Digital Literacy Lesson

Here is an idea for a lesson plan where students must determine the validity and accuracy of several provided sources.  I tried to stay away from some of the more common hoax websites for this lesson so that students would be challenged similarly to if they were really conducting research.  This lesson begins with two completely fake sites for lip balm addicts and an invented town.  The third website is a hoax/ mock cite named after a defunct but otherwise completely real organization, the Flat Earth Society.  This website is a little more ambiguous because there is an actual history for this organization and world theory.  Students will need separate the current hoax iteration from the history of its namesake.  The fourth website isn't a hoax site but rather a very real, if unpopular and widely refuted, AIDS virus theory.  The final source represents a one sided depiction of a contentious topic, the safety of e-cigarettes.  This source only presents positive information and represents a biased source.  As students progress through these sources they encounter circumstances that they are more likely to face when evaluating real websites.

Student Teacher ____M.P._____ Grade Level_10__   Subject___Language Arts______

Date of lesson_______________               Length of lesson_______________

Lesson Topic: Uncovering Bias in internet sources.

Overall Goal:  (Broad statement using non action verbs)  “Students will understand that….

Students will understand that bias is present in virtually all informative texts.

Learner Background:  (This addresses why the lesson is being taught.)  Describe the students’ prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s) and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate.  How did the students’ previous performance in this content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?  

Students are completing a unit on digital literacy and research for an upcoming project. They have previously done work supporting arguments with evidence and making citations  In this lesson they will practice determining if an internet source is reliable and credible.  They will examine 5 websites and take notes on what aspects make each site seem legitimate or not.  These notes will be used to complete a class wide discussion board after the lesson.

Curricular Standards:  Identify the primary standard(s) this lesson is designed to help students attain:

• National
• State CCSS RI.9-10.1 Determine an author’s point of view of purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
• Local (optional)

Student Learning Objective(s):  Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.  Use action verbs.  “Students will be able to….”

SWBAT determine if the 5 provided sources are credible and reliable.
SWBAT share and discuss the impact of their findings.

Assessment:

Part I:  How will you check for student understanding during the lesson?  (Formative)

Have students repeat back to me what they should be doing.

I will circulate around the room, asking questions and listening to student conversations.

Part II:  How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)?  Attach a copy of any assessment materials you will use, along with assessment criteria/rubric. (Formative or summative)  

Students will share out their findings during a closing discussion.

They will also be asked to upload their findings to a class wide padlet page.

Materials/Resources:  List the materials you will use in each learning activity including any technological resources.  

Smart Board

Chromebooks

Internet Access

The Lesson:

Initiation:Part I - Briefly describe how you will introduce the lesson, engage students in the lesson and connect it to previous learning. (This is intended to motivate students.)  

Show state farm “Can’t Lie on the Internet” video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bufTna0WArc

Have students respond to journal prompt
“Do you ever consider that what you read on the internet might not be true?”

Initiation Part II – (This is intended to bridge to the lesson:  set expectations for learning, articulate to learners what they will be  learning in this lesson and why this is important).  

Have students share their responses to the question and discuss internet credibility.

• Have you ever believed something you read online only to find out it wasn’t true?
• Do you ever check to make sure what you’re reading is accurate? How so?
• How do you know when something isn’t credible?

Lesson Development: Describe how you will develop the lesson:  what you will do to model or guide practice and the learning activities students will be engaged in to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning objective(s). Include the questions you will ask, identify and explain the instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) for each lesson segment, and include the approximate times for each.    Include reference to Bloom’s taxonomy to identify higher levels of thinking.

Review some ways that students can check internet sources for reliability.

1. Ask Questions

• Who is the author?
• What is their purpose?
• Who is the audience?
• Have I heard of this person or source before?

     2. Look at where the source is from.

.edu and .gov TLD’s are usually more credible than .com and .net but care must always be taken.

     3. Look for included sources and evidence.
If a website is making claims but never mentions any sources then those claims are likely not

credible.

     4. Look for other websites with similar information or on similar topics.  Do they agree with each

other?
Sometimes you will find sources that are biased towards one side of an argument.  Look for

discussions and evidence of a debate.  If a website omits some information or only tells one

side of a story it is likely biased.

Introduce the assignment to the class.

They will be asked to look through a selection of 5 websites with a partner in order to determine if each one is credible and reliable.  If it is not credible or reliable they are to take notes of all the reasons why not. Remind students to use other websites to cross reference the information provided on these websites.

http://www.lipbalmanonymous.com/

A humorous site about lip blam addiction.  This website is not as obvious as other hoaxes because of its dry, toned down, language.

http://descy.50megs.com/mankato/mankato.html

This website for the fictional town of Mankato MN demonstrates how false information and hideous visual design can be clues that a source is not legitimate.  The URL is also quite different from most official websites that are meant to be easily typed.

http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/cms/

This website is very elaborate and convincing as a result of good design and a very real history.  The Flat Earth Society was at one point a real organization that pushed the flat earth theory.  This theory has since been widely disproven but the current iteration of the society exists as a hoax.  

http://www.virusmyth.com/aids/index.htm

Similar to the Flat Earth Society, Virusmyth is a website dedicated to an outdated and extremely minority viewpoint that HIV does not cause AIDS.  This claim has had some backing by scientists but is rejected by the vast majority of the medical field.   As a result any claims made on the website need to be taken with a large grain of salt.

http://www.truthaboutecigs.com/scares.php

This website about the health benefits/risks of e-cigarettes is run by the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association which presents a clear and obvious bias.  This website represents one side of the e-cigarette discussion by focusing on potential health benefits.   While the information is debatable but not necessarily wrong the site omits information about the risks and uncertainties associated with the products.

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson, help students understand the purpose of the lesson, and show how it will connect to future learning. (Rather than an administrative closure, interact with learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives)

At the end of class project each website on the board and discuss the students’ findings such as the issues they found with each website.  Take special care to note that the AIDS and Ecig website are not hoaxes and ask if students recognized this?  Have students record their findings on a class wide padlet.
Padlet.com

Network Learning Project Update, Assessing Success

In order to assess my project I think it is important to determine what success would look like.  I think that success in this project is ultimately creating a launcher that functions within my requirements.

1. Must fire a tennis ball at least 100 feet.

The whole issue with the K9 Kannon was that it was severely under powered and ultimately not as cool as it sounded.  Since I'm taking the time and energy to design and build my own launcher it needs to have good range.

2. Must be compact in size.

The launcher must also be of a reasonable size.  If I can't carry it around my yard or easily store it then there is a very clear issue.  This also means that I don't plan on hooking up to a air compressor because those are quite large and have no mobility. Although I will reserve the compressor idea as a potential fill option, just not as the only one.

3. Must be reasonably easy to operate.

I want this thing to be simple so that other people can have fun with it too.  It will also likely be more reliable if it isn't too complicated.

4. Must be reasonably affordable.

Since I'm a full time intern and graduate student I don't have a lot of cash to throw at this.  All of my designing decisions will be made with cost in mind.  I'm going to place an absolute cap at $40 on the entire project with a target cost of $30.  This means that I will have to use materials I already own or get for free before purchasing new ones.

I think that in order to be truly successful I will need to meet all of these requirements or at the very least three of them.  Number 4 is really the only absolute requirement so if I have to cut corners on 1,2, and 3 in order to make 4 happen then that is okay.

New Literacy Strategies for the Digital Age

Now that technology has become deeply integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives we must start to think about what that means for the information we consume.  Just as generations before needed some knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System, or perhaps which way a particular newspaper slanted, we must get a handle on how to access information on the internet. The rules of the information game are in a sense, the same but different. It is the same in that we must still know who is publishing and controlling the information that we consume, and perhaps to what agenda this serves.  Yet it is different because the actual delivery methods have undergone a face lift with the advent of the internet.  Eli Pariser explains the dangers and implications of algorithmic gatekeepers of information which cater the availability of information to a specific person's identity.  The end consequence of this practice is the dreaded "filter bubble" which omits some information from a person's radar.  Often times this means we get more fluff than important news, or we only see articles and topics that reflect our interests, or most obviously the filters misunderstand us and provide ridiculous content out of left field.  The implication of this practice is that since they are automated algorithms they are usually invisible.  This poses problems for students doing research and it also complicates being a well informed person. Eli Pariser ends his TED talk with a sort of plea to the big information corporations to give the people more say in content they are feed but I say we also need to teach students how to actively seek out information rather than passively receive it.  Students need to know how to check multiple sources, use alternative search methods, and essentially work around the filter bubbles.  I think recognizing and breaking out of bubbles needs to be stressed when teaching online literacy because students aren't only going to be searching scholarly databases for their whole lives.  Students really need to know how to navigate google and recognize the bias in forums and other less reputable sources because in all honesty those are the places that we most often go for information in our day to day lives.  The internet isn't a completely black and white place in terms of credibility and I think students need to know how to work through the grey areas.

Online Reading Comprehension - Strategy Exchange

Eli Pariser: Beware online "filter bubbles"

Collaboration Lesson

Here is a sample lesson plan that utilizes collaboration through technology.  In this lesson students are examining narrative conflict and how it enhances a text.  Students and are asked to write their own narratives that include conflict.  Each student will upload their narrative to the class forum and then examine the work of their peers for elements of conflict.  The students will comment on each other's work  and analyze their peer's posts.

Teacher Mr. P.     Grade Level   8     Subject     ELA

Date of lesson_______________               Length of lesson  47 Minutes

Lesson Topic:  Conflict as a literary device.

Overall Goal:  (Broad statement using non action verbs)  “Students will understand that….

Students will understand how conflict is used as a literary device to enrich a narrative by creating tension, interest, doubt, and closure.

Learner Background:  (This addresses why the lesson is being taught.)  Describe the students’ prior knowledge or skill related to the learning objective(s) and the content of this lesson, using data from pre-assessment as appropriate.  How did the students’ previous performance in this content area or skill impact your planning for this lesson?  

Students have finished reading The Outsiders.  In this unit they have been studying different techniques to develop their own narrative writing skills.  They have learned about characterization, dialogue, theme, imagery, and morals.  This is the last lesson students will experience before beginning the planning of their own personal narratives.  This lesson is intended to teach the importance of conflict in a text.

Curricular Standards:  Identify the primary standard(s) this lesson is designed to help students attain:

• National NCTE 5:  Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

• State  CCSS W.8.3:  Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well structured event sequences.
• Local (optional)

Student Learning Objective(s):  Identify specific and measurable learning objectives for this lesson.  Use action verbs.  “Students will be able to….”

SWBAT identify the four common types of conflict (person v person, person v self, person v society, and person v. nature)

SWBAT write a brief narrative blog post about a time when they experienced conflict and identify its type as well as how it makes the story more interesting.

Assessment:

Part I:  How will you check for student understanding during the lesson?  (Formative)

Ask students to share examples of conflicts from the text as well as how they affect the story.

I will be looking for answers that are both correct and insightful.

Part II:  How will you ask students to demonstrate mastery of the student learning objective(s)?  Attach a copy of any assessment materials you will use, along with assessment criteria/rubric. (Formative or summative)  

Students will write a brief narrative about a time when they experienced conflict.  They will need to read another student’s work and identify the type of conflict and explain how it enriches the narrative in a second paragraph.

I will be looking to see that the identified type of conflict is correct.

I will be looking to see that  at least 3 of the literary reasons ( tension, interest, doubt,  closure) are addressed.

Materials/Resources:  List the materials you will use in each learning activity including any technological resources.  

Smart Board

The Outsiders

Computers

Internet Access

The Lesson:

Initiation:Part I - Briefly describe how you will introduce the lesson, engage students in the lesson and connect it to previous learning. (This is intended to motivate students.)  

(4 minutes)

Ask students to list their top 5 favorite songs on a piece of paper.

Ask that each student then count how many of their top 5 songs could be considered sad.

Read highlighted sections of BBC article on sad music and explain that research shows that many people enjoy sad music or songs about heartbreak because it elicits a strong emotional response. (conflict + release)

Initiation Part II – (This is intended to bridge to the lesson:  set expectations for learning, articulate to learners what they will be  learning in this lesson and why this is important).  

(3 minutes)

Explain that the same is true of literature except books and stories are often long enough that they can resolve this sadness if the author wishes.  A song is usually more of a snapshot of the feeling.

Explain that, in literature, this sadness is a result of conflict in the story.  

Introduce topic of conflict as a literary device.

Explain that later on students will be thinking about conflict in their own lives and writing about it.

Lesson Development: Describe how you will develop the lesson:  what you will do to model or guide practice and the learning activities students will be engaged in to gain the key knowledge and skills identified in the student learning objective(s). Include the questions you will ask, identify and explain the instructional grouping (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals) for each lesson segment, and include the approximate times for each.    Include reference to Bloom’s taxonomy to identify higher levels of thinking.

(5 minutes)

• Define conflict as a literary device.

“CONFLICT: The struggle between opposing forces--e.g., CHARACTERS, nations or ideas--that provides the central ACTION and interest in any literary PLOT. The struggle between the Capulet and Montague families in Romeo and Juliet is a classic example of conflict “ - CUNY

• Explain that authors use conflict to make stories more interesting.  Characters are faced with poblems that they must overcome.  This often leads to personal grown and character development.  This much more engaging than a book where everyone is happy and everything is fine because real people face conflict.
• People like books that they can relate to.  Even if Harry Potter is about wizards and magic readers can relate to it because the core types of conflict are very close to what we experience in real life and so character reactions are also very similar to our own.
• Conflict is much more engaging to us because it leads to  tension, interest, doubt, and  closure.
• The most common types of conflict are:

a person vs. another person

a person vs. themself

a person vs. society

a person vs. nature/environment

• Conflict can also be external (forces outside an individual) such as war, politics, enemies, etc.

or internal (forces within an individual) emotions, values, personality, etc.

Modeling (5 minutes)

• Give examples of conflict from The Outsiders.
• Model examples and how to post on google classroom blog page.

1. Ponyboy’s struggle between being a Greaser and getting good grades is a person vs. themself struggle.  This is also an internal conlfict because he must make the decision for himself.  He likes being a Greaser but he needs to be able to provide for himself eventually. We also get closure because Ponyboy ends the novel in school.

2. Greasers against Soc’s is a person vs. other person conflict. (people vs. people).  The two groups have differing values and come from different backgrounds which are seemingly at odds with one another and incompatible.  This is an external conflict because the acting forces are beyond outside any one character.

Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Ask students to share other examples of conflicts from the book upload them to the blog via smart board.
• Ask them to explain if  the type of conflict, if it is internal or external, and how they think it makes the story more engaging ( tension, interest, doubt, closure).

1. If the Greasers should trust Cherry.

• Person vs. Person
• External
• Creates tension because Cherry’s trustworthiness is uncertain.
• Also creates interest because she is a somewhat mysterious figure in this regard.
• Also creates doubt as to whether she is actually helping the Greasers or not.

2. Johny on the Lamb.

• Person vs. Person (police) he is on the run from the police.
• or Person vs. Society, he broke the law by murdering the Soc and now his freedom is at stake because society imprisons killers.
• External
• Creates tension because readers want Johnny to get away with it even though he is a wanted person.
• Creates doubt and interest because it is unclear if Johnny will get away with it or go to jail.

Forum Post (13 minutes)

• Explain that students are going to write a short, anonymous, blog post narrative about a time when they experienced conflict.  They will upload these to the google classroom forum.

Analytical Commenting (7 minutes)

• After they finish their post they will read each other’s posts and comment on them to identify the type, internal or external, and how it makes the story more interesting.  While the initial posts are anonymous the comments will not be.
• These will be discussed and reviewed at the end of class to see if students are accurately describing conflict.

Closure: Briefly describe how you will close the lesson, help students understand the purpose of the lesson, and show how it will connect to future learning. (Rather than an administrative closure, interact with learners to elicit evidence of student understanding of purpose(s) for learning and mastery of objectives)

Sharing (5 minutes)

• Briefly restate SLO’s

• Ask students to volunteer to share their examples of personal conflict.
• Have students explain why another persons narrative was more engaging than if the person had not experienced any conflict. (this should include examples of tension, interest, doubt, and  closure)
• Ask students to share how they can relate to another’s experience.
• Remind students that everyone experiences hardship and conflict.  Just like in books and movies it is more interesting when someone experiences conflict.  Event though no one usually wants to experience conflict in life, it can be a good thing when we learn from it and grow as individuals.  It would be much worse (boring) if no one ever had any difficulty or made any personal progress.  It would also be impossible.