Alabama Social Studies SS24.CWI.2a
The Standard
- SS24.CWI.2
- Compare the presentation of world events in various media, including cable news services, international news sources, Internet news sources, network television, print, public broadcasting, and social media.
Explain how to determine the reliability of news stories and their sources.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies · Media Literacy
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students check who published a news story, when it appeared, and what evidence supports its claims. They look for the original source and compare the claim with independent reporting.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can trace a claim to a document, interview, or data set. They can explain whether another outlet confirmed the claim or simply repeated it.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may trust a polished website or a widely shared post without checking its source. They may count several articles that repeat one report as independent confirmation. They may also dismiss a story solely because they disagree with its viewpoint.
How to Assess It
- Show a headline that cites unnamed officials but gives no date. Ask: “What two checks would you make before sharing it, and what would each check tell you?”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs two news printouts and a city council agenda; have them mark which claims the agenda supports and which need another source.
Have students write two sentences explaining whether three sites repeating one unnamed claim count as three independent sources.
Run a source-check relay with headline cards; teams choose whether to check the date, find the original report, or seek independent coverage.
Compare a local news report on a school board vote with the posted meeting minutes, then write a two-sentence summary for a neighbor.
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Printable SS24.CWI.2a Worksheet
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Related Standards
- SS24.HS.5
Differentiate between primary and secondary sources on the subject and evaluate the quality of evidence each type yields.
- SS24.CWI.3a
Interpret statistics included in current news stores related to political, social, and economic issues.
- SS24.CWI.2
Compare the presentation of world events in various media, including cable news services, international news sources, Internet news sources, network television,...
- SS24.CWI.1a
Compare and contrast how several sources cover the same events and explain how their varied perspectives influence audience perceptions about the events themsel...
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