A toolkit to instil essential life skills in your pupils…
In a world where anyone can publish anything, our pupils are growing up surrounded by information that is constant, chaotic, and not always credible. They are exposed to news, opinions, and online content from an ever-widening range of sources – including those created or influenced by AI.
Teaching ‘the news’ is a minefield, so teachers need reliable, tried-and-trusted resources that safeguard against misinformation while equipping students with the critical literacy skills to question, evaluate, and navigate the media landscape with confidence.
First News has created a new resource tailored for KS2 and KS3, rooted in the Media and Information Literacy Alliance’s (MILA) five aspirations (be informed, be empowered, be healthy, be socially conscious, be connected) and shaped by Bournemouth University’s theory of change for media literacy.
“Every lesson plan is thoughtfully put together, with guidance to help teachers navigate sensitive or ‘hot topic’ content with care.”
The First News MIL Frameworks set out the essential knowledge and foundational skills young people need to thrive in today’s information society. Each aspiration is supported by I know/I can statements that make media and information literacy explicit.
These are systematically addressed through TeachKit schemes of work, with clear learning objectives across the year and fortnightly news-based lessons mapped back to the framework for coherence and continuity.
An impressive collection of related resources on topical news items are there to download, including lesson plans, teaching slides and parent guides with additional resources such as vocabulary cards, scenario cards, sorting cards, worksheets, and templates. Taken together, these resources form a powerful package that helps students move far beyond the headline – encouraging them to dig deeper, question sources, analyse meaning, and develop genuine critical thinking.
Every lesson plan is thoughtfully put together, with guidance to help teachers navigate sensitive or ‘hot topic’ content with care. Clear learning objectives are set out from the start, and all the media and information literacy (MIL) links are made explicit so you can see exactly how each lesson builds your students’ skills.
Lessons follow a balanced format, blending starter activities, reading, discussion, creative production, and reflection. Editable PowerPoint slides are included, giving you the flexibility to adapt and tailor the content to your own context and learners.
A downloadable parent guide accompanies each lesson, featuring “Ask me what I learnt today” prompts to spark meaningful conversations at home.
The MIL TeachKit is intuitive and user-friendly, giving you instant access to your downloads, saved lessons, and any resources you’ve created. You can personalise your dashboard so it’s tailored to the year groups and subjects you teach, while also tracking your school’s network activity.
Quick links make it easy to jump straight to the resources you need, and you can seamlessly toggle between expert-written and community-crafted lessons and packs. One of the standout features is the built-in AI tool, which enables you to create high-quality lessons in just two minutes and that’s a real game-changer for busy teachers.
Students need news they can trust – and First News MIL equips them with the essential life skills to become confident, media- and information-savvy citizens. This TeachKit will provide teachers with impactful tools to help support students to question, analyse, and reflect on every form of media they encounter, use, and create.
