Lesson 2: Navigating the News Landscape
Duration of Days: 1
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to categorize news sources (multimedia, print, social media) and distinguish between fact-based reporting and opinion-based commentary.
Where do I currently get my news?
How does the medium (video vs. text vs. social media) change the message?
CT SS Inq 9–12.3: Evaluate sources and use evidence.
MBL SS Standard 5C: Evaluate the credibility of various multimedia sources.
Source Audit: Students list every app or site they used in the last 24 hours that provided news/information.
Direct Instruction: Identify the "Big 3" news categories: Hard News, Editorial/Opinion, and Sponsored Content.
Sorting Activity: In pairs, students sort five news clips/headlines into the three categories.
Purpose: To develop the "multimedia news" literacy required by the course description.
DOK Level: 2 (Applying Skills)
Provide a guided worksheet for source categorization; use video clips with subtitles for auditory learners.
News Category Sorting Log.