Subject: Digital Literacies / Media Studies

Target Audience: Undergraduate / Senior High School

Learning Objectives: Analyze the mechanics of algorithmic bias and echo chambers.

Evaluate the credibility of digital sources using lateral reading.
Collaborate to produce a "Digital Fact-Checking Toolkit" for their peers.

The Learning Module

Student Discourse (The "Left" Side)	Teacher Discourse (The "Right" Side)
1. Introduction: Are You in a Bubble?	Pedagogical Rationale: Experiencing the Known. This update taps into students' lived experiences with social media to build engagement.
Look at your "For You" page or social feed. Why do you think you see what you see? Watch this short clip on The Filter Bubble (Ted Talk). Task: Post a screenshot of one "weirdly specific" ad or post you received. Does it reflect who you are, or who an algorithm thinks you are?	Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7. Teacher Tip: Encourage students to look for "patterns of bias" in their feeds without revealing sensitive personal data.
2. The Mechanics of "Truth"	Pedagogical Rationale: Conceptualizing by Naming. Moving from experience to technical understanding of how algorithms function.
We often hear the word "Algorithm." But how does it actually decide what is "true"? Explore this interactive Evolution of Trust game. Task: Based on the game, what is one way that "miscommunication" can be programmed into a system?	Resources: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff. Mapping: This aligns with identifying underlying structures in digital media.
3. Lateral Reading vs. Vertical Reading	Pedagogical Rationale: Conceptualizing by Theorizing. Introducing the core methodology of the course.
Traditional school taught us to "read down" a page to see if it looks professional. The pros "read across." Watch this Stanford History Education Group video. Task: Find a website about a controversial topic. Open 3 new tabs to investigate the sponsors of that site. What did you find that wasn't on the original page?	Pedagogy: This shifts from "Surface Learning" to "Deep Inquiry." Standards: Evaluating the reliability of sources in a complex media landscape.
4. Knowledge Survey: Check Your Pulse	Pedagogical Rationale: Formative Assessment.
Before we go deeper, let’s see where our collective strengths lie. [Link to Knowledge Survey] 1. Can you define "Deepfake"? 2. Do you know how to reverse-image search? 3. How confident are you in spotting a bot?	Note to Teacher: Use this survey to group students for the final project. Pair "Tech Savvy" students with "Critical Thinkers."
5. Analyzing Deepfakes & AI	Pedagogical Rationale: Analysing Critically. Evaluating the impact of new technology on evidence.
Check out these AI-generated images from This Person Does Not Exist. Task: If we can't trust our eyes, what can we trust? Suggest one "human" marker that an AI might struggle to replicate in a news story.	Rationale: Focuses on the "Representational" aspect of New Literacies—how meaning is constructed through digital tools.
6. The Ethics of Sharing	Pedagogical Rationale: Analysing Functionally. Looking at the "why" behind the spread of misinformation.
Read this article on Why Emotions Make Us Share Fake News. Task: Think of a time you shared something because it made you angry or happy, only to find out it wasn't quite true. Why is our "outrage" profitable for platforms?	Teacher Tip: This is a sensitive discussion. Facilitate a "brave space" where students feel comfortable admitting mistakes.
7. Collaborative Curation	Pedagogical Rationale: Applying Creatively. Students move from being seekers to producers of knowledge.
We are building a "Class Fact-Checking Wiki." Task: Contribute one "Red Flag" listicle item to our shared document. It must include a link to a real-world example of that red flag in action.	Mapping: Multimodal design. Students are using text, links, and imagery to create a pedagogical resource for others.
8. Applying the Knowledge	Pedagogical Rationale: Applying Creatively. The final synthesis of the module.
You are now the "Algorithm." Design a 3-step protocol that a social media company should use to flag misinformation without censoring free speech. Task: Post your protocol and give feedback to two classmates on whether their protocol is "gameable."	Standard: ISTE Standards for Students - Digital Citizen. Reflective Practice: Students justify their design choices based on the week’s readings.

Peer Reviewed Project: The Digital Resilience Toolkit

Assignment Description: Working in groups of three, students will create a multimodal toolkit (a video, a website, or an interactive infographic) designed to teach a specific demographic (e.g., senior citizens, middle schoolers) how to spot one specific type of digital misinformation.

Peer Assessment Rubric

Criterion	Emerging (1)	Proficient (3)	Exemplary (5)
Lateral Reading	Does not provide evidence of outside verification.	Uses at least 2 outside sources to verify claims.	Synthesizes multiple credible sources to provide a "360-view" of the topic.
Multimodal Design	Relies solely on text.	Uses images/video that support the text.	Seamlessly integrates media to enhance the learner's understanding.
Target Audience	Tone is inconsistent or unclear.	Tone is appropriate for the chosen demographic.	Tone and language are perfectly tailored to empower the specific audience.
Pedagogical Value	Tells the user what to think.	Shows the user facts.	*Teaches the user how* to evaluate future information independently.**

Navigating the Infodemic