Media Literacy - Finding Real News Among the Fake

Media Literacy is a set of activity sheets and readings that teaches students to become informed consumers of the news. The set includes ten activity sheets plus three one-page readings with discussion questions and a follow-up activity for each one.

These activities will pair well with lessons on media literacy, point of view, and persuasive techniques as well as with class discussions of current event topics.

Here is what is included:

Activities

1. Persuasive or Informative?

2. Infer the Author’s Purpose

3. Summarize and Check

4. Good Sources and

Fake News Clues

5. Check for Clues

6. Write It Two Ways

7. Write and Rebut

8. Write It Real or Write It Fake

9. Compare Media Sources

10. Be a Part of the Solution

Readings

1. Telling the Truth –Harder Than It Looks!

• Follow-up Activity - Reporting It Four Ways

2. Journalism Rules

• Follow-up Activity - School News Program

3. Persuasive Techniques – Fair or Unfair?

• Follow-up Activity - Sort and Discuss

Note: For many of these activities, students will need access to current news articles or other sources such as blog posts or TV news programs.

This resource supports language arts standards including media literacy, interpreting what is read, close reading to make inferences and draw conclusions, and writing to inform and persuade.

For additional resources, also see:

Persuasive Techniques - Activity Sheets and Slides

and

Freedom of the Press - Close Reading

From Classroom in the Middle