NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
SUMMARY
Americans were sharply divided over the public health response to COVID-19, including masking, remote learning, business closures and vaccines. Five years after the start of the pandemic, Judy Woodruff sat down with two people on opposing sides of that divide trying to figure out how to move forward. It's part of her series, America at a Crossroads.
View the transcript of the story. News alternative: Check out recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Dr. Francis Collins?
- Who is Wilk Wilkinsn?
- What is Braver Angels?
- Why did officials initially tell Americans they didn't need to wear masks at the start of the pandemic?
- How can trust be rebuilt among Americans, according to Wilksinson and Collins?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Wilk Wilkinsn explains that many Americans felt that health officials did not do a good job of explaining how scientific data on COVID-19 would change as new research came out, which led to public mistrust of mask and vaccine mandates.
- How could officials have done a better job of communicating to different groups of Americans?
- Do you think that better communication would have led to less division and mistrust? Why or why not?
Media literacy: What is an issue in your community that people are divided on? Do you think having honest and civil conversations like Wilkinsn and Collins could help people understand the other side more?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Watch the videos below to hear the perspectives of different people who lived and worked through the pandemic.
What are some similarities and differences you noticed in their stories?
To learn more about the impact of COVID-19 five years later, you can complete this Daily News Lesson.
Written by Gianfranco Beran, PBS News Hour Classroom's production assistant, and News Hour's Victoria Pasquantonio.
Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources.
