In the wake of a divisive election cycle full of misinformation, many families will be sitting down at the Thanksgiving table with loved ones who may not see eye-to-eye. In North Salem, New York, a seventh-grade media literacy class has been preparing for that challenge by learning how to have difficult but empathetic conversations.

“One of the most important things to know about media literacy education is that it is not partisan,” Cynthia Sandler, who’s teaching the class, told CBS News. “It is about asking questions. It is about critical thinking. It is about teaching students and people how to think and not what to think.”

There is a growing desire for media literacy classes like Sandler’s around the country. In the last 15 years, 19 states have added some kind of media literacy standards to their education requirements, according to a 2023 report from Media Literacy Now. The report found at least seven more states have pending legislation on the topic, including New York, home to the largest public school district in the country.

Learning how to have productive conversations

The week before Thanksgiving, Sandler’s students role-played scenarios like how to have a productive discussion with someone who doesn’t believe the truth and how to tell the difference between fact and opinion.

“Facts can be proven, like pumpkin pie has less sugar and apple pie has more nutritional value,” one student said, after acting out an argument about which kind of pie is best. 

In a second group, a student said the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – a New York City tradition that began in 1924 – was taking place in Florida this year. Her scene partner helped her determine the website showing the incorrect location was satirical. 

“Satire can be a form of saying a joke,” the student explained. “But satire can be dangerous, because some people may fall for it. Like you might have gone to buy plane tickets for Florida.” 

While the subject matter isn’t as intense as a political debate, the skills the students are learning are easily transferable. Sandler uses an acronym for the method: C.A.R.E. 

Connect: Empathize and relate

Ask: Question without attacking

Research: Share your insights

Educate: Offer ways to verify information

Sandler believes this training is invaluable, not just for her students, but for everyone. 

“Classrooms are a microcosm of society,” she said. “What we can simulate in a class – listening, questioning, talking with one another, respecting one another – that is what is possible in society.”

Misinformation confused with information

Recent surveys show the need for these types of classes is growing. 

In May 2024, the News Literacy Project surveyed 1,110 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 across the U.S. about their media diets and literacy skills. Eighty percent of the responding teens said they regularly see conspiracy theories online. Of that group, 80% self-reported believing at least one. These conspiracy theories vary from the earth being flat to government officials actually being “lizard people.” 

Beyond those alarming statistics, most students struggled to correctly read media in general. More than half the students could not tell the difference between branded content and reported articles and did not recognize that an op-ed was based on opinion, not fact. 

“We’ve been talking about media in relation to books forever. English teachers will talk about, ‘Here’s a book, and this is the context in which it was written,'” Sandler said. “We don’t have the skills for what’s happening on social media. We don’t have the skills for the flurry of activity of different websites…different channels.”

Students are also taught how to share what they’ve learned with the adults in their lives. In North Salem, Sandler said parents expressed that they wish they could get this training.

“We are working with a citizenry who does not know what to believe,” Sandler said.

“Misinformation gets confused with information. And ultimately, you can get to the point where nobody knows what to trust, and nobody trusts anything, and that’s a terrible place. That’s a terrible place to be in a democracy, that’s a terrible place to be as a person.”

An integral part of American education

It’s not just teachers and parents who see the need for these classes. In that same News Literacy Project survey, 94% of teens said they wanted media literacy classes but only 39% said they’ve taken one.

The NLP is working with schools to help them build some form of media literacy into their curriculum. Some schools have created dedicated media literacy classes, like in North Salem. Others are incorporating elements of media literacy into their subject-matter classes, like science and social studies. 

“We need to make sure every student is taught these skills and abilities before they graduate,” says Charles Salter, president and CEO of the NLP.