Resources for Teachers - Authenticating Information
CyberSense and Nonsense is the second online adventure of the three CyberPigs. In their first adventure, Privacy Playground, the pigs learn to protect their personal privacy online and to recognize Internet marketing ploys. This time, they explore the world of online chat rooms.
The three CyberPigs learn some important lessons about authenticating online information and observing rules of netiquette. They also learn how to distinguish between fact and opinion and how to recognize bias and harmful stereotyping in online content.
In this lesson, students apply the “5Ws of Cyberspace” to sources of information they find online. Assuming the role of a student researching a science project, students must authenticate the information in an online article about the artificial sweetener, aspartame.
Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: 60 minutes
This lesson plan was developed by MediaSmarts for Elections Canada.
Digital literacy is a vital tool for education, employment and economic participation, civic engagement, and even health and wellness. It reinforces existing inequalities based on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, education, immigration status and gender. Given the importance of digital literacy skills to under-represented populations, MediaSmarts and YWCA Canada have partnered to develop and deliver DigitalSmarts, a digital literacy skills program.