NPHS Library Weekly Update

May 1, 2020

Your weekly source of information for distance learning support

This week's issue focuses on free resources for teaching our students to be news literate.

Free Materials from the Stanford History Education Group

Civic Online Reasoning is a curriculum based on research with fact checkers that can help improve students' ability to evaluate information on the internet

Demystifying Journalism

The Spokesman-Review, the daily newspaper in Spokane, Washington, explains how and why reporters and editors do what they do and what it all means with two informational graphics by features design editor Charles Apple.

“Newspapers 101” explains the difference between a “news story,” an “editorial” and a “column.” It also describes who writes headlines, how the newsroom is structured and how errors are corrected.

“Fake News” explores why many Americans currently do not trust — or even like — news coverage and journalists. It examines the evolution of so-called fake news and the contributions of the internet and social media to the problem. It also offers a list of fact-checking sites and tips to combat misinformation, such as “be skeptical,” “consider the source” and “check the date.”

In addition, it highlights the “political manipulation of the public,” touching on misinformation spread by foreign propaganda operations and on the president’s frequent criticism of journalists and news organizations. “Questioning the president — or any other government official — on his actions, his statements or apparent changes in policy based on his statements is not wrong. This is, in fact, the role of the media in a democracy,” Apple wrote.

Free News Literacy Webinars

The News Literacy Project is holding a series of four free webinars, addressing essential news literacy topics, every Thursday in May (May 7, 14, 21 and 28) at 11 AM Pacific

Sessions descriptions and dates: (You must register for each one separately)

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What it means to be ‘news-literate’: The skills students need to know – May 7th

Provides an overview of the news literacy skills that students must learn to be reliably informed, such as recognizing the difference between news and opinion, identifying misinformation, evaluating evidence, using fact-checking and digital verification tools, and discerning various types and forms of bias.

Website: https://newslitproject.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zuyD7xEPTVe0QGwdkj7bvQ

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Exploring the misinformation landscape – May 14th

Learn how to teach students to stop using the phrase “fake news” and to identify the many types of misleading, inaccurate and false information that they encounter every day. Uses examples of misinformation to engage students in news literacy and civic learning, and we introduce digital verification skills and tools for debunking manipulated and false images. Explains the standards of quality journalism, such as fairness, verification, balance and context.

Website: https://newslitproject.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kT2dgRaKTDW7Dt5cPLRaMA

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Teaching digital verification to spark news literacy learning – May 21st

Dive deep into the tools and skills needed to verify the authenticity of information, and learn to create engaging fact-checking investigations that inspire students to investigate viral content. Topics include using reverse image searches to determine authenticity; researching domain registration to discover a website’s owner; using archives to explore deleted or changed content; developing keen observation skills to detect false context; and using Google Street View to confirm locations. Access to News Literacy Project resources and classroom-ready examples are included.

Website: https://newslitproject.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XCuUGtjUQZufWMfgnxoTkQ

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Understanding bias: A nuanced approach to a vital news literacy topic – May 28th

Bias is one of the most controversial and important subjects in news literacy. People frequently perceive and allege bias in news coverage — but what does this really mean? What makes a piece of news biased, and who decides? What role do our own biases play in our perceptions of bias? This session will help you teach this vital, complex topic in ways that empower students to meaningfully evaluate the fairness and impartiality of news coverage.

Website: https://newslitproject.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dEGvrAoKS2Sv45ynB2p7Og

Online Library Resources

Please promote the use of our online subscription databases for reliable academic sources of information. They are password-protected off campus. You can find the access information on this document, which requires signing into your school Google account.