TeachersFirst's Media Literacy
Today’s messages come in many forms and literacy can no longer refer simply to the ability to read and write. Media literacy is a set of skills that help people to analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres, and formats. To become media literate, students must learn to raise the right questions about what they are listening to, watching, or reading. Media literacy education is about helping students become competent, critical, and literate in all media forms so that they can appropriately interpret what they see or hear rather than blindly accepting what they are told. This collection of resources includes lesson ideas, activities and resources for teaching media literacy skills. Be sure to also check out the media literacy professional learning resources.
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The Achievery - AT&T
Grades
K to 12
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The Achievery is a free digital learning platform created by AT&T in collaboration with Warner Brothers that pairs video clips with lessons to engage students in learning across seven...more
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The Achievery is a free digital learning platform created by AT&T in collaboration with Warner Brothers that pairs video clips with lessons to engage students in learning across seven subject areas. Create an account to access activities such as a poetry scavenger hunt with Amanda Gorman or learn reading and writing skills from Wonder Woman video clips. Begin at the "All Units" link to find content by grade level, standards, subject, and additional filters. Most lessons are part of a larger learning unit; however, they are ready to use as individual teaching activities. Each lesson includes correlations to teaching and CASEL standards (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), highlights relevant vocabulary, activity directions, and links to the featured video, and is available in PDF format. The Achievery lessons and activities are available in English and Spanish. This site would be a good one to leave for your substitute to use; it's high interest, no sign-in, and has lesson plans & video clips.
tag(s): blended learning (16), coding (88), digital citizenship (89), engineering (119), environment (240), equations (119), geometric shapes (136), graphic design (50), internet safety (113), literature (217), map skills (56), measurement (126), media literacy (102), narrative (14), numbers (119), operations (72), order of operations (28), problem solving (226), remote learning (61), Research (83), social and emotional learning (81), spanish (105), STEM (263), substitutes (27), writing (315)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for lessons in many content areas to engage students using popular video clips. All lessons are created as remote learning activities making them easily adaptable for both in-class and out-of-class assignments. Easily find activities to differentiate instruction for different student ability levels by browsing options below or above the student's current grade level. Many lessons include worksheets in PDF format, turn these activities into a digital format by taking a screenshot of the document, then save as the background on Google Slides, reviewed here. Add text boxes in the appropriate place on the slide for students to add responses. Use Pear Deck Flashcard Factory, reviewed here, to create flashcards for students to practice the vocabulary highlighted in each lesson.
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RumorGuard - News Literacy Project
Grades
6 to 12
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RumorGuard is a fact-checking website that teaches you how to identify online misinformation based on up to five factors - source, evidence, context, reasoning, and authenticity. The...more
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RumorGuard is a fact-checking website that teaches you how to identify online misinformation based on up to five factors - source, evidence, context, reasoning, and authenticity. The home page shares recent fact checks with a summary of the rumor and includes the number of factors used to determine the authenticity of the information. Click to learn more about the story to view complete details on analyzing the topic. Each topic includes a quick look at the facts and the takeaway for readers. Scroll further on the topic page to view a snapshot of information based on the five factors, techniques used to determine authenticity, and featured fact checks. Some fact-checks include links to lessons on RumorGuard's parent site, Checkology, reviewed here, to support learning about misinformation and evaluating online resources.
tag(s): digital citizenship (89), internet safety (113), journalism (72), media literacy (102), news (229), Online Learning (40), Research (83)
In the Classroom
Share RumorGuard with students during digital citizenship and online safety lessons to help students understand how misinformation is shared and provide them with tools for analyzing online information. Engage students in your lessons using RumorGuard by choosing different topics on this page and news stories, then ask students to determine if the information is real or fake. Next, use a simple polling tool such as Poll Maker, reviewed here, to create and share quick true/false polls. Extend and enhance learning by asking students to become fact-checkers of any online information using the model found on Rumor Guard. Create a template on Google Slides, reviewed here, or Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here, modeling the process used on RumorGuard to determine the authenticity of the information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Be MediaWise - Lessons to Teach Media Literacy - PBS Learning Media
Grades
6 to 12
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Be MediaWise--Lessons to Teach Media Literacy is a series of media literacy lessons designed to teach students to fact-check information found online. The collection consists of engaging...more
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Be MediaWise--Lessons to Teach Media Literacy is a series of media literacy lessons designed to teach students to fact-check information found online. The collection consists of engaging videos featuring teens evaluating various online sources. The videos are short and give relevant examples of how to evaluate posts on social media, spot satire, and identify content that may be created by artificial intelligence.
tag(s): critical thinking (112), media literacy (102), social media (53)
In the Classroom
Teach your middle and high school students how to critically evaluate information with each video's downloadable lesson plans, handouts, and slide decks. Lessons include evaluating actual posts on social media, video, and news sites. Create deeper understanding and extend learning by having your students create "social media" posts using tools such as Canva for Education, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, then, evaluate classmates' work.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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iThrive Sim: Follow the Facts - ithrive games
Grades
9 to 12
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iThrive Sim: Follow the Facts is a digital role-playing simulation game with situations that help students in high school social studies, history, and humanities classes to strengthen...more
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iThrive Sim: Follow the Facts is a digital role-playing simulation game with situations that help students in high school social studies, history, and humanities classes to strengthen civic and social-emotional learning (SEL). The digital simulations are designed to support student-driven learning, and the student's actions determine the storyline. Students will play as journalists reporting on a breaking story. To get the truth, they need to find credible sources, collaborate with peers, and report the story accurately and without bias. Registration with a school email address is required to play. This game was designed to function within school firewalls. If you have trouble accessing it, please contact your school's IT department. iThrive Sim: Leading Through Crisis scenario is centered around topics that may be sensitive for some students. Consider offering alternatives or providing extra support if needed.
tag(s): bias (22), game based learning (171), journalism (72), media literacy (102), simulations (8), social and emotional learning (81)
In the Classroom
Engage your high school students with iThrive Sim: Follow the Facts. The game-based simulation includes teacher preparation, pre-simulation, and optional post-simulation activities. The entire simulation takes about two thirty-minute sessions total to play. Teachers should plan for the full simulation and activities to take at least five 45-minute class periods. A complete implementation guide is included. Civics topics include effective sourcing of information, SEL skills include understanding bias and collaboration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Media Choices - Common Sense Education
Grades
3 to 5
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This forty-five-minute lesson plan provides activities to guide fourth-grade students in learning about a "What? When? How Much" framework for use in evaluating media sources. An additional...more
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This forty-five-minute lesson plan provides activities to guide fourth-grade students in learning about a "What? When? How Much" framework for use in evaluating media sources. An additional option shares a quick fifteen-minute activity as an alternative to the complete lesson. In addition to the lesson description, resources include a slide presentation, video, student handouts, and take-home resources to share with families. Also available is the correlation to Common Core ELA, CASEL, AASL, and ISTE standards.
tag(s): digital citizenship (89), internet safety (113), media literacy (102)
In the Classroom
Although created for fourth grade, this lesson works well for grades three through five, with possible adaptations for additional grade levels. First, engage students by conducting a poll or survey of the different types of media your students regularly consume. For example, use a simple polling tool such as Kahoot reviewed here, or take a more in-depth survey using Microsoft Forms, reviewed here. Instead of completing worksheets as a paper and pencil activity, convert the worksheets into an interactive document using Google Docs, reviewed here, and assign within Google Classroom. Add questions or comments to the included video using EdPuzzle, reviewed here, to enhance learning. As an extension activity, ask students to share tips for safe media use by creating short videos to share on your class and school's websites. Use Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create engaging videos from scratch or by using the templates provided.
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Twitter Chat: Media Literacy in the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This archived Twitter chat is from August 2022 and will open in Wakelet. The title of this chat is: Media Literacy in the Classroom. During this chat, participants: 1. Discussed ...more
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This archived Twitter chat is from August 2022 and will open in Wakelet. The title of this chat is: Media Literacy in the Classroom. During this chat, participants: 1. Discussed the importance of teaching media literacy in the classroom, 2. Explored media literacy resources, and 3. Collaborated on ideas for integrating media literacy across your curriculum.
tag(s): media literacy (102), twitterchatarchive (173)
In the Classroom
Find resources and information about media literacy. Share this chat with your colleagues looking for strategies and resources on media literacy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Fostering Accountability: Media Literacy in the Classroom - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
As digital media increasingly...more
As digital media increasingly...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from July 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
As digital media increasingly replaces traditional media, students must have the skills to think critically about these new types of texts. Media literacy - the ability to skillfully read and write in a wide range of message forms - allows students to identify themes and issues emerging from popular culture and has related standards that have been incorporated across content areas and grade levels nationwide. Join us to learn more about this information age survival skill. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the importance of teaching media literacy in the classroom; 2. Explore media literacy resources; and 3. Learn to use the five key questions of media literacy when planning lessons. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
As digital media increasingly replaces traditional media, students must have the skills to think critically about these new types of texts. Media literacy - the ability to skillfully read and write in a wide range of message forms - allows students to identify themes and issues emerging from popular culture and has related standards that have been incorporated across content areas and grade levels nationwide. Join us to learn more about this information age survival skill. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Understand the importance of teaching media literacy in the classroom; 2. Explore media literacy resources; and 3. Learn to use the five key questions of media literacy when planning lessons. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): media literacy (102), professional development (394)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Digital Citizenship: Technological Literacy - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 12
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Proper use and understanding of using technology responsibly are essential for all students to acquire. This offering from PBS Learning Media focuses on Digital Citizenship concerning...more
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Proper use and understanding of using technology responsibly are essential for all students to acquire. This offering from PBS Learning Media focuses on Digital Citizenship concerning technological literacy. Each of the fifty-three included videos helps students understand concepts such as understanding the role of influencers on social media, editorial accuracy, and why many people are susceptible to disinformation. Each video is relatively short in length, running from around five to fifteen minutes. Look for the icon with "SM" located at the bottom of some of the descriptions; these videos include additional support materials for use in the classroom.
tag(s): digital citizenship (89), internet safety (113), journalism (72), social media (53)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many videos and resources found on this site to include with your digital citizenship lessons. Engage students in learning about digital citizenship using playposit, reviewed here, to add notes, questions, and student-teacher interactions to any video. Enhance the learning experience by including these videos and your other resources into a digital lesson using Curipod, reviewed here. Extend learning by asking students to share their learning using different technology tools. For example, have some students create a podcast using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, while others create and share video presentations made with Animoto, reviewed here.
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Deceptive Detective - Common Sense
Grades
2 to 12
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Deceptive Detective is a colorful poster available to download as a PDF that provides questions to ask when looking at news sources. Prompts encourage students to consider the source...more
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Deceptive Detective is a colorful poster available to download as a PDF that provides questions to ask when looking at news sources. Prompts encourage students to consider the source of information, its presentation, date of publication, and more. Select the link above the poster to view the file in its entirety. This poster is part of Common Sense's News & Literacy Toolkit, reviewed here.
tag(s): bias (22), computers (106), evaluating sources (28), internet safety (113), journalism (72), media literacy (102), news (229), social media (53), STEM (263)
In the Classroom
Print this poster to display in your classroom or computer lab after discussing the information with your students. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to break down the questions found on the poster and share student findings. For example, begin by evaluating a website together as a class. Create a column on your Padlet for each question, then add students' responses in the appropriate column. As students become proficient at evaluating online resources, ask them to use Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to create infographics sharing the validity of websites and online news resources based upon the questions found on the Deceptive Detective poster. Extend learning by asking students to become the instructor through the use of podcasts. Use Buzzsprout, reviewed here, to create bi-weekly or monthly student-created podcasts sharing tips for evaluating websites, how to recognize fake news sources or suggestions for useful resources for student use.
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Teachers' Guide to Cranky Uncle - John Cook
Grades
6 to 12
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How do you teach students to understand and build resilience against misinformation? Try using this game created by George Mason University scientist John Cook which uses cartoon personifications...more
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How do you teach students to understand and build resilience against misinformation? Try using this game created by George Mason University scientist John Cook which uses cartoon personifications of climate science denials. The game is available to play on any browser or download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play. By teaching how others use fake experts and cherry-picking information to spread disinformation, this game engages players as they employ critical thinking skills to build points and learn how to separate fact from myth. The Teacher's Guide features all you need to know to understand how to set up the game for your class, the basic premise and information found in the game, and classroom activities that accompany the game's features.
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (143), digital citizenship (89), evaluating sources (28), game based learning (171), internet safety (113), media literacy (102), social media (53)
In the Classroom
Add this game to your toolkit of lessons and activities when teaching Internet safety and media literacy skills. The Teachers' Guide already includes many ideas on integrating the game into classroom lessons and includes using technology to enhance and extend learning. Use these ideas as a starting point to build student engagement and help them understand the real-world applications for the information found in the game. For example, use the suggested Padlet, reviewed here, activity to compile quiz questions as suggested in Activity 5. After completing that activity, have students create their own videos, fake social media posts, or news articles that contain misinformation and create quiz questions for their peers to complete. Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, is an excellent tool for students to use when creating websites, flyers, and infographics. As a final project, and to extend learning, have students share what they learned with others by producing podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, or digital books for younger students using Book Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fake News: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation - Pace University
Grades
4 to 12
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This helpful page provides information to help you understand how to verify news resources for research purposes. This resource guides the readers through suggested tips on how to stay...more
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This helpful page provides information to help you understand how to verify news resources for research purposes. This resource guides the readers through suggested tips on how to stay alert and recognize fake news. Be sure to look at Real New About Fake News and Other Resources of Interest. Use this resource as a news consumer's handbook that includes ways to identify and recognized fake news stories and resources.
tag(s): digital citizenship (89), internet safety (113), journalism (72), media literacy (102), news (229), Research (83)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other resources for teaching how to navigate online information. Include this website within a learning management system such as ActivelyLearn, reviewed here, to build a complete learning unit that includes articles, videos, and assessments that fully immerse and engage students in the learning activities. Enhance learning throughout the school year using Padlet, reviewed here, to curate and organize online information. For example, create a Padlet that includes a column for each of the four categories of fake news mentioned on this website, then ask students to share examples found during online use. Extend learning by asking students to become the teacher through presentations on how to recognize and avoid fake news. Provide a variety of options for student presentations including a comic creation tool like ToonyTool, reviewed here, Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create simple video explainers, or use Minecraft Education Edition, reviewed here, and have students create a game to teach the hazards of disinformation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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News and Media Literacy Resource Center - Common Sense Media
Grades
6 to 12
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1 Comments
This collection of vetted resources provides activities and lessons for current news and social discussion topics. In addition to materials found for specific lessons, scroll further...more
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This collection of vetted resources provides activities and lessons for current news and social discussion topics. In addition to materials found for specific lessons, scroll further down the page to find curated collections for news and literacy, media literacy, and social and cultural literacy. Each collection includes regularly updated resources specially chosen to reinforce and practice each literacy skill. Pay particular attention to activities with a green heart icon; these are the site's favorite resources.
tag(s): bias (22), journalism (72), media literacy (102), news (229), social media (53)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to take advantage of the many curated resources for teaching media and news literacy. Use a curation tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to save and share favorite resources found on this site with students. Use the shelf option in Padlet to create columns and organize information by topic, type of content, or for use by different groups of students. Enhance instruction by asking students to become creators of information as they share their learning. Have students use Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to create infographics to demonstrate different forms of media bias or to share facts learned from news articles. Extend learning even further by asking students to create blogs using edublogs, reviewed here, to demonstrate how to write and share the news using credible information and factual resources.
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Comments
This is such a valuable resource and it's so helpful to have one collection that I know has been vetted with accurate, useful information that teachers can use for themselves as well as with their students. I also love the "In the Classroom" section with suggestions for ways to use the information and resources.Peggy, AZ, Grades: 0 - 8
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Advertising All Around Us - MediaSmarts
Grades
5 to 8
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This lesson provided by MediaSmarts for grades 5 and 6 provides instruction in the different techniques employed by advertisers and the impact it has on students' daily lives. Download...more
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This lesson provided by MediaSmarts for grades 5 and 6 provides instruction in the different techniques employed by advertisers and the impact it has on students' daily lives. Download the lesson kit through the link to the PDF document. The activities focus on three concepts - media construct reality, representation, and audience.
tag(s): advertising (24), media literacy (102)
In the Classroom
Take the ideas and activities found in this lesson plan and enhance them with these lesson extensions. During the first activity, the author suggests taking the name of five products and giving a new humorous name. Take that idea further and ask students to design a print ad using Canva, reviewed here, and using the new product name. Ask students to include a slogan for the product along with imagery promoting the virtues of the item. The second lesson activity asks students to create a new ad to replace one that is boring and unimaginative. Ask students to create a video ad using Clipchamp, reviewed here, or another animated video creation tool. As an alternative, have students use Image Annotator, reviewed here, to create annotated images with links to text, videos, and more. As a final project, students create and plan their own ad. Extend learning by asking students to plan and implement a complete ad campaign, including print, video, and online advertising. Before planning their advertisements, ask students to share examples of effective advertising to an online collaboration tool like Padlet, reviewed here. Include links and images of effective advertising along with comments sharing ideas on why and how the ad works. Have students (or student groups) share their ad campaigns using a multimedia presentation tool like Wakelet, reviewed here. Include links to research, student-created projects, and more all within their Wakelet presentation.
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NewsFeed Defenders - FactCheck.org
Grades
6 to 12
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Learn how to find and deal with disinformation and misinformation through this news media literacy game. Players find and identify factual portions of a news story along with misinformation....more
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Learn how to find and deal with disinformation and misinformation through this news media literacy game. Players find and identify factual portions of a news story along with misinformation. Begin by choosing a topic of interest to start your mission. Your goal is to build up your integrity as much as possible throughout the game. Login to your free teacher account to access and print lesson plans and the teacher extension pack.
tag(s): evaluating sources (28), journalism (72), media literacy (102), news (229)
In the Classroom
Include the NewsFeed Defenders game and lesson as part of your broader unit of teaching about online safety and media literacy. Engage studets by using Padlet, reviewed here, to share materials. Include links to videos, articles, and other materials for students to access. Ask them to add comments sharing their insights and information learned. Help students identify online disinformation by collaborating with Fiskkit, reviewed here. Change out paper and pen by sharing the URL of an article to discuss within Fiskkit, then have students highlight any area to discuss the information within the article. Enhance learning by encouraging students to teach others about media literacy using an online book tool like Book Creator, reviewed here. Book Creator can be used for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement, modification, or transformation. Have students design and share a book that includes tips for spotting disinformation or bias using specific examples, including text, videos, and images, along with examples of factual, non-biased information.
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Bad News - Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab and DROG
Grades
5 to 12
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How bad can you be? This game teaches you how fake news and disinformation spreads as players take on the role of the bad guy to acquire as many followers ...more
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How bad can you be? This game teaches you how fake news and disinformation spreads as players take on the role of the bad guy to acquire as many followers as possible while raising their credibility ratings. Follow the prompts and make selections on how to spread disinformation and take advantage of others' fears and emotions as you proceed through the game. As you make choices, watch how that affects the number of your followers and learn how to use celebrity and fear to influence others. Throughout the game, players earn up to six badges recognizing accomplishments such as impersonation and emotion.
tag(s): digital citizenship (89), game based learning (171), internet safety (113), media literacy (102), social media (53)
In the Classroom
This game is perfect for use as an introduction to lessons on digital citizenship, media literacy, and social media. Share the site with your students to explore on their own and encourage them to play several different times using the different options provided. Your students won't mind playing over and over; it is easy to get hooked on trying to find the best way to gain as many followers as possible! Once students become familiar with the game and the different options presented for spreading misinformation, ask them to apply their findings to online content. Have them do some online research to find sites or information using tactics such as emotion and the others featured in Bad News. As they research sites and online information, have them add links to the sites they find on a class Padlet. Padlet, reviewed here, offers an option to create columns, use this option then label a column for each badge found in the game and ask students to share a link to their sites in the appropriate column. In addition to adding a link, have students include a comment providing information on why their site belongs in the category. Instead of assessing learning with quizzes or a written report, enhance learning and transform your assessment by having students create infographics to share information learned. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, provides easy to use templates to create interesting and informative infographics. Extend leaning and ask students to become the teacher using Symbaloo Learning Paths, reviewed here, to create an online learning activity teaching others on how to recognize and avoid disinformation found online. Be sure to share your assessment rubric with students as part of your assignment. Find many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Look Sharp - Project Look Sharp, Ithaca College
Grades
K to 12
2 Favorites
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Project Look Sharp promotes media literacy education and critical thinking skills through the offering of curriculum kits for classrooms in grades K-12; to find the kits click the Free...more
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Project Look Sharp promotes media literacy education and critical thinking skills through the offering of curriculum kits for classrooms in grades K-12; to find the kits click the Free Classroom Materials button. The free kits include teacher guides, handouts, assessments, and correlating digital media. Browse through all available kits, or filter by grade level or Common Core Standard. Each kit is available for download in its entirety or download individual lessons as desired; registration is required. Lesson contents cover a variety of topics including Global Warming, Presidential Campaigns, and Social Justice. Be sure to look through other sections of the site including professional development information and links to handouts from Project Look Sharp's presentations.
tag(s): american revolution (82), climate change (87), critical thinking (112), environment (240), martin luther king (43), media literacy (102), middle east (43), nutrition (134), OER (43), presidents (121), russia (33), social media (53)
In the Classroom
Become acquainted with these free curriculum kits and lessons to integrate media literacy within content already taught in the classroom. As you teach lessons found on the site, incorporate technology to enhance learning and build student understanding by using Word Ahead, reviewed here, or WordSift, reviewed here, to introduce and develop vocabulary as a prereading strategy or older students can use either as they are reading. Incorporate images with annotations to help students understand "big picture" ideas using Image Annotator, reviewed here. For younger students create a Image Annotator as a class to add text, video, and more to images. Ask older students to create their own Image Annotator sharing information learned throughout your lessons. Be sure to share all of your images on your class website for students to view at any time. To transform classroom technology use and as a culminating activity, use a digital book creation tool like Book Creator, reviewed here, as an alternative assessment to quizzes or tests. Include student-created writing, Annotated images, and add videos with student commentary within each book. Be sure to provide students with your rubric to use as a guide before turning in digital books. Find many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue, reviewed here. Whether students work individually or in groups, be sure to share your new digital library related to your lesson topic with students to review and revisit at any time!
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Glean - Digital Literacy Teaching Tools - The Public Learning Media Laboratory
Grades
6 to 12
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Small but mighty, this site has several lesson plans for the digital classroom. Use, share, and help create digital literacy lesson plans using Google Docs at Glean. Also, use the ...more
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Small but mighty, this site has several lesson plans for the digital classroom. Use, share, and help create digital literacy lesson plans using Google Docs at Glean. Also, use the hashtag #lessonhack on Twitter to follow the development of ideas and the lessons. Use the drop-down menu for Lessons to view plans for Media, Data, Information, Network Literacy, and also find Security and Privacy lessons. Find plans already created that include, To Teach Memes, Teaching Media Making, Terms of Service, and there are several others about the Internet and IPs. One lesson on Safer Sexting states, "This is not intended to condone sexting; rather it is designed to provide young people (at risk through their sexting behavior) with digital literacies and personal practices to mitigate negative impacts of the sexting they've done."
tag(s): computers (106), digital citizenship (89), internet safety (113), media literacy (102)
In the Classroom
Computer Literacy teachers and those responsible for teaching Internet safety in any course are sure to find a lesson they need. Take advantage of these free lessons to educate students about the basics of the Internet from safety to reading the terms of service to creating or sharing memes. After these lessons, challenge students to create a simple infographic about what they learned using Infogram, reviewed here. The lessons and (some of) the descriptions include resources you may want to share with parents and school counselors so they can have a conversation about the topics with their students. Discuss topics on this site as part of Internet safety lessons. Share this site with school counselors as a resource for teens facing online safety issues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Making a Change: The First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement - NewseumED
Grades
8 to 12
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Explore how the First Amendment influenced the Civil Rights Movement through this collection of resources from Newseum. The collection includes three teaching units with topics of Historical...more
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Explore how the First Amendment influenced the Civil Rights Movement through this collection of resources from Newseum. The collection includes three teaching units with topics of Historical Connections, Media Literacy, and Civics & Citizenship. In addition, an interactive timeline beginning in 1791 demonstrates the Civil Rights journey. A Google Civil Rights map includes links to important American newspapers and their coverage of civil rights events and leaders. Be sure to sign up for your free NewseumED account for complete access to all materials.
tag(s): black history (124), civil rights (194), constitution (87), cultures (132), journalism (72), media literacy (102), newspapers (91)
In the Classroom
Use any or all of the units and interactives with any Civil Rights lessons; this site isn't just for Black History Month! Share with journalism students as they explore the role of the press in shaping and telling the story of a nation. Have small groups or pairs of students enhance their learning by making a multimedia presentation exploring the First Amendment and the role of the press using a tool such as Sway, reviewed here. With the web-based Sway, you can include text, images, and video. To illustrate different press coverage around the nation, have students modify their learning by creating maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here. This tool allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location on a map where the news report takes place.
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Believe It or Not? - NewseumED
Grades
8 to 12
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Use the lessons, discussion questions, and news articles provided by NewseumEd to help young adults understand what media literacy is and to tell the difference between good and bad...more
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Use the lessons, discussion questions, and news articles provided by NewseumEd to help young adults understand what media literacy is and to tell the difference between good and bad information. Though the lessons seem to center around a visit to Newseum and their galleries, there is a lot to be learned just by examining and discussing the materials presented here. There are discussion questions, media issues to think about, suggested in-class activities, and worksheets. Find a Unit plan with lessons that are standards aligned and Common Core compatible. The Unit plan and worksheets are available in both PDF and Word document formats. You must be a registered NewseumEd member to access this resource; however, membership is free.
tag(s): evaluating sources (28), media literacy (102), news (229)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lessons, discussion questions, sample articles, and worksheets offered for use in your classroom. Divide students into small groups and assign different discussion questions and activities to each group. Allow all older students to have a voice (and engage their interest) in the small group by using a chat service like Flock, reviewed here. Enhance learning by challenging the small groups to create a slide presentation using the free Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here, demonstrating information learned. With the online PowerPoint students can add videos, images and documents making them all interactive. Note: with Flock students can also start planning the presentation and keep the plan for 30 days. If you cannot make a field trip to the Newseum for the Gallery Guide Handout, you can do a Google search for Who Controls the News and find many free resources.
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NewseumED - NewseumED.org
Grades
6 to 12
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Make history relevant to the world today and learn more about First Amendment issues at the same time. Find lesson plans, a multimedia collection of primary sources and artifacts, interactive...more
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Make history relevant to the world today and learn more about First Amendment issues at the same time. Find lesson plans, a multimedia collection of primary sources and artifacts, interactive tools, and worksheets. These are searchable by type, topic, collections, and time-period. The focus of the lessons is historical connections, media literacy, and civics and citizenship. There are several EdCollections with titles like "Election 2016: Stumped!?," "Making a Change," "Women, Their Rights and Nothing Less," and "Freedom in the Balance." The latter focuses on teaching and learning about 9/11 and the attacks in Paris, France 2015, and adhering to the First Amendment freedoms and concerns for safety and the public good. All of this is free with an email sign up. Check back frequently to see NewseumEd's newest EdCollections.
tag(s): civil rights (194), elections (80), evaluating sources (28), freedom of speech (13), media literacy (102), politics (112), primary sources (117), sept11 (18), terrorism (41), terrorist (12)
In the Classroom
If you teach or even discuss civil rights, the First Amendment and its freedoms and ideals, current events, or the presidential elections be sure to look at the lessons provided here. The lessons will also help you show students how to tell facts from opinions in current events. Use ideas from the lesson plans to supplement your current teaching materials. Enhance learning and challenge small groups of students to create an infographic sharing their learning from the notes they took during a lesson. Use Infogram, reviewed here, to construct the infographic. If you plan on using one of the EdCollections ask students to enhance and extend their learning and develop a multimedia presention using Presentious, reviewed here, or an interactive poster with a tool like Genially, reviewed here, for one of the suggested Extension Activities.
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