News Literacy: The Keys to Combating Fake News by Michelle Luhtala and Jacquelyn Whiting

Chapter 1: "Introduction to News Literacy"

1. In what way are reading strategies and skills dependent on the medium a student is using?
2. Why should stude nts be encouraged to embrace the new media as sources of information?

Activity

Research and explore the fact checking polices of various social media outlets (Twitter, Google, Facebook, etc.).

Chapter 2: "A Brief History of Disinformation"

1. Discuss the concept of "wikiality." Do you agree? How does this influence critical thinking?
2. How is the role of the school librarian different than that of all librarians? Do you agree?

Activity

In groups, develop a lesson that supports the idea that the media and others have portrayed alternate facts as truth. Consult the chapter for sources. Present your lesson to the larger group.

Chapter 3: "What the Research Says about Students' Media Literacy"

1. Discuss the recommendations from the SHEG report. Bring examples from your own school to support or refute these recommendations.
2. Agree or disagree with the statement, "Research is a process and students often get through high school without learning it" (Luhtala and Whiting, page 12). Defend your position.

Activity

In small groups, discuss and analyze the general recommendations for spotting fake news cited from Common Sense Media (page 15). Do you agree with these? Are there other things that should be added and considered? Take notes. Place these recommendations one at a time on poster papers throughout the room. After groups have had some time to discuss, allow the leader of each group time to report out comments from their group on each recommendation. Record those comments and summarize later for the group.

Chapter 4: "Echo Chambers, Filter Bubbles, and Likes, Oh My!"

1. What is the role of the citizen journalist in getting the news out today? Is this good, bad, or neither? Why?
2. The authors state that students may have the right answers to questions from teachers/librarians about digital media and cyber content, but they may not really understand. Do you agree/disagree with this statement? Do you have examples from your work with students?

Activity

There is an excellent activity to do with students on the top of page 18 in this book. Try that with your students and report back to the group.

Chapter 5: "The Stages of Research: A Model"

1. Why is the statement, "…hold your thesis lightly" an important one to be internalized by all students?
2. Discuss and explain the research model discussed in Figure 5.1.

Activity

The research model in this chapter is based on one developed by Barbara K. Stripling in 2003. There are many such models. Research, discuss and compare the various research models and discuss with your group.

Chapter 6: "Lessons for Developing Information Literacy"

1. What is the importance of learning to develop a unique research question?
2. How is pedagogy shifting and why is that important to instructional design?

Activity

This chapter is made up of lesson plans. Have learners each choose a lesson to teach to the group. If your group is too small or large for this one to one approach, adjust by having collaborating groups teach a lesson or each person teach more than one or perhaps do not actually teach all lessons. Adjust as appropriate. When each lesson is taught, have the rest of the group act as students. When lesson is finished have the group come together and discuss the lesson content, instructional design, and delivery.

Chapter 7: "Citations Are a Tool for Source Evaluation"

1. How can reviewing a student's bibliography reveal information about his approach to the research process?
2. Explain the table at the top of page 116. What can this table tell you about the bibliographic citations from a student's work?

Activity

The authors provide a description of an in-depth program used at their school to teach students how to evaluate their own bibliographies. Take some time to go through these tools on your own, perhaps viewing some of the help sites referenced. Discuss what you have found with your group. Could you develop something like this in your school or utilize other sites you have found.

Chapter 8: "Big Takeaways"

Activity

Discuss the six big takeaways the authors summarize from this book. In your small groups, make lists of what you have learned and will take away from this book. Combine lists with the rest of the groups so that everyone will benefit. This is the reflection on your learning.

Chapters 9 and 10: "A Longer Unit of Study" and "Rubrics"

Activity

These chapters are for your use in working with students. Perhaps you may want to organize a system of visiting with others in six months to see how using them with students has gone.