18 TOOLS

News Literacy Games, Tools, and Lessons

Our kids and students are inheriting a world where trustworthy info can be tough to find. From cable news to social media to the gutting of local news sources and in-depth reporting, it can be tough to get a real handle on current events. While news literacy, or information literacy, has been kicking around schools for a long time, the entire discipline is due for a shakeup that's better tuned to how news and info gets made and manipulated now.

To help, we've curated some of the best resources for teaching a new kind of news literacy. These resources help students seek out and evaluate the credibility of sources, fact-check in a way suited to the web, understand and challenge bias, and battle misinformation and disinformation. There's everything from lessons and curricula to interactive games and tools.

Also looking for trustworthy news sources for your students? Find out what our editors think are The Best News Sites and Apps for Classrooms.

News Literacy Lessons

Project Look Sharp

Mighty media literacy resources powered by inquiry-based approach

Bottom Line: A thoughtfully-created collection of tools for teaching media literacy across the curriculum.

Grades: K–12
Price:
Free

Newsela

Great stories, just-right leveled reading; now mostly by subscription

Bottom Line: While pricey, Newsela has ascended into an all-in-one destination for leveled, non-fiction reading.

Grades: 2–12
Price:
Free, Paid

NexGen News

Biweekly, homespun news site offers useful videos and lessons

Bottom Line: The combo of newscasts, articles, and media content offers a deep news literacy approach, but it's lacking supports.

Grades: 6–8
Price:
Free to try

CTRL-F

Up-to-date, expert-backed news literacy program builds needed skills

Bottom Line: These trusted lessons, a great fit for middle school, empower students to approach media more intentionally, but teachers might need to adapt.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

PBS NewsHour Classroom

Trusted news brand's current events site offers daily discussions

Bottom Line: There's a wide variety of current, credible, and high-quality content on this site that should support interesting classroom discussions.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

Checkology Virtual Classroom

Go-to news literacy site is an excellent primer on media issues

Bottom Line: With "fake news" a pressing concern, Checkology's literacy lessons offer essential, if not totally comprehensive, skills to help students evaluate sources.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

The Learning Network

High-powered news site offers daily resource to process current events

Bottom Line: Backed by a world-class news team, this stunning free resource can fuel daily topical discussions.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

Stanford History Education Group

High-quality, document-based lessons spark stellar historical inquiry

Bottom Line: A gold mine of cross-curricular literacy lessons that encourage sound, research-backed strategies for reading, analysis, and critical thinking.

Grades: 8–12
Price:
Free

News Literacy Games and Activities

NewsFeed Defenders

Social media simulation builds news literacy skills

Bottom Line: This is a great tool to kick off critical discussions about news and social media.

Grades: 6–12
Price:
Free

Bad News

Modern, minimalist fake news game has players be the villains

Bottom Line: Quick, fun, and to the point, this game gets at the social mechanics behind viral falsehoods.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

BBC iReporter

Spot real stories, dodge fake news in cheeky media literacy sim

Bottom Line: A refreshingly modern way for students to explore how to filter and interpret info and media during breaking news events.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

Informable

Spot fake news, sharpen media literacy skills with speedy quizzes

Bottom Line: A solid starting point to support critical-thinking habits and media literacy skills.

Grades: 7–12
Price:
Free

Fake It to Make It

News site sim demonstrates impact of misinformation

Bottom Line: Creating a fake news site and tracking its success offers students a compelling, real-world way in to important media literacy conversations.

Grades: 8–12
Price:
Free

Harmony Square

Take on the role of troll to better spot social media manipulation

Bottom Line: This game-based approach can be an innovative part of your media literacy toolkit.

Grades: 8–12
Price:
Free

Journalism in Action

Journalistic history site helps students analyze primary sources

Bottom Line: This is a strong resource for showing the power of journalism and research, and it'll engage most students; others will need teacher support.

Grades: 8–12
Price:
Free

Influence, Inc.

Strategically minded simulation shows dangers of media manipulation

Bottom Line: This realistic-feeling strategy game is a compelling way to see false narratives get created.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Paid

News Literacy Tools and Resources

PolitiFact

Independent website fact-checks political statements

Bottom Line: A tool to help students become independent thinkers and question what is said by those in positions of power.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Free

Truth or Fiction?

Foil fake news and viral rumors with fact-checking site

Bottom Line: This can be a handy reference -- and a good model for critical thinking -- but it'll require some teacher scaffolding and guidance.

Grades: 9–12
Price:
Free

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