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Lesson Plan
iCivics

NewsFeed Defenders Extension Pack

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Accuracy, transparency, trustworthiness, and impartiality are four unspoken rules of journalism. Scholars delve deep into the subject by discussing the pros and cons of relying on social media for news. They also play an online game to...
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Lesson Plan
California Department of Education

Evaluating Web Sites

For Teachers 8th Standards
If it's on the Internet, it must be true—right? How can someone tell if a website contains less-than-truthful information? Savvy surfers evaluate sources in the fifth of a six-part college and career readiness instructional activity...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fighting Fake News

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Fake news. Alternative facts. Internet trolls. In an age of Newspeak, it's increasingly important to equip 21st century learners with the skills needed to determine the legitimacy of claims put forth on social media, in print, and in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan: The Tour Starts at Noon

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The Eleven-Headed Bodhisattva is a piece that represents characteristics, meanings, and ideals common to those who practice Buddhism in Japan. Learners fully analyze this piece, then take a virtual trip to examine the Buddhist temples...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digging Up Artifacts On Line

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Why is it important to preserve historical documents and artifacts? Examine the role of primary source documents and the availability of these documents on the Internet. Middle and high schoolers write a journal about the nature of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Straight to the Source

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Research famous figures from history through the primary sources they created! Explore how these types of documents can enrich our study of the past with your middle and high school learners. They create picture books to illustrate...
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Worksheet
Nemours KidsHealth

Media Literacy and Health: What’s the Truth?

For Students 9th - 12th
In this personal health media literacy instructional activity, students use the eight questions on this sheet to evaluate a health news report on television. Students write paragraphs the determine whether the reports are valid sources...
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Interactive
Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Drawing Conclusions Based on the Sufficiency and Strength of Research (English III Reading)

For Students 11th Standards
High school juniors learn how to construct a strong argument by crafting a claim and using neutral language backed by evidence from reliable sources. To do so, they learn to evaluate sources and evidence to support claims. They then...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Street Cred: Evaluating Sources

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
A lesson plan on evaluating sources of information teaches scholars to "think twice" before using a source. Researchers examine a resource's home page, author, and sponsor, as well as the date published and the documentation provided.
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Something's Rotten In The City Of Verona: Information Literacy

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Data is a powerful tool that your class can use for both good and evil! Help your classes become knowledgeable consumers of information through a game-based exploration. Learners examine a method of determining the reliability of a...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Alienstock: Analyzing Information, Media, And Validity

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
One only has to watch MSMBC and FOX News to realize that media can present the same story in very different ways. Middle schoolers have an opportunity to test their ability to determine the validity and trustworthiness of information by...
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Lesson Plan
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Facebook

What Is Verification?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
One of the most important skills news consumers and social media users must develop is the ability to determine the veracity of stories they read or view. Here's an interactive lesson plan that teaches high schoolers how to verify news...
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Lesson Plan
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Newseum

Reporting Part II: Beyond the Basics

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
Scholars examine the articles written for the series' first instructional activity and select ones that would benefit from further research. In a 48-hour deadline, teams of three select one topic to investigate in greater depth and craft...
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Lesson Plan
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Newseum

Reporting Part I: What Matters to Me

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
Young reporters have an opportunity to craft a news story about a topic that interests them. Class members brainstorm events and issues that affect them and possible sources of information. Individuals then select a topic, research it,...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

Critical Observation Challenge: Was Elsa Really Arrested?

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
A 14-slide presentation showcases a social media post featuring Disney's Elsa from the movie, Frozen. The seemingly harmless post received lots of attention, raising the question, how do we know posts are factual? Scholars go through...
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Lesson Plan
News Literacy Project

Democracy’s Watchdog

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
As part of a study of the importance of the First Amendment, expert groups research different historic case studies of investigative reporting, and then the experts share their findings with jigsaw groups. The case studies include Nellie...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

News Goggles: Lionel Ramos, Oklahoma Watch

For Teachers 4th - Higher Ed
Given all the recent criticism of the news media and coverage, it's crucial that young people are given the tools they need to evaluate what they see, hear, and read about current events. A video interview from "News Goggles" introduces...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: On-Demand Note-Taking about Howler Monkeys

For Teachers 5th Standards
Get the facts straight. Scholars complete their mid-unit assessment by reading a text, watching a video, and observing a picture about howler monkeys. They take notes about the facts they discover to use in future lessons.
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Evaluating Research

For Teachers 6th Standards
Calling all archaeologists! Scholars dig through their research about overfishing, searching for the best information to include in their consumer guides. Next, pupils engage in a pair-share activity to discuss their findings with a...
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Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Applying Research Skills: “Rachel Carson: Environmentalist and Writer”

For Teachers 6th Standards
It's important to cite sources! Scholars take a closer look at their research about DDT by examining how to cite sources. Learners take turns sharing information that would be used to cite sources to complement Rachel Carson:...
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Lesson Plan
Teaching Tolerance

Advertisements and You

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Watch out for clever advertisements! Using the lesson, scholars learn how to identify online ads and respond to them critically. They then use what they've learned to develop a list of strategies to evaluate web pages.
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Lesson Plan
Teaching Tolerance

Understanding and Evaluating Online Searches

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
With billions of options to choose from, how can people determine which online sources are reliable? Using an informative resource, pupils first discuss and evaluate a sample search result handout. Next, partners create a checklist for...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

Story Explorers: Evaluate News Coverage

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What makes an issue or event newsworthy? Scholars complete a K-W-H-L chart based on a recent news event. As they complete the chart, small groups collaborate to analyze coverage of the story or event.
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Lesson Plan
News Literacy Project

News Judges

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Order in the court! Scholars act as news judges, learning how to analyze the newsworthiness of several pieces of information. Working in small groups, they determine which events are most newsworthy and then complete graphic organizers...