Materials
- Lesson outline
- Student handout
- Projector
- Computers and Internet Connection
- Background Reading
Activator (5 Minutes)
Display this tweet or a similar one that shows the importance of context.
Ask students why “my bad” means something different in different contexts. Explain what “context” means in relation to this meme if needed.
Explain that we will look at how viral posts about controversial topics that lack context can result in widely sharing misinformation about serious issues.
Acquisition (10 Minutes)
- Then display this tweet about gun control and book bans in OK. Ask students to first list the strong emotions it evokes. [Shock, Fear, Anger, etc.]
- Then ask them to write two questions they might ask in order to verify if the two claims in the tweet are accurate. Best answers are:
- Are high school seniors in Oklahoma allowed to carry an AR-15 without a permit?
- Is “To Kill a Mockingbird” banned from Oklahoma high schools?
- After discussing the questions, explain that these questions would become good “long-tail” keyword search terms to find out additional information about each claim.
- Preview the key vocabulary — Explain they will be learning about the “top five ways to check for missing context” and ask them to add the definitions to their handout.
- 1- Look up the source of the information – read the poster’s bio and identify any organizations with whom they are affiliated.
- 2- Identify potential bias – Read about the mission of any source’s organizational affiliations. Think about how the source may feel about the topic.
- 3- Search using specific “long-tail” keywords – a long-tail keyword search is a phrase with 4 or more words specific to the information you are looking for.
- 4- Practice “click restraint”– “click restraint” means resisting the urge to click the first search result. It may be a paid ad or come from a biased source.
- 5- Evaluate search results – Use Google’s “About This Result” tool by clicking the three dots to the right of search results to evaluate their credibility.
Application (25 Minutes)
- Explain that students will watch a video from the MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network that looks for the missing context of the two claims in this tweet.
- Ask students to track how the missing context was found using the five steps by answering the questions in the table as they watch the video.
- After watching the video, discuss the answers.
- 1- The source of the tweet is affiliated with what organization?: Moms Demand Action
- 2- What bias about the topic of “gun violence” might the source have?: MDA is a group that uses donations and volunteers to fight against gun violence in America. The group’s mission is to “pass stronger gun laws” and “close the loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our families.”
- 3- Two questions
- (i) What specific “long-tail search phrase” was used to search for more information about gun laws in OK?: “Can high school seniors in Oklahoma carry AR-15s without permits?” — Note that the question can be the search term!
- (ii) What specific “long-tail search phrase” was used to search for more information about the “To Kill a Mockingbird” ban in OK schools?: “to kill a mockingbird banned Oklahoma”
- 4- How did the teen fact-checker evaluate the search results?: Clicked on the three dots next to search results to see Google’s “About Result” tool.
- 5- Which two search results were avoided? Why?
- (1)- Giffords Law Center, which is an “advocacy and research organization focused on promoting gun control.”
- (2)- National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, which is “committed to preserving” Second Amendment Rights.
- What search result was selected? Why?: KOCO News, an ABC affiliate in Oklahoma City. It says: “The law allows people to carry a gun without a permit or license, and it applies to those 21 years old or older, or those 18 and in the military.”
- What answers did the search for context find out about the two questions raised by the tweet?
- Are high school seniors in Oklahoma allowed to carry an AR-15 without a permit?
- Oklahoma’s gun laws allow 18-year-olds, the age of high school seniors, to carry guns without a permit — BUT not ALL 18-year-olds, ONLY those who are active members of the U.S. military. And the KOCO story also points out that guns are NEVER allowed in any schools in Oklahoma. See Permitless carry is now legal in Oklahoma; here are some places that won’t allow guns
- Is “To Kill a Mockingbird” banned from Oklahoma high schools?
- There is ONE school district in Oklahoma out of all 509 districts that has banned “To Kill A Mockingbird” in its libraries and classrooms: the city of Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City. See PEN America’s List of School Book Bans
- Are high school seniors in Oklahoma allowed to carry an AR-15 without a permit?
Assessment (5 Minutes)
“What’s the Big Idea?” Discussion Questions
- How do posts with missing context about controversial topics increase the odds of spreading misinformation? Posts about controversial topics without context exaggerate or misrepresent the issue and cause strong emotions like fear or anger which cloud our logic and trigger our reflex to share the information.
- Why is it important to check for missing context in posts that trigger strong emotions? Strong emotions like fear or anger cloud our ability to think logically and trigger a “fight or flight” reflex without thinking about the information first.
- Why is it important to evaluate the results of an online search for context? Often the top search results are paid ads by organizations or companies with an agenda and a biased opinion about the topic and will not provide factual information.
Extension and Refining Activity
Search for context about an online post you find or is assigned to you and complete the table below.
| Technique | Question and Answer |
| 1- Look up the Source of the information | With which organizations is the source affiliated? |
| 2- Check for bias | What bias might the source have? |
| 3- Search using specific “long-tail” keywords | Write a specific “long-tail search phrase” to search for context. |
| 4- Practice “Click Restraint” | |
| 5- Evaluate search results | Which search results were avoided? Which search results selected? Why? |
Example Post to assign: Link to the article cited in the tweet – “FDA warns chemicals from sunscreen enter your bloodstream after one day”
Original Tweet (and link to the tweet):
Additional Resources
- Permitless carry is now legal in Oklahoma; here are some places that won’t allow guns
- School districts respond to list of banned books
- PEN America’s list of school book bans
- MediaWise “Is This Legit?” series
- How to combat political misinformation from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
- Fact-checking lesson for Student Journalists
- Misinformation Overload: Interviews from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
- StoryMaker Media Literacy Learning
- 10 tips to spot media misinformation
- Journalism in Action, a history of journalism in the U.S., including political satire, from PBS NewsHour Classroom
MediaWise is a digital media literacy initiative of the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Now in over 170 middle and high schools, PBS NewsHour 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 today’s youth face.
