This week is Media Literacy Week! One of our core tools, Common Sense Education, has always has equipped educators with the tools that they need to support students in understanding how to navigate the digital world. As such, Common Sense Education has information and resources for teachers on how to teach media literacy effectively.
They’ve published a great informational background page that outlines what media literacy is, key questions that might guide student learning, and the essential vocabulary for effectively unpacking concepts. Consider opening up this discussion with your students by viewing the following video by Common Sense Education, which highlights how some students feel about the news and the importance of consuming news.
Common Sense Education has also compiled news & media literacy resources by grade level span. On this page is a series of 45-minute lessons that can be used to teach media literacy! For primary students, the notion of crediting one’s work is introduced in the media literacy lessons. One of the new lessons for grades 3-5 is around facts vs. opinions vs. informed opinions, and teaching students to be discerning readers of texts. In addition to the same lesson geared for grades 6-8 is another one on helping students plan and carry out an independent research project online.
In addition to the resources and lessons that can be immediately implemented in your classroom, Common Sense Education offers professional development tips, articles, downloads (check out this poster). Finally, there are resources for parents about sharing the news with their children, along with sources that have been vetted (among them are Newsela, Time for Kids, and Smithsonian’s TweenTribune).