LibGuides: Faculty ToolKit: Using Social Media In Your Assignments: Assignment Ideas

Useful LibGuides

The following LibGuides can help you explore and expand on these assignment ideas with your students:

The information literacy tutorial is a great way to assign small research components to your students- such as finding a peer reviewed journal. The guide is full of screen-shots, videos, and simple to follow instructions. The Spotting Fake News LibGuide is a great resource for your students and can help them decipher the information they get through social media.

Assignment Ideas

These assignments and in-class activities will help you discuss the reliability of websites and social media sites in simple ways:

Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning
Executive Summary of the Stanford History Education Group produced with the support of The Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
(Contains examples of assignments done with students to promote homepage analysis and evidence evaluation skills)
Fake News Detection
The News Literacy Project has been working to address misinformation – including viral rumors, hoaxes, propaganda and other forms of fake information – in classrooms for years. This handout help students ingrain news-literate habits of mind and build the critical thinking skills needed to assess the credibility of any news and information they encounter online.

Lessons Ripped From the Headlines
The Center for News Literacy from Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism, offers an impressive Digital Resources Center that includes Ripped from the Headlines: Fresh news literacy lessons, based on the latest news, ready to use in class.
Twitter/Context In-Class Activity
This short in-class activity provides an opportunity to discuss context and critical thinking with your students.

Virology Report: Online Rumor Breakdown
The News Literacy Project has been working to address misinformation – including viral rumors, hoaxes, propaganda and other forms of fake information – in classrooms for years. This handout is focused on helping students “immunize” themselves from viral rumors.
The Gold Standard- Web Evaluation Worksheet
Use a bad site to create criteria or a gold standard for a good website

The New York Times Learning Network
Lesson plans on teaching internet search skills and many other subjects

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