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When Science and Health Misinformation Go Viral: How to Help Students Find Facts
Tuesday, February 13, 2024 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST
Presented by Dr. Melissa Clarke, Physician, Author, Speaker, and Patient Advocate; and Brittney Smith, Senior Manager of Education Partnerships, News Literacy Project
Sponsored by News Literacy Project
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Science and health misinformation is contagious—don’t let it go viral among your students!
As we continue to heal from a global pandemic, falsehoods presented as fact remain an issue in digital spaces such as social media. It is hard for young people to know what to believe, and misinformation confuses us all about the best steps to take for our own and our community’s health. Further, long histories of unfair and biased reporting and inhumane research practices have left certain communities often targeted by misinformation (with a distrust of news organizations and scientists, as well). Join us to learn about some of these past examples of misinformation’s impact on targeted communities. Then, explore steps you can take to help students avoid misleading claims and build confidence in making health decisions rooted in fact.
In this edWebinar, Brittney Smith of the News Literacy Project hosts a panel conversation with special guests. They discuss how to recognize when communities are being treated unfairly and share free resources for teaching your students tips to avoid falling for science and health misinformation. Relevant interdisciplinary lessons from the Checkology®️ virtual classroom—including Be Health Informed and Harm & Distrust—is introduced, along with ideas for incorporating the lessons into your curriculum during Black History Month and beyond.
This recorded edWebinar is of interest to K-12 teachers as well as school and district leaders.
About the Presenters
Dr. Melissa E. Clarke is a pioneering leader in population health for Fortune 500 companies and a seasoned emergency medicine physician. She has been a leading voice regarding health literacy and health equity for vulnerable populations. Her company, BHE Group, creates multimedia health content and curricula for multiple platforms and consults on improving health literacy for communities of color. She is a published author, accomplished keynote speaker, and media commentator. She is a Co-founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID; serves as the medical adviser to Choose Healthy Life, an initiative based in Black churches to close health disparity gaps; and is the former board chair of Unity Healthcare, D.C.’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center. She is also a former Assistant Dean of Medical Education at Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Clarke has been recognized with the 2023 Joseph R. Biden Presidential Award for Volunteer Service.
Brittney Smith is a Senior Manager of Education Partnerships (East) at News Literacy Project. Brittney joined NLP in July 2022 after eight years of teaching life science in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was a high school teacher to diverse populations of students, including English language learners. In her tenure as science department chair, she focused on building partnerships with community stakeholders to enrich and improve students’ educational experiences.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological science from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in teaching science to adolescents and young adults from Mount St. Joseph University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational practice and innovation with a STEM focus at the University of South Carolina.
Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
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The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan, national education nonprofit, provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn and share the abilities needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.
