Pittsburgh Schools Teach News Literacy to Counter AI Misinformation
Three Pittsburgh-area districts will guarantee news literacy at graduation via a News Literacy Project fellowship. Students learn to verify sources and spot AI fakes.
How Three Pittsburgh-Area Districts Are Embedding News Literacy in the Age of AI
Butler Area, Avonworth, and Cornell school districts are formalizing news literacy so every student can check claims, question sources, and spot false content before graduation. Each district is working with the News Literacy Project through a multi-year fellowship that funds classroom tools and staff development.
"Information has never been more accessible," said Butler eighth-grade U.S. history teacher Lisa McKinsey. "Access and credibility are not the same thing."
What the fellowship provides
Districts receive $30,000 over three years to build durable systems, not one-off lessons. The program asks fellows to create a standing, districtwide guarantee that all students will be taught news literacy before earning a diploma, according to CEO Chuck Salter.
The News Literacy Project supplies lessons on fact-checking, spotting AI-generated images, and reading breaking news with healthy skepticism. It also offers material on how algorithms shape what shows up in feeds and search.
How districts are building it into the day
Avonworth requires a sixth-grade course in information and media literacy and is pushing news literacy across English, social studies, and science. Assistant superintendent Jillian Bichsel said the fellowship helps equip teachers with ready-to-use materials, so they can plug lessons into core units without heavy prep.
After a needs assessment, librarian and English teacher Emily Hickman said teachers and students aligned on one priority: knowing what to trust and how to prove it. Butler and Avonworth are starting their fellowships now, while Cornell has completed the program and packaged resources for others to adopt.
Classroom moves that work
- Teach "source, claim, evidence" as a daily routine. Require a link, a date, and an author for every claim cited.
- Run quick checks on images: reverse image search, look for warped text or hands, and verify context before sharing.
- Slow down breaking news: use a 24-48 hour rule and collect updates from multiple credible outlets before drawing conclusions.
- Explain feeds: how engagement signals, personalization, and watch time influence what students see.
- Practice with student-relevant topics: e.g., the viral Labubu plush toys vs. fake "Lafufu" listings to teach impostor content.
What educators are saying
"Maybe the story you're hearing is only one part of the story," McKinsey tells students, noting how algorithms can box people into one view. Cornell's social studies chair, Amy Palo, said teachers value vetted, timely lessons they don't have to build from scratch.
Salter hopes the three districts will compare notes as a regional cohort and share what sticks. The goal is consistency: every student, every year, not a single elective or one-week unit.
Implementation checklist for district leaders
- Set a graduation guarantee: define specific news literacy outcomes by grade bands (6-8, 9-12).
- Map where lessons live in core courses (ELA, social studies, science) and library skills.
- Adopt a shared verification rubric and a common note-catcher for claims, sources, and evidence.
- Schedule micro-lessons (10-15 minutes) tied to current events; avoid full-period add-ons when time is tight.
- Provide PD with ready-made slide decks, student handouts, and short practice tasks.
- Create a repository: one folder for lessons, examples, and assessments teachers can plug in next day.
- Engage families: a brief guide on how to question headlines and rumors at home.
What to measure
- Pre/post checks on identifying credible sources and AI-generated media.
- Teacher adoption: percent of courses embedding at least two news literacy tasks per quarter.
- Student artifacts: fact-check write-ups, image verification logs, and source audits.
- Response time: how quickly the district can publish a "how to vet this story" mini-lesson during big news events.
Quick-start resources
- News Literacy Project - lessons on fact-checking, AI image detection, and algorithm awareness.
- Complete AI Training: Courses by Job - PD options to build staff confidence with AI tools, prompts, and verification workflows.
Bottom line: make news literacy a promise, not a unit. Give teachers plug-and-play routines, let students practice on the media they already see, and track what changes in their habits over time.
