A year 5 pupil comes to school anxious and upset about a headline they have seen that morning: Is world war three starting? they ask. What will happen to my family?
Pupils in your class are discussing coronavirus. Our school is closing! Hand sanitiser doesnt work! Can I catch it from my friends?
In situations like these, what is our responsibility as teachers? We cant be expected to have an in-depth knowledge of every news incident, and to debunk every piece of fake news. We cant control the horror of some events, or the inappropriate nature of others. But this shouldnt stop us watching, reading or discussing news with our pupils. In a world where half of all 10 year olds own a smartphone, where young people are exposed to news and online media from the moment they are born, where children have so many questions to ask, schools can be a safe space for young people to address questions and discuss their feelings about what they are seeing, reading and hearing.
So here are seven steps from NewsWise for supporting children to become happy, healthy, engaged news consumers:
Establish ground rules at the outset to develop a safe climate for learning about the news. For example: this is a safe space to talk about the news. Well listen to others opinions respectfully, and we wont share fake news, rumours or guesses as if they were facts. Well only share news stories we know are true, and well use our critical thinking skills to debunk disinformation. We can put questions in a box if we dont want to ask them out loud, and well respect the privacy of our classmates, families and teachers. If were unsure or worried about a news story, we will ask an adult that we trust.
When we think back to iconic news stories such as the moon landing, London 2012, the Boxing Day tsunami or a terror attack, we mainly remember the emotions associated with those moments, whether they are joy, sadness, shock, excitement or fear. Our PSHE Association quality-assured lesson on managing feelings about the news provides lots of strategies for you to use in the classroom, to help your pupils to recognise and manage those feelings, for example talking about concerns, not dwelling on that story and exploring more positive stories to give perspective and to rebalance their worldview. We know from recent research that many children never have an opportunity to discuss news at home. And weve seen some brilliant examples of teachers providing that safe space in their classrooms to ask questions about specific news events such as a local crime, or on a larger scale the Manchester Arena bombing, so we know that this can work. One pupil told us: Thank you for helping me realise that there is no reason to be scared of reading the news. Children dont need you to have all the answers, they just need a safe space to articulate their concerns.
Fake news is designed to manipulate our feelings. It is deliberately hard to spot, and it is created to make us think and behave in different ways. Some fake news is comedic, other fake news is upsetting or difficult. All fake news impacts our wellbeing and destabilises democracy. Two-thirds of teachers (60.9%) believe fake news is harming childrens wellbeing, increasing their anxiety levels. Governments, global organisations and tech companies are all struggling to contain the flow of disinformation. And yet research tells us that nearly all teachers (98.8%) believe it is their responsibility to support children to identify fake news. What a task! Working with the PSHE Association and the National Literacy Trust, NewsWise is supporting teachers by providing free, quality assured lessons written by literacy, PSHE and news experts. Simple techniques in our lesson on how to spot fake news, eg: to make simple checks like questioning the source of a news report and identifying other trusted news sources sharing the same story, are now being used by teachers and children across the UK. By understanding why fake news can be harmful, and giving pupils the skills to identify disinformation, rumour, and opinion, you are giving children techniques to manage their own wellbeing around fake news.
Use scenarios and characters to distance news stories, both for wellbeing (dont encourage children to imagine they are caught up in a distressing incident) and for their own privacy. For example, imagine three individuals with their own values and opinions are reading a particular news report: how might they differ? Why? At NewsWise, as in all news organisations, we have our own values: news should be truthful, fair, balanced and interesting. Fairness means that we should respect others privacy and ensure that children do not report on, or reveal, personal information about themselves or others.
There is so much news in the world, but we know that news doesnt naturally provide us with a balanced range of views. Editors and tech companies use values and algorithms to decide what news we should access, based on our preferences, loyalties and demographics. But how healthy is it for us to only ever to hear one point of view? One of our most popular activities around targeted information is Hook the Reader, a great game (and quite addictive for staff too!) that helps children to begin to unpick this complex concept. We also cover issues around privacy and how to search safely, mapping directly to statutory health guidance on becoming a discerning consumer of information online. Developing a climate in the classroom in which children explore different viewpoints, debate issues and respect different opinions, can be practised by exploring different points of view about news stories.
So youve decided to introduce news into the classroom. Where can you find age-appropriate content? Firstly, lets not dumb down the news reports we share with children. Weve seen that young people arent just interested in football and cats! Actually KS2 children respond brilliantly to issues such as climate change and the Windrush Scandal when they can access those reports with age appropriate language. As well as all of the examples in our free resources, there are an increasing number of brilliant sources of free and subscription news for young people, including CBBC Newsround, First News, The Week Junior and many more listed here on our website. And every Tuesday @GetNewsWise and other organisations share an appropriate story with questions to use in the classroom for #TuesdayNewsDay.
Most importantly, keep news authentic, and keep it fun. At NewsWise we ensure that the news production experience is as realistic as possible. Pupils are briefed into Journalist Training School, with press passes, newsroom terminology, specific roles and teams, and teachers of course overseeing activities as the Chief Editor! The more you can model interest in the news by incorporating news discussions into the school day; sharing breaking news stories where appropriate; including tight deadlines and timers; holding newspaper or online news scavenger hunts; organising press conferences; the more you will encourage children to explore age appropriate news reports and engage with the wider world.
News literacy provides an opportunity for primary schools to embed PSHE and English learning in a real-world setting. As one London-based primary teacher told us:
So much of what NewsWise brings up in its delivery is to do with exploring what sort of person you want these children to become: compassionate, interested, resilient, critical, brave, truthful.
Read more:
Exploring the world: primary approaches to news literacy - The Guardian
- The little things pop-ups, notifications, warnings work to fight fake news, new evidence shows - Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard [Last Updated On: July 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 2nd, 2020]
- Take care before you share: Nazma Aapi is back with her witty yet important message on fake news - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: July 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 2nd, 2020]
- Fake News and Alternative Facts - KCPW [Last Updated On: July 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 2nd, 2020]
- Fake News: What is the Epoch Times and Why Did It Arrive On My Doorstep? - Lost Coast Outpost [Last Updated On: July 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 2nd, 2020]
- There probably isn't as much fake news in the media as we think - New Scientist News [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2020]
- Letters to the Editor: 'Fake news' on coronavirus; rampant revisionism; the nature of gender - The Providence Journal [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2020]
- Fake News Busted! BMC clarifies 169 residents of Omkar Alta Monte in Malad have not tested positive for - Mumbai Mirror [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2020]
- Fake News, Hiding Data and Profits: How COVID-19 Spun Out of Control in Brazil - The Wire [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2020]
- Brazil's Bolsonaro would veto bill regulating fake news in current form - Reuters [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2020]
- MMA and QAnon: How fake news and conspiracies permeated the octagon - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2020]
- Liberty and responsibility: SC rulings on internet restrictions in J&K uphold balanced constitutionalism - The Indian Express [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- People more wary of others viewing Covid-19 fake news than themselves survey - Yahoo Finance UK [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- CBSE Board Results 2020: Results not on July 11 and 13, CBSE says notice fake - The Financial Express [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Learn about misinformation, fake news and political propaganda in an online workshop from the Klamath County Library - Herald and News [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Editor, staff arrested for fake news on CMs health - The Hindu [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Fake news alert: CBSE 2020 results not releasing this week - NewsBytes [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Maharashtra Lockdown Extension News: Shutdown in Thane's Bhiwandi Town Extended Till July 19 - India.com [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- We live in an age of 'fake news'. But Australian children are not learning enough about media literacy - The Conversation AU [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- There is a pandemic of fake news and hate on social media. You can help fight it - The Times of India Blog [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Education In The Age Of Fake News, Distraction, And Vanity - Forbes [Last Updated On: July 12th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 12th, 2020]
- Fake news detection tool being developed at University of Exeter - Information Age [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- How the UAE is using fake news to manufacture a Turkish role in Yemen - TRT World [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Google to boost fake news, illegal content monitoring on YouTube - India TV News [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Coronavirus: misinformation is leading to 'fake news' anxieties in Dutch refugee communities - The Conversation UK [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2020]
- Priyanka Gandhi says report that she wants more time to vacate government bungalow is fake news - Scroll.in [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- PQE Group Creates an Internal Research Task Force to Fight Fake News in Relation to COVID-19 - PRNewswire [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2020]
- We were shouted at for wearing masks. This is why the situation in the US is so dire - Sky News [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2020]
- Man arrested for fake post on Mayurbhanj royal family in Odisha's Baripada - The New Indian Express [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2020]
- Fake News Alert: No Lockdown Will be Imposed in Jammu From Tomorrow | Heres The Truth - India.com [Last Updated On: July 18th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 18th, 2020]
- Future of astrology: Is there a place for pseudoscience in newspapers? - Press Gazette [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Prathap NM, hailed as 'drone scientist', passes off German and Japanese drones as his own - Alt News [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Khabib has not retired, will face Gaethje 'before the end of the year' - Yahoo Sports [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Project Origin is watermarking media to fight fake news ahead of the election - Axios [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Facts or fake news: Revealing patterns in the COVID-19 tweets of Trudeau and Trump - The Conversation CA [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Afraid Outraged Fake News Could Be the Culprit / Public News - Public News Service [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Covid-19 misinformation is everywhere, but it could have been much worse - CNBC [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Trump's coronavirus briefings are back, but the trust isn't - NBC News [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- 'Staggering' Russia report reveals why government batted off Brexit interference claims - Sky News [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Fake news alert: Helicopter-truck crash video doing rounds on social is not from Amritsar. Here's the truth - Times Now [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Clint Eastwood Sues, Says He Has Nothing to Do With CBD Products - The New York Times [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Wake up, America; discount the fake news - News from southeastern Connecticut - theday.com [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Singapore's Ambassador to the US Responds to Criticism of 'Fake News' Law - The Diplomat [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- People are injecting themselves with bleach because of fake news, says senior MP - Telegraph.co.uk [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Police crack down on those spreading fake news - The Hindu [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Turning Fake News on its Head: Stalin Lives Again to Reveal Deep Truth - Canada NewsWire [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2020]
- Cake meme reflects coronavirus absurdity in a world where nothing is what it seems - NBC News [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2020]
- The Misinformation Age Has ExacerbatedAnd Been Exacerbated Bythe Coronavirus Pandemic - TIME [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2020]
- Why are millennials and Gen Z turning to Instagram as a news source? - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- [Webinar] #FreeSpeech: Perspectives from the UK and the US on Social Media Liability for Fake News, Damaging Content and Censorship - July 29th, 9:00... [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- Governors who took the virus seriously from the start get a boost - NBC News [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- Fighting fake news! Actively working on removing misinformation from platform: YouTube - The Financial Express [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2020]
- NOT REAL NEWS: A look at fake news that was shared on social media this week - WBTW [Last Updated On: July 29th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 29th, 2020]
- UK trade department to tackle 'fake news' with new rebuttal role - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 30th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 30th, 2020]
- Propaganda, fake news and disinformation on the internet could destroy us Susan Dalgety - The Scotsman [Last Updated On: July 30th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 30th, 2020]
- The news item "SPECIAL REPORT: Janez Jana's Newest Investment Scared the Government and Big Banks" is an online scam - Gov.si [Last Updated On: July 30th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 30th, 2020]
- Fake news and COVID-19, a neverending saga - The New Indian Express [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- People on social media more inclined to believe Coronavirus fake news: Study - India TV News [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- Our View: Fake news leaves a mess in its wake - The Times [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- A lot of people said its a fake issue: Trump confirms he didnt raise Russian bounties with Putin - POLITICO [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- Yes, Fake News Is a Problem. But Theres a Real News Problem, Too. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: July 31st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 31st, 2020]
- Dont bank on Britains foppish, lazy elites to save us from deep fakery - The Guardian [Last Updated On: August 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 2nd, 2020]
- Shipments of Belarusian ammunition to USA dismissed as fake news - Belarus News (BelTA) [Last Updated On: August 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 2nd, 2020]
- COVID-19 fake news: how to spot it and what locals are doing to stop it - LocalNews8.com [Last Updated On: August 2nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 2nd, 2020]
- Facebook Complies With Brazilian Judge's Order To Block 12 Accounts Accused Of Running A Fake News Network - Inventiva [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- Heres one reason youre more likely to believe #fakenews and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 - MarketWatch [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- Covid-19: Misinformation, fake news on coronavirus is proving to be contagious - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- AI-Driven News and Social Credibility Tool Launches in US to Identify and Combat Fake News - PRNewswire [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2020]
- We must teach students to navigate through misinformation, fake news: VP - Times of India [Last Updated On: August 5th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 5th, 2020]
- Disha Salian's father says 'no truth' in reports of her involvement with politician: 'Stop tarnishing my daughter's reputation' - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: August 6th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 6th, 2020]
- Netflix's Fake-News Thriller 'The Hater' Is Way Too Real - WIRED [Last Updated On: August 6th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 6th, 2020]
- Sensitive to claims of bias, Facebook relaxed misinformation rules for conservative pages - NBC News [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2020]
- FAQ: Why Brazil's Plan to Mandate Traceability in Private Messaging Apps Will Break User's Expectation of Privacy and Security - EFF [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2020]
- WhatsApp has done well to curb fake news, but social and messaging services need to invest more in tech - The Financial Express [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2020]
- WhatsApp brings new 'search the web' feature to curb fake news - Deccan Herald [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2020]
- Fake Twitter account of Manoj Sinha created to spread rumours; FIR lodged - The Tribune India [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- US President Trump tweets picture of him on Mt Rushmore, says reports of asking to be on it 'fake' - Deccan Herald [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Recruitment notice in our name to fill 5285 vacancies is fake: Ministry of Railways - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Badshah on being questioned by police in fake followers case: Ive categorically denied all the al... - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Swara Bhasker says Rhea Chakraborty subjected to dangerous media trial led by impulses of mob just... - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]
- Alleging harassment and fake news, Disha's father writes to cops - NewsBytes [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2020]