IL · State topic guide
News Literacy in Illinois
Curriculum teams in Illinois use this guide to scope news literacy across ELA, social studies, and library blocks. Core skills for understanding how news is produced, why errors occur, and how to read critically across formats. Verify all requirements against your state department of education — this page supports planning, not legal compliance.
Last reviewed 2026-07-05
Illinois alignment lens
Most Illinois districts connect news literacy 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 Illinois media literacy standards overview
- Browse News Literacy grade-band resources
- Explore district hubs in Illinois
SaC curriculum fit
Split a Cookie (SaC) supports Illinois news literacy programs with Pluggable Curriculum Assets, Blue-Coded learner handouts, and Orange-Coded Navigator's Guides — built for zero-prep deployment by teachers and substitutes.