10th Grade ELA: Information Fluency
10th Grade ELA: Information Fluency
Title and Description
This unit is titled: Information Fluency: You Can’t Fool Me!
The description of the purpose of the unit: In this unit students will understand where “fake news” comes from, why it exists and how they can think like fact checkers to become fluent consumers, evaluators, and creators of information. They will apply this knowledge by selecting a controversial topic to evaluate, synthesize, and analyze all aspects before sharing with a local audience.
Content Area Skill:
ELA Reading
Writing
Multiple Literacies
Digital Age Skill(s):
Knowledge Constructor
Creative Communicator
Duration of Unit:
3 weeks
Overview of Unit:
In this unit, students will understand where “fake news” comes from, why it exists and how they can think like fact checkers to become fluent consumers, evaluators, and creators of information. They will apply this knowledge by selecting a controversial topic to evaluate, synthesize, and analyze all aspects before sharing with a local audience.
Empower Learners:
Content Area Skills (NE and ISTE Standards) and Student Friendly Objectives:
| LA 10.1.6.a Evaluate the meaning, reliability, and validity of text considering author’s purpose, perspective, and contextual influences | I can analyze and evaluate a text based on what I know about the author's and or source’s background, influences, and purpose for writing. I can utilize online tools and verification strategies to determine the reliability and validity of digital content. |
| LA 10.3.3.d Listen, ask probing questions, and consider information to generate new ideas and challenge assumptions to a topic, text, or issue under study. |
I can listen, ask questions, and consider information to generate new ideas and challenge assumptions. |
| LA 10.4.1.a Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from print and digital resources to create new understandings and defend conclusions. | I can select and use reliable print and digital resources to develop new ideas and support conclusions. |
| LA. 10.4.2.b Use appropriate digital tools (e.g., social media, online collaborative tools, apps) to communicate with others for conveying information, gathering opinions, and solving problems. |
I can use appropriate digital tools to communicate with others, share information, gather opinions, and solve problems. |
| ISTE: Research and information fluency a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks |
I can responsibly evaluate, create, and communicate information in a variety of formats. |
Empower Learner Activity:
Detailed Description:
1. Students will take a pre-assessment using the Facticiousgame, playing at least three rounds that get progressively more challenging. Students will report the average percent correct.
2. Students will use this Google form to reflect on the outcome of their score and rate themselves on a scale of 1-4 in terms of “I was fooled…..Can’t fool me.”
3. Students will self assess each student-friendly learning target using a likert scale.
4. Students will set goals for the unit based on the learning targets and pre-assessment data.
Download an example of the Questions from Google Form from Instruction 2
Knowledge Application:
Describe the purpose of the Knowledge Application activity/activities (Formative/Summative)
Artifact Profile:
Title of the Artifact:
The Truth Will Set You Free--Quality Journalism
Detailed Description:
Your hometown is in chaos. Due to misinformation, no one can agree on anything. Each side “cites” their own “sources” leaving everyone confused. What’s real? What’s fake? Who do you believe? As a result, you and your peers have been hired by a local news organization to research and report on controversial issues (local or global). You will choose a topic to research, and using appropriate digital tools, create some form of communication that “clears up” the controversy. Your mission is to report both the facts as well as varying opinions surrounding the issue. You will need to use your communication skills to gather evidence and opinions, evaluate information for bias and credibility, synthesize information, and effectively communicate it with your local audience in a format you see fit (print, digital, video, etc).
Content Area Skills Addressed:
LA 10.1.6.a, LA 10.3.3.d, LA 10.4.1.a, LA. 10.4.2.b
Digital Age Skills
Knowledge Constructor
Creative Communicator
Research & Information Fluency
Link to Rubric
Knowledge Deepening:
Detailed Description:
Provide a description
Tasks
List the separate tasks
Task 1: Why does fake news exist?
Students will utilize the playlist to choose a combination of articles, games, and videos for consumption focused on the following essential questions:
1. What did you notice?
2. What do you wonder?
3. Why would someone write fake news?
4. What components make fake news go viral?
As they read, watch, and play, students will record answers to questions on the padlet.
| Must Do’s: Consume at least 3 resources. Respond to the questions on the Padlet. or create your own Padlet at padlet.com |
May Do’s: Choose from multiple videos/articles based on style of learning. |
Resources: Link to Playlist |
Task 2: Four Moves and a Habit: How not to be fooled (Direct Instruction)
Using the OER text, Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers as a guide, students will each receive a digital text (article, image, Tweet, FB post). Some will be fake, others will be real. During the guided instruction, the teacher walks students through the Four Moves and Habit for fact checking. Students will apply each step to their article and discuss their analysis with a shoulder partner. At the end, students will categorize their article and justify their evaluation on the padelt. Students will report out in small groups as well.
| Must Do’s: Complete the evaluation of the article on Padlet |
May Do’s: Choose another digital text to analyze |
Resources: Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers Teacher Presentation Slides |
Task 3: How do we become verification experts? (Station Rotations)
Hook: Double Check Your Facts
* Guided Reading of Informational Text (Teacher Led)
* Reliability, Validity, Credibility, and Bias (Collaboration)
| Must Do’s: All three stations--Complete activity and submit to Schoology DB for each rotation. |
May Do’s: Choice built within stations |
Resources: Link to Station Rotations Guide or download the Guide below. |
* Evaluating Images (Independent)
Task 4: How do we sort through all of the information? (Flex)
Students will complete the free introduction to the types of information and purpose for communicating in this self-paced online mini-course.
| Must Do’s: Complete the “Info Zones” Module |
May Do’s: Choice is built within. |
Resources: |
Task 5: How do we become “Democracy’s Watchdog”? (Flex)
Students will complete the free module on becoming a “watchdog” for democracy.
Complete the module and submit final question “If you were an investigative reporter and could investigate anything you wanted to, what would you focus on, and why?”--Will be used in Task 7 |
Choice of topic for Task 7 |
Resources: |
Task 6: What makes “quality journalism”? (Flex)
Students will complete the free module focusing on the question: What are the standards for quality journalism? Students will apply what they have learned in Tasks 1-5 to a fictional scenario. Students will be expected to apply a similar process in Task 7.
| Must Do’s: Complete the modules. |
May Do’s: Choice is built within. |
Resources: |
Task 7: Becoming an Investigative Journalist (Flex/Teacher Small Group)
After choosing a topic, students will spend five days applying skills acquired in previous tasks. During this time, the teacher will work one on one with students as well as small groups based on students’ topic choices as well as their final format choices. Small group lessons will be tailored to student choice and instructional need.
| Must Do’s: Complete the Knowledge Application Task |
May Do’s: Choice in topic Choice in final product format |
Resources: Playlist or download the list below |
Task 8: The Truth Shall Set You Free (Whole group--Final product presentations)
Students will present their final projects to the class as well as other authentic audiences via social media, schools newsletter, and/or other avenues as identified by student interests.
Must Do’s: Present final product |
May Do’s: Share to outside authentic audiences |
Resources: Link to Rubric: |
Direct Instruction:
Detailed Description
Provide a description of the instruction
Learning Path:
Include in the table below the breakdown of each day of the unit.
| Day # | Description | BlendEd Model | Resources |
| 1 | Empower Learners--Self Assessment | Direct Instruction/ Flex Model | |
| 2 | Task 1: Why does fake news exist? | Flex Model | |
| 3 | Task 2: Four Moves and a Habit | Direct Instruction/ Guided Whole Class Activity |
|
| 4-5 | Task 3: How do we become verification experts? | Station Rotation | |
| 6 | Task 4: How do we sort through all of the information? | Flex, Self-paced Note: Students may proceed through Tasks 4-6 at their own pace. |
|
| 7 | Task 5: How do we become “Democracy’s Watchdog”? | Flex, Self-paced | |
| 8 | Task 6: What makes “quality journalism”? | Flex, Self-paced |
|
| 9-13 | Task 7: Becoming an Investigator | Station Rotation, Small Group Pull Out, Research Writing Conferences | |
| 14-15 | Task 8: The Truth Shall Set You Free | Student Presentations; Whole Group |