Digital Literacy in the Grade 3 Curriculum

Identifying fake news is not something that I would even think to address in grade 3 (which is my desired grade level) classroom, as they do not really seem like the type of age to be keeping up with the news. However, after exploring various headlines in class and looking at articles and identifying whether they are fake or not, it really got me thinking that this is very much relevant in a grade 3’s life, as they use technology in a whole new way than what I am used to. One example we discussed in class is the Tree Octopus Site. I could easily see a child coming across this and completely believing it because they have not been taught digital literacy skills that help them to identify fake news.

When I think about how I am going to approach teaching digital literacy in a grade 3 classroom, I want it to be in terms that they understand and reflects what is relevant to what they are seeing online. If I am discussing things that they have never seen before, they will never be able to apply it to their real life. In terms of identifying fake news, How do we Teach Students to Identify Fake News?, highlights many different strategies for educators on teaching it in the classroom. One strategy that I like is bringing real fake news examples into the classroom and have the students challenge themselves in spotting if it is fake or not. This can be done through a more lighthearted activity such as a quiz. The students can go in teams, or work individually to determine if what they are seeing is fake news or not. I also enjoyed this lesson plan on fake news. Compared to a more light hearted activity, this lesson plan dives into the actual consequences of creating or spreading fake news and how to take action against it. Taking action is what I see as one of the main messages of the NCTE framework. Once students develop their digital literacy, they will discover how to use technology in a positive, productive and changing way. Exploring and engaging critically, promoting culturally sustaining communication, examining the rights, responsibilities and ethical implications of the use and creation of information are just a few examples stated in the framework that I take as inspiration for what I want to teach my future students in digital literacy.

When I was looking at the grade 3 health curriculum, there is not a lot that directly ties to online safety, however there is one outcome that relates heavily to identifying fake news:

• USC3.6: Distinguish between actions of real violence and fictional violence and determine the influence of both on health and well being
• Indicator G: Investigate the influence of mass media on perceptions of violence (e.g., difficult to distinguish fiction from non-fiction, what is ‘normal’)

Not only is it important in our everyday life to be able to identify what is real and what is fake, I believe that in order for students to have success in other learning areas such as social studies or English, it is extremely important for them to recognize what sources are reliable and what is not. Something I would introduce at the beginning of the year is the idea of fake news, as not only will it benefit them for the rest of the year, but it is also an excellent starting point for the rest of their lives in learning digital literacy.