Social Studies HS Guide

Is it based on solid reasoning?

To learn how to logic-check claims through identifying: • cognitive biases • vulnerability to logical fallacies

The information is free of/contains: • logical fallacies •

•

Reasoning

conspiracy theories

Crosswalk: Historical Thinking Skills & News Literacy Skills

Historical Thinking Skill

News Literacy Skill

Connection

Source (Has it been confirmed by a credible source? Does it follow journalistic standards?)

Sourcing (Who wrote this? Why? Is it reliable?)

Both focus on identifying bias, credibility, and intent of the author/source.

Contextualization (What was happening when this was written? How does context affect meaning?) Corroboration (What do other documents say? Do they agree?) Close Reading (What claims are made? What evidence is used? What language is used to persuade?)

Both emphasize understanding background information and recognizing how context influences interpretation. Both require cross-checking multiple sources to verify accuracy and reliability.

Context (Is the context accurate? Was it altered or misrepresented?)

Evidence (Is there evidence that proves or disproves this claim?)

Reasoning (Is the claim logically sound? Are there biases or fallacies?)

Both involve critically evaluating arguments, evidence, and persuasive techniques.

Similar to evaluating primary sources for authenticity and identifying mis/disinformation in historical and current events.

Authenticity (Has the content been manipulated or fabricated?)

(General Skill)

News Literacy Project. (n.d.). RumorGuard . News Literacy Project. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://rumorguard.org © 2025 Jodi Ide, Teacher Specialist, Canyons School District. All rights reserved. Sharing or reproduction permitted with aut hor’s permission.