Thing 21 - News Literacy

News Literacy is defined as, " The ability to use critical thinking skills to judge the reliability and credibility of news reports whether they come via print, tv or internet." Gone are the days when we watch the news at 6:00 and read the local newspaper. Today, we are bombarded with news 24/7 which is a blessing and curse at the same time. Sure, we know what is going on in the world through social media and newscasts but how do we know what to believe? As an adult, it is difficult enough to sift through what we are seeing and hearing, imagine being a kid...

The Ted Talk that was linked in Joyce Valeza's article states that today everyone can be a reporter and that with freedom comes responsibility. That is the responsibility to take notice of what you are reading, believing and sharing.

Rules were shared

  • Check about page
  • Interrogate URLS
  • suspect sensational
  • Go back to sources
  • Think outside reliability
In short, be a detective - don't believe everything you hear or see. My grandmother was famous for saying, "believe half of what you see and none of what you hear..." Perhaps she was a woman before her time?

I did sift through the sites that were shared. What a wealth of information. Each year I work with our 7th grade science department and work with the students on the CRAP test. I tell them, it they learn just one thing, I want it to be CRAP. Seriously, we look at bogus sites and discuss what make a site reliable. It is a start but it certainly is not enough...

The Breaking News Handbook is a great visual on how to look at news critically. I shared it with staff and will be making copies and posting it in the library and around the building - perhaps in bathrooms, that will get the kid's attention. 

Allsides, this is such an interesting site to explore. This would be a great site to use to helps students see  the same issus from multiple perspectives. (  I shared this with staff)

Fake News Video - I will be using this video with students when I do my mini lesson on reliability - it breaks it down into kid terms.

I am thinking of using some of this information to put together an escape room experience for kids - make them sift though information to determine of it is reliable or not? Not sure what it will look like but what a great way to engage them...


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