New resources to help children spot fake news

New films and resources to help primary school children spot fake news and build digital literacy skills have been launched at London’s Bett Show.

Building upon Discovery Education’s Espresso News content, these new resources feature contributions from ITN journalists and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Special lesson plans and videos will help children to develop a critical eye for the news and social media stories they consume. They will also give pupils an insight into the world of news production, as they hear from ITN’s Charlene White about how journalists fact-check and why it’s important to question where stories come from.

The videos are part of a suite of new digital literacy teaching resources produced by Discovery Education as part of the Espresso digital learning service for primary schools. The resources will support teachers to help children navigate the digital world, building their confidence, resilience and critical thinking skills.

A Commission on Fake News report published in June 2018 found that only two per cent of children in the UK have the critical literacy skills they need to tell if a news story is real or fake.

Broadcaster Charlene White spoke at a session at London’s Bett Show, exploring how teachers and parents can help children to think critically about what they see online. Joined by Josh Phillips from The Institute for Strategic Dialogue and London Headteacher Steph Neale, the three speakers also considered how teaching the news can boost pupil literacy in discussion with teachers from across the UK.

“We all have a responsibility to make sure young people understand the difference between what's real and what's fake online. It's important we give them the tools to navigate the "fake news" arena, so they can form their own balanced opinions of world affairs - once they have all the facts. Which makes what we do as journalists ever-more crucial."

Josh Phillips from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue said: “Students today have an incredible opportunity to harness the endless potential of the internet. ISD’s education projects support schools, parents and policymakers in the UK and internationally to empower students to become responsible digital leaders. Our resources give students the tools to critically approach the mass of online information, spot fake news, and contribute to an exciting and positive digital world.”

The new resources are available via the Discovery Education Espresso digital learning service which includes Espresso News – a popular daily and weekly news resource used by thousands of primary schools across the UK.