Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Media Literacy · Grade 9

The SIFT Method

Ninth graders learn SIFT — a fast, professional routine for checking online information: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims to the original. Four moves that cut through misinformation in seconds.

Grade 9The SIFT Method55 minutes1 class periodMedia Literacy · CCSSExplicit teaching4 StandardsCCSS / NAMLE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Learn the SIFT moves.
  • ✓Investigate & trace.
  • ✓Order the steps.
  • ✓Check info fast.
Essential Question

How do experts check online info in under a minute? They SIFT. What are the four moves?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the SIFT Moves

Project this and have students put the SIFT moves in order.

🔎 Put the SIFT moves in order!Try it
Tap the first move!
The Lesson · Literacy Flow (Hook · Explore · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Check It in Seconds

6 min

Experts check online info in under a minute — they SIFT. What are the moves?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a viral claim.
  • Ask how to check it fast.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — The SIFT Method

13 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present the four moves.
  • Note investigate & trace.
  • Note stop first.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Order It

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Moves.
  • Put it in order.
  • Explain.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Apply

15 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • SIFT a real claim.
  • Trace it to the source.
  • Share your verdict.

🎒 Student Actions

  • SIFT.
  • Trace.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the SIFT moves.
  • Say why stop first.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name them.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core ELA Standards (informational literacy) & NAMLE media-literacy competencies.

CCSS
W.9-10.8

Assess source usefulness & credibility.

CCSS
RI.9-10.1

Cite strong evidence.

NAMLE
Evaluate

Verify online information.

CCSS
RI.9-10.9

Analyze across sources.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Move cards.
  • Sentence frame: “First ___, then ___.”
  • Use a sample claim.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with STOP & INVESTIGATE.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Use examples.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • SIFT three claims.
  • Trace an image’s origin.
  • Teach the method.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🔎A sample claim
  • 💻Order the SIFT Moves
  • 📚Fact-checker sites
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

SIFTStop, Investigate, Find, Tracestoppause before reactinginvestigatecheck the sourcefindlook for better coveragetracefollow to the originalsourcewho’s behind itverifyconfirm it’s trueoriginalwhere it started
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does SIFT stand for?
Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace to the original.
QUESTION 2
What is the FIRST SIFT move?
Stop — pause before you react or share.
QUESTION 3
What does “Trace” mean?
Follow a claim back to its original source.

Reflect: the SIFT method.

Have students SIFT one online claim and explain what they found. A printable SIFT sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 The SIFT MethodFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 The SIFT MethodQuiz
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1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ The SIFT MethodPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: find, investigate, original, SIFT, source, stop, trace, verify
  1. Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace
  2. check the source
  3. look for better coverage
  4. confirm it’s true
  5. who’s behind it
  6. where it started
  7. follow to the original
  8. pause before reacting

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does SIFT stand for?
  2. What is the FIRST SIFT move?
  3. What does “Trace” mean?
Answer key — Part A: 1) SIFT · 2) investigate · 3) find · 4) verify · 5) source · 6) original · 7) trace · 8) stop
Part B: 1) Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace to the original. 2) Stop — pause before you react or share. 3) Follow a claim back to its original source.