Abbie Richards

Description: Abbie Richards is a TikToker and TikTok disinformation researcher. She specializes in understanding how misinformation, conspiracy theories, and extremism spread on TikTok and creates educational content which explains these complex issues to a wider audience. She believes that understanding our new world of information is a right, not a privilege, and should therefore be as accessible as possible. So, she puts it on TikTok. She’s amassed a multi-platform following of over half a million people who are interested in learning about these issues.
Abbie is currently pursuing her MSc. where she studies the intersection of climate change and disinformation and she is a co-founder of EcoTok, an environmental Tiktok collective that specializes in social media-based climate communication.

To learn more, visit: https://www.abbiesr.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/abbiesr

The Adventures of Library Girl!

Description: Jennifer LaGarde has served as a classroom teacher, teacher-librarian and digital teaching and learning specialist. She currently works with educators and school- and district-level leaders worldwide to develop innovative instructional practices. LaGarde’s work has been recognized by School Library Journal, The New York Times and The Carnegie Corporation.
Coauthor of Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News (2018) and Developing Digital Detectives (2021) with Darren Hudgins, LaGarde has a website, The Adventures of Library Girl!, that contains her blog, work and presentation information, and educational resources, activities, and videos to accompany Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News.

To learn more, visit: https://www.librarygirl.net

Allsides

Description: AllSides™ is a news website designed to “strengthen our democratic society with balanced news, diverse perspectives, and real conversation” by providing all-access balanced news coverage, media bias ratings, civil dialogue opportunities, and technology platform for integration by educational institutions, nonprofits, media companies, and more, exposing everyone “to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum” to better understand the world and their fellow man.

To learn more, visit: https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news

Ad Fontes Media: Home of the Media Bias Chart

Description: Ad Fontes Media, Inc., founded in 2018 by Vanessa Otero, creator of the Media Bias Chart®, aimed “to make news consumers smarter and news media better.” Ad Fontes means “to the source” in Latin. At the heart of what Ad Fontes Media does is look at the source—analyze the very content itself—to rate it, creating a system of news content ratings with beneficial applications for all stakeholders in a healthy news media landscape, including consumers, educators, publishers, researchers, advertisers, and social media platforms.
Ad Fontes Media rates the news for “reliability and bias” using a large team of human analysts with diverse political views who are trained to look at the content of the news, then score it according to Ad Fontes Media’s methodology creating news content ratings and providing various data products for consumers, educators, publishers, marketers, and others.
For educators, Ad Fontes Media offers a software platform to teach students how to rate the news themselves and an interactive data visualization software platform for advanced users of the data.

Free static version of the Media Bias Chart and other educational resources are available at:

Home

Bring Me a Book®

Description: Bring Me A Book is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by former middle school English teacher turned CEO, Judy Koch, composed of community literacy activists, working hand-in-hand with partners who share the passions for bringing the joy and transformational power of books to children. By harnessing the power of book access, reader agency, identity, and book choice— together with the community resources of the public library, the cornerstone of democracy—they aim to create a Virtuous Cycle of Book Abundance and grow a nation of readers.
Bring Me A Book follows the “best practices” of community literacy by responding to community needs, inviting community participation, and working to ensure efforts are sustainable, providing tools to help kids thrive long-term. With support from a wide range of partners, they help schools and organizations that serve children overcome book scarcity and bring book abundance to all children. Book access partners include school and public libraries, First Book, and socially responsible, revenue-sharing, start-up Bookelicious, founded by Lea Anne Borders. Revenue earned through Bookelicious helps fund books for children in under-resourced preschools and daycare centers, libraries, medical clinics, homeless shelters, Boys and Girls Clubs, and any place where children are served.

To learn more, visit: https://www.bringmeabook.org

Checkology

Description: Checkology, from the News Literacy Project, is a virtual classroom with lessons and other resources to help navigate today’s challenging information landscape, including how to identify credible information, seek out reliable sources, and apply critical thinking skills to separate fact-based content from falsehoods.
The browser-based platform is designed for students in grades 6-12, with the goal of helping prepare the next generation to easily identify misinformation. Checkology offers a special section, NewsLit Nation, for educators, which includes:

• Interactive lessons hosted by noted journalists and experts on the First Amendment and digital media, including lessons on:
  -InfoZones—How to categorize news into one of six “zones”: news, opinion, entertainment, advertising, propaganda, and “raw” information.
  -Misinformation—Learn to understand different types of misinformation and the ways that misinformation can damage democracy.
  -Practicing Quality Journalism—Learn the standards of quality journalism by playing the role of reporter in a game-like simulation of a breaking news event.
  -Understanding Bias (two-part series)—Develop a nuanced understanding of news media bias by learning about five types of bias and how they can manifest, as well as methods for minimalization.
  -Conspiratorial Thinking—Discover why people are drawn to conspiracy theories and how our cognitive biases can trick us into believing they’re real.
  
• Teacher guide with national standards alignment and comprehensive blended e-learning strategies, including PBL and civic engagement extensions
• Journalist visits to students through the Newsroom to Classroom program
• The Check Center offers an opportunity to learn and practice digital verification skills, including options to upload content to verify credibility
• Comprehensive Word Wall offering quick access to a glossary of news literacy terms
• Evaluation tools allow educators to see and access all work that a student submits through the lightweight learning management system (LMS)
• Customer support, and more.

Cindy Otis

Description: Cindy L. Otis, author of the critically acclaimed book True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News, is a tech executive and an internationally-recognized expert on disinformation threat analysis and counter-messaging. Prior to joining the private sector in 2017, she served in the CIA as a military analyst, intelligence briefer, and a manager in the Directorate of Intelligence. While at the CIA, she specialized in security issues in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
She is a frequent media commentator and writes regularly about disinformation and national security issues, often cited by publications, such as The Washington Post, New York Times, BBC, NPR, and CNN. She is also a member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors. She is a former CIA officer Senior non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab and currently, an Associate at Argonne National Lab. As a wheelchair user and passionate advocate of disability rights, she frequently advises major disability rights organizations.
Her forthcoming young adult (YA) novel At the Speed of Lies is about a high school Instagrammer in a wheelchair caught up in the world of disinformation when her social media posts about an alleged local child kidnapping turn out to be linked to a QAnon-like cult. The conspiracy theory group takes over not just her social media account, but her entire school as she races to figure out how to stop the viral spread of lies. At the Speed of Lies is slated for publication in 2023.

To learn more and to download the companion classroom guide for True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News, visit: https://cindyotis.com

Citizen Literacy

Description: Citizen Literacy was created by Robert Detmering, Amber Willenborg, and Terri Holtze for University of Louisville Libraries and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Citizen Literacy is an online toolkit that promotes the development of key information skills for democratic citizenship, featuring short videos, handouts, and activities that faculty across all disciplines can integrate into their courses and assignments.

For resources, including videos, handouts, activities, and more, visit: https://library.louisville.edu/citizen-literacy/home

Common Sense Education

Description: Since 2003, Common Sense has been the leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families and schools. Every day, millions of parents and educators trust Common Sense reviews and advice to help them navigate the digital world with their kids. Together with policymakers, industry leaders, and global media partners, we’re building a digital world that works better for all kids, their families, and their communities.
Site provides a multitude of resources including award-winning, research-backed K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum via interactive lessons and activities. Their mission is to provide students digital citizenship skills to participate fully in their communities and make smart choices online and in life.

Educators can access lesson slides, videos, customizable resources, bilingual materials (English & Spanish), and more at: https://www.commonsense.org/education
Common Sense Media for Parents here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org
Common Sense for Advocates: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/kids-action

The Conspiracy Chart (2021)

By Abbie Richards
Description: The Conspiracy Chart is now interactive online! Each theory shown on the chart can be clicked for sourced information.
Created by Abbie Richards, a mis and disinformation researcher, The Conspiracy Chart organizes conspiracy theories into five categories, from those based in truth and most harmless are shown in green section at the lowest level of the chart, to theories furthest from reality and most harmful, listed in the red section at the highest level of the chart.

For the interactive chart (2021), visit: https://conspiracychart.com
For the pdf version: https://conspiracychart.com/pdf/Conspiracy-Chart-2021.pdf

European Association for Viewers Interests (EAVI)

Description: Registered in Brussels, EAVI is an “international non-profit organisation which advocates media literacy and full citizenship and supports the adoption of initiatives that enable citizens read, write and participate in public life through the media.”
By providing Europeans with media literacy skills, EAVI aims to facilitate a healthy, democratic, more cohesive society. “EAVI represents citizens interests in the European sphere through lobbying, conferences, networking, research, media literacy focused projects, the development of good practices and the production of online content of resources with a particular attention to the education of young people.”

Media literacy resources, including blog, research & publications, cartoons, infographics, videos, toolkits, lesson plans, and more available at: https://eavi.eu/

Epic! [Digital Reading Platform]

Description: Epic! is the leading digital reading platform offering a collection of over 40,000 popular, high-quality books, audiobooks, and videos from 250+ of the world’s best publishers, safely fueling curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Educators can join the Epic School to obtain free access to thousands of books for kids 6 and under.

To learn more, visit: https://www.getepic.com
Educators can join free here: https://www.getepic.com/educators

First Book

Description: Providing equal access to quality education since 1992. First Book believes that education is the best way out of poverty for children in need. They address the needs of the whole child by supporting their education, basic needs, and wellness—all essential to educational equity. All of these resources are made affordable to their member network of more than 525,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need.
Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 225 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income communities in all 50 states and provinces in Canada. First Book currently reaches an average of 5 million children every year and supports more than a third of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving children in need.
With an additional 1,000 educators joining First Book’s Network each week, they have the largest and fastest-growing network of educators in the United States exclusively serving kids in need. Members work in classrooms, after school, and summer or early childhood programs, shelters and health clinics, libraries, community programs, military support programs, and other settings serving a majority of children in need. Rooted in diversity, inclusion, and togetherness, First Book aims apply their expertise in the fight for racial equity.

To learn more, visit: https://firstbook.org

MediaSmarts

Description: MediaSmarts, Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization for digital and media literacy. Since 1996, MediaSmarts has been developing digital and media literacy programs and resources for Canadian homes, schools and communities. Their work supports adults with information and tools to help children and teens develop critical thinking skills needed for interacting with the media they love. MediaSmarts provides K-12 resources, including games, lesson plans, charts, tip sheets, tutorials, and YouYube videos in English and French.

To learn more, visit: https://mediasmarts.ca/break-fake

Mims House Books

Description: Mims House (est. 2008) is a U.S. children’s book publisher based in Arkansas. Award-winning stories include contemporary fiction, fantasy middle grade novels and nonfiction picture books. Common themes include troubled families, a healthy environment, and teaching kids how to write.
Mims House publishes stories that touch the lives of the young. Or the young at heart. Their books celebrate the indomitable and unconquerable human spirit, and give kids boundless hope in the midst of tangled families or intergalactic struggles. Nonfiction stories evoke awe and wonder for the world. Their writing process books celebrate and encourage a kid’s creativity.
Mims House also provides activities and resources for educators.

To learn more, visit: https://mimshousebooks.com

News Literacy Project

Description: The News Literacy Project (NLP), a nonpartisan national education nonprofit, provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.
Mims House also provides activities and resources for educators.
NLP offers a variety of tools to educators, including a newsletter, resource library, and more, plus Checkology and Newsroom to Classroom (available to registered Checkology users) where educators connect withvetted journalists who will visit classrooms in-person or virtually. NewsLit Nation, NLP’s News Literacy Educator Network, provides educators a forum to exchange best practices with colleagues in the field and enjoy perks and incentives for classroom support.

To learn more, visit: https://newslit.org

NewsGuard—The Internet Trust Tool

Description: NewsGuard employs a team of journalists and experienced editors to review and rate news and information websites based on nine basic, apolitical criteria of journalistic practice, which assess basic practices of credibility and transparency. Based on the nine criteria, each site gets an overall rating of Green (generally trustworthy) or Red (generally not trustworthy), a trust score of 0-100 points, a detailed “Nutrition Label” review explaining who is behind the site, what kind of content it publishes, and why it received its rating—with specific examples of any trust issues our team found. NewsGuard data helps individuals, governments, companies, and organizations fight misinformation and teach media literacy through data integrations and other partnerships.

To learn more, visit: https://www.newsguardtech.com

Parents with Preparedness Magazine

Description: PWPORG presents Parents With Preparedness Magazine, a free digital magazine filled with commonsense strategies, powerful interviews, authoritative articles, life stories, and resources to inform the dialogue and share best practices about preparedness and resiliency for families and communities.

To learn more, visit: https://www.pwporg.org/pwpmagazinedownload

Project Implicit

Audience: Adults, 18 and over
Description: Project Implicit is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and international collaborative of researchers committed to advancing scientific knowledge about ssteeerotypes, prejudice, and other group-based biases.
The mission of Project Implicit is to educate the public about bias and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the internet. Project Implicit scientists produce high-impact research that forms the basis of our scientific knowledge about bias and disparities. The team is committed to challenging organizational and institutional disparities through data-driven research and education. Project Implicit was founded in 1998 by three scientists – Dr. Tony Greenwald (University of Washington), Dr. Mahzarin Banaji (Harvard University), and Dr. Brian Nosek (University of Virginia). Project Implicit Health (formerly Project Implicit Mental Health) launched in 2011 and is led by Dr. Bethany Teachman (University of Virginia) and Dr. Matt Nock (Harvard University).

To learn more about the Project Implicit Team, and the programs and services they offer, visit: https://www.projectimplicit.net
To select and complete an Implicit Association Test (IAT), visit: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Share My Lesson

Description: Created and maintained by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Share My Lesson is a community of teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, specialized instructional support personnel, higher education faculty, and parents and caregivers who contribute content, collaborate, and stay up to date on the issues that matter to students and educators everywhere.
The American Federation of Teachers’ Share My Lesson is a free, award-winning community-based site that brings together educators, parents and caregivers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, specialized instructional support personnel, union and nonunion members, educational partners, and higher education professionals who have the common goal of finding and sharing the best educational resources available. Share My Lesson was created by the AFT and TES Global in 2012. From the beginning, we have been committed to providing our community of members high-quality and effective lesson plans and professional development resources—all for free.
Today, Share My Lesson remains a trusted resource for high-quality education materials, many of which are designed to support educators implementing standards. As of 2021, Share My Lesson has 1.8 million members and more than 420,000 resources (geared to toddlers through higher education), which have been downloaded more than 15 million times.

To learn more, sign up, and access Share My Lesson resources, visit: https://sharemylesson.com/

TeachIllinois

Description :TeachIllinois is a Regional Office of Education Collaborative offering online professional learning opportunities for all educators—you don’t have to live in Illinois to participate. The website offers a variety of resources including online courses, book studies, The Teachers’ Classroom podcast hosted by Matt Weld, opportunities to earn PD hours, and more.

To learn more and access TeachIllinois resources, visit: https://www.teachillinois.com/

TruthorFiction.com

Description: TruthorFiction.com has been seeking truth and exposing fiction since 1999. Designed to help the ordinary Internet user ensure an email, post, or story is not misinformation, the site provides quick and easy access to information about “eRumors, fake news, disinformation, warnings, offers, requests for help, myths, hoaxes, virus warnings, and humorous or inspirational stories circulated by email,” focusing on viral social media stories. “Every story on TruthOrFiction.com has either been personally researched by the TruthOrFiction.com staff or, in some cases, is known to be a classic rumor or urban legend that has stood the test of time. Whenever possible, the sources of our information are included in the stories.”

To learn more, visit: https://www.truthorfiction.com/