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Break the Fake: Verifying information online

Middle, Secondary

Description

This resource teaches students how to critically evaluate information they access on the internet using four simple steps. Students participate in a workshop that teaches them four quick, easy steps to verify online information. After practicing these four steps they create a public service announcement aimed at teaching one of these steps and spreading the message that it is necessary for everyone to fact-check information we see online every time we are going to share it or act on it.

Students will:

  • view a series of videos that explain one of the steps students can use to verify online information
  • after watching the video and reviewing a tip sheet, students practice verifying a claim online using the strategy they learned
  • work in groups to create a public service announcement (PSA) that teaches others one of the fact-checking steps and encourages people to verify information before sharing it online
  • present their PSAs to the class, explaining the audience they chose and the choices they made to target their PSA to that audience.

The lesson helps students become more responsible digital citizens by teaching them practical strategies to identify reliable information and reduce the spread of misinformation online.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • digital media literacy, the ability to critically, effectively and responsibly access, use, understand and engage with media of all kinds
  • critically evaluate online information, participate responsibly in the digital world, and consider different points of view

Strengths

  • The lesson explores a current issue that is particularly relevant to students’ lives

  • Lesson is age appropriate and easy to use

  • Students learn how messages are designed to influence audiences, which supports digital and media literacy.

  • Creating a public service announcement (PSA) encourages creativity and active participation.

Weaknesses

  • The lesson should provide strategies for students who need additional help
  • No assessment tools or rubrics are provided

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This lesson, designed for students in grades six to nine, and focuses on helping students develop digital media literacy and fact-checking skills.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

  • Step 1Select a province
  • Alberta
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Oral Language: Listening and speaking form the foundation for literacy development and improve communication, collaboration, and respectful mutual understanding.
      • Information Technology
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • ICT Curriculum: Communication, Inquiring, Decision Making and Problem Solving
        • ICT Curriculum: Foundational Operations, Knowledge and Concepts
    • Grade 7
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Enhance Clarity and Artistry of Communication
        • Explore Thoughts, Ideas, Feelings and Experiences
      • Information Technology
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • ICT Curriculum: Foundational Operations, Knowledge and Concepts
    • Grade 8
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Enhance Clarity and Artistry of Communication
        • Explore Thoughts, Ideas, Feelings and Experiences
      • Information Technology
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • ICT Curriculum: Foundational Operations, Knowledge and Concepts
    • Grade 9
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Enhance the clarity and artistry of communication
        • Explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.
  • British Columbia
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens
    • Grade 7
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking.
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens
    • Grade 8
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
    • Grade 9
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland & Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens
    • Grade 7
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking.
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens
    • Grade 8
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
    • Grade 9
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan
  • Yukon Territory
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens
    • Grade 7
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Exploring and sharing multiple perspectives extends our thinking.
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens
    • Grade 8
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
    • Grade 9
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • Media

Human Rights (1)

  • Education

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

Using videos and tip sheets students are equipped with practical digital literacy skills that help them critically evaluate online information, participate responsibly in the digital world, and consider different points of view.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory

The lesson effectively addresses the social dimension, but it does not directly cover environmental or economic aspects. The lesson plan focuses on digital literacy and critical thinking.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

The lesson effectively addresses the importance of fact-checking information online, helping students understand the need to verify content every time to prevent the spread of misinformation.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good

Students create and present their public service announcement to the class, explaining the audience they chose and the choices they made to target their PSA to that audience.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

This lesson plan focuses primarily on teaching students the necessary skills to evaluate information online. There are opportunities for discussions after viewing the videos, allowing students to share their thoughts and ideas.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Good

The lesson promotes respect and social awareness by teaching students to consider the impact of information on others and to act responsibly online.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Very Good

In today's world of social media, students need to be able to use, understand, and engage with all types of media in a critical, effective, and responsible way.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Poor/Not considered
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

Students learn and practice simple steps to verify online information while making discoveries along the way. There are multiple ways to approach verification, and different strategies may work for different situations.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
  • Language arts
  • Digital literacy
  • Technology
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

Students are learning to actively verify information themselves rather than just receiving facts, making discoveries along the way as they explore, question, and learn through investigation.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good
  • The lesson plan addresses a range of learning styles, visual, auditory but there are no modifications  to accommodate diverse learners.
Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

Students present their public service announcements to the class, explaining the audience they chose and the decisions they made to target their PSA to that audience. They also decide on the type of PSA they want to create such as a skit or live video, a stop motion etc.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory

Students work in groups.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Poor/Not considered

No assessment tools or rubrics are provided.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory

Students present their public service announcements to the class.

Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Poor/Not considered
Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good

Students use a different type of media product of their choice for their PSA or from one of the suggestions provided such as skit, live video, a meme or stop animation video.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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