Students watch a video in which teens reflect on the concept of fake news, and then discuss their own experiences with misinformation.
The Fundamentals of News
Students learn why news matters and how to distinguish between the different media-related terms they might hear being thrown around.
Source: Can I Trust the Creator?
Students dig into an article to determine whether they can trust the story by investigating its producers and the sources within. In doing so, they gain tools for evaluating news articles outside of class for accuracy and reliability.
Weed Out Propaganda
A bold digital poster outlines a simple acronym — S.E.E.D. — to help students learn to spot propaganda by recognizing four of its key techniques. Students analyze historical propaganda and understand that it is a marketing tool used to promote a variety of causes.
Evidence: Do the Facts Hold Up?
This Common Core aligned lesson plan for middle and high school asks students to dig into an article to determine whether they can trust the information by verifying the evidence it presents.
Is This Story Share-Worthy? Flowchart
Students use an infographic to gauge the value of a news story and weigh what they should do with it. This also teaches students about their personal responsibility to evaluate news articles before passing them on.
E.S.C.A.P.E. Junk News
Students learn a handy acronym to help them remember six key concepts for evaluating information, then test the concepts in teams.
Is Our Democracy in Trouble?
According to many scholars, modern liberal democracy has advanced in waves. But liberal democracy has also had its setbacks. Some argue that it is in trouble in the world today, and that the young millennial generation is losing faith in it.
Jury Service: Our Duty and Privilege as Citizens
In America, the responsibility to protect individual rights and promote the common good ultimately rests with its citizens, not the government. When citizens participate in thoughtful and responsible ways, the welfare of our constitutional democracy is ensured. While most civic participation is voluntary, the call to serve on a jury is not. It comes as an order by the court.
The Campus Speaker: A Case Study in Free Speech
Use this classroom-ready lesson to examine free-expression issues surrounding a controversial speaker invited to appear at UC Berkeley. We provide questions to help guide your students on if and when offensive speech should be banned, and what are the competing groups and interests.