Noted technology educator Kathy Schrock provides an alphabetical list of qualities to evaluate in judging websites. She provides example websites to look at for each quality. In addition, she gives a list of websites to use when demonstrating critical website evaluation. This page also has links to other materials on evaluating sites on the Web, including one designed specifically for elementary students. Requires Adobe Reader [PDF].

Official home of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Learn about American news, whats going on with the Supreme Court and new legislation, and more at this online interest group.

This reading resource discusses the strategy of identifying an author's viewpoint. A list of guiding questions is provided to help students as they analyze the author's viewpoint.

How do gender stereotypes shape our experiences online? Kids encounter all kinds of stereotypes in the media. But are kids always aware of what they're seeing? Help your students think critically about how gender stereotypes can affect the ways they view themselves and others. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Define "gender stereotype" and describe how they can be present online. Describe how gender stereotypes can lead to unfairness or bias. Create an avatar and a poem that show how gender stereotypes impact who they are.

This handy page clearly explains various ways in which bias can creep into news reports. Examples of each method are given.

Students experience the information aftermath of a fictional event as it unfolds on social media. They also learn about five common logical fallacies, then evaluate the evidence in several arguments. A free educator account is necessary to assign this Checkology lesson.

Discover how to make sense of the health and wellness information vying for our attention — and avoid being misled. A free educator account is necessary to assign this Checkology lesson.

Learn to recognize conspiracy theories and explain what makes people vulnerable to conspiratorial thinking. A free educator account is necessary to assign this Checkology lesson.

Learn how to recognize science-based claims and assess their credibility; explore why people resist and deny science; and gain the skills to evaluate science journalism. A free educator account is necessary to assign this Checkology lesson.

Learn about the historical failure of mainstream news organizations to serve all people equally, the legacies of distrust this has caused among specific groups in America — particularly Black Americans — and recent efforts by news outlets to improve their coverage. A free educator account is necessary to assign this Checkology lesson.

Learn the standards of quality journalism by playing the role of reporter in a game-like simulation of a breaking news event. A free educator account is necessary to assign this Checkology lesson.

Understand news media bias by learning about five types of bias and five ways it can manifest itself, as well as methods for minimizing it. A free educator account is necessary to assign this Checkology lesson.

Customize a map that highlights locations important to your community and culture with Google My Maps. Time to complete: 45-90 minutes

Learn artificial intelligence concepts using Quick, Draw!, AutoDraw, Google Translate, and Google Slides. Time to complete: 45-90 minutes

The 11th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 11th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Students move from learning the class rituals and routines and genre features of argument writing in Unit 11.1 to learning about narrative and informational genres in Unit 11.2: The American Short Story. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

In this unit, students will produce two major pieces of work.  The first piece is an argument essay that grapples with one of the core questions of the unit: who are we, and who have we become because of the ways we connect? Students will read, annotate, and discuss several texts together as they consider the issues surrounding this question, and they will also research and annotate independently as they search for more evidence and perspectives to help deepen their ideas.  They will also create a museum exhibit as part of a team.  The exhibit project will help students identify what's worth preserving about their unique place in history.

PROJECT UNITS

This project unit continues to meet the English Language Arts standards as it also utilizes the learning principles established by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. It is designed to support deep content knowledge and perseverance through long-term project planning and implementation. In addition, it will help students to recognize, develop, and apply the planning, teamwork, communication, and presentation skills they will use while presenting a final product to their class and/or the greater community. This real-world project-based activity will give students an opportunity to apply the skills they have been learning all year and will guide them to develop the motivation, knowledge, and skills they need in order to be college and career ready.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students write an argument paper where they develop a claim about current culture as it has been influenced by digital connectivity.
Students participate in a group project to create a museum exhibit that captures a unique place, time, and relationship to technology. Students acknowledge the differing perspectives of each group member and use those perspectives to synthesize one cohesive visual argument together.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

What does it mean to be digitally connected?
What are the implications of living in a world where everyone is digitally connected?
How does the availability of instant connectivity shape our relationships?
What does our Internet use reveal about people's needs as humans?

BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT: Cold Read

During this unit, on a day of your choosing, we recommend you administer a Cold Read to assess students’ reading comprehension. For this assessment, students read a text they have never seen before and then respond to multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The assessment is not included in this course materials.

In this lesson, you will consider the ways that ubiquitous computing has changed how we interact with information and how it has changed how we think about knowledge. You'll also have an opportunity to research independently.In this lesson, students will consider the ways that ubiquitous computing has changed how we interact with information and how it has changed how we think about knowledge. They'll also have an opportunity to research independently.

How do we find credible information on the internet? The web is full of questionable stuff, from rumors and inaccurate information to outright lies and so-called fake news. So how do we help students weed out the bad and find what's credible? Help students dig into why and how false information ends up online in the first place, and then practice evaluating the credibility of what they're finding online. Approximately 45 mins.

LESSON OBJECTIVES: Learn reasons that people put false or misleading information on the internet. Learn criteria for differentiating fake news from credible news. Practice evaluating the credibility of information they find on the internet.

Lesson plan designed for consumer health class, that is also useful for media literacy. Contains a link to an ad for an abdominal strengthening machine that provides the basis of the lesson. SL.9-10.2 eval & integrate sources

A portion of a larger book, this site is critical of journalism as it is presently practiced. This portion offers characteristics of critical news consumers.