Insider Spotlight: Madeline Stewart
Welcome to the Insider Spotlight, where we feature real questions from our team and answers from educators who are making a difference teaching news literacy. This month, our featured educator is Madeline Stewart, a middle school social studies teacher in Metamora, Ohio.
Q: Why is news literacy important in your role as a middle school social studies teacher?
A: At the age I teach, it’s common for students to believe everything they see on the internet. Their youth can make them somewhat naive, especially in an era filled with “fake news” and AI slop. Discerning fact from fiction is even challenging for adults! By educating these students at a younger age, I can help them develop a better ability to identify misinformation in the rapidly changing digital landscape we live in today.
Q: Briefly walk us through your favorite lesson or unit to teach that includes a news literacy component.
A: My favorite lesson that includes a news literacy component is our “Battle of Lexington and Concord” historical investigation. Students are given multiple accounts of the event and need to determine the reliability of each source. Through the use of primary and secondary sources, they work to determine who really started the battle. It encourages them to use previous or background knowledge, consider biases and think critically about the author of the source, understanding what may motivate them to write the source the way they did. They present their findings in a “case file” to me!
Q: Do you have a favorite tool or resource from the News Literacy Project that you’d recommend to fellow educators?
A: I love to use the Daily Do Now slides with my students. I post the questions in my Google Classroom and display the slides on my Smartboard. They also love the 2 Truths and AI series on YouTube.
Q: How do news literacy skills — like analyzing sources, evaluating evidence and understanding the role of a free press — fit in with your required curriculum?
A: Analyzing sources, evaluating evidence and understanding the importance of a free press significantly shape the curriculum I teach. In Ohio, eighth graders primarily focus on the creation of the United States and the freedoms that were highly valued, exploring these themes through a historical lens. We examine why the Founding Fathers emphasized the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights, considering the influence of British rule on the colonists. To enhance our understanding, we utilize primary sources, like newspaper articles, to illustrate the fact that we have not always enjoyed a free press. This helps us understand what our lives would be like without it.
Q: News literacy skills prepare students to think critically and independently as active participants in society. Can you share an example of laying the groundwork for civic participation in a middle school setting?
A: I use my “Legislative Branch” simulation. Students become “Representatives” and research a topic for the betterment of the school. After students research, they write their bills and we have a “Congressional Session” where their bills are presented to the “House” or “Senate” and either passed or denied. This allows students to practice speaking up for what they believe and allows them to understand the process by which simple ideas are turned into bills, acts and laws that benefit our society.
Q: Finally, what is your favorite way to relax and restore after a day of teaching?
A: I am a big nap taker. I usually come home, change into comfy clothes, snuggle up with my cat and doze off. After, I make and eat dinner with my fiancé, then we leave for our local community theater, where we rehearse for a theatrical production!
