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Break the Fake: What's Real Online

Elementary

Description

Break the Fake: What's Real Online is a digital literacy resource that explores the issue of misleading content online. It teaches the students how to create their own custom search engines in order to find accurate and reliable information.

The lesson begins with the students viewing the video "House Hippos 2.0" and discuss how easy it is to be fooled.

Next the students participate in a 'Quiz' that contains real and fake photos of various animals. This is followed by a discussion of reliable sources supported by questions and a handout that explains the characteristics of reliable sources and how to spot them.

Afterwards, the students search online for information about a so-called glass frog and look critically at the results they obtain. They will repeat the search but this time they will use the MediaSmarts Trusted Source search engine and compare the results. The students will then create their own custom search engines.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

This resource explicitly teaches the students how to create their own custom search engine in order to confidently search online for accurate information.

Strengths

  • Engaging activities that are hands-on and thought provoking
  • Important information for students as they move through the consumption of online information
  • All materials are provided and the links are up to date, making the resource easy to use
  • Useful background information on the creation of custom search engines

Weaknesses

  • No suggestions made for students who may struggle with the content

Recommendation of how and where to use it

Break the Fake: What's Real Online? is a great resource for the upper elementary classroom with its focus on developing an awareness of the issue of the reliability of information presented online. It empowers students by teaching them to create their own custom search engines for reliable content from trusted sources. This resource helps attain curriculum outcomes related to critical literacy skills and responsible digital consumership.

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.

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • Media

Human Rights (1)

  • Education

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

Students are introduced to the challenges of identifying fake online content via a video, images and discussion questions. Students are guided through this information in an open-ended manner that allows them to become a more observant and informed consumer of online content.

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 Poor/Not considered

The aim is to have the students create their own custom search engine that will allow them to examine other media content more confidently in the future.  It does not focus on the interplay of these dimensions

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 Very Good

The resource identifies and allows the students to create an understanding of the issue of reliability in online content. The creation of a custom search engine also addresses the need of the students to find reliable sources for information.

Respects Complexity:

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

Acting on Learning Very Good

The students create a custom search engine as the final activity. This will allow them to seek informaton in the future that is reliable and taken from trusted sources.

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 Satisfactory

The resource allows the students to identify and work towards creating an understanding of bias in media messages while also creating a custom search engine for accessing reliable information. It does also allow for the students to discuss and share ideas but it does not provide specific opportunities for them to express their values.

Values Education:

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

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

This is not a focus for this resource.

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

This is not a focus for this resource.

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

The learning is relevant to the daily lives of the learners as they are living in a digital world in which the daily consumption of media is standard. By teaching students to create their own search engine and to critically assess information, this lesson empowers the students.

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 Good

Although the resource does not explicitly address each aspect, it does explain the current reality of consuming online content that may not be reliable and creates confidence in the students for the future as they have a reliable tool to seek information.

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

The nature of the lesson plan and flow of the activities allow for the students to explore the topic and form their answers without bias.

Open-Ended Instruction :

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

Integrated Learning Very Good
  • Media literacy
  • Literacy
  • Health
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

This resource allows the students to explore the topic and seek answers by relying on their own experience. The students develop an understanding of issue of credibility in online information through information and examples provided and their own exploration .

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 variety of activities and material presented allows for learners of a variety of learning styles to be engaged in an authentic manner.  However, there are no strategies suggested for students who may have difficulty with the material.

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 Very Good

The aim of the lesson has real world implications as the students learn a valuable lesson about the reliability of online content but have a solution offered for reliable and trustworthy information via their custom search engine.

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 Poor/Not considered

Other than discussion questions that are completed as a group, the resource activities are completed individually.  The teacher can easily adapt this to suit the needs of the classroom.

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 Good

The overview of the lesson describes a final activity of creating a poster to communicate the importance of checking online content. The lesson itself does not include any other assessment tools nor does it have strategies for those who may struggle with the content.

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
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 are not included as a part of this resource.

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 are allowed a limited amount of choice as a part of this lesson.  This does not detract from the quality of the content nor from the value of the resource.

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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