Activity
Cornell University

Cornell University: Finding Periodicals and Periodical Articles

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This resource offers a good look at periodicals as a source of information, and offers help for finding articles in a variety of situations.
Lesson Plan
TES Global

Tes: The Media: Understanding Key Media Areas

For Teachers 4th - 9th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] During this unit of study, young scholars will analyze several types of advertisements. Students will analyze how authors pay attention to the language and visuals to appeal to their audiences.
Website
Other

The International Press Institute

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
The International Press Institute describes itself as "a global network of journalists, editors and media executives, dedicated to freedom of the press and improving the standards and practises of journalism." To that end, this site...
Website
Other

Pbs: Media Shift: Your Guide to the Digital Media Revolution

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This website is a guide to the way the new media-blogs, RSS, podcasting, citizen journalism, wikis, news aggregators, and video repositories-are changing the way we take in the news of our world. Click on the underlined words to...
Unit Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: How to Choose Credible Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This tutorial focuses on choosing credible sources for a research project. It offers two versions of a slideshow: a non-audio slideshow and an audio slideshow which explains the information as it is shown. They each define terms, offer...
Activity
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Bias

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Notes introducing bias and demonstrating how to identify slight, moderate, and strong bias in a text. Notes can be both read and listened to.
Article
Other

Becoming a Critic of Your Thinking

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This resource presents an article that explains why it is important to be someone who is a good thinker. Provided are four strategies for critical thinking.
Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

The Media Awareness Network: Bias

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Slant, or bias, can be found in virtually every news outlet. Use this online lesson plan to help students understand how word choices and other factors can intentionally or unintentionally affect the audience's understanding.
Website
Other

Society of Professional Journalists: Freedom of Info.

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This resource is a great tool for journalists and non-journalists to obtain information from federal and local government sources. Access to this information can make or break a news story.
Article
Other

Santa Rosa Library: How to Evaluate Information Resources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Tips and information about how to evaluate resources, both print and electronic. Includes information about source authority, purpose, objectivity, currency, completeness, and relevance. It includes a printable handout (top right)with...
Handout
Cornell University

Cornell University: Library: Critically Analyzing Information Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A quick guide to help you determine the relevance and authority of a resource.
Handout
George Mason University

Gmu: Virginia Montecino: Criteria to Evaluate the Credibility of Www Resources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
An easy-to-follow guide to assist in determining whether online resources are reliable and true. Find questions to ask while reviewing sources. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9
Activity
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Cnn Debuted as the First Television News Network in 1980

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
These lesson plans relate to the gathering and production of news and creating a visual timeline. There are links to other lesson plan ideas, as well as web links, and a brief bibliography. SL.11-12.2 Eval&Integrate sources
Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: Identifying and Understanding the Fallacies Used in Advertising

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Students examine the fallacies that surround them every day, deconstruct fallacious images and messages in advertisements, and demonstrate their understanding of the fallacies through multimedia presentations.
Activity
Other

Media Education Foundation: Deconstructing a Video Advertisement [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Handout that leads students through an exploration of the visual and audio elements of a video advertisement as well as the effect these elements have on the intended audience and the community as a whole.
Professional Doc
21st Century Schools

21st Century Schools: Critical Viewing Skills and Media Literacy

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Understand media literacy as it relates to a student's ability to analyze, evaluate, critique and produce multiple media messages. Information and links to inspire students, teachers and all those who work with young people regarding...
Handout
Online Writing Lab at Purdue University

Purdue University Owl: Evaluating Print vs. Internet Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learn to look at different text features to determine whether a print or electronic source might be more effective. SL.9-10.2 eval & integrate sources
Article
Other

Webliminal: Critically Evaluating Information on the Internet

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site gives excellent information on why it's important to evaluate the content of everything you find in cyberspace, and also tells you how to do so. It also contains information about using search engines effectively and how to...
Handout
The Write Place

Literacy Education Online: Assessing the Credibility of Online Sources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site from the St. Cloud State University provides information on online sources. This article explains how to assess the value of online sources based on authorship, publisher, date of publication, depth of material, and...
Article
University of California

Ucla College Library: Thinking Critically About World Wide Web Resources

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site teaches readers how to evaluate the content and quality of web resources, offering questions and checklists to consider.
Article
Other

Fair: Retractions of Reporting Are Quite Selective

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Interesting essay on the use of unnamed or anonymous sources, accuracy of reports, and retractions of innaccurate reports by major news outlets. Eye opener.
Handout
Other

Monash University Library: Evaluating What You Find

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site explains how to evaluate the information you find in your research and provides practice exercises. It includes three sections: Evaluating the reliability of sources, Academic research on the internet, and Evaluating academic...
Activity
Other

Media Activist's Kit for Fairness in Reporting

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site offers the whole package about bias in reporting: what it is, how to identify the source, how to complain about it and be heard, and what to do if all else fails. The site offers an extensive reading list along with detailed...
Lesson Plan
Lumen Learning

Lumen: Boundless Communications: Credibility Appeals

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson plan focuses on using credible appeals in persuasive speeches including defining subjective and objective credibility, the types and elements of credibility, and the ethical use of credibility appeals. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8