NM PED 2026 Literacy and Humanities Summer Conference

In this session, you will examine real examples of misleading digital content that circulate in civic spaces and explore the everyday challenges to accuracy in a democracy. You will investigate issues such as mis- and disinformation, sponsored content, media bias, and conspiracy theories. Rather than relying on simple skepticism, you will model discipline-specific lateral reading strategies that support informed civic judgment.

You will learn how to evaluate and verify claims by cross-checking sources, tracing authorship and funding, and contextualizing information using targeted search operators. Working collaboratively, you will design a classroom-ready flowchart that guides students through a structured verification process which can be embedded across social studies units all year long. By the end of the session, you will have gained hands-on practice with digital literacy through live demonstrations and experienced applying search operators to authentic civic examples. You will leave with a customizable verification flowchart, an access link to iCivics digital literacy resources, and a deeper understanding of how to integrate civic reasoning into your daily instruction.