Let’s talk about fake news and journalism! Can you spot a troll? Do you know what a deepfake is? How much do you think a fake news producer makes? As we all try to become better critical thinkers, your audience will be inspired and delighted by these engaging keynote presentations.
There are lots of signs that we’re in information bubbles these days. You may be seeing one side of the story–your side. Other people may be in a very different bubble. In fact, each camp may have no idea there are other points of view. They would be very surprised to find that your bubble is so different from theirs, and vice-versa.
It’s time to burst those bubbles! Find out what other people are saying–and let them hear your point of view. Burst Your Bubble! helps you outsmart the algorithms that keep you in your bubble, so you can see more of what’s really happening.
Burst Your Bubble! is in stores November 11, 2025. Pre-order it online today! Illustrated by Jan Dolby and published by Owlkids Books. For ages 8-12 officially … but don’t you want to know how to burst your bubble as well (or help your parents to)?
I can apply to The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) on your school’s behalf for funds to do a free author visit in your classroom. Hurry, because I only have until Feb. 17 to apply.
The visit would be between April 1 and August 31, 2025 and there’s nothing for you to do except contact me and I’ll put in an application. (TWUC asks for your contact info and a proposed date for the visit.)
I would prefer visits in the Hamilton/Burlington area so you don’t have to pay my travel fees (and so I don’t have to travel!). But if you’re in another Ontario city, I can do a remote visit.
To ask me to apply for a free author visit, Contact me here or DM me on Instagram @JGCanada. There is no guarantee we’ll get the money, btw. TWUC has a pool of money and it’s generally first-come, first-served. But we’ve got nothing to lose!
Visit my profile on TWUC, or here for more info about my presentations. Below is my presentation reel to show you the absolute JOY AND THRILL of having me in! (You be the judge, lol!)
I got a chance to speak to 100 grade 5 students at a school north of Toronto recently, and afterward they lined up for an autograph. Not only did it give me the boost I needed to get through this week’s -13C temperatures, but it was a chance to connect with each and every student.
While writing can be an all-too-solitary endeavour, these kinds of moments remind you that kids truly love books and writing. (I was presenting a writing workshop.)
Together, we looked at “plain-‘ol” sentences and, adverb by adjective, made them better–and stranger–and wackier. And then we looked at how a whole story could some out of some of those sentences. And new characters, as well.
Half-way through my talk, I asked them, “Who here has already pushed themselves creatively–more than they thought they could, because of what we’ve been discussing today?” Nearly every hand went enthusiastically up. Some waved, the student they were connected to bouncing in their seat to let me know.
Those are young people who are engaged, excited about writing and interested in looking at fun, new ways of approaching their writing. And I didn’t leave out the teachers. Because oh, I realized that I was whipping up their classes into a bit of a frenzy, which can be a bit of a handful for them. (If you know my presenting style, you’ll understand what I mean, here. We do tend to get a bit… loud.) At some point, I pointed out that the work we were doing in this presentation could be turned into a lesson plan. Teachers could, if they wished, get the students to “use” those new sentences to create short stories, plot outlines or create new characters. I hope they’ll get to use them that way, because I sure appreciated their involvement in the presentation and their help throughout, handing out supplies and helping me select students during the Q&A.
Oh, and the students taught me some things too. They taught me some slang–some of which my own son had to explain further to me. I promise not to use it, though! And we also shared a bonding moment over One Piece, an anime show I’ve been watching lately–and one most of them knew well.
Anyway, this is a gratitude post. I’m grateful to have an audience for the work I do and for my books. And I’m very grateful to be able to visit schools like the one I went to yesterday, with students, teachers and staff who care.
And I’m very grateful they want my autograph! LOL!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Star’s Media Literacy for Educators event November 29.
I was left with an overwhelming sense of hope about the future of young people and the internet, after a great day chatting with educators and parents. I spoke about how to help young people think more critically about what they see and read online. My TeachingKidsNews.com co-founder, Jon Tilly, gave a teacher’s perspective with a brilliant talk about strategies and best-practices. And I got to interview the Star’s new editor-in-chief, Nicole MacIntyre about what the future holds for journalism and the Star. We capped the day off with a tour of the Star’s newsroom by Star librarian Astrid Lange.
Thank you to everyone who organized this fantastic day at The Well in Toronto!
Here’s a link to the coverage of the event in the Star:
An engaging, accessible look at internet algorithms and the importance of bursting your information bubble We are all in information bubbles, whether we realize it
This resource leads you through a series of activities, breaking the book up over several days. You will begin each day’s session by reading one section of the book and then completing one activity based on what you’ve read that day. Activities include: understanding illustrations, conducting an interview, understanding points of view, practicing making news, group discussion and analysis.
Are you looking for resources to teach kids about critical thinking and fake news? TeachingKidsNews.com by Joyce Grant has an extensive list of great resources you can use for free! For instance, BBC iReporter is a fast-paced online game that teaches kids how reporters must decide whether to post information or keep checking it for accuracy. It’s fun and real-world. Another great game you’ll find in our list of fake news resources is Spot the Troll which teaches kids how to know whether it’s a person or a bot following you. You’ll also find a list of scholastic papers, research and more to help teachers and parents prepare their kids for the online world and to help make them better critical thinkers.
TeachingKidsNews.com
Joyce Grant’s free website, TeachingKidsNews.com can help your students broaden their knowledge about journalism and critical thinking.
It is a great, free resource for teachers, parents and kids. Each kid-friendly news article is pulled from the headlines. Great for shared reading, individual study or group work. Every article is written by a professional journalist and has Think & Discuss questions as well as Links for deeper investigations.
There are more than a thousand archived articles on just about any topic you can imagine. And it’s all free! This award-winning website also features One Good Thing, simple articles about fun, uplifting topics.
Photos
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