Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Credibility Challenge: In Search of Authority on the Internet

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify and interpret the background and practice in determining authority on the Internet. Then they identify how to tell whether an author has expertise or not, and whether they're getting the straight story. Students also...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Democracy in Action?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compare and contrast democratic election processes. For this 200 presidential election lesson, students visit websites that allow them to compare federal American elections to British elections. Students hold their own classroom...
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Evidence: Do the Facts Hold Up?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Sometimes it's hard to escape bad information! Pupils learn the E.S.C.A.P.E. method for evaluating news sources and complete a worksheet to assess a news article using their new skills.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am Not a Crook

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students use video, Internet research and discussion to consider the presidency of Richard Nixon. They obtain information from multiple perspectives and form an opinion of how Richard Nixon should be remembered.
Activity
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National Park Service

Nutcracker Fantasy

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The Clark's nutcracker bird hides seeds in 25,000 different sites every year to save for winter. Lesson demonstrates how difficult it would be to find these seeds months later when they need them for food. In the first of five lesson,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Abercrombie & Fitch Catalogue: Is it Pornographic?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students research the legal definition of pornography from a law textbook, reference books available in class or online. Students view the Abercrombie and Fitch home page. A selection of resources related to this topic is linked....
Interactive
American University

Factitious

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Truth or factitious? Users of an engaging interactive test their ability to identify whether an article is real or fake news.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Top Ten Reasons for Going Into Space

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read and evaluate ten reasons for exploring space and prove or disprove the validity of their online information.
Activity
Shmoop

ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
One way to get your class to evaluate and synthesize multiple multimedia sources is through a research project. The idea here is that class members will watch videos and listen to scientific debates in order to create a casebook about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Information Overload: Looking at News

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How do events reported in mainstream newspapers, on television news, blog posts, and social network sites differ? Ask your class to investigate the way the same news item is presented in the many information sources available. Groups...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Savvy Surfers: Website Evaluation and Media Literacy

For Teachers 6th Standards
Sixth graders strengthen their understanding of what a high quality website is composed of. Learners evaluate three websites for accuracy, credibility, and reliability by completing a chart.
Lesson Plan
PBS

How to Teach Your Students about Fake News

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What media literacy skills do people need to evaluate a news source? Scholars listen to and discuss an NPR story about how fake headlines often dupe young people and adults alike. Next, they study news stories, using a fact-checking...
Activity
Discovery Education

The Time of Our Life

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Mammals are some of the newest organisms to appear on Earth. Young scholars complete an activity that results in a timeline showing the appearance of different types of living organisms. Provided with a list that spans from prokaryotes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Encouraging Answers

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What is the celebration of Columbus Day really about? Older learners use inquiry-based methods to find out who Columbus really was and what motivated his journeys. They take on the roles of town officials who must consider whether or not...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evaluating Your Sources

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students practice making critical judgments about the sources sited when researching a topic on the internet and in real-life situations. They assess how sources vary in reliability and accuracy while reviewing a variety of source...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Federal Legislative Process: A Mock Session in the House of Commons

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine the legislative process in Canada's House of Commons. They simulate the role of being a sitting member of the House of Commons, developing bills, conducting meetings, and voting on the written bills.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gathering and Evaluating Sources for the "Greatest American" Speech

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars brainstorm a list of criteria for determining credible sources for their research. They research information to include in their "Greatest American" speech. Students will evaluate all sources by applying the criteria they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

REFERENCE AND RESEARCH SKILLS

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine useful sources of reference materials and highlight vital research skills.Students, in groups, should be encouraged to read as widely as possible to avoid being over-reliant on a narrow range of resources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Minorities in a Cross-Cultural Perspective Debate Simulation Case Study: China's Borderlands

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders investigate if minority status is synonymous with powerlessness in China. They examine if minority and majority groups interact with equity and justice in China. Students present their findings in a debate-simulation format.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing Renewable Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers watch a video segment on the engineering design process, then design a storage system for renewable energy. Students brainstorm and research ways in which renewable energies such as solar and wind power can be stored.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing Renewable Energy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch a video segment on the engineering design process, then design a storage system for renewable energy. Students brainstorm and research ways in which renewable energies such as solar and wind power can be stored.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capturing Renewable Energy

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students watch a video segment on the engineering design process, then design a storage system for renewable energy. Students brainstorm and research ways in which renewable energies such as solar and wind power can be stored.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to Locate and Evaluate Information, Part III - Internet Sites

For Teachers 10th
This is the third in a series of lessons scaffolding the research paper. It purports to teach researchers how to evaluate internet sites, but the lack of links, specific criteria, or site evaluation rubrics would require additional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn Introductory Lessons

For Teachers 9th - 11th
“What is the role or function of controversial art? And, should children, our children, be required—forced—to study certain works they may find painful or humiliating or offensive?” Robert Zalisk’s question, found in his article, “Uproar...