Identifying and Stopping Disinformation After the Election
How are you talking about election disinformation and misinformation in your classroom? Check out these top-rated resources from the Share My Lesson community.
Stopping The Flow of Disinformation
Over the past decade, the spread of disinformation has become a worldwide issue. Disinformation–and misinformation– spreads rapidly, efficiently and anonymously online, and for young people especially, it can be confusing and difficult to identify.
Election night, which we might as well start calling election “month” or “time,” looks to continue until the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff on Dec. 6, which could determine whether the Democrats increase their majority to 51 seats after Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto won reelection. And as we continue counting ballots after election night, a pervasive flow of disinformation on social media from politicians and news outlets already is spreading several unsubstantiated claims.
As the results continue to come in for the midterm elections, one thing has been made very clear: There was no “red wave,” and our elections continue to be safe and secure. Historically, the president’s party loses seats in midterm elections; however, as the final result is yet to be confirmed, it looks like this election cycle is more of a red sputter than a wave.
Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the control of Congress, one thing remains of paramount importance: recognizing and stopping the flow of disinformation. As we saw in 2020, election disinformation cast doubt on the legitimacy of our election system, poll workers, and how we count our votes. The lie that the 2020 election was stolen and that our election system is rife with fraud continues, and will continue to be perpetuated through disinformation campaigns, even though time and time again experts say that it is more likely for an American to be struck by lightning than impersonate another voter at the polls. We must count every vote, and we must allow our trusted poll workers to continue doing their job undisturbed.
But there’s good news; You can find free preK-12 resources on Share My Lesson to help students recognize and discuss disinformation, and become more thoughtful and discerning media consumers and digital citizens. These trusted educational resources are useful tools for educators and parents to help students identify and critically examine the constant bombardment from disinformation campaigns on social media, the news and other channels.
Check out 10 of our top resources for identifying and dismantling disinformation in your community with resources from partners like: ADL, C-SPAN, PBS NewsHour Classroom, and more. This blog will continue to be updated as new resources arrive and more results come in.
A Media Literacy Guide for Educators
Created in collaboration with NewsGuard and Stony Brook University’s Center for News Literacy, this guide walks through a media literacy lesson plan and ends with suggested exercises, all of which are aligned to Common Core and ISTE standards.
An Experiment in Misinformation
Students will be introduced to Birds Aren’t Real, a satirical conspiracy theory, then create connections to mis- and disinformation while watching a PBS NewsHour Classroom video lesson.
Disinformation vs Misinformation: The Dangers of Spreading False News
What is the difference between disinformation vs misinformation? This ADL guide to help you and your students know the dangers of spreading false information.
‘I Can’t Believe It When I See It!’ A primer on Spotting Misinformation
Use this PBS NewsHour Classroom lesson to introduce students to the nuances of how misinformation spreads around major events, sometimes unintentionally, with a focus on the unintended consequences of sharing even “feel-good” misinformation. Students will learn how to recognize when to fact-check something and some basic fact-checking tools.
Disinformation and Media Literacy Lessons + Activities + Digital Quiz
Use this Young Minds Inspired resource to encourage your students to become "fact detectives" to understand how to distinguish myths, facts, and opinionswith student activities in English and Spanish.
How One Woman Came to Reject Conspiracy Theories She Once Believed
Karen Robertson of Iuka, Mississippi believed in conspiracy theories, but one day she had an experience that convinced her to challenge her beliefs. Watch her interview with PBS NewsHour and learn more about her journey and how she originally fell into conspiracy theories.
Teaching Media Literacy in the Time of Misinformation
Register for this on demand webinar from NewsGuard to learn practical strategies to equip your students with the skills to spot misinformation and evaluate the credibility of online content.
Media Literacy: Reading Between the Frames
Use this lesson plan from Young Minds Inspired to help students discover how filmmakers communicate a point of view with this bilingual study guide presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Students examine the role that various media play in their lives, explore the techniques that filmmakers use to shape our viewing experience, weigh the impact of bias and stereotyping on our reactions to a film, and team up to plan a film of their own.
Empowering Girls in Digital Literacy, Disinformation, and Election Security
This comprehensive guide for girls from GirlSecurity is intended to provide a balance of learning and project-based content to empower girls with digital literacy tools required to identify disinformation and understand its impacts on elections and vulnerable segments of society.
Why Does Misinformation Spread?
This C-SPAN Classroom lesson focuses on the spread of misinformation and disinformation in society. Students will explore why false information is believed and spreads by looking at psychological factors, the current media environment, and people’s news literacy skills. Students will be able to explain why this misinformation spreads and develop ways to address it.
What's Happening Near You?
How are you talking about disinformation and misinformation in your classroom, home or community? Please leave a comment below!
Additional Resources
Andy Kratochvil is an SML team member who loves hiking, video games, scary books, Mexican food, and finding great content for the Share My Lesson community. He studied political science and French at California State University, Fullerton and received his Master’s in International Affairs from... See More
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