Evaluate resources and claims

Introduction

We know that in grades K-2, information literacy isn't about teaching kids how to use a database—it’s about helping them wonder, "How do we know that’s true?" and "Who told us that?"

In today’s session, we’re going to explore how Gemini can support you in making these abstract concepts concrete for our littlest learners.

We want our students to be curious but critical. Information literacy is the superpower we give them to navigate a world full of media with confidence and clarity. And Gemini isn't here to replace your teaching; it’s a tool to help you create materials that meet students exactly where they are.

In K-2, we’re teaching foundational information literacy. This includes concepts like understanding the difference between a fact and an opinion. So, your students understand that “I love pizza” is different from “Pizza has cheese.”

Another important concept for our young learners is recognizing that information comes from a person or a place. It is important to identify that source because some people know more about specific topics than others. For example, a veterinarian is a better source for dog advice than a person who just likes puppies.

Creating activities to teach your class about these two concepts is a large time investment. This is how Gemini can be particularly useful. It can generate a range of different fact vs. opinion and sourcing scenarios for your students to practice in less than a minute.

Now, thinking ahead, identify one specific topic you’re teaching next week. By the end of this session, you’ll have a resource that helps your students ask, "Where did this information come from?"

Demo

Let’s use Gemini to create a ‘Who Do We Trust?’ activity—a core skill in evaluating sources.

We want our students to understand that an expert is a more reliable source for facts than a hobbyist.

Step 1: We’ll start by opening Gemini: gemini.google.com

• Point out the interface and the prompt bar at the bottom

Step 2: Paste the following prompt into the prompt bar:

I am a first-grade teacher. Write two very short 'About the Author' blurbs (2 sentences each) for a book about bees. Author A: A scientist who studies insects in a lab. Author B: A person who likes the color yellow and eats honey on their toast. Write a follow-up question: 'If we want to know how a bee makes honey, which person is the best source to ask?' Use vocabulary for a 1st grade student.

Step 3: Review the output and ask for any questions.

By creating these side-by-side comparisons, we’re teaching our students to evaluate the authority of a source. And, we just created a high-level information literacy lesson within a minute.

Now, it’s your turn to try this out.

Practice

Step 1: Open gemini.google.com and enter one of these information literacy prompts:

Give me 5 facts and 5 opinions about [Your Topic, example: Owls] written at a 2nd grade reading level. This will help my students practice identifying what can be proven.

Explain what a 'source' is using an analogy that a 2nd grade student would understand. Focus on the idea that information has to come from somewhere.

Step 2: Evaluate the output.

Ask: Does this help your students understand why they should trust the information they’ve found?

Step 3: If it's too complex, remember, don’t start over. In the prompt bar, just type the change you want, like: Make it simpler for a kindergarten student.

Continue to iterate like this until Gemini generates an output that works for your class.

Gemini provided the content, but you provided the expertise to vet it. What specific 'tweak' did you have to make to ensure the information was not just accessible, but actually meaningful for your specific group of learners?

Reflection

As we wrap up today’s session, I want to emphasize that the goal of foundational information literacy isn't to make students experts in digital research—it's to make them thinkers.

By using Gemini to quickly create fact vs. opinion activities and scenarios for evaluating sources, you are building a habit of mind where your students naturally ask, "How do we know?" and "Who said so?" You are teaching them that they have the power to question and verify information.

If teaching the beginning steps of information literacy is new to you, start small. Think about how you can incorporate either one ‘Source of the Day’ or one ‘Fact vs. Opinion’ sorting activity per week that builds your students’ critical-thinking superpower over time. And with Gemini, you have a tool to create these scenarios in seconds rather than hours.

Ready to certify your skills? Complete the short quiz that follows to demonstrate your fluency of these concepts and claim your badge.