To protect young people from questionable content, many schools limit access. This resource suggests that because learners can so readily avail themselves to unrestricted Internet access, it is vital for 21st century...

Students evaluate information they are given and identify the quality of the information as fact, fiction, and point of view. In this information quality lesson plan, students also discuss how they can pick out good information verses...

As part of a series of resources focused on the influence of television, elementary students watch an educational program and identify the information presented and analyze the point of view from which the information is...

Words are powerful ... can your class choose them wisely? Scholars evaluate news articles to discover the concepts of tone, charge, and bias during a media literacy lesson. The resource focuses on recognizing implicit information and...

Analyzing arguments is key to critical thinking. Colorful slides teach viewers how to recognize the structure of an argument, the claims, and the validity of the evidence used to support an argument. Then, provided scenarios permit...

How did the women in France feel about their country’s involvement in World War II? Class groups are assigned a country involved in WWII, and individuals within the group adopt the point of view of leaders, laborers, businessmen, women,...

"Fundamentals," the first lesson in a series of eight, introduces the basic concepts and strategies covered in a series of resources designed to teach high schoolers critical thinking skills. The worksheets and activities in this first...

As part of a study of media ethics, young journalists apply a fairness formula to news reports. They look at accuracy, balance, completeness, detachment, and ethics to determine if the reporting is fair.

One picture but a thousand stories. As a part of a case study of how the death of Michael Brown was reported by professional news sources and on social media class members examine the reactions of various groups to a photograph taken by...

Students discuss a chapter from the book, The Phantom Toll Booth. They choose a common object and attempt to examine it from a different point of view. Using Kid Pix, students create a slide show for each line of their poem.

Discuss ways to determine if the information middle and high schoolers gather online is accurate. Using the Internet, they cite two sources that show conflicting points of view on a subtopic of conservation. They summarize and analyze...

Teach pupils to identify different forms of cyberbullying, including harassment, deception, “flaming,” and threats to safety, as well as how to handle a situation in which cyberbullying might be involved.

"Board Game Helps Fight Real World Ebola," a video produced by Voice of America, provides the text for a guided instructional activity that asks viewers to analyze the propaganda techniques used in the video. Groups then select a example...

Spark some lively conversation about American holiday traditions and debunk accepted notions about the first Thanksgiving at the same time. After reviewing the mainstream version of the Thanksgiving story with your class, offer some...

Never forget a term used in Microsoft Word with these four pages of related vocabulary and their definitions. 

In 1856 Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over the head with a cane. This event, which highlighted the acrimonious debate over the expansion of slavery, is the focus of a paper...

What makes a source primary or secondary? Middle schoolers read a definition of each term before exploring different examples and applying their knowledge to a research project.

Sixth graders research how minority groups are represented in media. In this media literacy lesson, 6th graders investigate two YouTube clips of Hugo Chavez and discuss different points of view.

Students identify numerous insects and their body parts.  In this insect life lesson, students practice using scientific vocabulary while comparing the different parts of spiders and insects.  Students view several videos...

Impress upon learners the importance of considering how we identify ourselves online, and how this relates to overall considerations of safety and digital wellness.

Students participate in an online puzzle story. They practice notetaking skills and using adjectives and adverbs. They write a Cinderella story from a thief's point of view using idiomatic phrases. They review other English skills in...

Fifth graders explore communication by analyzing manners. In this social skills lesson, 5th graders review the different forms of communication and how to present yourself in a phone conversation, face to face meeting, e-mail, etc....

Fifth graders investigate human emotion by analyzing photographs they have taken.  In this human face lesson, 5th graders collaborate in pairs to take pictures of another student while they are expressing different emotions....

Encourage your young citizens to make a difference. Using Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America as a starting point, class members watch documentaries, investigate issues, and then write letters to...