HASS · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Media and Community Information

Active learning works for this topic because students need to interact with real media sources to understand how information varies in format and reliability. Hands-on tasks like sorting and role-playing help them move beyond passive screen time to critical analysis of community information.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS3S05

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Media Sources Hunt

Prepare stations with samples of newspapers, TV screenshots, online articles, and posters. Students visit each for 7 minutes, noting how information is shown and who might read it. Groups share one key difference found. Conclude with a class chart.

Identify various sources of community news and information.

Facilitation Tip

During the Media Sources Hunt, model how to scan for key details like dates, authors, and contact information before students work in pairs.

What to look for

Provide students with a local flyer for a community event and a short news report about the same event from a website. Ask them to list one similarity and one difference in how the information is presented, and to identify the date of the event in both sources.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Hot Seat
• 30 min · Pairs

Reliability Sorting Game

Print headlines and facts, some true and some exaggerated. In pairs, students sort cards into reliable or check-first piles, discussing clues like sources or dates. Debrief as a class to vote on trickiest items.

Analyze how different media present information about local events.

Facilitation Tip

For the Reliability Sorting Game, circulate while groups debate and record the clues they use to classify sources as reliable or unreliable.

What to look for

Present students with two different headlines about the same fictional local event, one from a reliable source and one from a less reliable source. Ask: 'Which headline do you think is more trustworthy and why? What clues helped you decide?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Hot Seat
• 50 min · Pairs

Community News Walk

Lead a short schoolyard or nearby walk to spot real media like signs or apps. Students photograph or sketch three examples, then back in class label source type and purpose. Pairs present findings.

Evaluate the reliability of information from various media sources.

Facilitation Tip

During the Mock News Broadcast, remind students to include a date and a mix of facts and opinions so peers can practice spotting bias.

What to look for

Ask students to write down two places they could find information about a school fete. Then, ask them to explain one reason why checking the date of information is important.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Hot Seat
• 40 min · Small Groups

Mock News Broadcast

Assign roles: reporters, anchors, editors. Groups script a 1-minute news on a class event, choosing media style. Perform for the class, who rate clarity and reliability.

Identify various sources of community news and information.

What to look for

Provide students with a local flyer for a community event and a short news report about the same event from a website. Ask them to list one similarity and one difference in how the information is presented, and to identify the date of the event in both sources.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by balancing hands-on exploration with structured reflection. Avoid assuming students instinctively understand differences in media formats or the importance of dates. Research shows that young learners benefit from repeated exposure to real examples paired with guided discussion about why details matter. Teach skepticism as a skill, not a warning, by framing reliability as something to investigate rather than fear.

Successful learning looks like students identifying multiple media sources, explaining how format affects understanding, and questioning the reliability of information. They should confidently discuss why dates and sources matter when gathering community news.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Reliability Sorting Game, watch for students who trust sources simply because they look official or colorful.

  Have students circle the date and author on each card, then ask them to explain why those details are important before deciding if a source is reliable.

• During the Mock News Broadcast, students may assume their role means they only share facts.

  Prompt them to include at least one opinion in their script, then pause the broadcast to ask peers to identify which part was not a fact and why.

• During the Community News Walk, students might dismiss printed flyers as outdated compared to online sources.

  Provide a checklist for students to find the most recent date on flyers and compare it to the date on a website article about the same event, then discuss why both dates matter.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Hot Seat