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Build a Media Literacy Survival Kit

Secondary, Middle

Description

Given the amount of misleading, manipulated and outright false information that pervades social media today, this lesson teaches students to how to recognize disinformation and helps them create a tool to use when navigating online comments and claims.

Students begin by sharing examples of when they were not sure if what they were reading or seeing  online was true and if not, what they should or shouldn't do.  To help students address these questions they review an article that offers tips on how to spot fake or misleading footage and watch a video that teaches them how to “fact check like a pro”.

In the culminating activity, students create a ‘survival kit’ that promotes what they think are most important practices for verifying what they see online is true. They are given the option to use a  student guide as they work with a partner to brainstorm ideas, determine their preferred techinques and choose the format or medium used to create the kit.

 

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • detecting misinformation, disinformation and fake news
  • building conscensus
  • designing/creating an effective method for communicating important information to others

Strengths

  • the lesson deals with an important issue of our time that is highly relevant to students' own experience
  • the video, article and case study are current, engaging and serve as excellent sources of information
  • there is a good quantity of background information
  • the resource is thorough and easy to use

Weaknesses

  • struggling readers may find the reading level of the news article a challenge.  

Recommendation of how and where to use it

The lesson has particular relevance to curriculum outcomes found in Language Arts, Social Studies, Current Events, Journalism, Media Studies, and Civics.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • Media

Economics (1)

  • Corporate Social Responsibility

Science and Technology (1)

  • Appropriate Technology

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

The goal of the lesson is  to teach students how to detect misinformation that would include forms of bias. 

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Poor/Not considered

While not explicitly addessed in the lesson, the opportunity to explore the interplay of these issues resulting from online fakes and disinformation is clear. 

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

The lesson effectively illustrates the myriad of methods being employed to spread misinformation online and the challenges this presents for individuals, organizations and host companies trying to address it.  

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good

Students apply what they have learned to create a survival kit designed to raise awareness of the problem of misinformation and provide tools for identifying it.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

Opportunities are provided to allow students to discuss the information presented and express their understanding of the issues.  The survival kit action plan requires students consider all of the information made available and 'drill down' to what they consider to be the most valuable. 

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Good

In describing how soial media is being used in its coverage of Ukraine's war with Russia, students will no doubt empathize with the brave people of Ukraine.  The important job being done by some journalists to expose misinformation in the media is also make clear. 

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Very Good

The relevance of social media to the lives of students cannot be overestimated.  As they consider their own experiences with 'fake news' and learn how pervasive it is in their online world, they will appreciate the important skills the lesson is teaching.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Satisfactory

The lesson examines the rapid increase in online mis and dis information, the harm it causes to society and the importance of an informed population going forward. 

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The lesson proposes a number of strategies and techniques to identify misinformation and disinformation online and in other information formats.  The students make  their own decisions on which of these techniques they would recommend.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Very Good

With disinformation becoming so prevalent on social media as well as the more traditional sources of news and information, it is hard to imagine that the skills this lesson teaches would not make an important contribution across the curriculum.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Poor/Not considered

The lesson design does not include inquiry learning. It describes an important issue highly relevant to their lives and provides information which students can use to address it. 

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Satisfactory

The opportunities to learn about online fakes by viewing a video, reading case studies of familiar events, sharing personal experiences and working with classmates to produce a survival kit will address a range of learning styles.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Satisfactory

Teaching students to 'fact check like a pro' and then use this understanding for the benefit of themselves and others provides an authentic learning experience.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

Students work in small groups for discussion and to create the survival kit.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory

A rubric has been included for evaluating the students' survival kits.  The tracking sheet and discussion following the viewing of 'Fact Check Like a Pro' also provides opportunity to assess student understanding. 

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory

As students within working groups discuss, promote and debate their ideas on which strategies should be included in a survival kit, some informal teaching is likely to take place.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

Students are presented with a very compelling case study dealing with reporting on the war in Ukraine to illustrate examples of disinformation and fake news in the media and how to identify it. 

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory

Students choose what information to include in their survival kits and the format or style it will take. (Video, public service announcement, digital collage, website or other).

The article highlighting disinformation in the Ukraine war offers students the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the issue of fake news.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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