resources, video clips and activities included in the Parents & Educators Guide, then continue the conversation online at DigitalDogsBook.com and ShapingYouth.org
From the authors of the bestselling Fact vs. Fiction, this book offers easy-to-implement lessons to engage students in becoming media literacy “digital detectives,” looking for clues, questioning motives, uncovering patterns, developing theories and, ultimately, delivering a verdict. The current news landscape is driven by clicks, with every social media influencer, trained and citizen journalists chasing the same goal: a viral story. In this environment, where the race to be first on the scene with the most sensational story often overshadows the need for accuracy, traditional strategies for determining information credibility are no longer enough. Rather than simply helping students become savvy information consumers, today’s educators must provide learners with the skills to be digital detectives – information interrogators who are armed with a variety of tools for dissecting news stories and determining what’s real and what isn’t in our “post-truth world.” This book: • Shares meaningful lessons that move beyond traditional “fake news” protocols to help learners navigate a world in which information can be both a force for good and a tool used to influence and manipulate. • Includes resources and examples to support educators in the work of facilitating engaging, relevant (and fun!) instructional opportunities for K-12 learners, in both face-to-face and digital learning environments. • Unpacks the connection between social-emotional learning and information literacy. • Includes access to the Digital Detective’s Evidence Locker, an online collection of over 100 downloadable and remixable resources to support the lessons in the book. As the authors state: “Remember, the detective’s job is NOT to prove themselves correct. Their job is to detect the truth!” This statement reflects the way they approach the lessons in this book, providing clear and practical guidance to help educators address and overcome this ever-expanding issue.
The social world is a big, complicated place! We are all social detectives as we observe, gather, and make sense of the clues within different social contexts (settings, situations, and the people in them) to figure out the hidden rules for expected behaviors. This leads us toward understanding how we each feel and think about others in a situation and how we choose to respond to each other’s actions and reactions. We are good Social Detectives when we use our eyes, ears, hearts, and brains to figure out what others are planning to do next or are presently doing and what they mean by their words and actions. This revised, expanded 2nd edition of the awarding-winning storybook teaches from the social learner’s perspective about the power of observation, reading context, and interpreting clues before choosing how to respond in ways that meet their social goals. A new structured approach to observation, new illustrations reflecting a broader range of inclusion and diversity in characters, practice pages and activities for deeper learning, specific teaching tips, and a glossary of Social Thinking Vocabulary and concepts are just some of the new material you’ll find inside. This is the first book in the Superflex® series. It guides readers on a journey of discovery where they can: · Learn formulas for gathering clues by observing a setting, situation, and people in it · Be empowered to figure out how the social world works through their own detective lens · Learn to identify feelings and emotions and connect them to behaviors · Understand that all feelings are okay, even uncomfortable ones, and we can still learn and grow · Get support from emojis and special word banks · Find core Social Thinking® Vocabulary words highlighted throughout to support and strengthen key learning concepts · Have numerous opportunities to make smart guesses about hidden social rules in various situations · See examples and tips for school, home, and community life · Celebrate how all of us are social observers who are affected by others’ actions and reactions
The adventures of the Supper Club continue! Eliza finds herself alone and friendless in her new school. When she suspects a famous video game influencer has gone missing, Eliza immediately calls Sherlock Sam, Watson and the Supper Club to investigate. However, the facts point to Eliza making it all up. Will Sherlock and the Supper Club discover what’s really going on before Eliza gets into even more trouble? Or will her number of likes plunge below a socially acceptable status?
Meet Randi Rhodes, the world’s first ninja detective! Mystery abounds in this “assured, entertaining whodunit” (Publishers Weekly), a 2014 IndieNext pick and the first in a new middle grade series from Academy Award–winning actress Octavia Spencer. Deer Creek is a small town whose only hope for survival is the success of their Founder’s Day Festival. But the festival’s main attraction, a time capsule that many people believe hold the town’s treasure, has gone missing. Twelve-year-old Randi Rhodes and her best friend, D.C., are Bruce Lee–inspired ninjas and local detectives determined to solve the case. Even if it means investigating a haunted cabin and facing mean old Angus McCarthy, prime suspect. They have three days to find the treasure…the future of their whole town is at stake! Will these kids be able to save the day?
