The New York Times
Evaluating Sources in a ‘Post-Truth’ World: Ideas for Teaching and Learning about Fake News
The framers of the United States Constitution felt a free press was so essential to a democracy that they granted the press the protection it needed to hold the powerful to account in the First Amendment. Today, digital natives need to...
Media Smarts
Defining Popular Culture
What part does media play in creating, defining, and perpetuating popular culture? High schoolers chart their encounters with fads, trends, and icons and reflect on the media's influence on popular culture.
Institute for Humane Education
Not So Fair and Balanced: Analyzing Bias in the Media
Life is not always fair. Who's heard that before? This same concept moves to a larger scale using prejudice and bias. Pupils discuss where prejudice attitudes derive and how they develop throughout life. Reading comprehension...
Curated OER
Using Informational Books: Index, Table of Contents & Alphabetical Order
Students recall and use previous knowledge of the library's reference and nonfiction sections. Also they utilize various forms of reference (encyclopedias & dictionaries) and nonfiction books.
Southern Poverty Law Center
Evaluating Online Sources
All sources are pretty much the same, right? If this is how your class views the sources they use for writing or research projects, present them with a media literacy lesson on smart source evaluation. Groups examine several articles,...
Curated OER
Dictionary Work - Entry Words
Second graders examine the use of entry words in the dictionary. In this dictionary use lesson, learners look at guide words in a children's dictionary as the teacher/librarian describes the characteristics of each entry. They complete...
Curated OER
Discovering Japan Through Cooperative Research
Search a variety of sources to create a multimedia or book project about Japan. Learners use the independent investigation method to plan and conduct research about Japan. They use the information they discover to create a computer book...
Curated OER
Fair Use and Music
Students examine fair use. In this character education lesson, students discover copyright and fair use laws regarding media. Students discuss the ethics of movie and music sharing.
Council for Economic Education
China - Where Will They Fit in the World Economy?
Teach scholars why China is so crucial to global economics through an informative resource. Activities include using databases to search for information, watching a video or listening to a podcast, and reading about China's economy as a...
Curated OER
Art and the Berlin Wall
Students study the relationship between Cold War politics, the people who were affected by it, and the artists who examined it. They create their own "walls" using a spray paint graffiti procedure.
Curated OER
Use the New Internet Library for Adult Learners
Adult learners, examine the Internet to answer life skills, use an online dictionary, evaluate web sites and fill in online forms. They will also write about web sites in this series of activities.
Curated OER
What is a Dictionary?
Second graders explore the purpose of a dictionary. In this library media lesson, 2nd graders explore My First Dictionary and identify guidewords, entry words, and captions. Students list ways they can use the dictionary.
Curated OER
Nonsense Dictionary
Third graders explore various media. They identify the characteristics of various sources and use that material effectively. Students identify the characteristics of Dr. Seuss' work and the characteristics of a dictionary. They create a...
Curated OER
Media File Types
Students read about several different media file formats and determine which one is best used in specific situations. They go to different sites and read about the different media formats. Students then answer the questions that are...
Curated OER
Doing Dewey Decimal
Students examine the Dewey Decimal System and locate books in the nonfiction section. They examine a shelf of books and try to determine how the books are arranged, then watch a short video "Media Mania." Students then match construction...
Curated OER
"Me" Resource
Learners elucidate themselves by writing up to six entries in different formats. Some formatting choices include a dictionary, encyclopedia, or atlas entry, a magazine article, a newspaper article, and a table of contents. Some...
Scholastic
Frindle Lesson Plan
"Who says a pen has to be called a pen? Why not call it a frindle?" Inspired by this quote from the award-winning novel written by Andrew Celements, this lesson allows children to invent their own terms for common classroom objects,...
Curated OER
Picture Dictionary
Students write and contribute one page for a class picture dictionary. They discuss how to alphabetize words, and examine both regular and picture dictionaries and how they are organized. Next they create a page for the class dictionary...
Curated OER
Olympic Shadow Boxes
What a cool way to incorporate art and use reference materials. Learners use classroom reference materials such as almanacs, encyclopedias, and dictionaries to answer one of four questions, and then they use the information to create a...
Curated OER
Making Elisir
Students examine the technical language used by musicians and music lovers. They study the contemporary relevance of 19th Century Italian opera and understand how it is translated into electronic media.
Curated OER
Beginning, Middle or End
Second graders work with a partner. In this library skills lesson, 2nd graders watch a demonstration on how to find a word in a dictionary. Students practice finding words in the dictionary with a partner.
Curated OER
Food Dictionary - Harvest Festival
Students explore healthy foods and dictionary organization. Students create a list of healthy foods. They construct their own food dictionary, with illustrations. Students model how a dictionary page should be filled with a picture,...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Dictionary
First graders explore how to use a dictionary. They discuss how the dictionary is organized and how to locate words in the dictionary and students use the dictionary to locate words.
Curated OER
Fighting Fire With Satire
Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.