Do you believe everything you read in newspapers? What if you read a news report about a monster living in the sea? Would you believe the story? In 1937, The Inquirer and Mirror published sea monster sightings in Nantucket. After large webbed footprints appeared in the sand, people were intrigued. Could this monster be real? The surprise ending will leave readers wondering about the validity of news.
AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Engage/Think VI.A.2 Learners follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information by understanding the ethical use of information, technology, and media.
As the subtitle indicates, the sea monster story was fake news. The people that read the story were fooled.
Ask learners the following questions:
High School Learners
Have you heard about Gabe Fleisher, a remarkable teen journalist? He writes a nonpartisan newsletter that makes government news easier to understand. Wake Up To Politics provides readers with the latest facts five days a week.
Professional Development
Works Cited:
News Literacy: Book Talk With Michelle Luhtala and Jacquelyn Whiting (https://youtu.be/5i15lk9uGq4?t=2m22s)
Wake Up to Politics (https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=4946817b18454973fb1cd7ecc&id=ea11899aa8)
Watch This Space: Meet Teen Journalist Gabe Fleisher (https://the1a.org/shows/2018-05-03/watch-this-space-meet-teen-journalist-gabe-fleisher)
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