Mobilizing young voters through social media and best practices for online social activism

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Do you remember the first social media account you made? What about the first time you read a news article or retweeted a tweet from your favorite politician? Have you caught your students feeling frustrated after a major event happens and they feel powerless? In this lesson, students will learn about democracy, voting requirements, and how to make a difference in politics. Using lateral reading (a strategy for investigating who's behind an unfamiliar online source by leaving the webpage and opening a new browser tab to see what trusted websites say about the unknown source) students will evaluate news articles or social media content to determine if it is credible to share online. This lesson plan includes a slide deck and lateral reading resources. 

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Reading

Author: Jorie Fawcett

Paging Dr. Google: How to Use Digital Health Information for Conversations with Health Providers

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According to a 2012 study, 81% of U.S. teenagers reported looking at online health information for their needs (Park & Kwon, 2018). For this reason, it is increasingly important to consider ways to promote and model effective digital health literacy. This module is designed not to dissuade adolescents from using digital resources to find health information, but rather equipping them with the tools to find reputable resources and responsibly use them to inform conversations with their health providers. This learning module is divided into three sub-modules (each 20-30 min in length) that are designed to be taught in separate sessions, or as part of a singular digital health literacy workshop/bootcamp. Please feel free to use any parts of this module that you feel could best empower your students to actively engage in their health and wellness.

Material Type: Lesson Plan, Module, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Karan Mirpuri

Social Media and Mental Health Learning Module

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This is a learning module on the effects of social media on mental health, intended for secondary education students. This module has been created for students who have grown up in the digital age by a college student who has grown up in a similar technological environment. Students will come out of this module knowing more about the present state of mental health, how social media exacerbates mental health concerns, and the small, realistic changes they can make to improve their social media habits. 

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Lesson Plan, Module

Author: Madelina Huffman

Media Literacy: Eating Disorder Misinformation

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From the technological advancements that have led to adults and students using technology and being a part of the media, the obvious societal impact that the media and its portrayal has is even more prominent than imagined. This curriculum targets secondary education students who are more prone to be swayed and believe the media and what it intends to portray. Specifically, this curriculum will dive into eating disorder illiteracy, and depict real-life connections in how the media directly and indirectly affects the ways in which we think and believe. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to carefully consume different types of media coverage due to higher awareness in the ways in which misinformation spreads– whether intentional or not.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Reading

Author: Lauren Shim