Downloadable Lesson Documents

• Student Handout
• Extension Activity
• Teacher Tips

Key Vocabulary

1. Lateral Reading — finding additional sources as a means of checking the credibility of information you read online; "lateral" because multiple tabs are open across your screen.
2. Click Restraint — the act of scanning through search results or headlines and seeing what sources look promising — then make an informed decision about whether to click on it or not
3. Missing Context — a statement that is quoted or a photo or video that is used out of context or altered so that it seems to mean something different than what was intended.

Before You Watch

Why are social media posts that stir up strong emotions more likely to go viral?

While You Watch

Preview the MediaWise Teen-Fact Checking Network (TFCN) questions. Then watch the video and answer the questions. According to the video…

1. What information about Africa splitting apart was not included in the TikTok that would show the situation is not as alarming as it seems?
2. Why is it important to practice “click restraint” when using a search engine to find information?
3. According to “Seismo-Steve”, what is deceptive about some of the photos used in news articles about Africa splitting apart?

After You Watch

1. Why do people exaggerate claims like this one on their social media posts?
2. Why are social media posts that cause strong emotional reactions a red flag that you should do some lateral reading and practice click restraint to check out the claim?
3. Why is missing context such an effective technique to spread misinformation?

Extension Activity

Advertisements often leave out information to mislead buyers about how effective a product is compared to others. An aspirin company may advertise that “No other aspirin product eases pain better”. This hides the fact that they ease the pain the same. Or a cookie company advertises “With new, improved chocolate flavor” to hide the fact that the cookies actually have less chocolate now and more additives.

Use an effective keyword search, lateral reading and click restraint to find reliable sources to fact-check the claims below in the Extension Activity document.

About the Next Lesson

Be MediaWise Lesson 6: How social media algorithms create echo chambers This lesson will teach students about algorithms, confirmation bias and how to avoid getting stuck in an echo chamber.

Standards

Common Core ELA
CC.8.5.6-8; CC.8.5.9-10.A; CC.8.5.11-12.A - Citing informational text

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3)
D3.1.6-8. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

D3.1.6-12. Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection.

ISTE
6-12.1.4.a Students: know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.

Additional resources

• 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

These lessons were developed by PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs in partnership with MediaWise and the Teen Fact-Checking Network, which are part of the Poynter Institute. This partnership has been made possible with support from Google.