You're being watched. That sounded more sinister than I intended, but online, it's true. Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Netflix... the list goes on and on. They're watching what you do, what you shop for, what you watch... all of it. And have you actually read the Terms of Service? In this episode of Crash Course Media Literacy, Jay talks about how Online Advertising works and why companies want to know everything you're looking at.

"PBS NewsHour Extra's lesson plans are outstanding and clever. For example, a lesson on unions asks students to watch a few short videos and then get into teams to resolve an imaginary labor dispute based on what they've learned about negotiation. Beyond the provided lesson plans, there are many videos with resources to help students process what they're watching -- like an essential question and key vocabulary -- as well as discussion questions to kick off post-viewing conversations. Plus, the majority of the lesson plans are tied to STEM-related issues, so they're ideal for cross-curricular collaboration.

Because the daily videos include transcripts, supporting links, questions, and an extension activity, they could be assigned as independent work, group work, or both. For instance, part of the class could work on their own with the video -- assuming individual internet access -- and then, as they finish, they could move into small groups to tackle the extension activity.

For journalism, media studies, or ELA classes, make sure to check out the Student Voices samples. They'd serve as great models for editorial writing. For classrooms that want do dive deeper into media creation and production, the Student Reporting Labs website has a great curriculum and supporting resources, including video tutorials for things like audio recording and lighting." (Review from Common Sense Media)

GOAL: Provide a framework to students for considering other perspectives before judging or reacting.

With Canadians of all ages spending more time online, it’s important for children to know that some information is better kept private. Privacy Pirates, an interactive game, introduces children to the concept of online privacy and comes with an overview of related issues and suggested extension activities for educators.

Click NFB Education - click the black box near the top left of the screen to access all of the NFB's videos. If you are logged onto Blackborad, you have access to every single film in there and other teaching resources for FREE.

CBC Curio - click the red box that says Curio.ca near the top left of the screen. If your are logged in you will be able to see videos, collections and the news.

Safetycare - click the yellow box that says SAFETYCARE at the top of the screen. If you are logged in you will be able to view safety videos

Idello (TFO) - click the white and blue box that says Idello at the top of the screen. If you are logged in you will be able to access French content videos.

ROVER (Recommended Online Video Education Resources) is a video streaming service for Saskatchewan teachers and students in the PreK-12 education system. It is managed and maintained by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. ROVER is a video-on-demand service that provides teachers and students with the convenience of immediate access to streamed, educational videos that support curricula. ROVER videos are housed on a server located in a school or school division network so there are no bandwidth issues, resulting in better picture quality and continuous play of videos without pauses. The videos are intended for viewing on the streaming site and not for copying or downloading.

There are approximately 1,500 videos in ROVER’s combined English and French collections that can be accessed by teachers and students to enhance learning in the classroom. All the videos found on this site have been evaluated by educational professionals and recommended to support Saskatchewan’s K-12 curricula. It remains the responsibility of educators to preview and select materials that best meet the needs of their students, school, and community. Educators should choose resources in accordance with their school division’s learning resources selection policy.

ROVER is accessible from within Saskatchewan schools or school division offices without a login. Outside of school, it is possible to access ROVER using a login through a Blackboard account. Every teacher and student in Saskatchewan is registered with a Blackboard account. For more information, please contact stans@gov.sk.ca or call our Sector Support Desk at 1-866-933-8333.

In this lesson, students consider the different factors that make online sources reliable or unreliable. They then learn quick steps they can take to gauge an online source’s reliability and practice these steps by playing an interactive online game.

Evaluating Online Resources for Credibility - information and mini game to practice checking the reliability and credibility of the website/ source.

"Teachers can use the site as in-class reading material to supplement units in science, math, and language arts. The readings are streamlined, age-appropriate versions of articles on the adult Science News site and provide helpful tools for tackling the task of reading scientific texts. The Going Deeper link for each article takes students to a related article on the companion Science News site with more detailed information. Kids can also use the simpler readings on Science News for Students as support articles to build their basic understanding before moving on to more complex text of the same topic. If you scroll to the bottom of the articles, many of them contain “Power Words” and their definitions. Reviewing the words in advance can help kids better understand the text. Some articles also contain questions for kids to answer while reading." (Common Sense Media)

This is a cross curricular project revolving around the documentary The Social Dilemma. Students will write an essay and create an Action Plan to tackle the issues surrounding Social Media and it's pervasiveness in our lives. The outcomes covered are focused in Social 7, Health 7 and ELA 7. 

A great non-fiction news site with a wide variety of articles written at differentiated Lexile levels.

There are daily quizzes and immediate feedback for students.

The site offers several resources, links and tips for teachers. The critical thinking prompts at the end of each article help spark student discussions and response or reflection opportunities.

Articles are divided into K-4, 5-6, 7-8 and High School.

This site is full of free (and paid) resources to help teachers and students.You can filter by age, grade, subject, and more.Search everything from back to school, orange shirt day, and subject specific topics to find great resources.

From intimate whispers on Skype, to explosive political uses of WhatsApp in neighbourhoods under siege, Universe Within: Digital Lives in the Global Highrise takes us inside the hearts, minds and computers of vertical citizens around the world: from Guangzhou to Mumbai to New York and beyond.

Looking to help students practice "reading" images for a variety of contextual meanings while engaging in content area study? This lesson uses images of the Boston Massacre to deepen students' comprehension of both the event and the effects of propaganda. Students begin by completing an anticipation guide to introduce them to Boston Massacre, propaganda, and British/colonial reactions to the massacre. They then complete an image analysis to make inferences about various images of the massacre. The culminating activity-a presentation about students' observations and inferences-demonstrates students' knowledge of the Boston Massacre and propaganda in a variety of ways. This lesson benefits English-language learners (ELLs) and struggling readers because it involves viewing images, participating in discussions, working with peers, and listening to a read-aloud that reinforces the lesson content and vocabulary.

Dynamic site harnesses creative young talent to speak truth to power

"YR Media has strong politically and socially progressive content that will speak to students' interests and inspire them. Yearbook and journalism advisers might model part of their program on YR Media. ...

Check out the DIY guides. These tutorials offer colorful visuals, detailed explanations, and student samples on topics from ethics to writing opinion pieces to social media reporting and more. There has to be at least one idea in these guides that can be incorporated into your curriculum. Media classes from film to journalism to graphic arts can use YR Media's work as a springboard for discussion and then creation. ELA classes can analyze the arguments put forth in articles (especially in the Opinion section), videos, or podcasts. Students could use this analysis to create their responses in a similar or different format. The videos on compelling topics like hate speech, social media influencers, and parental pressure will definitely spark discussion and can be structured in a Socratic seminar or four-corners format. Double-entry journals might be more fitting for student responses on more sensitive subjects, such as deportation, mass shootings, LGBTQ or straight pride, and housing. Health and psychology classes will also find surprisingly suitable content in teen-friendly language on important issues like reproductive health, mental illness, and anxiety. " (Review from Common Sense Media)

"YourCommonwealth would be an excellent supplement to classroom learning, especially for middle and high school students. With its focus on global current events and social issues, the site is a great resource for students to find out what kids like them consider important and reflect deeply on their own thoughts about the world's big ideas. Exercises and debates can be created around the opinions expressed on YourCommonwealth through text and video.

YourCommonwealth is an international site created by young people for young people who are interested in addressing global concerns such as injustice, poverty, and the environment. On the site, students from the 54 countries of The Commonwealth of Nations submit articles and videos to share their stories, experiences, and opinions. U.S. students can read about global social issues from a personal point of view –- and from someone around their age. Kids will have the opportunity to make up their own minds about pressing topics and, through discussion with parents and peers, learn how to express opinions.

It's organized by continent: Click on Africa and you'll get all the content relating to that area of the world. Young people from all over the world contribute articles and video to the site, which are then posted in a news-like format. By reading articles, kids can view opinions and timely issues from their global peers. Offsite, kids can get involved in Twitter chats and Facebook discussions on “the present, past and future of the planet.”" (Common Sense Media review)