This second part of the "Navigating the news" resource begins with the news of a fictional protest in a city. We live this event as if it were breaking, as we gradually pick up pieces of information (from speculative tweets to memes, opinions to out of context media) react and share.

The aim is to show how typical this is of how we consume news online, whether breaking or not. We are fed superficial, incomplete, sometimes fake, often biased information on a regular basis.

But not all is lost! This resource shows students that good habits can make an impact and help us navigate the news in a healthy way. The good habits are:

Pausing & taking a step back
Embracing the nuance
Keeping an eye on the bigger picture
Developing critical thinking

This last one, critical thinking, is divided into the following sections:
News articles
Media neutrality & the left-right divide
Experts & authorities
Opinion pieces & commentators
Algorithm
Stats
Studies
Social media

It finishes off with the Bullshit-o-meter, a framework to quantify the quality of a source. Concretely you add or reduce credit depending on how valid the information contained within a source is.

--

This resource is part of the information science collection.

This guide walks you through the resources available from the News Literacy Project, including the Checkology virtual classroom, which is mainly for grades 6-12. Students can move at their own pace through a wide variety of lessons that mostly focus on journalism and news literacy, but also cover misinformation, conspiracy theories, and other relevant topics.The lessons include videos of journalists and other experts, plus visually engaging interactive activities. Other resources are also described. 

According to a 2016 study, over 60% of U.S. adults get news from a social networking site.  These numbers are even higher if you focus solely on Millennials.  Millennials are people who reached young adulthood in the early 2000’s.  A 2015 report suggests that 88% of Millennials get their news from Facebook.  This seminar will show you how to sort through the hundreds of posts you read each day to determine what is factual information that is worthy of sharing with your friends.StandardsCC.8.5.9-10.D Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social scienceCC.8.5.11-12.H Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.

According to a 2012 study, 81% of U.S. teenagers reported looking at online health information for their needs (Park & Kwon, 2018). For this reason, it is increasingly important to consider ways to promote and model effective digital health literacy. This module is designed not to dissuade adolescents from using digital resources to find health information, but rather equipping them with the tools to find reputable resources and responsibly use them to inform conversations with their health providers. This learning module is divided into three sub-modules (each 20-30 min in length) that are designed to be taught in separate sessions, or as part of a singular digital health literacy workshop/bootcamp. Please feel free to use any parts of this module that you feel could best empower your students to actively engage in their health and wellness.

Students are asked, as individuals in a team, to critically review the draft of a multimedia web site authored by another team in my course. Student must follow a template with 5 review criteria, and submit their review to each member of the web site author team and to me.

Please see the handout below for instructions I give to students for this activity.

The media has one job: to sell you something. That something could be a product, such as a new cell phone, or it could be something less tangible, like a belief or a value. Depending on the TV shows you watch, the internet sites you visit, or the highways you drive on, the media will try different ways to convince you to buy or buy into something. Knowing the techniques the media uses will help you to think for yourself and make thoughtful decisions about the products and ideas being “sold” to you. In this seminar, you will strive to accurately identify the ways in which the media persuades you. You might not grasp the persuasion at first, but as you complete the tasks in this seminar and, especially, analyze the perspectives of those trying to sell you ideas or products, you will become better at identifying the persuasive tactics of the media and, in turn, be able to make sensible decisions accordingly.StandardsCC.1.2.9-10.DDetermine an author’s particular point of view and analyze how rhetoric advances the point of view.CC.1.2.9-10.HDelineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing the validity of reasoning and relevance of evidence.CC.1.2.9-10.FAnalyze how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts.

The photo analysis worksheet was designed and developed by the Education Staff of the National Archives and Records Administration. You may find this worksheet useful as you introduce students to photographs as primary sources of historical, cultural and social information.

The photo analysis worksheet was designed and developed by the Education Staff of the National Archives and Records Administration. You may find this worksheet useful as you introduce students to photographs as primary sources of historical, cultural and social information.

This lesson is targeted at students who have not yet started using social media, but will soon. It offers discussion questions to get them thinking, as well as, an activity you can use long-term within your classroom to build skills and community... even if you don't have devices.

The following poster analysis worksheet was designed and developed by the Education Staff of the National Archives and Records Administration. You may find this worksheet useful as you introduce students to posters as sources of historical, social and cultural information.

The following poster analysis worksheet was designed and developed by the Education Staff of the National Archives and Records Administration. You may find this worksheet useful as you introduce students to posters as sources of historical, social and cultural information.

This unit is designed to accompany the study of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Resources encourage students to recognize a variety of propaganda techniques and to connect those techniques to media that they can find in their everyday lives. Resources also help students to understand the historical uses of propaganda by governments and political parties to influence public opinion. Resources can be used independently of the novel.

With this lesson the teacher will provide the students tools to find sources and recognize if those sources are reliable and useful for their discussions.

With this lesson the teacher will provide the students tools to find sources and recognize if those sources are reliable and useful for their discussions.

This media literacy unit was designed and piloted with junior English classes at the start of the school year. Activities can easily be adapted to suit secondary students at various levels. Within the unit, students analyze corporate logos, corporate advertising, movie trailers and stereotypes found in media related to Native American culture. Within the unit, students also learn how to consider the ways in which media appeals to ethos, pathose and logos and how to identify the tone of a piece of media. 

This kit covers a historical overview of American representations of natural resources from ancient Indian basketry to contemporary web sites. It compares conflicting media constructions about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the damning of rivers, and Chukchi sea oil drilling. By showing the slow realization that natural resources are finite, students will learn valuable lessons in earth, natural and environmental sciences.

The Duty & Service module from the Supporting Readiness through Vital Civic Empowerment curriculum, focuses on how individuals are important to establishing a strong community, how civic identity promotes civic engagement, and how to advance change through civic action. There are 15 lessons in this module that include video, student-facing slides, a teacher toolkit, and handouts. The lessons are aligned with the C3 Framework, National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) Core Principles of Media Literacy Education, and Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Social and Emotional Learning Competencies.

Educators may modify the materials to suit the specific needs of their students. This may include adapting the
materials for various settings and purposes, provided that such changes are made within the scope of the specific educational use.
.

The Voice & Persuasion module, from the Supporting Readiness through Vital Civic Empowerment (SRVCE) curriculum, focuses on persuasive media techniques, strategies for evaluating credible information and sharing feedback, and ways to advance change through engaging your audience.

The 15 lessons include video, student-facing slides, a teacher toolkit and handouts. Resources are aligned with the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards, National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) Core Principles of Media Literacy Education, and Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Social and Emotional Learning Competencies.

SRVCE blends inquiry-based civic learning, media literacy education, and exploration of public service careers to prepare students to be active citizens and thrive in the workforce. All SRVCE materials are free. These materials are intended solely for educational purposes. Educators may modify the materials to suit the specific needs of their students. This may include adapting the materials for various settings and purposes, provided that such changes are made within the scope of the specific educational use.
.

The Power & Influence module, from the Supporting Readiness through Vital Civic Empowerment (SRVCE) curriculum, focuses on how public policy affects individuals, how technology impacts communities, and how to build skills around communication and advocacy.

The 15 lessons include video, student-facing slides, a teacher toolkit and handouts. Resources are aligned with the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards, National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) Core Principles of Media Literacy Education, and Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Social and Emotional Learning Competencies.

SRVCE blends inquiry-based civic learning, media literacy education, and exploration of public service careers to prepare students to be active citizens and thrive in the workforce. All SRVCE materials are free. These materials are intended solely for educational purposes. Educators may modify the materials to suit the specific needs of their students. This may include adapting the materials for various settings and purposes, provided that such changes are made within the scope of the specific educational use.
.