On October 18th, school librarians honed instructional strategies in recognizing news bias, gained insight into what influences human reasoning, and left with ideas and activities for student instruction when collaborating with teachers or teaching information literacy. Two great tools that facilitate the teaching of news bias and is provided to all CA BOCES’ districts are Newsbank’s Access World News and America’s Historical Newspapers.
With links to primary sources, students can explore global perspectives and differing viewpoints on important issues and events. Articles from newspapers, magazines, and other news media can be easily cited, saved, emailed, or printed. Access World News provides current information from over 200 countries including Spanish languages sources, and everyday a list of about 12 headlines in news from countries around the world include activities that tie into common core standards. A monthly list of hot topics in the news provide suggested search terms and critical questions to guide students in effecting searching. Topics such as Business and Economics, Health, Literature, Performing and Fine Arts, Politics and Government, STEM, and Technology are linked to primary news sources relevant to what students are learning in the classroom.
America’s Historical Newspapers makes collaboration across disciplines amazingly easy! Organized by eras from the late 1600’s to 2000, primary sources are divided within each era by the following topics: Government, Military & Political Events; Social & Cultural Issues; and Discoveries, Inventions & Firsts. While students are learning about the Civil War in social studies, the art teacher can introduce the Impressionist Movement with news and reviews on artists and their work. Complementing the Vietnam War are links to primary news sources on music: Bob Dylan & folk music; Beatles and British music; literature: Maya Angelou, Steven King, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ken Kesey; PE/Health: DDT banned, Bobby Riggs vs. Billy Jean King, first Super Bowl; Technology: Pong; moon landing. Students can become more engaged with an era when provided with topics that appeal to their interests.
Students can learn perspective through original newspapers printed during the Civil War (north versus south) and Westward Expansion (east coast versus west coast/American Indians).
Please contact me at Cecelia_Fuoco@caboces for personalized training in your district.
By: Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES School Library System Coordinator