With misinformation, dangerous news, and AI-generated content showing up everywhere students turn, teaching news can feel rushed and overwhelming. That’s where Checkology® from the News Literacy Project comes in. This engaging, expertly developed digital platform helps students learn to evaluate information, understand algorithms, and think critically, without telling them what to think.
Checkology combines interactive lessons, real-world videos, posters, quizzes, and classroom slides to make reading and news experiences feel relevant and accessible to today’s students. We asked Amy Brownlee, a middle school teacher and librarian in Kansas, to try Checkology with her students and see how it works in a real classroom.
Here’s his review of Teacher’s Choice and why he believes Checkology is a powerful, low-cost preparation tool to help students build important life skills.
What grade levels and subject areas do you think Checkology is best suited for?
Checkology is for students in grades 6 and up and fits well in social studies, ELA, journalism, and library media classes.
Does Checkology adhere to any specific standards or curriculum guidelines that you know of?
Checkology resources help students develop critical thinking skills and evaluate information. Here are a few common Core ELA standards met through Checkology courses:
Learning Standards (Information Text)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8: Follow and evaluate arguments and specific claims in a text; check that the assumptions are reasonable and the evidence is relevant and sufficient.
Writing Standards (Research and Sources)
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; check the reliability and accuracy of each source.
Levels of Speaking and Listening
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.2: Analyze the purpose of information presented in various media and examine motivations (eg, social, commercial, political).
How have you used Checkology in your classroom?
I used InfoZones activities with 6th graders. This unit teaches definitions of terms including news, advertising, opinion, propaganda, entertainment, and raw information. The course includes an explanatory anchor chart and a flowchart to support students as they decide what type of information is included in each example.
How did your students respond to the lesson?
They loved the interactive elements in Checkology and really responded to authentic, real-world examples of ads and social media posts. They were really attracted to the videos and wanted to watch them over and over again. Some readers have even asked if they can use Checkology in their free time, which speaks volumes for engaging content.
How would you summarize your overall experience with Checkology?
I loved using Checkology’s resources because they are high-quality, streamlined, and engaging for readers. Determining the purpose and reliability of online information is an important part of everyday life, and Checkology is leading the way in helping students learn this important skill.
I was surprised to see how many readers had trouble seeing the ads. It really emphasized the importance of teaching stories.
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very difficult, 5 = very easy), how easy was it to use Checkology in your classroom and/or course? Why did you give it that rating?
I rate Checkology as 5/5 as it was very easy to use in my classroom. The lesson plans are detailed and include all the pieces you need to apply the course quickly. Checkology even includes ready-made units that you can assign as a whole, or you can choose courses that suit your needs.
What are the top two features you liked most about Checkology?
I particularly like detailed, high-quality, ready-to-use lesson plans and interactive activities that can be used by individual students on their own devices or as a whole group by projecting the teacher’s screen.
Checkology is unique because it uses original videos, ads, articles, and social media posts. Students immediately engage with real-life examples. The examples are recent and relevant to students.
With other resources, students can get under text-heavy content, but Checkology is highly interactive and holds students’ attention.
How will Checkology save you time or make teaching easier?
Checkology includes all the elements required for the course. They provide high quality materials that do not require maintenance. A single sign-in option makes it easy for students to sign in using their Google, Microsoft, or Clever credentials.
How do you plan to use Checkology again in the future?
I will definitely continue to use the InfoZones course and Quality Journalism internship with students in the future. Both include important values in a more inclusive way.
Watch Amy’s review of Checkology below:
They reinforce the skills students practice in Checkology and provide an easy, visual way to keep track of news, source evaluations, and critical thinking at the forefront and location throughout the year.
Teacher Picks is a sponsored program from We Are Teachers. All opinions shared in the review are honest and based on the teacher’s direct experience. To learn more about our guidelines and review process, click here.
