Sub-Literacies Archives

In today’s world, information is more accessible than ever, but being able to find, evaluate, and use it effectively is a critical skill set known as information literacy. As students, educators, and lifelong learners, understanding information literacy’s many facets helps us navigate everything from research projects to digital content consumption. At Edstablished, we believe mastering these skills is vital for personal growth and academic success.

In this post, we’ll dive into the subcategories of information literacy and explore how each one equips learners to engage with information confidently and ethically.

1. Digital Literacy

The digital age brings an endless stream of information right to our fingertips. Digital literacy is the ability to use digital tools, devices, and platforms to find, evaluate, and create content. Whether it’s conducting research through online databases or using apps for collaboration, digital literacy involves knowing how to engage with digital environments safely and effectively.

Key Skill: Understanding how to search for and evaluate online resources while protecting your digital footprint.

2. Media Literacy

With the rise of social media and digital news platforms, media literacy has become a crucial skill. It involves the ability to critically assess media messages, identifying bias, misinformation, and the ways media shape public opinion. Whether analyzing advertisements, news articles, or social media posts, media literacy empowers us to become informed consumers of media rather than passive recipients.

Key Skill: Recognizing bias, propaganda, and evaluating the credibility of different media sources.

3. Data Literacy

In an era driven by big data, knowing how to interpret and use data is increasingly important. Data literacy involves understanding data sources, evaluating the accuracy of data sets, and interpreting data visualizations like charts, graphs, and statistics. This skill helps us make informed decisions based on reliable data.

Key Skill: Analyzing and interpreting data to make evidence-based decisions.

4. News Literacy

In a time of widespread misinformation and “fake news,” news literacy enables us to critically evaluate news sources for accuracy, reliability, and bias. Knowing how to distinguish fact from fiction in news reporting is key to staying informed and making sound judgments in our personal and civic lives.

Key Skill: Evaluating the credibility of news sources and detecting misinformation.

5. Visual Literacy

In a world increasingly dominated by visual content, visual literacy focuses on understanding and interpreting visuals like images, videos, and infographics. Being visually literate helps us derive meaning from the visual content we encounter daily and equips us with the skills to use visual media to convey messages effectively.

Key Skill: Analyzing and creating visual content to communicate ideas effectively.

6. Information Ethics

Information is power, but with that power comes responsibility. Information ethics involves understanding how to use and share information ethically, including respecting intellectual property, avoiding plagiarism, and handling sensitive information appropriately.

Key Skill: Recognizing and practicing ethical use of information in all forms.

7. Research Literacy

Research literacy is essential for students, educators, and professionals who need to find and use credible sources of information. This skill involves formulating research questions, identifying trustworthy resources, and synthesizing information into meaningful conclusions. Whether conducting academic research or personal inquiry, research literacy is key to creating well-informed content.

Key Skill: Conducting effective research by evaluating the credibility and relevance of sources.

8. Critical Literacy

Going beyond surface-level information, critical literacy involves questioning the underlying assumptions, ideologies, and power dynamics that shape the information we encounter. Critical thinkers not only consume information but also analyze the social and cultural context in which it was created.

Key Skill: Asking critical questions about the sources and motivations behind information.

9. Scientific Literacy

From climate change to medical advancements, scientific literacy helps us understand the scientific information that impacts our world. This skill includes understanding scientific methods, evaluating evidence, and knowing how to separate science from pseudoscience. It’s about making informed decisions based on credible scientific data.

Key Skill: Comprehending and evaluating scientific research to make informed decisions.

10. Civic Literacy

Informed citizenship relies on civic literacy, the ability to find and evaluate information related to government, politics, and civic engagement. Understanding how government institutions function, staying up to date on public policy issues, and recognizing how to access public resources are all part of this important subcategory.

Key Skill: Engaging in civic life by understanding and evaluating political and social information.

Why These Skills Matter

Information literacy isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a foundation for success in today’s information-saturated world. As we interact with data, media, and digital resources, these subcategories of information literacy empower us to become informed citizens, critical thinkers, and responsible consumers of information.

At Edstablished, we’re committed to helping educators, students, and lifelong learners develop these essential skills. Whether you’re creating a lesson plan or simply exploring the digital world, understanding and applying these forms of literacy can enhance how you interact with information and, ultimately, how you contribute to society.

Stay tuned for more resources and tips on navigating the world of information literacy!

Sub-Literacies

In today’s digital age, media literacy is an essential skill for students, especially when researching historical events or navigating current news. Eighth-grade students can benefit from a collaborative approach to media literacy, with history teachers and the school librarian teaming up to deliver a powerful two-day lesson. The goal? To help students learn how to validate sources and recognize media bias, skills that are critical for success in both academics and daily life.

This collaborative lesson plan is designed to integrate the school library’s resources into the history curriculum, showing students how to critically analyze information and become savvy consumers of media. By combining their expertise, history teachers and the librarian can teach students not only to evaluate the credibility of sources but also to recognize how media bias can shape their understanding of historical events.

Day 1: Understanding Media Literacy and Validating Resources

The first day focuses on teaching students the fundamentals of media literacy and how to validate resources. The lesson kicks off with a quick warm-up activity: students are shown two headlines—one from a credible source and another from a less reliable one—and asked to guess which is more trustworthy. This sparks a conversation about why it’s important to critically assess the sources they encounter, especially when researching for school projects.

From there, the school librarian steps in to deliver a mini-lesson on validating resources. Students are introduced to the school’s digital databases, academic journals, and archives, where they can find credible information for their history research. The librarian walks them through an Evaluating Sources Checklist, a tool they’ll use throughout the lesson to assess the reliability of articles and sources. The checklist prompts students to consider factors such as:

Author credentials
Publisher credibility
Supporting evidence (such as citations or links to reliable sources)
Publication date

Students are then broken into groups, where they receive two articles on the same historical event—one from a credible source and one from a questionable one. Using the checklist, students work together to evaluate the credibility of each article. This activity not only teaches students how to identify trustworthy sources but also emphasizes the importance of cross-referencing information, a skill that will serve them well in future research.

The librarian also introduces students to fact-checking websites like Snopes and FactCheck.org, demonstrating how these tools can be used to verify claims in articles. This skill becomes increasingly relevant as students are tasked with a homework assignment: finding an article on a historical or current event and validating its credibility using the checklist. The next day, they’ll present their findings to the class.

Day 2: Recognizing and Analyzing Media Bias

On the second day of the lesson, students dive deeper into media literacy by learning how to identify bias in the sources they read. After reviewing their homework, the history teacher introduces the concept of media bias, explaining how it can affect the way information is presented. From sensationalism to partisanship, bias comes in many forms, and it’s crucial that students learn to spot it in their sources.

The school librarian then leads another mini-lesson, this time focusing on how to recognize bias in both historical sources and current media. The librarian highlights tools and resources available through the library that can help students cross-check information and assess for bias. Students learn how word choice, the selection of facts, and the representation of different viewpoints can signal bias in a text.

Next, students are divided into groups and given two articles covering the same historical event but from different perspectives. Their task is to analyze each article for bias, using a digital whiteboard or sticky notes to track examples of:

Language or tone that indicates bias
Whether the article presents facts or opinions
How different viewpoints are represented

This activity helps students see firsthand how bias can influence the way historical events are portrayed. After discussing their findings with the class and the librarian, the students engage in a broader conversation about the importance of recognizing bias in research. They consider how biased sources can distort their understanding of history and why it’s crucial to use reliable, unbiased resources for school projects.

To wrap up the lesson, students complete an exit ticket, reflecting on how they will apply what they’ve learned about media bias and source validation in their future research. The history teacher and librarian encourage students to continue using the library’s resources and databases for their projects, ensuring that they leave the lesson equipped with the skills they need to navigate today’s information-rich world.

A Collaborative Approach to Media Literacy

This collaborative lesson between the history teacher and the school librarian showcases the power of partnership in education. By working together, they help students develop critical thinking skills and navigate the complexities of media and information. From validating sources to analyzing media bias, students leave the lesson better prepared to approach their history research—and the media they consume in their daily lives—with a discerning eye.

This collaboration highlights the importance of integrating library resources into the curriculum, providing students with hands-on experience in media literacy that extends beyond the classroom. As they move forward in their academic journeys, these eighth graders will carry with them the ability to think critically about the information they encounter, both in their history classes and beyond.