LEARNING OBJECTIVE

To understand the phenomenon of fake news and analyze a variety of online news sources to check their validity

HEALTH ED STANDARD

Demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health (NHES 3)

KEY VOCAB

scams, opportunists, bogus, sensationalism, dubious, niche, unscrupulous, debunked, skeptical, algorithms

Lesson Plan: Which One is #FakeNews?

Teens are at risk for falling for bogus stories online. This article will teach them about the consequences of fake news—and how to tell if what they’re reading is real.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

 How can I evaluate news stories for truth and accuracy?

 CLOSE-READING QUESTIONS

  1. What is fake news and why do people put it online? Fake news is created when someone makes up information, posts it online, and spreads it across social media. Getting clicks on these stories brings in lots of money from advertising. 
  2. What are some ways you can spot fake news? List at least three. You can check the URL, double check the headline with an online search, be wary of too many pop-up ads, check the “About Us” section, and do a Google image search of the picture. 
  3. What is confirmation bias? It’s the idea that we’re more likely to buy into news that backs up what we already believe. 

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 CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

  1. Have you ever fallen for fake news before? Describe the story and where you found it. Answers will vary. 
  2. Why is fake health news so risky? Possible answer: People have an emotional connection to news that affects them personally, like health news, so they’re more likely to click on those stories. It’s dangerous because people might get information that can harm their health or the health of their families. 
  3. Why might teens be more likely to fall for fake news than adults? Possible answers: Teens don’t have as much experience with reading the news. Also, they might be eager to find exciting information that their friends don’t know about yet.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

EXTENSION ACTIVITY

NHES 8, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2

There’s no better way to become an expert on a subject than by teaching it to someone else. In this activity, students will use the FAKE NEWS WORKSHOP planner to create a presentation for younger students on how to spot fake news. Their presentation will need to include examples, pictures, and an interactive quiz or game. 

DIGGING DEEPER

NHES 3

In this activity, students will be split into teams and asked to follow the instructions on the SPOT THE FAKE NEWS GAME sheet. They’ll round up both fake and real articles to try and stump the other teams. To win a round, a group will need to be able to identify which of the articles are fake, giving at least three reasons why.

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