| Fact Checking Sites
- Fact Check dot org
- Great for high school students who are fact-checking politics. A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, this nonpartisan, nonprofit organization states that it "aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." The site includes a feature called "SciCheck," focusing on false and misleading scientific claims used for political influence.
- Internet Archive Wayback Machine
- This one isn't actually a fact-checking site. Instead, it's a tool you can use yourself to fact-check things you find online. Like an internet time machine, the site lets you see how a website looked, and what it said, at different points in the past. Want to see Google's home page from 1998? Yep, it's here. Want to see the New York Times' home page on just about any day since 1996? You can. While you won't find everything here, there's still a lot for students to discover.
- OpenSecrets dot org
- OpenSecrets.org is a nonpartisan organization that tracks the influence of money in U.S. politics. On the site, users can find informative tutorials on topics such as the basics of campaign finance -- not to mention the site's regularly updated data reports and analysis on where money has been spent in the American political system. While potentially useful for fact-finding, the site is clearly intended for more advanced adult readers and best left for older students and sophisticated readers.
- PolitiFact
- A nonpartisan fact-checking website that evaluates the accuracy of political statements. From the independent Tampa Bay Times, this site tracks who's telling the truth -- and who isn't -- in American politics. Updated daily, the site's entries fact-check statements made by elected officials, candidates, and pundits. Entries are rated on a scale ranging from "True" to "Pants on Fire" and include links to relevant sources to support each rating. Overall, the site's content is written for adult readers, and students may need teachers' help with context and direction.
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Trustworthy News and Information Sources
- KidsPost
- Kid-centric news site. While it doesn't provide complete news updates, analysis, or writing practice, KidsPost content makes for interesting, kid-themed reading assignments.
- National Geographic Kids
- Stunning photos and in-depth stories of Earth's peoples and wildlife.
- Newsela
- Multiple reading levels; content focuses on science, social studies and current events. It has free and paid versions.
- Scholastic News
- Kid-friendly news site (available by subscription)
- TIME for Kids
- Authentic journalism to motivate curious minds. Kid-friendly news/info resource can help boost brain power.
- The Learning Network
- Teaching and Learning With The New York Times. Contains classroom resources — from lesson plans and writing prompts to news quizzes, student contests and more — all based on the articles, essays, photos, videos and graphics published on NYTimes.com. All features for students are free.
- Tween Tribune
- Despite the “tween” in the title, this site has news for kids, tweens and teens and is curated by the Smithsonian (free
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