TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Oct 13, 2024
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to go to the Featured Sites Archive
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OK2Ask: Misinformation & Fact Checking - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12In today's digital...more
In today's digital world, students face a constant barrage of online information, and the ability to discern fact from fiction is essential. This interactive workshop will equip you with engaging strategies that will help students develop critical thinking skills and empower them to become discerning digital detectives. Learn how to effectively introduce the concepts of misinformation and fact-checking, fostering a healthy skepticism towards online information. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Define misinformation and its impact on learning and decision-making. 2. Identify common techniques used to spread misinformation online. 3. Develop strategies for critical thinking and responsible information-sharing among students. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): digital citizenship (88), media literacy (103)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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The Big Fib Podcast - Benjamin Strouse, Chris Tarry & David Kreizman
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): game based learning (179), media literacy (103), podcasts (95)
In the Classroom
Share this podcast as a flipped learning experience or include it as part of a listening center during station rotation activities on evaluating information shared by different sources. Take advantage of free teaching materials such as the Listening Guide to provide students with focus while listening and as a resource for documenting their evaluation process. After listening to and evaluating several episodes of the podcast, encourage students to write and produce a podcast in a similar style. After creating storyboards and writing their script, use a podcast creation tool such as Castbox Creator Studio, reviewed here to record and share your podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Engage & Inspire with Fake Websites - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 12Misinformation...more
Misinformation is rampant online. As educators, how can we prepare students to navigate this landscape? In this interactive workshop, participants will explore techniques for leveraging fake websites to build essential media literacy skills. Join us to explore this engaging approach to promoting digital citizenship and critical thinking. Leave equipped with practical strategies for developing media-savvy students through authentic learning experiences that incorporate analyzing fake websites. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Evaluate fake websites and identify specific indicators of misinformation, such as biased language, questionable sources, and misleading visuals. 2. Learn strategies for responsibly incorporating fake websites into instruction to foster critical thinking. 3. Plan to implement activities using fake websites in instruction. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): digital citizenship (88), media literacy (103), professional development (404)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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RumorGuard - News Literacy Project
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): digital citizenship (88), evaluating sources (27), internet safety (113), journalism (72), media literacy (103), news (227), Online Learning (42), Research (84)
In the Classroom
Share RumorGuard with students during digital citizenship and online safety lessons to help students understand how misinformation is shared and provide them with tools for analyzing online information. Engage students in your lessons using RumorGuard by choosing different topics on this page and news stories, then ask students to determine if the information is real or fake. Next, use a simple polling tool such as Poll Maker, reviewed here, to create and share quick true/false polls. Extend and enhance learning by asking students to become fact-checkers of any online information using the model found on Rumor Guard. Create a template on Google Slides, reviewed here, or Microsoft PowerPoint Online, reviewed here, modeling the process used on RumorGuard to determine the authenticity of the information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Be MediaWise - Lessons to Teach Media Literacy - PBS Learning Media
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (111), media literacy (103), social media (54)
In the Classroom
Teach your middle and high school students how to critically evaluate information with each video's downloadable lesson plans, handouts, and slide decks. Lessons include evaluating actual posts on social media, video, and news sites. Create deeper understanding and extend learning by having your students create "social media" posts using tools such as Canva for Education, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, then, evaluate classmates' work.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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iThrive Sim: Follow the Facts - ithrive games
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): bias (26), game based learning (179), journalism (72), media literacy (103), simulations (9), social and emotional learning (94)
In the Classroom
Engage your high school students with iThrive Sim: Follow the Facts. The game-based simulation includes teacher preparation, pre-simulation, and optional post-simulation activities. The entire simulation takes about two thirty-minute sessions total to play. Teachers should plan for the full simulation and activities to take at least five 45-minute class periods. A complete implementation guide is included. Civics topics include effective sourcing of information, SEL skills include understanding bias and collaboration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Media Choices - Common Sense Education
Grades
3 to 5tag(s): digital citizenship (88), internet safety (113), media literacy (103)
In the Classroom
Although created for fourth grade, this lesson works well for grades three through five, with possible adaptations for additional grade levels. First, engage students by conducting a poll or survey of the different types of media your students regularly consume. For example, use a simple polling tool such as Kahoot reviewed here, or take a more in-depth survey using Microsoft Forms, reviewed here. Instead of completing worksheets as a paper and pencil activity, convert the worksheets into an interactive document using Google Docs, reviewed here, and assign within Google Classroom. Add questions or comments to the included video using EdPuzzle, reviewed here, to enhance learning. As an extension activity, ask students to share tips for safe media use by creating short videos to share on your class and school's websites. Use Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create engaging videos from scratch or by using the templates provided.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Resources related to Source Reliability/Checking Sources - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): evaluating sources (27), media literacy (103), Research (84)
In the Classroom
We have included resources for all grades. Remember, our "In the Classroom" suggestions with each reviewed resource, give you ideas about using these tools in your classroom.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teachers' Guide to Cranky Uncle - John Cook
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), digital citizenship (88), evaluating sources (27), game based learning (179), internet safety (113), media literacy (103), social media (54)
In the Classroom
Add this game to your toolkit of lessons and activities when teaching Internet safety and media literacy skills. The Teachers' Guide already includes many ideas on integrating the game into classroom lessons and includes using technology to enhance and extend learning. Use these ideas as a starting point to build student engagement and help them understand the real-world applications for the information found in the game. For example, use the suggested Padlet, reviewed here, activity to compile quiz questions as suggested in Activity 5. After completing that activity, have students create their own videos, fake social media posts, or news articles that contain misinformation and create quiz questions for their peers to complete. Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, is an excellent tool for students to use when creating websites, flyers, and infographics. As a final project, and to extend learning, have students share what they learned with others by producing podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, or digital books for younger students using Book Creator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Fake News: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation - Pace University
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): digital citizenship (88), internet safety (113), journalism (72), media literacy (103), news (227), Research (84)
In the Classroom
Include this article with your other resources for teaching how to navigate online information. Include this website within a learning management system such as ActivelyLearn, reviewed here, to build a complete learning unit that includes articles, videos, and assessments that fully immerse and engage students in the learning activities. Enhance learning throughout the school year using Padlet, reviewed here, to curate and organize online information. For example, create a Padlet that includes a column for each of the four categories of fake news mentioned on this website, then ask students to share examples found during online use. Extend learning by asking students to become the teacher through presentations on how to recognize and avoid fake news. Provide a variety of options for student presentations including a comic creation tool like ToonyTool, reviewed here, Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create simple video explainers, or use Wick Editor, reviewed here, and have students create a game to teach the hazards of disinformation.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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News and Media Literacy Resource Center - Common Sense Media
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): bias (26), journalism (72), media literacy (103), news (227), social media (54)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to take advantage of the many curated resources for teaching media and news literacy. Use a curation tool like Padlet, reviewed here, to save and share favorite resources found on this site with students. Use the shelf option in Padlet to create columns and organize information by topic, type of content, or for use by different groups of students. Enhance instruction by asking students to become creators of information as they share their learning. Have students use Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, to create infographics to demonstrate different forms of media bias or to share facts learned from news articles. Extend learning even further by asking students to create blogs using edublogs, reviewed here, to demonstrate how to write and share the news using credible information and factual resources.Comments
This is such a valuable resource and it's so helpful to have one collection that I know has been vetted with accurate, useful information that teachers can use for themselves as well as with their students. I also love the "In the Classroom" section with suggestions for ways to use the information and resources.Peggy, AZ, Grades: 0 - 8
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Thinkalong - Conneticut Public
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (111), debate (39), inquiry (24), media literacy (103), news (227), persuasive writing (56), Research (84)
In the Classroom
Whether teaching in a classroom or online, scan the included PDF or Word documents into Google Classroom or your school student/teacher platform to share and assign to students. Enhance student learning by asking students to use highlighting and note-taking tools within their word document to provide documentation for their responses. To prepare students for Common Core Assessments on evidence and arguments, have them choose a popular topic, research it (with the materials provided) so they can provide evidence for their stance when writing about their opinion or to refute another's. The debate section is the perfect opportunity to teach students about countering an opposing opinion, deciding which is the strongest point, and then teach them how to address concerns of others in their writing or debate. For example, they can concede it is a valid point and then counter with another strong argument. Consider sharing the activities found on this site with your peers as a model for redesigning lessons you already use in your classroom (for online learning during absences and crises?). Use Padlet, reviewed here, to collaborate and share ideas, activities, and resources as you work toward incorporating inquiry lessons into your classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Advertising Game - FunEnglishGames.com
Grades
4 to 7tag(s): advertising (24), media literacy (103)
In the Classroom
Use this game to help students understand the different components of effective advertising, then apply this knowledge to any project involving images and text. Engage students by beginning with a simple voting tool like Dotstorming, reviewed here. Dotstorming offers a voting tool that includes images and comments. Share different advertising images with students on this tool and have students vote on the most effective design and share comments on why this is their selection. Have students locate online advertising that fits into different categories (appeal to senses, emotion, etc.) and share it on Padlet, reviewed here. Use the column feature in Padlet for students to separate information into the various categories. Enhance student learning by asking students to become the teacher and create a screencast using Free Online Screen Recorder, reviewed here, to share tips and secrets for creating effective digital advertisements. Once students have learned about different features of effective advertising, extend learning by asking them to use their skills to create their own flyer using a graphic design tool like Canva, reviewed here. Use Canva to create book covers for novels, flyers to advertise upcoming historic events, or as an announcement of their latest scientific discovery.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NewsFeed Defenders - FactCheck.org
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): evaluating sources (27), journalism (72), media literacy (103), news (227)
In the Classroom
Include the NewsFeed Defenders game and lesson as part of your broader unit of teaching about online safety and media literacy. Engage studets by using Padlet, reviewed here, to share materials. Include links to videos, articles, and other materials for students to access. Ask them to add comments sharing their insights and information learned. Help students identify online disinformation by collaborating with Fiskkit, reviewed here. Change out paper and pen by sharing the URL of an article to discuss within Fiskkit, then have students highlight any area to discuss the information within the article. Enhance learning by encouraging students to teach others about media literacy using an online book tool like Book Creator, reviewed here. Book Creator can be used for a variety of assignments in any classroom that is integrating technology as an enhancement, modification, or transformation. Have students design and share a book that includes tips for spotting disinformation or bias using specific examples, including text, videos, and images, along with examples of factual, non-biased information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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