The goal for this unit is to have students analyze a variety of sources on a current events subject of their interest, identify the different perspectives, and defend their own position.This is one lesson from a larger unit on Evaluating Media. This unit will also cover identifying credible sources, analyzing fake news and the role of propaganda, identifying the different ways news is communicated in different communities. This unit will take place in the beginning of the school year to help instill evaluative and critical thinking research skills as we discuss and explore our big ideas throughout the school year. The end goal is to have students create a digital resource for their topic that we can share out as an educational tool for others. We’ll be creating a padlet that links to all of their presentations (students will have their choice in medium, as long as it is digital) that we will share with our school community and ideally can connect and share with other schools and students. There is also a possibility of using PenPalSchools to share out final resources, but that would depend on getting approval from the district to utilize that website.

This guide is for faculty authors, librarians, project managers and others who are involved in the production of open textbooks in higher education and K-12. Content includes a checklist for getting started, publishing program case studies, textbook organization and elements, writing resources and an overview of useful tools.

In Unit 2, students will build their ability to read and understand informational text and begin to build their knowledge of frogs through closely reading excerpts of the informational text Everything You Need to Know about Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures. Students will use the information gained in reading these excerpts to help them write answers to the questions generated in Unit 1 after reading poems and narratives about frogs. For a mid-unit assessment, students will demonstrate their reading skills through reading a new text about reptiles and amphibians, and they will gather information to answer a research question.
In the second half of the unit, students will continue with the same central text and build their knowledge by studying three "freaky frogs" that have specific adaptations according to where they live: the glass frog, the Amazon horned frog, and the water-holding frog. They will read about these frogs to answer this question in an informative paragraph: How does where a frog lives affect how it looks and/or acts? In the End of Unit 2 Assessment, students read another excerpt of text about the poison dart frog, gather information to answer a research question, and write an on-demand informative paragraph to answer the question.
RI.3.1, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, W.3.2, W.3.7, W.3.8, L.3.1d,e, L.3.4

Google Sites are a great platform to communicate both locally & globally. They are easy to set up for your students and easy to link information both individually for your students as well as setting up a group or classroom page. Our classrooms are busy places of learning and we feel strong about giving back to our Community & teaching our students at a young age the feeling of giving. We begin teaching the Core Democratic Value of common good in early elementary BUT until we DO it, the meaning can get lost. Google Sites is a great tech tool to implement for your Community Service projects & beyond!

The purpose of this unit is to put students in the driver’s seat of their own reading by considering their own preferences and what it means to be a connected reader in our multi-media society.This unit begins with students considering their own reading profile and inquiring about the impact of reading digital texts compared to print texts and what it means to be a connected reader in today’s multi-media society. Students then gather information by reading three texts on the topic which move them through modeling and guided practice to independent practice. As they read each text, they complete a comprehension chart. These will serve as formative assessments on the supported readings and as a reading assessment on the independent text. They will also be used as notes for an expository and an argumentative writing prompt. Teachers will also have the option of expanding the unit with student created graphic organizers and/or presentations.

In 5th grade, students can begin researching and interviewing others on topics for a weekly or monthly newsletter for the school. The students will learn interviewing techniques as well as become better writers.

The information revolution of the 21st century is as significant and transformative as the industrial revolution of the 19th century. In this unit, students – and by proxy their families – will learn about the challenges of our current information landscape and how to navigate them.

This unit is split into four modules. These modules can be done sequentially or stand on their own, depending on students’ needs and teachers’ timeframes. The modules culminate in a Digital Survival Skills Workshop hosted by students where they teach these skills to their community. If you plan to complete the culminating project, we suggest introducing it briefly at the beginning of Module 1 so students know what the end goal is. See Module 4 for introduction materials.

In this module (2 of 4), students learn to distinguish misinformation from disinformation. They explore examples of each and learn about the variety of motivations that cause people to create and share both types of false information.

The information revolution of the 21st century is as significant and transformative as the industrial revolution of the 19th century. In this unit, students – and by proxy their families – will learn about the challenges of our current information landscape and how to navigate them.This unit is split into four modules. These modules can be done sequentially or stand on their own, depending on students’ needs and teachers’ timeframes. The modules culminate in a Digital Survival Skills Workshop hosted by students where they teach these skills to their community. If you plan to complete the culminating project, we suggest introducing it briefly at the beginning of Module 1 so students know what the end goal is. See Module 4 for introduction materials.In this module (3 of 4), students learn fact-checking skills using the SIFT model (Stop, Investigate, Find better coverage, Trace claims to their original source) that they can employ to verify questionable information and sources online.  

Learning to Share Information (5 days)
1.Today we are going to start a research project on Greek gods. We started reading A True Book: Ancient Greece in shared reading today. One of the things that was really important to the ancient Greeks was religion. They believed in many gods and they believed that their gods looked and acted like humans, but had incredible powers and lived forever.
2. Yesterday you chose which god you were going to be an expert on. I have the list up here. Also, you started to research and write notes on your graphic organizer. I showed you how to make sections to take notes in and how to add more to each section as you read through different sources.
3. For the past two days, you have been working hard to gather information about your gods. All of you have several sections filled in. Some of those sections have lots of information and some of those sections only have one or two facts. Today we are going to talk about deciding which information to keep and which information to get rid of.
4. Yesterday you worked on choosing information to share in your infographic. Today you will need to begin planning how you will want your infographic to look.
5. Yesterday you used your graphic organizer to plan your infographic. Today you can start making your infographic.
Sharing

This collection of lessons represent adapted and remixed instructional content for teaching media literacy and specifically civic online reasoning through distance learning. These lessons take students through the steps necessary to source online content, verify evidence presented, and corroborate claims with other sources.

The original lesson plans are the work of Stanford History Education Group, licensed under CC 4.0. Please refer to the full text lesson plans at Stanford History Education Group’s, Civic Online Reasoning Curriculum for specifics regarding background, research findings, and additional curriculum for teaching media literacy in the twenty-first century.

This course provides a critical analysis of mass media in our culture. Various types of media such as books, films, video games, and online interactions will be discussed and reviewed. This course will also evaluate how information and ideas travel between people on a large scale.

This social media literacy unit introduces students to foundational skills in analyzing images and social media posts. It also reenforces critical thinking questions that can be applied to various forms of media. This unit was taught to 9th grade students but is easily adaptible to a range of secondary classrooms. It was also taught in conjunction with another unit focused on social media platforms and content.

In this lesson, students participate in the Infer the Topic protocol to familiarize themselves with the module topic, using resources from the texts they will be reading throughout the module (RI.3.1, W.3.8, SL.3.1).
Throughout this module, students will revisit the module guiding questions introduced in this lesson. It is important to be sensitive to students' and families' feelings and experiences with regard to education, books, and reading and to acknowledge that these feelings and experiences may differ greatly, from very positive to somewhat neutral to very negative. This issue is discussed more in the next lesson, but it is important to be prepared to handle it sensitively should it arise. The main point students should understand by the end of this module is that education, books, and reading are important for college and career readiness, and that is the reason for the emphasis on education, books, and reading in this module. Students reflect on the module guiding questions at home with their families.
This lesson is the first of two that include built-out instruction for strategic use of the Think-Pair-Share protocol to promote productive and equitable conversation.
During all interaction, be aware that partnering with, looking at, talking with, or touching the opposite gender may be uncomfortable and inappropriate for students from other cultures. In addition, some students may believe it is inappropriate to speak with other students at all during class. Let them know that in the United States, speaking with a peer of either gender when the teacher gives the signal is appropriate, and it is one way that students can become independent learners and develop their content knowledge and language ability. At the same time, tell them you respect their needs, and if necessary, seek alternative arrangements for students according to their cultural traditions.
This lesson uses cold calling, or calling on students without them volunteering, as a total participation technique. Be aware that cold calling may be unfamiliar or embarrassing to some students. Prepare students and their families by telling them that cold calling in the United States is common and is a protocol that helps to ensure that all student voices are heard and respected. The protocol also provides the teacher with one way to assess what students know.
This lesson uses total participation techniques for quick response questions. Some common total participation techniques include cold calling, selecting volunteers, and using equity sticks (a stick or card for each student in the class).

This unit engages students in a variety of activities that analyze and reflect on the role of social media in our everyday lives. This includes options for collaborative group work, reading nonfiction articles, a design challenge and presentations to communicate ideas. The unit also includes a formal writing assessment option that aligns with the Common Core State Writing Standards. Activities can be adapted or combined in a variety of ways to support student reflection and analysis. These lessons were piloted in 9th grade English classes but are suitable or a range of secondary students. 

Everyone is talking about real and fake news. Even first graders are hearing their parents, teachers and journalists talking about it. Teachers should begin teaching media literacy skills as soon as students begin using the Internet. In the first grade, students will be visiting approved sites that most likely will still have advertisements. The students will learn how to distinguish between the advertisements and the actual content they are supposed to be using.

In this lesson, students consider the unit research question and develop specific categories for research. Then, in small groups, students read texts about how kids have made a difference and take notes using those categories (RI.4.1, W.4.7, W.4.8).
W.4.8 requires students to gather information from print and digital sources. As such, this lesson is designed for students to use internet sources as texts. If the technology necessary for students to complete the reading is unavailable, give them printed copies of possible texts from which to choose. Note that "Protecting Our Planet" is not a website and is provided (see supporting materials).
Students who finish quickly or require an extension can use a search engine to find their own sources.
In this lesson, students focus on working to become effective learners by focusing on a characteristic of their choice as they work in expert groups to begin their research.

Though this unit takes several weeks to complete, for this particular lesson, which is the beginning phases of the project, students will select 6 different genres (they will eventually write) on a central topic of their choice; research and provide evidence/information to support analysis, reflection and creativity; and collect, synthesize, and organize information using a graphic organizer or symbols to assess how/where to best use in project.(Product description).

Here is the direct link to the Google Doc: Multigenre Resarch Project: Beginning Phase