Newshounds Stop. Think. Check.
Join Squiz-E the Newshound as he sniffs out fishy stories on the internet.
A free, nine-part, ready-to-teach classroom resource for primary school kids – designed by teachers. Complete with accompanying classroom workbook and a comprehensive teacher manual. Designed to make every student an internet detective, and every educator an instant media literacy expert.
There's more information coming at our kids than ever before.
There’s never been a more important time to teach kids to be critical consumers of media.
Newshounds teaches kids to STOP, THINK and CHECK before believing everything they see, read or hear online.
Devised by the award-winning team behind Squiz Kids Today, Australia’s premier daily news podcast for 8-12yos, the Newshounds media literacy program gives teachers and parents essential tools to teach this increasingly important life skill – and spark vital conversations along the way.
And it’s absolutely free…
“I cannot recommend it highly enough. The teacher manual that comes with Newshounds means I don’t
need to be an expert in media literacy to teach it. Within the curriculum we look at advertising and
cybersafety – but the Newshounds media literacy program adds another important element. We’re living
in this world where kids have so much access to information and social media is still relatively new. A lot
of teachers are coming from an age where we didn’t have it – so it’s hard sometimes to know exactly how
to integrate it and teach kids to be savvy.”
Year 5/6
“This program is such a beautiful package for upskilling students to identify mis- and dis-information and
to think critically when they come across a range of media. It is well paced and easy to deliver; one Year
4 class did it week by week, another delivered it as a one-week intensive – both were highly successful
and well received by the students. Newshounds is incredibly well thought-out, which makes it an
absolute cinch to deliver (and I felt like I was upskilled in the process). Can’t recommend highly enough
and plan to make it a standard in our delivery of digital literacies while ever we have access to this great
program.”
Year 4 teacher, Ngunnawal Primary School, ACT
“Newshounds fills a vital gap in our classrooms, empowering my students to decipher media bias and
assess its accuracy. It is a plug-and-play program that walks students through the steps of unpacking and
addressing media bias, accuracy and the authenticity of its source. The content of Newshounds
seamlessly integrates with the new English Syllabus and addresses outcomes in Oral Language and
Communication, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, and Understanding and Responding to Literature.”
Year 5/6 Teacher, Exeter Public School, NSW
“We have used NewsHounds with our Year 4 classes two years in a row. It runs at the end of the year,
when most teachers are dishing out ‘busy work’, we are running a high quality Literacy program.
We value Newshounds for its ability to make students (and adults!) stop, think, check in a world where
fiction and reality are becoming increasingly blurred.”
Saint Francis Xavier School, Montmorency, Vic
“Stumbling across Newshounds has been life saving. The program covers everything I had thought of and
more. It has quite literally saved me hours and hours of preparation. We are only two lessons in. The
students are engaged and curious and are becoming critical thinkers regarding the media and all of its
offerings.”
Year 5 Teacher, Anglesea Primary School, Vic
“Even up here on Thursday Island our kids are not immune to misinformation. So I was delighted when
Squiz Kids created Newshounds and started to teach kids to think critically about the information they
are being flooded with on a daily basis through their phones.
Newshounds was easy to teach, the kids loved it, Squiz-E the Newshound is a bit of a cult-hero here and
I’ll definitely be incorporating it into my teaching schedule again this year.”
Thursday Island
“I absolutely loved doing Newshounds with my class last year. It was one of the best programs we did.
My students were highly engage and loved making their podcasts which they shared with the whole
school.”
Munno Para, SA
“Myself and my kids loved the Newshounds program, a perfect way to end the year and send them into
year 5. The teacher manual meant I didn’t have to be an expert on the topic of media literacy. The
change in behaviour of my students when consuming information online has been remarkable.”
All Saints College, Perth, WA
“Newshounds should be in every Year Four to Six classroom! It is a clear, engaging way to teach media
literacy. The content is thought provoking, eye opening and helps the students to better navigate this
complex world we live in. The lessons were easy to roll out – as everything had been prepared by the
team at Newshounds.”
Ivanhoe, Vic
“We completed ALL sessions of Newshounds last year and loved it all. We even made our own podcast at
the end. My biggest take away is that since doing the program she can see all of her students applying
what they have learned – they are fact checking everything they see online, which as an educator, is just
the most heart-warming thing to see.
“The teacher manual made it super easy to teach and the curriculum mapping meant I was able to easily
slot it into existing units of work. I’ll be using it again this year with my Year 5 class.”
Year 6
As a teacher of 25 years’ experience, I am always adapting to our changing society and student needs. I followed the program through totally. The resource they have is easily accessed by a busy class teacher who isn’t the most technologically
blessed.
Year 6
This program is about “participating in fun and meaningful activities which guide them in recognising and creating quality media.”
Year 5/6 Teacher, International Grammar School, NSW
How does Newshounds work?
Built like an online board game, Newshounds challenges students to navigate their way through the maze of the Internet, exposing fake news and misinformation as they go.
With every session, they earn a vital tool for their Internet Detective’s Kit.
Squiz-E the Newshound leads kids on their media literacy journey.
With every session he delves deeper into the murky maze of the Internet, emerging on the other side kitted up and ready to explore the web.
Who is Squiz-E the Newshound?
Squiz-E is the world’s first Internet Detective Dog.
As a bloodhound, he comes from a long line of famous dogs with a nose for trouble.
With your help, he will make his name as a Newshound – a new breed of internet sleuths sniffing out fake news and misinformation.
Take a sneak peek!
1. Check out the podcast sample
2. Download Student Workbook sample
Download the PDF
Proudly supported by
41%
of 7-12 year olds get their news and information from social media
according to their parents and teachers.
78%
of parents are worried about their kids being exposed to misinformation on social media
*Squiz Kids, Kids + Media Survey 2023
90%
of teachers hadn't had any, or felt they needed more, media literacy professional learning
Squiz Kids Today
A daily news podcast made just for kids.
Newshounds
Our free media literacy classroom resource teaching kids to spot misinformation online.
Squiz the World
An audio excursion exploring the countries of the world.
Squiz Shortcuts
A deep dive into a news topic of high interest to kids.
The S'Quiz
Kids vs. Adults. Work out who's smarter with our weekly news quiz.
Q&As
Where the tables are turned and kids get to ask the questions.
Money + Me
A financial literacy podcast for primary-school aged kids.
World of Civics
Explore the history of Australian democracy and how politics works.
Gang-Gang's guide to referendums
His home town Canberra is all a-flutter over something called 'a referendum'.
Listen & Connect
We are often asked
Full FAQsIs Newshounds free?
Yes. Newshounds is a free resource, teaching primary school kids to spot misinformation when they come across it online. It’s part of our stated mission at Squiz Kids to prepare kids for the online world before they get a smartphone in their hands (and while they’re still young enough to listen to the adults in their life….)
Is Newshounds safe and appropriate for kids?
Absolutely. Newshounds is developed with age-appropriate content and language, ensuring that the material is safe and suitable for students in grades 3-6. The program also emphasises responsible and ethical use of media, teaching students how to navigate online environments safely. Additionally, the activities are designed to be authentic and meaningful to this age group, using real-world examples and scenarios that resonate with their experiences, making learning both engaging and relevant.
Can Newshounds be used with adults?
While Newshounds is specifically designed for grades 3-6, the fundamental concepts of media literacy are relevant for all age groups. The program’s principles can be adapted for adult learners, especially in contexts where understanding misinformation and media manipulation is essential.