Truth or Consequences

We are taught not to lie or mislead others. Yet lying, misleading, misinformation does happen, and it can have serious consequences. Get the truth about honesty and lying, misinformation and disinformation, as you do these online activities.

CONNECT:

• Watch these kid-friendly videos about honesty and lying: https://www.socialworkerstoolbox.com/videos-for-kids-on-honesty-and-lying/ There are also worksheets that accompany the videos.
• What is fake news? Watch how to identify them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Cd9-eJ-No&ab_channel=SmileandLearn-English
• For preteens and up: Now is election time, and voters need to know the truth about the candidates. See examples of misinformation that can falsely influence voters at https://misinfodashboard.newslit.org/?utm_source=election-2024&utm_campaign=election-resource-bundle-cvc-oct15-24b&utm_medium=email&emci=0e37ec2f-238b-ef11-8473-0022483029fa&emdi=1137ec2f-238b-ef11-8473-0022483029fa&ceid=8384968

 

CREATE:

• Build up your honesty superpower with these 10 honesty activities for kids: https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/honesty-activities-for-kids
• Can you believe everything you read? Sometimes it is hard to know the truth. Follow these tips to spot fake news, and test your ability, at https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/fake-news
• Play these games to learn about fake news: https://teachingkidsnews.com/fakenews/

 

CARE:

• Watch how to be safe on social media at https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=9osg-yh6uA0&ab_channel=TwinklTeachingResources-UnitedStates
• For parents: here are tips for teaching kids at different ages about honesty: https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/discipline/improper-behavior/fantastic-fibs/ and here are insights about fibbing as part of child development: https://houstonfamilymagazine.com/featured/lying-or-pretending-teaching-kids-to-tell-the-truth/
• For preteens and above: watch these 3 tips on how to deal with a lie: https://www.tiktok.com/@justaskjefferson/video/7341850295942548778?lang=en

 

CAREERS:

Are you a truth seeker? News reporting can be a good career for you, or you might consider becoming a teacher or a librarian. Get the truth about these careers at the following websites.

• https://kpcnotebook.scholastic.com/post/what-it-be-journalist
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO02Z_l38VA&ab_channel=ABCBigKids
• https://www.ucumberlands.edu/blog/high-impact-jobs-with-a-journalism-degree
• What are librarian careers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyOpL1Q8N-Y&ab_channel=CareerOneStop
• A day in the life of a children’s librarian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy-vERPOqdU&ab_channel=CityofDenton
• What do teachers do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMZRaMWxkps&ab_channel=LittleBoat

Read All About It: Know News

What’s the news? We’re talking about current events, be it in the neighborhood or across the globe. How does the news get covered and sent? And is all news really newsworthy – and real? These activities can help you know the news.

CONNECT:

• Watch how newspapers care created at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7zYpvtRAlE
• Trace the history of news media at http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/mediahistory.html
• Fake news isn’t new, as you can read in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/11/fake-news-long-history-beware-state-involvement
• Learn about the famous journalist Nellie Bly and her amazing trip around the world in 72 days at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK7GZiv4W4c

CREATE:

• Try these activities to engage children in the news and in The New York Times itself. You may be surprised at just how accessible and enjoyable exploring the news with The Times can be for kids! https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/issues_in_depth/10KidNewsIdeas.html
• Here are more free kid-friendly journalism fames and activities: http://www.wartgames.com/themes/writing/journalism.html
• Learn how to write a news report by watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_NmVtnEEA8
• Create a news broadcast by following the directions at https://www.education.com/activity/article/Daily_News_fourth/

CARE:

• Don’t believe everything her read. Here’s how to spot fake news: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/ngk-sneak-peek/april-2017/fake-news/
• Have you heard the news term “digging up the dirt?” That’s related to the term “muckrakers”, explained at http://www.american-historama.org/1881-1913-maturation-era/muckrakers.htm
• Public Service Messages: BY kids as well as FOR kids: http://www.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/flatview?cuecard=2089
• Learn how to be a citizen journalist at https://www.schooliseasy.com/2017/09/teaching-kids-start-newspaper-10-citizen-journalism/

CAREER:

Do you have a nose for news? There’s always events happening, so there’s always a career in news: as a reporter, photographer, broadcaster, writer – or any of the people who support the creation and dissemination of news. Become news worthy – even as a kid!

https://careertrend.com/info-tip-8094554-newspaper-jobs-kids.html

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/20136-becoming-a-journalist

https://www.thebalance.com/tv-news-careers-525690

Is It A Fake?

How real is the information you see and hear every day? How can you tell if that information is fake? Don’t get fooled.

CONNECT:

• Here’s the honest truth about fake news: https://ww2.kqed.org/lowdown/2016/12/06/the-honest-truth-about-fake-news-with-lesson-plan/
• News matter; just listen to what these New York students say about checking out the news: http://www.timeforkids.com/photos-video/video/news-matter
• Do you believe in fairies? Some have even claimed to have captured two particular types of fairies - pixies and gnomes on film! Whether you believe the fairy pictures are real or not is entirely up to you...here are some of their fairy tales: https://exemplore.com/cryptids/The-Cottingley-Fairies-Photos-of-Real-Fairies

CREATE:

• Magicians are experts in illusion; they make the false seem real. Watch these kid-friendly magic tricks, and try them on your friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y9ViVn1tF4
• Even early photographs could manipulate images, and with digital tools, it’s easier than ever to fake photos; see if you can pass this hoax photo test: http://hoaxes.org/quiz/phototest/1. 
• Play money can be fun for games and costumes. Follow these directions to learn how to make fake money: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Fake-Money

CARE:

• Get smart about advertisements when buying: http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/
• For parents: why imaginary friends can be good for little children: https://www.highlights.com/parents/articles/imaginary-friends
• Here are ten imaginary friends in children’s and teen fiction that you can read to your real friends: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/oct/23/top-10-imaginary-friends-in-fiction-af-harrold

CAREERS:

The media industry needs good communicators: literate and ethical. Here are some possible career guides.

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/20136-becoming-a-journalist

https://www.mynextmove.org/find/browse?c=51

https://kids.usa.gov/teens/reading-and-writing/index.shtml#jump-jobs