A Practical Toolkit for Information, AI, and Media Literacy
One Information, one Media, one AI focus — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus, for every grade level. A one-page quick reference, built to sit beside the full I AM Caring and Curious Toolkit, not replace it.
A quick-reference companion to the full I AM Caring and Curious Toolkit — not a replacement for it.
Each grade level in this packet has its own single page: the one Information, one Media, and one AI focus for that year, the one Care, one Curiosity, and one Connection capacity, and the one Identity & Presence, one Privacy & Agency, and one Wellbeing & Intentionality responsibility. Nine anchors, at a glance, for a single grade. It’s designed to be printed, hung in a classroom, or kept in a planning folder — something to glance at, not read cover to cover.
Every grade page has the same three rows, top to bottom — and the order is deliberate, not alphabetical:
Layer 2 sits in the middle of every page because it drives the other two. Care, Curiosity, and Connection aren’t a rest stop between what a student knows (Layer 1) and how they act on it (Layer 3) — they’re the engine. A student verifies a source, questions an AI output, or reflects on their online presence because they care about getting it right, stay curious enough to keep asking, and feel connected enough to the people the answer affects. Take Layer 2 out and Layer 1 becomes compliance and Layer 3 becomes a rule to follow, rather than a reason worth following it.
That’s why, on each page, the middle row isn’t just visually centered — it’s the row worth starting from if you only have time to look at one.
Within each cell, the bold line is the grade-level essential itself. The italic line below it is a plain-language gloss, for anyone who wants a quick reminder of what the term means, separated by a blank line so the two are easy to tell apart at a glance.
A note on Layer 3. Identity & Presence, Privacy & Agency, and Wellbeing & Intentionality develop across grade bands (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12) rather than changing every single year. So, for example, Grades 3, 4, and 5 share the same Layer 3 row — that’s intentional, not a printing error. Each page still names the specific band and its motto (for example, “Grades 3–5 · I build and protect.”).
A note on Care and Connection. Care includes how a student feels, not only what they notice in the world around them. And Connection’s call to understand people who see things differently is not a condition for being heard — a student who is hurting is not first asked to understand the other side.
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Ask: “How do we know this is real?”
The first habit of information literacy: pause and ask where something came from before believing it.
Identify a logo or brand
Logos are visual clues about who made or is selling something.
Distinguish human vs. machine voice
Some voices and responses are generated by a computer, not a person.
I notice something I like or don’t like, and I can say why.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask “why” about things I see and hear.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I notice that my friend can feel differently than I do about the same thing.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
I am the same me whether I’m talking in person or through a screen.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
I learn what information should stay private and how to ask trusted adults for help.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I begin recognizing when and how to use technology with balance and purpose.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Find two sources for one fact
Checking more than one source builds real confidence that something is true.
Identify ads vs. stories
Telling apart messages meant to sell something from messages that just inform or entertain.
Notice when a suggestion came from a machine
Automatic suggestions, like “watch next,” come from a computer, not a person.
I can point to something that matters to me and to someone else, and notice they might not be the same.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask more than one question about something that interests me.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I notice that a friend feeling differently than me doesn’t mean their feeling is wrong.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
I am the same me whether I’m talking in person or through a screen.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
I learn what information should stay private and how to ask trusted adults for help.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I begin recognizing when and how to use technology with balance and purpose.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Notice when two sources tell the story differently
When sources disagree, it doesn’t mean one is lying — it means we look closer.
Ask: “Who made this?”
Everything was made by someone; knowing who helps us judge why, and whether to trust it.
Notice that a machine’s suggestion isn’t always right
A computer’s suggestion is a guess, not a fact, and guesses can be wrong.
I can explain, in my own words, why something matters to me.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask a follow-up question when my first question doesn’t fully answer what I wondered.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I notice that someone with a different experience might need something different than I do.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
I am the same me whether I’m talking in person or through a screen.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
I learn what information should stay private and how to ask trusted adults for help.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I begin recognizing when and how to use technology with balance and purpose.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Use text features to verify
Author, date, and citations are clues for judging how much to trust a source.
Ask: “Why was this made?”
Every piece of media was made for a reason: to inform, sell, persuade, or entertain.
Experiment with simple prompts
Different questions to an AI get different answers. Students are in control of what they ask.
I can name a few things that matter to me and explain what they have in common.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask a question before I’m told the answer.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I notice that people from a different family or place might see the same thing differently.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
What I post stays, even after I’ve stopped thinking about it.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
I recognize the difference between public and private information and make safer choices online.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I reflect on how technology affects my attention, emotions, and daily habits.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Identify who published this and their purpose
Who published something shapes what they say and why. Different publishers, different agendas.
Identify persuasion
Naming techniques, like emotion, repetition, or urgency, that media uses to change what we think or do.
Ask where AI gets information
AI generates answers from patterns in its training data. It doesn’t “look things up” like a library.
I notice that the things I care about connect to people and situations beyond myself.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask questions to figure out how something works, not just what it is.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I notice that a story sounds different depending on who is telling it.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
What I post stays, even after I’ve stopped thinking about it.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
I recognize the difference between public and private information and make safer choices online.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I reflect on how technology affects my attention, emotions, and daily habits.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Look outside a source to see what others say about it
A source can’t fairly judge itself. Stepping outside it to check is a stronger test.
Identify missing perspectives
Every media message includes some voices and leaves others out. Asking who’s missing matters.
Identify AI errors
AI can sound confident while being wrong. Always check important answers against a reliable source.
I can explain how something I care about connects to a responsibility, even a small one.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask a question, then look for more than one answer before deciding what I think.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I notice that a disagreement can come from two people caring about different things, not just seeing things differently.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
What I post stays, even after I’ve stopped thinking about it.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
I recognize the difference between public and private information and make safer choices online.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I reflect on how technology affects my attention, emotions, and daily habits.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Use lateral reading
Leaving a site to search about it elsewhere is faster and more reliable than reading deeply within it.
Analyze clickbait
A dramatic headline isn’t evidence of importance. Check whether the content matches the claim.
Understand algorithm sorting
What appears first online reflects predicted clicks, not truth or importance.
I notice that what I care about has started to change as I’ve grown.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask a question and then check whether my first answer actually holds up.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I notice that two people can read the same story and walk away with different lessons.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
The version of me I show online is one I’m choosing, not the whole truth of who I am.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
What I give an AI tool becomes part of what it knows about me, even after the conversation ends.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I develop healthy boundaries with technology, including AI chatbots and companions, and recognize the difference between a conversation with a machine and a relationship with a person.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Verify quotes externally
A quote with someone’s name on it isn’t proof they said it. Trace it to the original.
Understand how platform design shapes messages
Character limits, likes, and autoplay shape what content gets made and how we engage with it.
Construct deliberate prompts and evaluate whether the output reflects your intent
Specific prompts get more useful answers, and checking the result against your goal is the real skill.
I can explain how my identity and experiences shape what I care about.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask questions that challenge my own first assumption, not just other people’s.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I recognize that my own background gives me blind spots too, not just other people’s.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
The version of me I show online is one I’m choosing, not the whole truth of who I am.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
What I give an AI tool becomes part of what it knows about me, even after the conversation ends.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I develop healthy boundaries with technology, including AI chatbots and companions, and recognize the difference between a conversation with a machine and a relationship with a person.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Check whether sources are independent
Many sites repeating one original report is still just one source, not several confirmations.
Identify logical fallacies
Naming flawed reasoning, like attacking the person or exaggerating a position, that makes weak arguments sound convincing.
Test for bias in outputs
AI can reproduce the biases in its training data. Check outputs for who benefits or is left out.
I can identify a value I hold and explain where it came from.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I ask a question precisely enough that I can actually go find a real answer to it.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I recognize that my own information environment shapes my perspective just as much as anyone else’s shapes theirs.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
The version of me I show online is one I’m choosing, not the whole truth of who I am.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
What I give an AI tool becomes part of what it knows about me, even after the conversation ends.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I develop healthy boundaries with technology, including AI chatbots and companions, and recognize the difference between a conversation with a machine and a relationship with a person.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Trace claims to original sources
Claims change as they pass through retellings. Going back to the original is the only way to be sure.
Analyze visual rhetoric
Framing, angle, and color in an image are choices that shape what we feel and believe.
Evaluate privacy trade-offs, including data as labor
Free platforms are often paid for with our attention and data. Understanding that trade-off matters.
I can take on a responsibility I didn’t choose and still find a genuine reason to care about it.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I keep asking after the first answer stops being satisfying.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
A disagreement between two people can come from each having been shown a different set of facts, not from either one being unreasonable.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
The presence I build now will be read by people I never get to explain myself to.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
If a service is free, my data and attention are very likely the product being sold.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I sustain balanced technology practices, including with AI tools designed to feel like relationships, and choose human connection when that is what I actually need.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Evaluate expertise vs. influence
A large following isn’t the same as real expertise. Credentials matter more than reach.
Distinguish misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation
False-by-mistake, false-on-purpose, and true-but-harmful are different problems that need different responses.
Assess AI synthesis vs. copying
AI blends patterns from many sources rather than copying one, but that’s not the same as original thinking.
I can act on something I care about, not just describe it.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I sit with a question that doesn’t have a clean answer, rather than forcing one.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I can represent someone else’s perspective accurately enough that they would recognize it as fair.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
The presence I build now will be read by people I never get to explain myself to.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
If a service is free, my data and attention are very likely the product being sold.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I sustain balanced technology practices, including with AI tools designed to feel like relationships, and choose human connection when that is what I actually need.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Evaluate quality of evidence
Not all evidence is equal. A personal story, a single study, and a research review carry different weight.
Analyze framing
Two accurate stories can feel very different depending on what’s emphasized, included, or left out.
Evaluate who benefits and who is harmed, including environmental costs
AI has real winners, losers, and environmental costs. Asking who pays is a civic question.
I can weigh competing things I care about and explain which one I’m choosing to prioritize, and why.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I follow a question across more than one field or discipline to understand it fully.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I can identify what a perspective I disagree with gets right, not only what it gets wrong.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
The presence I build now will be read by people I never get to explain myself to.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
If a service is free, my data and attention are very likely the product being sold.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I sustain balanced technology practices, including with AI tools designed to feel like relationships, and choose human connection when that is what I actually need.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD
One Information, one Media, one AI skill — one Care, one Curiosity, one Connection — one Privacy, one Agency, one Wellbeing focus for the year. You don’t need all nine at once — pick one to three and build them into an existing lesson.
Synthesize conflicting claims
Synthesis means understanding why sources disagree and forming an honest position, not just picking a side.
Create and critically evaluate counter-narratives
A counter-narrative should be more honest than what it challenges, not just more emotionally persuasive.
Apply human oversight, including civic and democratic accountability
“The AI decided” is never a final answer. Humans stay responsible for real-world consequences.
I can explain how what I care about is starting to shape a direction for my life, not just an opinion.
The capacity to sincerely care about people, things, and how a student feels — the spark everything else starts from.
I pursue a question because it matters to me, not because it was assigned.
What caring turns into when it meets the world's questions — the active habit of asking and pursuing, not a fixed trait.
I can hold a perspective I disagree with long enough to understand how someone arrived at it.
Discovering how what a student cares about and is curious about is relevant to themselves and others — without their own feelings needing to wait for that understanding first.
The presence I build now will be read by people I never get to explain myself to.
How a student's actions and participation online shape themselves and the people around them.
If a service is free, my data and attention are very likely the product being sold.
Making informed, thoughtful decisions about personal information and how it's used.
I sustain balanced technology practices, including with AI tools designed to feel like relationships, and choose human connection when that is what I actually need.
Using technology with awareness, balance, and purpose, rather than by default.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Glen Warren & Stephanie Gamache, District Teacher Librarians, LBUSD