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Lesson Plans

Lesson plan: ‘I can’t believe it when I see it!’ A primer on spotting misinformation

June 8, 2022

 

Video courtesy of the Poynter Institute

Overview

Students will learn how misinformation with an image or video is more believable and can lead them to unintentionally share information that is misleading or inaccurate. Use this lesson to introduce students to the nuances of how misinformation spreads around major events, sometimes unintentionally, with a focus on the unintended consequences of sharing even “feel-good” misinformation. Students will learn how to recognize when to fact-check something and some basic fact-checking tools. Students will address the following central questions:

  • How do you make sure information in a social media post is accurate?
  • What is the motivation behind sharing misinformation intentionally or unintentionally?
  • How can sharing misinformation have unwanted consequences?

This lesson was developed by Student Reporting Labs in partnership with MediaWise and the Teen Fact-Checking Network, which are part of the Poynter Institute. For more information on Media Wise, the Teen Fact-Checking Network and Student Reporting Labs, see the end of this lesson. This partnership has been made possible with support from Google.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Explain how imagery is used to spread misinformation
  • Explain the difference between “disinformation” and “misinformation”
  • Analyze the motivation behind sharing disinformation and misinformation
  • Analyze the potential consequences of sharing misinformation
  • Recognize when to fact check 
  • Fact check a suspect image, video or claim with an appropriate tool

Subjects

Media literacy, civics

Estimated Time

45 minutes for slide deck; 60 – 90 minutes for slide deck and extension activity

Full Lesson

View

When would you use this lesson?

Use this lesson to introduce students to the nuances of how misinformation spreads around major events, sometimes unintentionally, with a focus on the unintended consequences of sharing even “feel-good” misinformation. Students will learn how to recognize when to fact-check something and some basic fact-checking tools.

Key vocabulary

  • Disinformation: False information created and shared to purposefully cause harm.
    • A Russian “troll” posts about ballots thrown out.
  • Misinformation: False information shared by people who are not aware that it is false. In fact, most times they post it with the intention to help.
    • Your aunt shares the a video of an Eagle snatching a toddler from a park in order to alert her loved ones about a potential threat.
  • Motivation: The difference between disinformation and misinformation.
  • OWWWWW!: Acronym that reflects the sound we make when we feel pain as a way to remember how to “pre-bunk” information before resharing it.
    • Origin
      • Who shared it?
      • When was it originally shared?
      • Where was the imagery originally captured?
    • What was the motivation for sharing it?
    • Who else is reporting it?

Materials:

Media literacy connection

This lesson will equip students to recognize potentially false information online and equip them to fact-check images, videos and claims. Students will also be able to analyze the motivation behind the sharing of disinformation and misinformation.

Civics connection

Misinformation is often spread surrounding major news events, such as the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Students will be better equipped to sort through the validity of news stories and claims on social media about world events.

Additional resources

Standards

Writing – Research to Build and Present Knowledge

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9

Speaking and Listening — Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6

Empowered Learner

Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences. (ISTE)

Digital Citizenship

Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical. (ISTE)

Analyze the legal and ethical responsibilities required in the arts, audio/visual technology and communications workplace.

CCTC – AR 4.1

Civic and Political Institutions

In order to act responsibly and effectively, citizens must understand the important institutions of their society and the principles that these institutions are intended to reflect. That requires mastery of a body of knowledge about law, politics, and government. (NCSS D2.Civ.1.9-12 – D2.Civ.6.9-12)

Gathering and Evaluating Sources

Whether students are constructing opinions, explanation, or arguments, they will gather information from a variety of sources and evaluate the relevance of that information. (NCSS D3.1.9-12 – D3.2.9-12)

Speaking and Listening — Comprehension and Collaboration

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1-CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3

Research sources


MediaWise is a digital media literacy initiative of the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Now in over 170 middle and high schools, NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs (SRL) is a national youth journalism program that trains teenagers across the country to produce stories that highlight the achievements and challenges of today’s youth.

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