This activity aims to raise students’ awareness of the presence of fake news and its effects and to have them understand the difference between fake news, news incorrectly reported, and satirical news.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this activity, students will be able to:
- critically evaluate information,
- take the time to cross check information, and
- identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.
Technology required
Although this activity can be completed within a low-tech environment (i.e. one internet-enabled computer and a data projector), each student should have access to an internet-enabled computer or smartphone (or any internet-enabled device with a screen large enough to read comfortably).
Introduction
Every news source has its own agenda, whether it is to make money, increase reader numbers, attract attention, or promote a particular viewpoint, it is important to always be critical of the source.
As digital technology becomes more integral to 21st-century classrooms, it has become more necessary for educators to teach the skills needed to:
- critically evaluate information,
- teach students to take the time to cross-check information, and
- identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.
It is relatively easy to integrate these skills in class assignments, even if it seems that there is an endless list of fake news and biased information sources disguised as news that can be presented in any number of ways.
What is fake news?
Unlike news stories that may have been incorrectly reported or ‘satirical news’ sites which are written to entertain rather than trick people, fake news is a story or an article written to deliberately deceive readers, containing details the author knows not to be true.
There are many examples of fake news; the story that falsely claimed the Pope endorsed Donald Trump, or the story of the billionaire founder of Corona Beer who left millions to the residents of the village where he grew up. Many of these stories have received more engagement than the most popular news stories from established media streams.
What are the potential consequences when fake news goes viral?
A false story about child trafficking in a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant inspired a North Carolina man to drive 5 hours with a shotgun and other weapons to ‘self-investigate’ ending in a shooting incident (see also).
Do you think you could spot a fake news story? Why or why not?
Procedure
Ask your students these two questions:
- What skills do students need to evaluate the reliability of a news source?
- How can we act responsibly in relation to fake news stories?
Now consult the language tabs below to access the checklist for fake news detection and to continue the activity through the foreign language.
This activity aims to raise students’ awareness of the presence of fake news and its effects and to have them understand the difference between fake news, news incorrectly reported, and satirical news.Learning outcomesOn completion of this activity, students will be able to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>take the time to cross check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
Technology requiredAlthough this activity can be completed within a low-tech environment (i.e. one internet-enabled computer and a data projector), each student should have access to an internet-enabled computer or smartphone (or any internet-enabled device with a screen large enough to read comfortably).IntroductionEvery news source has its own agenda, whether it is to make money, increase reader numbers, attract attention, or promote a particular viewpoint, it is important to always be critical of the source.As digital technology becomes more integral to 21st-century classrooms, it has become more necessary for educators to teach the skills needed to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>teach students to take the time to cross-check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
It is relatively easy to integrate these skills in class assignments, even if it seems that there is an endless list of fake news and biased information sources disguised as news that can be presented in any number of ways.What is fake news?Unlike news stories that may have been incorrectly reported or ‘satirical news’ sites which are written to entertain rather than trick people, fake news is a story or an article written to deliberately deceive readers, containing details the author knows not to be true.There are many examples of fake news; the story that falsely claimed the Pope endorsed Donald Trump, or the story of the billionaire founder of Corona Beer who left millions to the residents of the village where he grew up. Many of these stories have received more engagement than the most popular news stories from established media streams.<br /><dl id=”attachment_5118″ class=”wp-caption aligncenter” style=”width: 653px;” data-mce-style=”width: 653px;”><dt class=”wp-caption-dt”><a href=”www.breakyourownnews.com” data-mce-href=”www.breakyourownnews.com”><img class=”wp-image-5118″ title=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” alt=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” width=”653″ height=”367″ data-mce-src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” /></a></dt><dd class=”wp-caption-dd”>Created in: <a href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/”>www.breakyourownnews.com</a></dd></dl><em>What are the potential consequences when fake news goes viral?</em>A <a href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″>false story</a> about child trafficking in a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant inspired a North Carolina man to drive 5 hours with a shotgun and other weapons to ‘self-investigate’ ending in a shooting incident (see <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation”>also</a>).Do you think you could spot a fake news story? Why or why not?ProcedureAsk your students these two questions:<li>What skills do students need to evaluate the reliability of a news source?</li><li>How can we act responsibly in relation to fake news stories?</li>
Now consult the language tabs below to access the checklist for fake news detection and to continue the activity through the foreign language.
This activity aims to raise students’ awareness of the presence of fake news and its effects and to have them understand the difference between fake news, news incorrectly reported, and satirical news.Learning outcomesOn completion of this activity, students will be able to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>take the time to cross check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
Technology requiredAlthough this activity can be completed within a low-tech environment (i.e. one internet-enabled computer and a data projector), each student should have access to an internet-enabled computer or smartphone (or any internet-enabled device with a screen large enough to read comfortably).IntroductionEvery news source has its own agenda, whether it is to make money, increase reader numbers, attract attention, or promote a particular viewpoint, it is important to always be critical of the source.As digital technology becomes more integral to 21st-century classrooms, it has become more necessary for educators to teach the skills needed to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>teach students to take the time to cross-check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
It is relatively easy to integrate these skills in class assignments, even if it seems that there is an endless list of fake news and biased information sources disguised as news that can be presented in any number of ways.What is fake news?Unlike news stories that may have been incorrectly reported or ‘satirical news’ sites which are written to entertain rather than trick people, fake news is a story or an article written to deliberately deceive readers, containing details the author knows not to be true.There are many examples of fake news; the story that falsely claimed the Pope endorsed Donald Trump, or the story of the billionaire founder of Corona Beer who left millions to the residents of the village where he grew up. Many of these stories have received more engagement than the most popular news stories from established media streams.<br /><dl id=”attachment_5118″ class=”wp-caption aligncenter” style=”width: 653px;” data-mce-style=”width: 653px;”><dt class=”wp-caption-dt”><a href=”www.breakyourownnews.com” data-mce-href=”www.breakyourownnews.com”><img class=”wp-image-5118″ title=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” alt=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” width=”653″ height=”367″ data-mce-src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” /></a></dt><dd class=”wp-caption-dd”>Created in: <a href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/”>www.breakyourownnews.com</a></dd></dl><em>What are the potential consequences when fake news goes viral?</em>A <a href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″>false story</a> about child trafficking in a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant inspired a North Carolina man to drive 5 hours with a shotgun and other weapons to ‘self-investigate’ ending in a shooting incident (see <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation”>also</a>).Do you think you could spot a fake news story? Why or why not?ProcedureAsk your students these two questions:<li>What skills do students need to evaluate the reliability of a news source?</li><li>How can we act responsibly in relation to fake news stories?</li>
Now consult the language tabs below to access the checklist for fake news detection and to continue the activity through the foreign language.
This activity aims to raise students’ awareness of the presence of fake news and its effects and to have them understand the difference between fake news, news incorrectly reported, and satirical news.Learning outcomesOn completion of this activity, students will be able to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>take the time to cross check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
Technology requiredAlthough this activity can be completed within a low-tech environment (i.e. one internet-enabled computer and a data projector), each student should have access to an internet-enabled computer or smartphone (or any internet-enabled device with a screen large enough to read comfortably).IntroductionEvery news source has its own agenda, whether it is to make money, increase reader numbers, attract attention, or promote a particular viewpoint, it is important to always be critical of the source.As digital technology becomes more integral to 21st-century classrooms, it has become more necessary for educators to teach the skills needed to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>teach students to take the time to cross-check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
It is relatively easy to integrate these skills in class assignments, even if it seems that there is an endless list of fake news and biased information sources disguised as news that can be presented in any number of ways.What is fake news?Unlike news stories that may have been incorrectly reported or ‘satirical news’ sites which are written to entertain rather than trick people, fake news is a story or an article written to deliberately deceive readers, containing details the author knows not to be true.There are many examples of fake news; the story that falsely claimed the Pope endorsed Donald Trump, or the story of the billionaire founder of Corona Beer who left millions to the residents of the village where he grew up. Many of these stories have received more engagement than the most popular news stories from established media streams.<br /><dl id=”attachment_5118″ class=”wp-caption aligncenter” style=”width: 653px;” data-mce-style=”width: 653px;”><dt class=”wp-caption-dt”><a href=”www.breakyourownnews.com” data-mce-href=”www.breakyourownnews.com”><img class=”wp-image-5118″ title=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” alt=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” width=”653″ height=”367″ data-mce-src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” /></a></dt><dd class=”wp-caption-dd”>Created in: <a href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/”>www.breakyourownnews.com</a></dd></dl><em>What are the potential consequences when fake news goes viral?</em>A <a href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″>false story</a> about child trafficking in a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant inspired a North Carolina man to drive 5 hours with a shotgun and other weapons to ‘self-investigate’ ending in a shooting incident (see <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation”>also</a>).Do you think you could spot a fake news story? Why or why not?ProcedureAsk your students these two questions:<li>What skills do students need to evaluate the reliability of a news source?</li><li>How can we act responsibly in relation to fake news stories?</li>
Now consult the language tabs below to access the checklist for fake news detection and to continue the activity through the foreign language.
This activity aims to raise students’ awareness of the presence of fake news and its effects and to have them understand the difference between fake news, news incorrectly reported, and satirical news.Learning outcomesOn completion of this activity, students will be able to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>take the time to cross check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
Technology requiredAlthough this activity can be completed within a low-tech environment (i.e. one internet-enabled computer and a data projector), each student should have access to an internet-enabled computer or smartphone (or any internet-enabled device with a screen large enough to read comfortably).IntroductionEvery news source has its own agenda, whether it is to make money, increase reader numbers, attract attention, or promote a particular viewpoint, it is important to always be critical of the source.As digital technology becomes more integral to 21st-century classrooms, it has become more necessary for educators to teach the skills needed to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>teach students to take the time to cross-check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
It is relatively easy to integrate these skills in class assignments, even if it seems that there is an endless list of fake news and biased information sources disguised as news that can be presented in any number of ways.What is fake news?Unlike news stories that may have been incorrectly reported or ‘satirical news’ sites which are written to entertain rather than trick people, fake news is a story or an article written to deliberately deceive readers, containing details the author knows not to be true.There are many examples of fake news; the story that falsely claimed the Pope endorsed Donald Trump, or the story of the billionaire founder of Corona Beer who left millions to the residents of the village where he grew up. Many of these stories have received more engagement than the most popular news stories from established media streams.<br /><dl id=”attachment_5118″ class=”wp-caption aligncenter” style=”width: 653px;” data-mce-style=”width: 653px;”><dt class=”wp-caption-dt”><a href=”www.breakyourownnews.com” data-mce-href=”www.breakyourownnews.com”><img class=”wp-image-5118″ title=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” alt=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” width=”653″ height=”367″ data-mce-src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” /></a></dt><dd class=”wp-caption-dd”>Created in: <a href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/”>www.breakyourownnews.com</a></dd></dl><em>What are the potential consequences when fake news goes viral?</em>A <a href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″>false story</a> about child trafficking in a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant inspired a North Carolina man to drive 5 hours with a shotgun and other weapons to ‘self-investigate’ ending in a shooting incident (see <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation”>also</a>).Do you think you could spot a fake news story? Why or why not?ProcedureAsk your students these two questions:<li>What skills do students need to evaluate the reliability of a news source?</li><li>How can we act responsibly in relation to fake news stories?</li>
Now consult the language tabs below to access the checklist for fake news detection and to continue the activity through the foreign language.
This activity aims to raise students’ awareness of the presence of fake news and its effects and to have them understand the difference between fake news, news incorrectly reported, and satirical news.Learning outcomesOn completion of this activity, students will be able to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>take the time to cross check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
Technology requiredAlthough this activity can be completed within a low-tech environment (i.e. one internet-enabled computer and a data projector), each student should have access to an internet-enabled computer or smartphone (or any internet-enabled device with a screen large enough to read comfortably).IntroductionEvery news source has its own agenda, whether it is to make money, increase reader numbers, attract attention, or promote a particular viewpoint, it is important to always be critical of the source.As digital technology becomes more integral to 21st-century classrooms, it has become more necessary for educators to teach the skills needed to:<li>critically evaluate information,</li><li>teach students to take the time to cross-check information, and</li><li>identify sponsored content by simply looking for visual clues.</li>
It is relatively easy to integrate these skills in class assignments, even if it seems that there is an endless list of fake news and biased information sources disguised as news that can be presented in any number of ways.What is fake news?Unlike news stories that may have been incorrectly reported or ‘satirical news’ sites which are written to entertain rather than trick people, fake news is a story or an article written to deliberately deceive readers, containing details the author knows not to be true.There are many examples of fake news; the story that falsely claimed the Pope endorsed Donald Trump, or the story of the billionaire founder of Corona Beer who left millions to the residents of the village where he grew up. Many of these stories have received more engagement than the most popular news stories from established media streams.<br /><dl id=”attachment_5118″ class=”wp-caption aligncenter” style=”width: 653px;” data-mce-style=”width: 653px;”><dt class=”wp-caption-dt”><a href=”www.breakyourownnews.com” data-mce-href=”www.breakyourownnews.com”><img class=”wp-image-5118″ title=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” alt=”Created in: www.breakyourownnews.com” width=”653″ height=”367″ data-mce-src=”https://www.digilanguages.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/breaking-news-1024×576.png” /></a></dt><dd class=”wp-caption-dd”>Created in: <a href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.breakyourownnews.com/”>www.breakyourownnews.com</a></dd></dl><em>What are the potential consequences when fake news goes viral?</em>A <a href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-38156985″>false story</a> about child trafficking in a Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant inspired a North Carolina man to drive 5 hours with a shotgun and other weapons to ‘self-investigate’ ending in a shooting incident (see <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer” data-mce-href=”https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/08/pizzagate-conspiracy-gunman-i-regret-how-i-handled-the-situation”>also</a>).Do you think you could spot a fake news story? Why or why not?ProcedureAsk your students these two questions:<li>What skills do students need to evaluate the reliability of a news source?</li><li>How can we act responsibly in relation to fake news stories?</li>
Now consult the language tabs below to access the checklist for fake news detection and to continue the activity through the foreign language.
