Almost two-thirds of adults say they never learned how to critically analyze media in school,¹ and the outlook hasn’t improved much. In today’s classrooms, more than half of students are not even “moderately confident” in their ability to recognize false information online.²  

Media Literacy Week 2025, held Oct. 27-31 in the U.S., is led by esteemed media literacy organizations nationwide to “highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role.”³ For over a decade, organizations worldwide have come together to celebrate progress in media literacy and establish strategies to address new concerns during UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week.

This year’s theme, Access, Analyze, Evaluate, Create, and Act, celebrates one of the five components of media literacy’s definition each day of the week. It echoes the pressing need to empower the global public with vital digital literacy skills. As rapidly evolving technologies and media content are generated at an unprecedented rate, it is essential to equip the next generation with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions and then act upon them.

Media Literacy in Education: Why It Matters

Media literacy, a concept that took root in the mid-20th century, underscores the critical nature of democratic rights and civic responsibility in societies burgeoning with media.⁴ Its significance has only intensified since then, and with good reason.

Today, we find ourselves engulfed by a multitude of digital channels—social media, blogs, search engines, online news—and a constant stream of information. This digital deluge not only molds our worldview but also compels us to discern truth from fiction. In this ever-evolving landscape, the role of educators transcends importance; they are the compass in this digital disruption, arming students with the skills to dissect the content that bombards them daily critically.

Stay ahead of the curve.

In our exclusive “Leading AI in Education: A Framework for Future-Ready Schools” webinar, experts delve into the real question for education leaders: how can you shape AI into a trusted, sustainable part of teaching and learning?

Navigate AI with Confidence

Yet, the challenge continues. With technology evolving rapidly, our understanding must keep pace. Take artificial intelligence (AI), for example. Its influence is everywhere, from the ads we see online to complex systems for detecting fraud or assisting in healthcare. However, the benefits of AI come with challenges, especially when it comes to telling what’s real from what’s not. The line between content created by humans and that generated by AI is getting harder to see, making our search for the truth even more challenging.

Educator Toolkit: Gear Up for Media Literacy Week & Beyond

In this digital era, it’s essential to equip students with the critical skills they need to become astute digital citizens. Let’s dive into some practical strategies to kick-start meaningful dialogues in your classrooms and schools.

#1: Compile Trusted Educator Resources

Every educator needs a go-to resource toolkit—and we’ve made one for you! Visit the Media Literacy hub on our website, where you’ll find posters, instructional strategies, and our Media Literacy for the Digital Era e-book, chock-full of insights, strategies, and fun classroom activities you can use today.

Plus, our open-access educator platform Teach Britannica contains a plethora of lesson minis for all ages. These lessons make it easy to bring media literacy skills to your students, no prep work needed. Our favorites:

• Digital Research and Communication Skills: Students build digital literacy by evaluating online sources, conducting research, and creating multimedia presentations.
  

• Media Literacy in the Age of AI: Students explore how AI and digital tools shape media, learning to think critically, evaluate content, and imagine the future of learning.
  
  
• Reality Check: Media Literacy for a Changing World: Students explore how media shapes understanding and develop critical thinking skills through analysis, collaboration, and future-focused reflection.
  
  
• Media Literacy: Think. Question. Create.: Students learn how media shapes thinking and build skills to question, analyze, and respond as critical consumers and responsible creators.
  
  
• Messages That Matter: Creating Media with Purpose: Students explore how messaging shapes trust by analyzing media ethics, persuasive techniques, and intent in content creation.
  

#2 Sharpen Critical Thinking Skills

Encourage students to delve deeper into the information they encounter with activities that promote a critical mindset. Here’s how you can integrate Teach Britannica’s graphic organizers into your lessons:

• Compare Sources: Challenge students to analyze two news articles on the same topic. Ask them to identify each source’s perspective, assess the reliability of the information, and discuss any biases they may detect. This exercise sharpens their analytical skills and fosters an understanding of how different perspectives can influence reporting.
  
  
• Venn Diagram: Compare Two Sources: Use this organizer when students examine contrasting viewpoints, perhaps from two news outlets with differing stances. Students can map out the similarities and differences in coverage, helping them visually recognize bias and subjectivity in media.
  
  
• Evaluating Resources: When students embark on research projects, guide them in scrutinizing their sources with this organizer. They’ll learn to question the credibility of information, understand the importance of citation, and discern between fact and opinion, preparing them for informed and responsible media consumption.
  
  

#3 Initiate a Media Diary

Prompt students to record a week’s worth of media interactions, capturing all facets of their media consumption. Conclude with a session where students engage in reflective discussions, sharing insights and discoveries about their media habits and identifying potential areas for improvement or change.

#4: Dive Into “In the News!” for Media Literacy

Energize your media literacy lessons with real-world news. Britannica School’s “In the News!” delivers biweekly news updates, adapted for various student reading levels, and enriched with vocabulary exercises from Merriam-Webster, intriguing “Did You Know?” segments, and links to comprehensive articles.

1. Spark Discussions: Initiate lively classroom debates with “In the News!” stories. Motivate students to voice their opinions and relate news to their daily lives.
   
   
2. Critically Analyze: Assign students a news story to dissect further, evaluating its content. Discuss its credibility, uncover potential biases, and consider various perspectives.
   
   
3. Craft and Showcase: Encourage students to create presentations on their chosen news stories, highlighting their investigative research and analytical thinking.

Britannica School is more than a news source. It’s a gateway to secure, dependable, and all-encompassing education. Experience the benefits of Britannica School today!

#5: Deepen Your Expertise with Media Literacy Workshops

Don’t just teach media literacy; immerse yourself in it. Our expert-led workshops are designed to transform your approach to teaching, offering deep exploration and refinement of literacy skills. 

Transform your pedagogical approach by delving into media literacy. Our workshops, steered by experts, are more than learning experiences; they’re your investment in professional advancement and your students’ prosperous futures.

Or, visit the Media Literacy tab of our webinar catalog, where you’ll find recordings of our expert insights to help you stay at the forefront of the ever-changing digital realm. 

We’re educators, front and center in the digital age, with a critical mission: navigate the media maze. Our strategies? More than lessons, they’re student power-ups for critical thinking and intelligent decision-making in class and beyond. Media Literacy Week is our wake-up call, spotlighting the need for sharp media consumption. But our gig isn’t a one-week show; it’s a full-time role. Media smarts need a permanent spot in our curriculums and school cultures.

References

1.  Media Literacy Now. (n.d.). “National Survey Finds Most U.S. Adults Have Not Had Media Literacy Education in High School.” https://medialiteracynow.org/nationalsurvey2022/ 
2.  Ali, S. (March 18, 2022). “Media literacy is desperately needed in classrooms around the country, advocates say.” The Hill. https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/education/598795-media-literacy-is-desperately-needed-in-classrooms/ 
3.  National Association for Media Literacy Education. (n.d.). “What is Media Literacy Week?” United States Media Literacy Week. https://mlw.namle.org/about/ 
4.  Hobbs, R. and Jensen, A. (2009). “The Past, Present, and Future of Media Literacy Education.” Journal of Media Literacy Education, 1-11. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1095145.pdf 

The post Empower Educators: A Spotlight on Media Literacy Week  appeared first on Britannica.

According to the NAEP, 33 percent of eighth graders scored below “basic” in reading—the lowest set of scores recorded in the exam’s 33-year history.  

Historically, ELA instruction has prioritized literary texts. Consequently, students struggle to read informational texts. Students are expected to analyze informational texts and demonstrate their understanding through both informational and argumentative writing—not just in ELA classrooms but also in science and social studies lessons. To achieve this successfully, students need access to high-quality texts that provide opportunities to engage in deliberate practice.

Britannica Expedition: Learn! secures students’ path to academic success and prepares them to navigate real-world tasks such as making informed voting and consumer choices, and navigating information overload. 

Check out how our experts use the Progress, Technology, and the Environment Inquiry to teach ELA, science, and social studies standards and practice argumentative writing skills.

Download the Content Spotlight

Develop Argumentative Writing Skills 

Argumentative writing shows up in many content areas. Students are often asked to show what they know and explain “why.” To support students as they develop their argumentative writing skills, use the Teach Britannica Argumentative Writing instructional strategy and graphic organizer to help guide students through the steps of crafting an argumentative essay.

How to Craft an Argumentative Essay 

1. Develop an argument.
2. Identify claims and counterclaims.
3. Use appropriate evidence from multiple sources.

Dive into Inquiry with Expedition: Learn! 

Integrating inquiry across ELA, science, and social studies gives students the chance to see how knowledge is interconnected. When students ask questions, gather evidence, and construct arguments across disciplines, they develop and strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students form a deeper and more practical understanding of complex issues, preparing them for the real world.

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! helps students develop meaningful skills that they can use in and out of the classroom, all year long! Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Check out how to use the Seasons lesson, which features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!

The post Develop Key ELA Skills with Science and Social Studies Content appeared first on Britannica.

What does fall make you think of? Back-to-school time? Cooler temperatures? Pumpkin spice? The progression from summer to fall is a familiar pattern, whether you welcome the change or wish summer could hold on just a little bit longer. 

Seasonal changes also provide an accessible and observable entry point to the concept of patterns. In middle school science, students are expected to recognize and analyze patterns in seasonal changes, molecular structure, waves, embryological development, and plate motion—just to name a few. They’re expected to utilize patterns to make predictions and recognize cause-and-effect relationships. 

That might sound daunting, but pairing Britannica Expedition: Learn! lessons with Teach Britannica resources provides a ready-to-use solution for promoting understanding of crosscutting concepts, such as patterns. 

Check out how our experts use the Seasons lesson to help students identify and analyze patterns.

Download the Content Spotlight

Identify and Analyze Patterns

Focusing instructional time on crosscutting concepts like patterns pays dividends as students apply this information throughout the school year and across disciplines.

Use our Patterns graphic organizer (included in the download) to help students identify and analyze patterns described in the featured lesson, Seasons, or in one of the related Expedition: Learn! lessons.  Each of the featured lessons features identifiable patterns.

Check out one way you can use the graphic organizer in your classroom: 

1. Have students read the lesson and identify a pattern described in the text or shown in an image, diagram, or graph. 
2. Next, have them describe the pattern in detail in the first section of the graphic organizer. 
3. Explain to students that patterns in science fall into three main groups: patterns in structure, patterns in data, or patterns in events. Have students classify the pattern they’ve described based on the three main groups.
4. Finally, have students use the pattern they’ve identified as evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship or make a prediction. 

Britannica Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! is the perfect solution to help students work toward standards mastery. Each lesson provides standards-based content and assessment items to support your science instruction. Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Check out how to use the Seasons lesson, which features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!

The post Integrating Crosscutting Concepts in Your Science Instruction appeared first on Britannica.

Did you know that September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day? A day established as a reminder of the moment in 1787 when the U.S. Constitution was signed. At the heart of that vision is the preamble—a short but powerful statement of the nation’s goals.

Teaching students to analyze and unpack the preamble is more than an exercise in reading history; it’s about connecting with the promises of justice, liberty, and common good that still shape the nation today. And because interpreting the preamble is a common expectation on standardized assessments, it is both a civic and academic priority. More importantly, when students learn to decipher this primary source, they gain the ability to question, reflect, and recognize their own role in carrying forward the ideals of citizenship.

That’s where Britannica Expedition: Learn! comes in; explore how our experts use our Primary Source Text Analysis graphic organizer to analyze primary sources like the U.S. Constitution! 

Check out how our experts use The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution lesson to help students deconstruct, explain, and summarize complex primary source texts.

Download the Content Spotlight

Primary Source Text Analysis with Expedition: Learn! 

The graphic organizer, included in the download, can be used with the featured Expedition: Learn! lesson—or you can try it out with an excerpt from your favorite Constitution Day and Citizenship Day primary sources! 

Here are some suggestions you can try in your classroom: 

• The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence (1776)
• The Fourteenth Amendment (1868)
• The Atlanta Compromise speech by Booker T. Washington (1895)
• The Suppressed Speech by Wamsutta (Frank James) (1970)
• Then Came the War speech by Yuri Kochiyama (1991)

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! helps students develop meaningful skills that they can use in and out of the classroom, all year long!  Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Check out how to use The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution lesson, which features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!

The post Celebrate Constitution and Citizenship Day with Britannica Education! appeared first on Britannica.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere and your students are already using it. From asking ChatGPT for help on essays to turning to AI-driven search tools, today’s learners are navigating a world where answers come fast but not always fairly, safely, or accurately.

For educators, that creates a real challenge: how do you harness the power of AI without undermining research skills, academic integrity, or student safety?

That’s where ASK Britannica comes in. It’s the classroom-ready AI feature built directly into Britannica School: High School.

What Makes ASK Britannica Different?

Unlike other AI tools trained on the open internet, ASK Britannica is AI with guardrails that make it curated, safe, and built for learning. Students can type natural-language questions and receive clear, concise answers that link directly to Britannica’s expert-reviewed content.

In short: ASK Britannica delivers the curiosity-sparking power of AI without the risks.

Curiosity Without the Chaos

Students want answers quickly, but they also need accuracy. With ASK Britannica, learners can explore complex questions confidently, knowing what they find is reliable, age appropriate, and designed to support real understanding.

Research Skills That Stick

Every response connects back to Britannica articles, giving students a built-in pathway to learn how to verify, cross-check, and synthesize information. Instead of skipping the hard work of research, ASK reinforces it.

Integrity Built In

Essay writing, misinformation, and bias? Not here. ASK Britannica avoids the pitfalls of generative AI by focusing on credible answers only, helping teachers promote responsible use of AI in the classroom.

How Educators Can Use ASK Britannica

Think of ASK Britannica as a launchpad for inquiry. Teachers are already finding creative ways to integrate it:

• Kick off a lesson:
  Start with a big question, “How do ecosystems maintain balance?” and let ASK spark discussion. 

• Support research projects:
  Students can refine topics and locate credible background info.

• Develop critical thinking:
  Have students compare ASK answers with primary sources or related articles.

• Promote media literacy:
  Show students what responsible AI looks like and how it differs from tools that cut corners.

Why This Matters

AI isn’t going away. Students will use it, inside and outside the classroom. The question is: will they use it responsibly?

With ASK Britannica, you can guide them toward safe, trustworthy, and curiosity-driven exploration without sacrificing accuracy, academic integrity, or learning goals.

Ready to Try ASK Britannica?

ASK Britannica is now available in the High School level of Britannica School. If your school already subscribes, your students can start using it today. If not, we’d love to show you how this feature can elevate inquiry-based learning in your classrooms.

Bring Responsible AI Into Your Classroom.

The post AI in Schools: 3 Big Risks, 1 Safe Solution appeared first on Britannica.

Teach Britannica, our open-access, ready-to-go educator toolbox, contains literally hundreds of time-saving activities and worksheets that you should definitely plan to use with your students. We’ve narrowed down the list to our six favorites for starting the school year; here’s some ideas for how to use them!

Jump-start any class with Teach Britannica’s bell ringers. This collection really takes the cake when it comes to speed. Our quickest K-12 activities will grab your class’s attention, even before the bell rings.

Know what you want to teach or discuss with your class, but not sure how to facilitate the topic? Give our instructional strategies a try.

A quick-hitting worksheet is always a good idea! Students can fill out the following graphic organizers as a way to introduce themselves to you and their classmates.

Body Biography

Bubble Web

We at Britannica Education hope your 2025-26 school year is unmatched in energy, attention, and learning! Visit Teach Britannica anytime, anywhere, for more resources like these all year round. 

Interested in subscribing to our student-facing solutions? Contact us!

The post 6 Time-Saving Activities to Start the School Year Right appeared first on Britannica.

Dive into the school year by planning science lessons that ignite students’ curiosity, support diverse learners, and enhance literacy skills—oh, and don’t forget to promote critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and collaboration while you’re at it! 

That’s a tall order, but using Britannica Expedition: Learn!’s content-rich lessons with embedded hands-on experiences can make planning easier. Expedition: Learn!’s four types of hands-on activities enhance students’ understanding of topics in all areas of science, allowing them to explore events and processes that affect their lives. Explore how our experts use The Earth System and Subsystems lesson to engage in hands-on learning—just in time for back to school! 

Explore how our experts use The Earth System and Subsystems lesson to challenge students to dig deeper with hands-on learning—just in time for back to school.

Download the Content Spotlight

Challenge Students to Dig Deeper

Hands-on activities have been shown to have many positive effects on science learning. Using activities from a trusted source, with robust teacher support materials, enhances the experience for students and teachers alike! For example, share with students a local example of interactions of Earth’s subsystems, such as a recent weather event, local evidence of weathering and erosion, or nearby impacts of climate change. 

Then use Expedition: Learn!’s wide variety of lessons and hands-on activities to dig deeper! For example, have students model interactions between Earth’s spheres, analyze data about the occurrence of natural hazards, or research factors that affect average global temperatures to build their understanding of the world around them.

Getting Hands-On with Expedition: Learn! 

Use the hands-on activities embedded in many Expedition: Learn! lessons to engage students, enhance their understanding of key topics and current events, and promote three-dimensional learning. Each activity includes detailed teaching materials and answer keys with sample student responses. 

Expedition: Learn! has four types of hands-on activities:

• Model
• Research
• Investigation
• Skills Practice

Each activity type is designed to promote understanding of concepts and develop essential skills in science through an active learning experience.

Britannica Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! is the perfect solution to help students work toward standards mastery. Each lesson provides standards-based content and assessment items to support your science instruction. Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Explore other ways to use the featured lesson, The Earth System and Subsystems, alongside our full Content Spotlight, which features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!

The post Ignite Curiosity in Science with Hands-On Activities appeared first on Britannica.

The start of the school year is the ideal time to establish classroom routines. At the same time, teachers are expected to teach essential social studies skills that students will rely on throughout the year. Juggling these tasks, along with countless other demands, can be overwhelming. And with literacy rates dropping nationwide, educators are increasingly called on to reinforce literacy skills across subjects.

That’s where Britannica Expedition: Learn! comes in; ease into building literacy skills using our newest content spotlight, all about teaching students to analyze quotes. Quotes, while typically short, can be complicated. Analyzing quotes requires repeated practice and consistent application across various social studies topics. Explore how our experts use quotation analysis to kick off the Landmark Cases: Marbury, Tinker, Hazelwood lesson. 

Explore how our experts use the Landmark Cases: Marbury, Tinker, Hazelwood lesson to analyze primary sources through quotation analysis—just in time for back to school!

Download the Content Spotlight

Analyzing Quotes with Expedition: Learn! 

Quotes are often used as primary sources in state assessments, and analyzing them requires students to apply vocabulary knowledge, interpret complex texts, and think critically. 

Teach Britannica’s Quote Analysis activity helps you weave these skills into your social studies routine. With regular use, students can become more confident in drawing meaning and identifying multiple perspectives. They will purposefully engage with rich content while strengthening the literacy skills essential for academic success and navigating the world.

When using Teach Britannica’s Quote Analysis activity, consider:

• Presenting the quote at the beginning of a lesson or unit to spark interest
• Prompting students to define unfamiliar terms
• Relating the quote to contemporary issues
• Providing the necessary context
• Closing a lesson or unit with the quote as a final reflection 
• Pairing the quote with an image to deepen understanding

Bonus! Quote Analysis Discussion Questions

Explore our curated quotes on key social studies topics to implement with the Quote Analysis activity.

Expedition: Learn! is grounded in decades of research and evidence-based practice. Lessons can be used for whole-class instruction, small-group reteaching, or independent practice. Expedition: Learn! helps students develop meaningful skills that they can use in and out of the classroom, all year long! Book a demo of Expedition: Learn!

Expedition: Learn! in the Classroom

Explore other ways to use the featured lesson, Landmark Cases: Marbury, Tinker, Hazelwood, alongside our full Content Spotlight, which features engaging activities, thoughtful discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more!

The post Back-to-School Refresh: Foundational Social Studies Skills appeared first on Britannica.

In today’s digital world, students are flooded with content the moment they open a browser. As AI-generated answers and clickbait headlines increasingly shape what they see, one question keeps rising to the top for educators: How do we help students learn what—and who—to trust?

At Britannica Education, we believe the answer starts early.

1. Curiosity Should Start with Credibility

When children first ask “Why do leaves change color?” or “Where does the sun go at night?” they’re not just being curious; they’re beginning their journey as learners. These first moments matter. They’re when students start to form habits around how they learn, where they go for answers, and what they believe.

That’s why we built Britannica School: Early Elementary to be a place where curiosity meets credibility—where facts are clear, content is age-appropriate, and learning is joyful and safe.

2. The Challenge of Trust in a Noisy World

As Chief Product Officer, I’ve seen the shift happening fast. Students are growing up with AI tools that can produce information on demand—but not always with context, accuracy, or source transparency. For young learners, this can make everything seem equally trustworthy… and equally disposable.

We’re not here to compete with AI. We’re here to complement it by giving students a foundation of fact-based knowledge they can use to evaluate the world more critically, responsibly, and independently.

3. Designed with Educators in Mind

We built Britannica School: Early Elementary not just for students but for the educators who guide them. Teachers told us they needed nonfiction that was engaging, inclusive, and ready to use. Librarians asked for resources that support digital literacy, multilingual learners, and equity.

That’s why every article, video, and activity in Britannica School is leveled, standards-aligned, and built for real classrooms. And it’s why we’re honored to share that Britannica School: Early Elementary was just named Overall Early Childhood Education Solution of the Year by the 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Awards.

4. Trust Is the Foundation

When we talk about lifelong learning, it’s easy to focus on content or test scores. But trust is the real foundation. If students learn to ask good questions—and know where to turn for good answers—we’ve given them something far more lasting than a single lesson or a digital tool.

So, what does award-winning early learning look like?

Engaging Nonfiction

While all content is verified and accurate—it’s also a delight to discover new information and keep students invested.

Age-Appropriate Media

At this age, visual learning is vital to enhancing comprehension and driving motivation. Choice of images, videos, and even platform design were all chosen with young children in mind.

Native Spanish Translation

Spanish-speaking students can simply flip a switch to transform articles to the language they know best.

Built-in Navigation

Teach students the importance of citations. Share discoveries via Google Classroom, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, or classic print copies. Or, make Britannica School work for students; zoom and translation features can be a huge stepping stone for understanding.

Literacy Assistance

Support independent learning with read-aloud, word-by-word highlighting, and a quick-click Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Educator Developed, Britannica Verified, Consistently Refreshed

We are so proud of all Britannica School: Early Elementary has accomplished so far—and even more excited for what is to come. The rest of 2025 will see us adding even more new content as we strive to support schools in the earliest—and most important—stages of learning.

At Britannica, we like to say, “When curiosity leads, learning follows.” But we also know that trusted content has to lead the way.

The post Why Early Learning Needs Curiosity—and Credibility appeared first on Britannica.