What they didn't teach me in school

Across the country, there’s ongoing conversation about what gets taught in schools—how history, current events, and even books are presented. But learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms. Young people are constantly exploring the world through content they find online, in their communities, and beyond.

SRL wants to hear about educational content—anything from history, culture, science, art, or the environment—that you’ve discovered outside of school and how it’s shifted your perspective.

And don’t worry—“educational” doesn’t have to mean formal. Think of it as discovery: any piece of content that taught you something new or helped you see things differently.

If you plan on having a classroom discussion before assigning this Rapid Response, use this Classroom Conversations Guide to help students feel prepared and supported.

• How to record a video diary LEVEL UP
• Principles of photography LEVEL UP
• Rapid Response Skills and Standards Checklist
• Media release form
• Google doc version of Rapid Response: What they didn't teach me in school

Tell us a story about a time you learned something outside of school (could be something you learned online or from someone you know) and how it expanded your worldview. Check out the guiding questions below to get started, but with this option, we want you to create a 60-second standalone story directly to camera.

Check out SRL’s tutorial on how to record a video diary. Practice before you record, speak from the heart (don’t read from a script!), and remember what makes a compelling story -- a great hook, a conflict or challenge, and a beginning, middle, and end.

• For this option, you can submit raw footage OR an edited piece. No matter what, please include a transcript.
• If you choose to submit an edited piece, have fun and be creative! Feel free to use the editing tricks you use on Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok

Conduct a pre-interview and find a peer who discovered something outside of school that changed how they think about the world (could be something they learned online or from someone they know). Then, use the guiding questions below to record your interview. Remember, these questions are a guide. Feel free to add your own questions and be sure to improvise follow-up questions if your subject says something you want to know more about.

Instruct the subject to look at the camera while speaking. Submit raw footage with a transcript. No editing required.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

**ON CAMERA IDENTIFICATION: For the record, please say and spell your full name (first and last) on camera. Also please describe how you want to be identified in this video. For example, “I’m an 11th-grade student at Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California” NOTE: SRL’S EDITORS NEED THIS INFORMATION AND WON’T BE ABLE TO PUBLISH YOUR VIDEO WITHOUT IT**

• What topics do you think should be taught in school that aren’t?
• Tell me a story about something you discovered on your own -- can be from social media, someone close to you, a book etc. -- that you probably wouldn’t have learned in school.
• How did learning about this on your own feel different from learning something in school?
  • Do you think these kinds of things should be taught in school?
• How has learning things about the world outside of school changed your worldview?
  • Do you think you’d have the same views if you only learned these things in school?
• Tell me about any social media creators from whom you’ve learned something new. Why do you like them?
• How could schools take advantage of the new ways teenagers discover and learn?

In addition to your personal narrative or interview, students can participate in a Global Discovery

Steps:

1. Research:
   • Identify one interesting piece of educational content from various countries that changed your perspective (this could be a podcast, article, or video from an international source). Resources: PBS Learning Media
   • Ask students to think about a country that interests them, it could be where their family is from, a place they want to visit or a place they’ve heard of.
   • Look up news organizations

1. Reflect & Respond:
   Write or record a short response about what you learned and how it impacted your worldview.
   
2. Compare & Discuss (in class):
   Share your discovery with classmates. Reflect together on the similarities and differences between global perspectives and your own experiences.
   
3. Document Your Insight:
   Add a 5–10 second segment to your video project summarizing your key takeaway from the global content.
   
   

Discussion Questions:

• What surprised you about the content from another country?
• How did it change or reinforce your understanding of learning outside school?
• How do different cultural perspectives shape the way information is shared or understood?
• Why is it important to explore global viewpoints when learning?

Plan Your Story

• Choose your project format: personal narrative or interview.
• Outline the main points you want to cover.
• Identify 1–2 key takeaways from your Global Discovery to include in your story.
  

Record Your Video

• Find a quiet, well-lit space to film your narrative or interview.
• Include your Global Discovery insight—this can be a brief clip, voiceover, or screenshots with narration.
  

Transcribe & Edit

• Write a transcript of your recording(s) to support accessibility and clarity.
• Edit your footage into a polished, cohesive video. Keep the final version under 5 minutes.
  

Share Your Project

This challenge does not have an active deadline to submit to PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs. However, students are encouraged to publish their stories on their school/club/program website or through video/social platforms such as YouTube, Instagram or Twitter and tag Student Reporting Labs. Check with your teacher to find out instructions for class submissions.

FACEBOOK: /STUDENTREPORTINGLABS

TWITTER: @REPORTINGLABS

INSTAGRAM: @STUDENTREPORTINGLABS

TIKTOK: @REPORTINGLABS

• Subject should look directly at the camera
• DO NOT READ - It’s good to prepare and even have notes, but we want to hear you speak from the heart, not a script
• Use the SRL Rapid Response Skills and Standards Checklist

This resource is part of the Global Education Toolkit and was made possible with support from the Longview Foundation.