CA · State topic guide

Lateral Reading in California

Curriculum teams in California use this guide to scope lateral reading across ELA, social studies, and library blocks. Teach students to leave a suspicious page and verify claims across the open web. Verify all requirements against your state department of education — this page supports planning, not legal compliance.

Last reviewed 2026-07-05

California alignment lens

Most California districts connect lateral reading to informational reading, research skills, speaking and listening, and digital citizenship expectations. Map one SaC module series to your local scope and sequence before district-wide rollout.

Pilot workflow

Pilot in one elementary and one secondary site, train facilitators on Orange-Coded Navigator's Guides, and collect student sourcing samples after nine weeks.

Recommended actions

  • Read California media literacy standards overview
  • Browse Lateral Reading grade-band resources
  • Explore district hubs in California

SaC curriculum fit

Split a Cookie (SaC) supports California lateral reading programs with Pluggable Curriculum Assets, Blue-Coded learner handouts, and Orange-Coded Navigator's Guides — built for zero-prep deployment by teachers and substitutes.

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