The media plays an important role in how you interpret current events. The news media can use particular wording to sway public opinion. This seminar will help you build necessary skills to analyze and understand the media you consume to help you make informed decisions.StandardsCC.8.5.9-10.F: Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.CC.8.5.9-10.I Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.CC.1.2.11-12.D Evaluate how an author’s point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.CC.1.2.11-12.F Evaluate how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts.

Indiana Standard:
7.RN.2.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
7.RN.3.3 Determine an author’s perspective or purpose in a text, and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from the positions of others.

Common Core Standard:
Reading Standards for Informational Text Grades 6-12
1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others

This is a list of fake, false, or regularly misleading websites that are shared on Facebook and social media. Some of these websites may rely on “outrage” by using distorted headlines and decontextualized or dubious information in order to generate likes, shares, and profits. These websites are categorized with the number 1 next to them. Some websites on this list may circulate misleading and/or potentially unreliable information, and they are marked with a 2. Other websites on this list sometimes use clickbait-y headlines and social media descriptions, and they are marked with a 3. Other sources on this list are purposefully fake with the intent of satire/comedy, which can offer important critical commentary on politics and society, but have the potential to be shared as actual/literal news. They are marked with a 4.

A Field Guide to “Fake News” and Other Information Disorders explores the use of digital methods to study false viral news, political memes, trolling practices and their social life online. It responds to an increasing demand for understanding the interplay between digital platforms, misleading information, propaganda and viral content practices, and their influence on politics and public life in democratic societies.

Unit OverviewThis unit focuses on the various modes of local, national and world news. Students will read, evaluate and integrate multiple sources of information to gain perspective and understanding of a variety of news events. Through a structured instructional sequence, students will gain knowledge about current news, discuss the events, analyze news sources, identify bias and write brief news articles or reports based on research. The unifying theme, What’s News? will guide students as they discuss the essential question, How does the news influence us?A variety of focus texts and resources are suggested. Depending on your class and available resources, other texts may easily be substituted. Teachers may develop a customized instructional sequence with alternate news articles appropriate to the needs and make-up of the community/school population.It is important teachers prepare fully by reading all resources and consider their students when planning to implement this unit. Time frames may vary depending on the daily amount of instructional time allotted, the student group and the degree of teacher support required for students to meet with success.Teacher Note: The news of today can be very graphic and disturbing. It is important you intentionally select articles and news that do not deal with violence of any kind but that does engage 5th graders. Remember to consciously be aware of this aspect of the news for the general public. Included in this plan are a variety of “kid friendly” news sites to access. You could write a letter to the parents of your class informing them of the unit’s intent and your plan for implementing it. For guidance, watch the TVO video about TKN and Media Literacy video at the bottom of the home page www.teachingkidsnews.com.The lesson models in this unit feature best practices using informational texts to address Common Core State Standards. Included are examples of text dependent questions and sample responses to guide instruction. Students will engage with technology and practice effective listening and speaking skills in collaborative groups to identify key ideas and concepts and to build deeper understanding.Additional Planning and Preparation:Read the entire unit model, associated texts, and resources.Note vocabulary, phrases, concepts, and terminology that may be challenging.Organize the class in groups or pairs for cooperative work and discussion.Access and bookmark web resources your students will use.You many choose to infuse ‘bigger’ questions into discussion such as:What does it take to overcome challenges?How do we face challenges?What kinds of challenges do we face?Are life always challenges necessary to succeed?Universal Design Principles and strategies for English Learners:Organize the class in groups and pairs for discussion and cooperative work.Use multiple modes of presentation to allow acquisition and integration of knowledge and to increase interest and motivation.Offer students choice of tasks and modes of response.Considering using a word processing program or template for students to keep notes such as Google note taking tools.IMPORTANT NOTE: No text model or website referenced in this unit has undergone a formal review. Before using any of these materials, local school systems should conduct a formal approval review to determine their appropriateness. Teachers should always adhere to Acceptable Use Policy enforced by their local school system.Text Models For Lessons and Lesson Seedshttp://teachingkidsnews.comhttps://theconnectedclassroom.wikispaces.com/NewsInterdisciplinary ConnectionsSocial Studies/Geography/Science/Health/Current EventsAdditional ResourcesTeacher ResourcesDaily News at http://www.nwf.orgWashington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ecologists-track-dc-ospreys-long-journey-home--from-south-america-to-the-anacostia/2014/04/18/78a5dd18-c3fc-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.htmlPair these three articles – take down nest, bird rebuilds, rebuild, take down, build platform:http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/osprey-nest-blocking-md-traffic-camera-removed/2014/04/19/64623da8-c7fb-11e3-b708-471bae3cb10c_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-installs-nesting-platform-for-osprey/2014/04/24/c4c49eda-cbd8-11e3-b81a-6fff56bc591e_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-considers-nesting-platform-for-ospreys/2014/04/23/b82cf0f0-cb10-11e3-b81a-6fff56bc591e_story.htmlREADWORKShttps://www.readworks.org/passages/new-letter-alphabethttps://www.readworks.org/node/2219 batshttps://www.readworks.org/passages/classical-music-wolfgang-amadeus-mozarthttps://www.readworks.org/passages/cool-be-kind-0https://www.readworks.org/passages/endangered-animals-glancehttps://www.readworks.org/passages/finger-foodhttps://www.readworks.org/passages/homemadehttps://www.readworks.org/passages/meet-soldierScience Fridayhttp://auburnpub.com/science-friday-return-of-the-condor/article_54c3335a-cc67-11e3-acda-001a4bcf887a.htmlTime for Kids           https://www.timeforkids.com/NIEhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/http://helenair.com/news/local/th-graders-keep-abreast-of-current-events-school-issues/article_8dad9ea4-cc39-11e3-8e63-001a4bcf887a.htmlhttp://www.nwf.org

News Guard is the publisher of this resource. Branding itself as "The Internet Trust Tool," News Guard is an organization that provides various tools for verifying misinformation online. Key features of News Guard include ratings of online articles based on their nine journalistic standards, news literacy education resources, and background information tools to analyze articles' site ownership.This student guide is one of several resources offered by NewsGuard, funded by Microsoft.

A free game that students can play at home or at school. Breaking Harmony introduces the concepts of fake news and misinformation.

**The publisher of this resource is Civix.Help Students Fight Information Pollution Case Studies are created by Civix, a Canadian organization developed to support civics and media literacy education

How does the media influence peoples’ opinion of the government during a national crisis? Students will read several articles on a current (or historical) national crisis and write an argumentative essay analyzing how the media influences the opinion of the people toward the government during a national crisis using relevant evidence from both current and historical resources.

Identifying Media Bias in News Sources through activites using relevant news sources to answer the following essential question:Why is this important and relevant today?Students are engaging with a growing number of news sources and must develop skills to interpret what they see and hear.Media tells stories with viewpoints and biases that shape our worldviews.Students must become critical consumers of media which is essential for being an informed citizen.

Every media source has a story to tell--a driving purpose. The media that people consume largely shapes their world views. The US public is becoming more divided partially due to the consumption of increasingly biased news. As a critical consumer of media, It is important to be able to separate fact from opinion. In this unit, adapted from the high school version, students will become critical consumers of news, by identifying media bias in order to become better informed citizens.  NOTE: This unit has been adapted for use at the middle school level from the resource Identifying Media Bias in News Sources by Sandra Stroup, Sally Drendel, Greg Saum, and Heidi Morris.

This resource includes multiple lesson plans developed by Washington State teacher John Zingale and can be taught as part of in-person, hybrid, or remote instructional settings. The core content areas include social studies, civics, and media literacy and are designed for use with students in grades 6-12. Additional integrations include ELA, world languages, mathematics, physical education and science. These lessons integrate both state and national civics instruction using project-based and collaborative learning strategies. Features of these lessons include:student researchcollaborative learningdigital learning strategieslateral readingdesign and creation of infographicsTo support these lessons, additional resources are provided to help educators and families with understanding and teaching information and media literacy to young people. Resources include:introductions to media literacyeducator guidesparent guidesstudent learning standards

** This resource is published by GoogleReality River is a part of google's Interland Series  Be Internet Awesome curriculum which teaches the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety online. 

This collection of lessons represent adapted and remixed instructional content for teaching media literacy and specifically civic online reasoning through distance learning. These lessons take students through the steps necessary to source online content, verify evidence presented, and corroborate claims with other sources.

The original lesson plans are the work of Stanford History Education Group, licensed under CC 4.0. Please refer to the full text lesson plans at Stanford History Education Group’s, Civic Online Reasoning Curriculum for specifics regarding background, research findings, and additional curriculum for teaching media literacy in the twenty-first century.

This social media literacy unit introduces students to foundational skills in analyzing images and social media posts. It also reenforces critical thinking questions that can be applied to various forms of media. This unit was taught to 9th grade students but is easily adaptible to a range of secondary classrooms. It was also taught in conjunction with another unit focused on social media platforms and content.

We must be able to analyze evidence in order to effectively evaluate online information. In this lesson, students practice evaluating evidence that is presented in three online arguments about mandatory Saturday school. This lesson is designed to be taught following the Intro to Who's Behind the Information? Saturday School lesson.https://cor.stanford.edu/curriculum/lessons/intro-whos-behind-the-information-saturday-school

This is just one of a series of YouTube videos created for #IsThisLegit -- created by teen fact checkers to be consumed by other teens.

This new publication by UNESCO is a timely resource and highly topical subject for all those who practice or teach journalism in this Digital Age. UNESCO's new handbook is an essential addition to teaching syllabi for all journalism educators, as well as practising journalists and editors who are interested in information, how we share it and how we use it. It is mission critical that those who practice journalism understand and report on the new threats to trusted information. Political parties, health professionals, business people, scientists, election monitors and others will also find the handbook useful in navigating the information disorder. Written by experts in the fight against disinformation, this handbook explores the very nature of journalism - with modules on why trust matters; thinking critically about how digital technology and social platforms are conduits of the information disorder; fighting back against disinformation and misinformation through media and information literacy; fact-checking 101; social media verification and combating online abuse. The seven individual modules are available online to download that enables readers to develop their own course relevant to their media environment.
This handbook is also useful for the library and information science professionals, students, and LIS educators for understanding the different dimensions of fake news and disinformation.

Table of Contents
Module One | Truth, Trust and Journalism: Why it Matters | by Cherilyn Ireton
Module Two | Thinking about "Information Disorder": Formats of Misinformation, Disinformation and Mal-Information | by Claire Wardle & Hossein Derakshan
Module Three | News Industry Transformation: Digital Technology, Social Platforms and the Spread of Misinformation and Disinformation |by Julie Posetti
Module Four | Combatting Disinformation and Misinformation Through Media and Information Literacy (MIL) | by Magda Abu-Fadil
Module Five | Fact-Checking 101 | by Alexios Mantzarlis
Module Six | Social Media Verification: Assessing Sources and Visual Content | by Tom Trewinnard and Fergus Bell
Module Seven | Combatting Online Abuse: When Journalists and Their Sources are Targeted | by Julie Posetti

Additional Resources: https://en.unesco.org/fightfakenews

Learn to Discern addresses the challanges of misinformation, propaganda and influence campains through educators and targeted communities.

In this 3½-hour workshop, learners assess the reliability and credibility of online resources. They explore how misinformation and fake news can distort our biases and perspectives, ultimately making it difficult for us to be objective in the selection of resources as aids to both effective learning and informed civic action and decision-making.

Students will:
 Define misinformation and fake news and how it can affect personal biases and perspectives.
 Discover how to mitigate bias when searching for and surfing information online.
 Use best practices to authenticate sources of credible and reliable information:
o Find and verify the original source
o Check other sources
o Use fact-checking tools

Suitable for Grades 11 and 12