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First, teach students about filibusters and how and why senators use them. Next, help students develop their news literacy skills by taking a look at how news coverage of a…
Students learn about midterm elections, their role as a referendum on the presidency, and how a shift in party control impacts the legislative and executive branches. Page two of…
Can a constitutional democracy function if the people don’t know the issues? In this lesson, students learn what freedom of the press means and why it was considered so important…
Searching online? Wikipedia is often a top result, but should you trust it? In this lesson, students learn about how Wikipedia works and the site’s processes for preventing…
Review the official presidential line of succession and read about its origins. Students also learn how to detect satire in a news literacy-related activity.
Discover the different types of congressional committees and their responsibilities. What's more, teach students about bias and balanced reporting. In the closing activity,…
Learn about the electoral advantage that favors incumbents and the benefits and drawbacks of reelecting members of Congress. Then, put students' news literacy skills to work as…
Learn about the judicial philosophies of activism and restraint. In the second half of the lesson, students learn about opinion journalsim and explore criteria through which they…
Opinions, opinions, opinions! Learn about the types of Supreme Court opinions and the influence of legal precedent. In the accompanying news literacy-related activity, students are…
Do algorithms impact you? Do you even know what they are? Algorithms help bring us many of the functional products and tools we use today. This mini-lesson offers students an…
Chatbots are pretty impressive, but are they really as smart as they seem? In this lesson, students learn how chatbots produce information.
Some interest groups use cloaked websites to disguise their true intentions. Students consider why information from interest groups matters politically.
Appearances can be deceiving, especially online, and our notions about URLs are often unfounded. In this lesson, students learn the truth about what URLs can and cannot tell them…
In today’s digital age, it’s essential to be a critical consumer of online information. So, how can you spot problematic content? Fact-checking websites are a great tool for…
What separates journalism from all the other kinds of information out there? Teach students to recognize reliable reporting as they explore the tenents of high-standards reporting…
Misinformation? Disinformation?? Fake news??? Don't be fooled! Train your students to examine news stories for evidence of transparency and verification that will help them…
Strip the fear out of bias by showing students how to notice the word choices and framing that show up when bias is present in a news story. Students learn about methods…
Reality check: The news is a business! Help students learn how news providers monetize the news through advertisements and consider how the news/profit relationship affects…
Satirical news stories, like political cartoons, are meant to poke fun—not trick people. Help your students learn to spot satire and understand both the joke and the purpose of…
Make your students’ game play more meaningful with activities designed specifically for NewsFeed Defenders. This easy-to-use resource set means deeper learning for students and…
Lesson Plan
