Overview
Students will learn how misinformation with an image or video is more believable and can lead them to unintentionally share information that is misleading or inaccurate. Use this 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. Students will address the following central questions:
- How do you make sure information in a social media post is accurate?
- What is the motivation behind sharing misinformation intentionally or unintentionally?
- How can sharing misinformation have unwanted consequences?
This lesson was developed by Student Reporting Labs in partnership with MediaWise and the Teen Fact-Checking Network, which are part of the Poynter Institute. For more information on Media Wise, the Teen Fact-Checking Network and Student Reporting Labs, see the end of this lesson.
