Learning About Fact and Opinion

April 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Generating a sense of excitement about media literacy while also emphasizing the importance of awareness and safety is a difficult task. This series accomplishes just that. These books introduce young people to the basics of navigating information, from decoding ads to analyzing whether an article uses fact or opinion. The titles feature images of diverse children, well-designed pages, and strong, concise writing that will resonate with kids, though the text in Privacy tends toward the alarmist ("The internet is full of strangers. Everyone can see what is online."). Students are given useful, concrete advice, such as withholding their names and addresses, not telling people where they're going after school, and creating user names that are different than their real names. There are practical activities, such as having kids come up with strong passwords that can't be hacked or guessed. VERDICT A clear-sighted perspective on media that will trigger lively discussion.

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