See and hear : the journal on audio-visual learning (1945)

Social Studies Unit: ( CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE ) Lucy: I think that sometimes in the school elections when there's somebody running who you don't like, you go around and say, "Oh, we're not going to vote for him. He's horrible." You really don't look at his ciualifications. David: Sometimes we do things at football games and basketball games that aren't exactly based on facts or thinking. Sometimes our emotions just tarry us away and we razz the referee. Actually when you stop and ihink, \ou may actually agree with his decisions. Haefner: Point 5 — emotions color oin use of facts. Here we've got some things that affect us in our use of facts. Now I'd like to suggest something else alojng that same line. Where do we get our facts? Where do the\ come from? What are they? How can we get them? John: Vou can get them from other ])eoj)le. Ted: We can get facts from a newspaper. Haefner: You've suggested onl) two sources. Can you observe facts? Use a simple illustration. How big is this desk? What's the dimension of this desk. Student: Oh, about 2' x 2'. Haefner: Is that a fact? Student: No, it's her opinion. Haefner: Can she make it a fact? Betty: By proving it. By measuring it. Haefner: Yes, but how much of our information can we get directly from our own personal observations or measmement? Bob: I think the only things that you can get from your own personal observations are things that happen right around you. For the rest of them, we pretty much ha\ e to accept ^^'hat we hear and read. Ted: Almost all of the news we read in our newspaper or hear over the radio is made some place else. If you hear something, you don't fly down to South America or some place to find out whether it's true or not, you just have to accept it. After a time you pretty much know what sources are reliable and what sources might just be merely sources of propaganda. Haefner: Facts ate funi^\ things. We may ha\e the facts a\ailable, but it doesn't mean we come out with the right solution because there are so manv filings that can affect those facts. To help us in our study, I have selected a film which shows how facts must be carefully chosen in order to arrive at good judgments. In a high school situation in this film, things that we have been talking about this morning are further explained. The question will come up as to what are the facts? You will see very clearly that you've got to |jush behind the facts and ask questions about using the facts. In this film, Hoiv To Judge Facts, you're going to come across a few strange terms. One of the first is "irrelevant." What does irrelevant mean? Bob: Something which does not have any bearing on what you are talking about. Haefner: Are you satisfied with that definition? The word "analogy?" Student: An "analogy" is analyzing a situation by means of another situation. Haefner: Pa\ special atteiuion to the analogy in this film! An "analogy" is good providing you don't misuse it. Haefner: Helen, how could an analogy be misused? Helen: Instead of simplifying, you could use an example that would change the fact. Haefner: What's an assumption? Lois: Taking for granted something you don't know is true. Haefner: Unless )ou start with a fact what's going to be true of your thinking? Lois: Yoiu' thinking isn't going to do you any good because your assumj)tion isn't true. Haefner: Watch for assumption in this film. O.K. I think we're ready for the film. (Film, Hoiv To Judge Facts, shown) How To Judge Facts, Sound, 10 min. Shows how rumor de\elops from half-truths, misinformation, and unsubstantiated opinion. Illustrates necessity of accurate facts in story of high-school reporter checking rumor that football imiforms were to be sacrificed to buy a film projector. Emphasizes dangers of irrelevant facts, false analogies, assumptions, platitudes, and double meanings. (Coronet) Haefner: Has an)onc an\ comments to make on the film? Student: The football uniforms had nothing to do in the end with the movie projector. Student: It was a fact! Student: But there was no basis for using it. Haefner: \\'hat was the analogy being made in the film? John? John: Well, that they were going to get the mo\ie projector from the luiiform fund. Ted: He thought that as long as they (continued on page thirtv-four) SEE and HEAR