Overview
Students begin the lesson by reviewing the media sources that they consult for news and information and analyze why they use and trust these sources. Students then watch a BBC film on “Fake News”, taking notes and later discussing in small groups what is a fact and journalistic processes to ensure that news is reliable and accurate.
Grade Level
8th-12th Grades
Essential questions the lesson will address:
● What is a fact and how do we know?
● What types of information sources and journalistic processes can be used to help ensure that news items are accurate?
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
● Define what a fact is.
● Understand why some journalists promote “fake news”.
● Describe journalistic processes to ensure that news is reliable and accurate.
Common Core State Standards
unMASKing Curriculum Glossary
● Fact: something that is known to have happened or to exist, especially something for which proof exists or about which there is information (Dictionary.Cambridge.org).
● Fake News: false stories that appear to be news, spread on the Internet or using other media, usually created to try to influence political views or as a joke (Dictionary.Cambridge.org).
● Disinformation: false information deliberately and often covertly spread (such as through rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth (Mirriam-Webster).
● Eyewitness: someone who sees an occurrence or object (Mirriam-Webster).
● Cross-check: to check data or reports from various angles or sources to determine accuracy (Mirriam-Webster).
Formative Assessment Strategies
The teacher can make note of:
● The whole class discussion on media sources.
● Small group presentations of group work.
● Individual student note-taking on the BBC video and participation in group work and small group discussion.
● Students’ homework, in which learners identify and analyze a “fake news” story.
Materials for Instructor
● Access to the Internet and a screen to show the BBC video on “Fake News”
Materials for Students
● Handout: Group Discussion of “Fake News”
● Handout: Journalistic Process
LESSON PLAN
I. Discussion on News Sources (10-13 min.)
Share with students that we all have opinions and it’s important to keep in mind where we get the information that backs up our opinions.
Then ask the students to refer to the survey results from their homework. What is the media source that they most commonly use – ranked #1 or #2 in their surveys?
The teacher keeps track of these on the black board, clustering them into categories:
● Social media (FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, SnapChat)
● TV (cable and network)
● Internet news (digital newspapers, magazines and journals)
● Print news (newspapers, magazines)
● Radio (talk radio and podcasts)
Ask the students to share the reasons why they consult the sources that they do. Tease out the idea of “trust” and “agreement with the news items covered”. Do they consider that the news is “reliable”?
Explain that the lesson will be focused on “fake news” and the “trustworthiness” of news items on the basis of “facts”. Refer to the relevant definitions in the Lesson Glossary.
II. Video with Discussion on Fact Versus Fiction (32 min.)
Step One (12 minutes)
Present the BBC video of “Fake News: Fact and Fiction Episode 2” 10:39. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fake+news&docid=13895494759637&mid=CBA8EE5CB7CA45E6F618CBA8EE5CB7CA45E6F618&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
Students should take notes on the video on the following questions, which they will be discussing in small groups. This note taking can be facilitated with the Handout: Group discussion on “Fake News”.
● What is a “fact”?
● What are possible information sources?
● How can you know that a source is reliable?
● What are processes that journalists use to ensure that they are running an accurate news story?
Step Two (10 minutes)
In small groups, students should discuss their answers to the questions and reach an agreement. One student serves as the scribe and record the results of the group discussion.
Step Three (10 minutes)
Invite the student groups to share their results. Note similarities and differences across the group responses. Remind students of the definition of “fact” and “disinformation” (see Lesson Glossary).
[Note: You might keep a running list on the board of answers to the question about what makes a source reliable, as well as processes that journalists use to ensure that the news is accurate, as these will be returned to in the next lesson.]
(optional) Share the handout “Journalistic Process” and point out that an important step is verifying sources.
III. Review of How to Check Sources (5 min.)
At the end of the lesson, review with the class the following:
● There are different information sources, such as eyewitnesses, experts on a certain topic, written scientific or historical reports, and so on.
● The source is reliable if their access to information or their expertise can be confirmed. For example, you know that someone observed an event that is reported in the news item; that the expert is well qualified to comment on a topic; that the scientific or historical reports or texts were written by people or organizations that are well regarded.
● Journalists can cross-check sources to ensure accuracy. They can also write articles in such a way that they show that there is a disagreement about something by presenting different versions of a story or different points of view.
IV. Homework
If you plan to carry out Lesson 3 in the media literacy module, then the students can be assigned the following homework:
Find a current “fake news” story. Briefly present the news item and then explain:
(1) why it is “fake news” based on some of the ideas from the lesson (reliability, verifiability of sources, hidden bias of supposedly ‘neutral’ journalist),
(2) how the “fake news” is spreading, and
(3) what kind of effect this is happening.
You might suggest a word length of 200-300 words.