AllSides
This site provides news coverage from various points on the political spectrum—left, center, and right—on current newsworthy stories. This would be a great place for students to compare viewpoints to sharpen their nose for news literacy.
The elements of journalism
The American Press Institute gives you a look at the purpose of true journalism on this page. These are the ideals every journalist should strive for. If your students know these principles, they can better understand how journalism should work, so they will know it when they see it...and spot malicious attempts at journalism when they see them.
Five Editor-Approved Tips for Media Literacy in Any Class
These tips, published as part of the Edmodo Guest Writer blog, come from Newsela's Managing Editor, Stephanie Vatz (see below for more information on Newsela).
Glossary: The Language of News Literacy
Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, which has been at the forefront of news literacy instruction, lists a number of useful terms that students need to be familiar with.
How to help kids navigate fake news and misinformation online
Published by The Conversation, a nonprofit source of academic research, this article offers an overview of the fake news conundrum and tips on how young people can identify questionable content.
How to Teach Children to Think Critically and Recognize Fake News
Published by Family Circle magazine, this article is sort of a capsule of information on fake news and how to avoid it, along with some logical fallacies thrown in for good measure. This can be a good starting point for you or your students to dive into news literacy.
How Your Brain Tricks You into Believing Fake News
This is a great article from Time magazine that may help you understand the reason we as a society are so gullible when it comes to accepting fake news, an important step in fighting the problem. Both student and adult belief in fake news are addressed here.
Lesson plan: Covington Catholic incident through a media literacy lens
PBS News Hour has created a lesson plan based on the January 2019 confrontation that created a great deal of controversy and had observers taking sides and changing sides. The lesson plan includes video and social media samples for students to examine, along with discussion questions and extra activities that allow students to analyze the matter deeply.
MediaWise
MediaWise is an initiative of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a respected journalism school in Florida. The project is aimed at teens in middle and high school and invites them to become their own fact-checkers, so students are directly engaged in the journalism through researching particular claims and helping get the truth out on social media platforms. Teachers can also sign up for teaching materials related to the program.
The News Literacy Project
Tons of resources can be found here, including a virtual classroom with lesson plans, frequent newsletters, and professional development opportunities.
Newsela
This tool provides news coverage that is broken down into five different reading levels to make it easy for students of various abilities to access news. Coverage comes from reliable news outlets.
PolitiFact
This fact-checking site, managed by the Tampa Bay Times, won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. Stories and claims are checked for accuracy, and their level of truth is measured on Truth-O-Meter dials. Individual news makers are also rated on score cards as to the truthfulness of their statements.
Schools must equip students to navigate alt-right websites that push fake news
Published by The Conversation, a nonprofit source of academic research, this article discusses exactly what the headline promises: helping students make sense of alt-right sites that over half of students in a study used in their research and paper writing. Tips for teachers on how to handle the classroom discussions that could arise from addressing such sites are also provided.
Tips to Spot False News
Facebook has published a list of tips for its users on identifying questionable content, including a link to report fake material.
Tools of Truth: All Lessons
Part of the Journalism Education Association's Scholastic Press Rights Commission site, this page offers various lesson plans in four major categories related to news literacy: censorship, deceptive news, satire, and sloppy reporting. Online materials needed for the lessons are linked to for your convenience.
