ABOUT COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Community Connections is a lesson collection designed for adult learners and community colleges, with the goal of inspiring student civic action. This might be respectful debate or conversation about a local issue, planning a community event, or a creative project that helps connect local, national and global issues.
To use this lesson: First, watch the video and answer the questions below as a warm up. Next, choose one or more of the activities under "Take Action" that best fits your classroom. Or, use the segment above to inspire your own original classroom activities — the spirit of these lessons is to connect current events to actions that make your community a better place for everyone!
SUMMARY
Five years after the pandemic, the impacts on our politics, public health and civic life continue to be felt across communities. Judy Woodruff spoke to community members in Southeastern Michigan to explore how divisions that emerged during the public health emergency continue to play out today. It's part of her ongoing 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
- Where does Judy Woodruff visit for this segment?
- Who are some of the people Woodruff interviews?
- What are some of the memories those people share with Woodruff about the early days of the pandemic?
- How did the pandemic deepen partisanship in the US, and what were some of the other impacts it had on Americans' trust in institutions?
- How did the pandemic shape the politics of some of the people interviewed for this segment?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What do you think has been the greatest long-lasting impact on your community from COVID?
- What do you think are some actions your community could take to address any divisions or challenges that still linger from the pandemic?
- Do you think anything positive came out of the early years of the pandemic?
Media literacy: Why do you think the producers of this segment chose the people to interview for the segment? Who else would you have wanted to hear from this community?
TAKE ACTION
What was your experience like during the pandemic? What was the hardest part for you to adjust to?
Use this activity to conduct an oral history in your classroom that focuses on classmates memories of the pandemic. Remember to be respectful of people's experiences and opinions, and only participate if you are comfortable doing so.
If you would like to video record the interviews, use these guidelines.
You might also consider how you would write interview questions for local, state or federal officials about their response. What questions do you still have? How would you like the government (and your neighbors) to approach a national health emergency differently next time?
At the end of this segment, Judy Woodruff mentions another segment that features a conversation between two people about COVID and politics. You can watch here:
- Why do you think the producers chose to pair these two? What are their backgrounds and expertise?
- After watching, how do you think public health officials could do a better job communicating with the public in future health emergencies?
This project was funded under the 2024 Leonore Annenberg Civic Mission of the Nation Initiative, sponsored by the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics. LAIC is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
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