The ability to distinguish between correlational and causal claims is core knowledge for scientific literacy. News reports of scientific research prominently feature these claims. Thus, this knowledge has significant real-world application, and distinguishing among claims is critical to making sense of the reported research. We constructed an introductory psychology course with a series of brief exercises and assessments designed to improve students' abilities to both understand the core concepts of correlation and causation and to apply their knowledge to real-world situations. Pre-post data on definitions and research in the news headlines revealed that students improved on both tasks by the end of the term.