In a world marked by incessant flows of information, in which news go around fast and not always grounded in a commitment to the truth, learning to read critically is a fundamental skill. 

In 2025, children in Year 4 took a deep dive into this issue and developed a powerful project: the “Year 4 Newspaper”. The pedagogical project enabled children to take on various roles within the world of information, such as readers, researchers, and content producers, inviting them to reflect on truth, perspective, sources, and responsibility in communication.

Developed over the course of the third trimester, the project was closely aligned with the Year 4 Portuguese Language curriculum, in which work with the news genre is one of the central pillars. “We worked on different aspects of news writing, both textual and grammatical, such as the importance of verbs and headlines, and the use of the present tense, which helps convey the timeliness and relevance of an event,” explains teacher Laura Marin. She states that more than technical learning, the study of the genre is understood as an exercise in reading the world.

This critical point of view did not only emerge at the time of the final project, which culminated in the newspaper itself. According to the teacher, it was a process built since the beginning of the school year. The Year 4 curriculum is marked by intense work on perspectives. “From the very beginning of the year, we talked extensively about the difference between truth and point of view, and about the care we need to take when expressing opinions,” Laura explains. This conceptual foundation supports a deeper exploration of journalism, in which the central question becomes: what is the responsibility of those who inform?

By analyzing headlines, reports, and news stories featuring interviewees, children gradually learned to identify where the facts are presented, where opinions are introduced, and how the inclusion of diverse voices contributes to building meaningful dialogue. “We came to understand the place of opinion within a news story and how that differs from inventing or distorting a fact,” the teacher explains. In this process, the topic of fake news appears not as an abstract subject, but as a concrete issue of everyday life.

The project started with the reading of the book “Esquadrão Curioso: os caçadores de fake news”, by Marcelo Duarte, chosen as holiday reading. The work sparked great interest among the children as it introduces characters who investigate news shared on social media and verify the accuracy of the information. “This book had a very strong impact on them. After reading it, the class felt the need to share what they were learning and began creating posters for the school’s reading room, warning other classes about the importance of verifying information.” 

According to Laura, the posters included practical tips: checking whether a news story has an author, a date, and a location; seeing whether the outlet publishes other reliable stories; and comparing the information with other sources. This initiative was aligned with other projects carried out by the school, such as MAC (be.Living’s Art and Science Fair), which also reinforces the idea that scientific research requires the use of reliable sources. “We spent a lot of time discussing how to conduct proper research, because without good sources there is no serious research,” Laura says, highlighting how the project spanned different areas of knowledge.

The journalistic repertoire, however, was not limited to a specific moment. Reading news and analyzing facts were core topics discussed throughout the entire school year, establishing a strong foundation so that, in the third trimester, the children were able to produce their own newspaper. The story ideas emerged from the group’s interests, always taking into account that the newspaper would circulate within the school and speak to the entire school community.

The result was a newspaper featuring six news stories, reflecting both the perspectives of the children on the world and the values fostered by the school. The first article, collectively constructed, addressed the topic of fake news, bringing together information from the book and from other readings done throughout the year. “It was a collective production that compiled much of what the group had been studying,” highlights the teacher.

Other stories showed how attentive the children are to cultural, social, and environmental issues. One of the students wrote about the 36th São Paulo Biennial, an educational field trip experienced by the entire school community. To write the story, the student researched the history of the event, interviewed Year 1 students about their first experience at the Biennial, and explored the theme of that year’s edition, which was inspired by a poem by Conceição Evaristo. The choice of topic revealed the student’s awareness of the cultural significance of the event in the city where she lives.

Another article was dedicated to MAC. The student who wrote it interviewed children from different classes as well as the pedagogical coordination team to understand why the fair is such a meaningful event. “She highlighted the importance of listening to the school’s roots, of understanding why MAC exists and how it contributes to the learning process,” reports the Year 4 teacher.

The newspaper also discussed global issues, such as COP30, held this year in Belém. The article highlighted the history of the conference and emphasized the participation of children and young people in the event, connecting the theme to the school’s ongoing discussions about climate change and intergenerational responsibility. Information gathered through an interview with environmental engineer Livia Ribeiro, from Reconectta — a partner of the school in the area of sustainability — helped enrich the report with data and context.

The world of sports was also featured in a story about the new format of the FIFA Club World Cup, selected by a student who is a fan of soccer. The piece highlighted the participation of Brazilian teams and the historic milestone of a women’s team reaching the semifinals, connecting the student’s personal interest to a relevant event in the sports world.

Finally, one of the articles addressed the impact of artificial intelligence on the school environment. The topic related to a project carried out with Year 5 and reinforced central discussions: the importance of resorting to sound sources and the conscious use of digital tools. “The story sparked a reflection on how artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool, but requires great care and attention,” comments the teacher.

More than a final product, the Year 4 Newspaper represented a deep learning process. By investigating, interviewing, writing, and revising, the children developed autonomy, responsibility, and critical thinking. In times of misinformation, learning to ask “where does this information come from?” and “can I trust this source?” is a powerful educational gesture. At our school, the news genre has become a tool for civic education, preparing children to read the world with greater awareness, critical thinking, and empathy.