It is important to start as young as possible with conversations and practice of evaluating media. We want the future to be well informed and to think critically of information that is presented to them in order to avoid pitfalls and hurtful untruths. In addition, misinformation can have social-emotional consequences, such depression, anxiety or moral/ethical confusion on what the world or society stands for during a child's developmental stages.
If you do a search for 'fake news lessons' for elementary, middle or high school, you will find a variety of articles and ideas. However, here are a few to help you get started:
- Easy Bib: Infographic and Links -The infographic can be great to use with elementary or middle school students. There are also links to videos, questions and even fake news sites/stories to use to test your students' skills. Have students refer to the infographic as a way to help them with considering the information.
- Ted-Ed Video Talks: How to Choose Your News and How False News Can Spread. Discussion questions and questions are included on the right-hand side.
- News and America's Kids (Common Sense Media)- Scroll to bottom for parent and educator resources.
- 5 Ways Teachers are Fighting Fake News (NPR)-Read this article to learn how teachers are integrating these skills into their day.
- Is Fake News Tricking Kids? (CNN) This article discusses the consequences of young people and adults, including gender bias and secondary emotional reactions to what they read (depression, anxiety, etc)
- Evaluating Sources in a 'Post-Truth' World (NY Times) - Here are more lesson ideas as well as different types of fake news to consider.
- How to Teach Fake News to Students (PBS, Gr.7-12)
- Fighting Fake News Lesson Plan (KQED)
School and City Librarians- Don't forget, your librarians are happy to help support you with this topic! Media literacy can address CCSS standards and easily be incorporated in ELA lessons, or even have a math component. How can you modify a lesson to bridge a home-school connection How can students help educate adults?
- One idea is to have an assignment where students ask parents to evaluate a series of headlines or a short article and then answer a few questions. This information can then be charted on how adults answered in class.
- Another extension to learning is for students to survey different people on fake news and come up with a solution on how to help educate their local community or younger peers on evaluating media sources.
- One last idea is to have students survey households on what news stations, online sites or social media their family uses for information. This can be charted and then further discussed in the classroom.