51����

In this lesson students will build their knowledge of news literacy, misinformation and disinformation. They’ll work through examples in groups to spot the difference between mis- and disinformation, before deciding what “news-literacy actions” they could take to avoid being misled in future. This resource was created as part of an online teacher-training course: how to teach the news. See full course: bit.ly/TT-springboard

Download a full scheme of work to explore numbers in the news and how the media can shape a story. The covid-19 pandemic has kept people glued to the news, but is there such a thing as too much information? Has the pandemic led to an infodemic? Throughout the six hour-long lessons, students will use oracy to develop their numeracy skills, with a particular focus on the Skills Builder skills: creativity, problem-solving, speaking and listening.

Will new technology make fake news even harder to spot? Perfect for home learning: this resource contains an introduction video and a chance to vote online and share opinions. These activities help your learners: Explain why the 2020 alternative Christmas message caused controversy Assess the scale of the problem posed by deepfake technology View the issue from different perspectives Assess the benefits and risks of deepfakes Draw conclusions on who should have access to deepfake technology

Joe Biden won the US election, but Donald Trump refuses to concede. What’s going on? Help learners to explore the results and the questions they raise. **In part one: ** How do American presidential elections work? What made this election different from all others? How have the candidates reacted? **In part two: ** What might be the consequences of Trump’s actions? Why was the election record-breaking? What’s been the reaction to the result?

Help learners separate fact from fiction by understanding how conspiracy theories start and spread. This resource gets learners thinking about questions such as: What is a conspiracy theory? How do conspiracy theories spread? Who is responsible for stopping their spread? The activities look at fake stories about the coronavirus and investigate the dangers of letting conspiracy theories go unchallenged. Learners can also explore deeper questions about free speech, censorship and the role of social media.

Photographs can shape our reactions to current affairs. How do we know when to trust them? These fun activities help learners explore the role of photographs in the news and challenges them to step behind the lens themselves. When should we believe our eyes? Get learners discussing this and a range of other questions: How do photographs help us understand the news? How should newspapers choose their photographs? Do photographs give us the whole picture? Learners are also tasked with finding ways to photograph the same thing in different ways. Can they create two contrasting impressions of the same subject?

This resource helps learners think for themselves about the power of headlines and the ways newspapers present their stories. These activities provoke thinking on questions like: How should newspapers choose their stories? What responsibilities do they have to their audience? How should the media report on a crisis? After making editorial decisions, learners are encouraged to investigate the current news cycle and view it from different perspectives. Challenge your children to think deeper about the stories they see everyday and develop their news literacy and communication skills: reasoning, open-mindedness, scepticism and speaking up.

These activities challenge learners to think about where they get their news from and to question what they are reading. It’s pakced full of questions like: What are the best and worst ways to get news? When can we trust what we read in the news? Why might news matter more to some people than others? What makes a story hit the headlines? We suggest supporting your child to complete the activities. We have developed this resource from a previous classroom version, available here:economistfoundation.org/resources

Numeracy in the news: behind the headlines Designed to be used at home by a child working alone or with an adult or siblings. These activities help learners make sense of the numbers in the news and empower them to make their own judgments based on evidence.  Through a combination of numeracy skills and discussion questions, learners are able to see behind the headlines and better-understand the media they consume. Engaging scenarios help them to: Investigate how numbers can be presented to support a viewpoint Interrogate the accuracy of claims in the headlines Adjust their thinking in light of new findings Analyse numerical evidence to help solve a social issue A classroom version of this resource is also available to download here.

This resource introduces students to the news and gets them answering key questions about where the news can be found and how the importance of a news story will differ from person to person. It could be used as part of PSHE, before looking at a particular story, to give students a better understanding of a news-report task. This lesson helps to develop the following news literacy skills: SCEPTICISM: Questioning information to find the truth REASONING: Justifying a viewpoint This resource was produced by The Economist Educational Foundation, an independent charity that was set up by The Economist magazine. Combining The Economist’s journalistic know-how with teaching expertise, we specialise in supporting teachers to facilitate high-quality classroom discussions about the news.

This resource looks at the purpose of political cartoons and how an expert produces them. It will take 60 minutes to run and is aimed at 10- to 15-year-olds. We suggest running it with 12 to 30 students. Teachers are encouraged to adapt it as necessary for their students’ needs. – This lesson helps to develop the following news literacy skills: SPEAKING UP: Confidently communicating a viewpoint SCEPTICISM: Questioning information to find the truth – This resource was produced by The Economist Educational Foundation, an independent charity that was set up by The Economist magazine. We combine The Economist’s journalistic know-how with teaching expertise, and we specialise in supporting teachers to facilitate high-quality classroom discussions about the news.

There has been a worrying increase in knife crime with young people being directly affected. Across two 20 minute activities, students will look at some statistics surrounding the issue and explore suggested reasons and solutions. THESE RESOURCES: – Look at the rise of knife crime in the context of general crime – Explore statistics from 2018 – Considers the reasons behind the rise – Structures research into possible solutions Everything is provided to run two short activities for students aged 11 to 16.