10th Grade Spotting Fake News Lesson Plan

Topic:spotting fake news

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify fake news by recognizing common characteristics of fake news stories.

Materials

• Text entitled "Spotting fake news"
• Handouts with examples of fake news stories

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have heard of the term "fake news".
• Ask students to share some examples of fake news that they have encountered.
• As a class, brainstorm a list of characteristics that often appear in fake news stories.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of fake news and provide some examples of fake news.
• Discuss the importance of being able to identify fake news and explain why it is important to do so.
• Outline the key characteristics of fake news, including:
• Emotional wording: fake news is often written in a sensationalized and emotional way in order to attract and engage readers.
• Omitting key details: fake news often leaves out important details or provides partial information in order to further manipulate readers.
• Providing false information: fake news often contains information that is not true or is distorted.
• Providing sources: legitimate news sources often provide links to their sources, whereas fake news rarely does.
• Discuss the process for spotting fake news, including:
• Looking for emotional wording and omitting key details: pay attention to the tone and language used in the article. Are there any outrageous or shocking statements? Are there any missing details that should be included?
• Looking for sources: check to see if the article provides links to its sources. Are the sources credible?
• Looking for evidence: is there any evidence to back up the claims made in the article? Are there any experts or sources quoted?
• Ask students to volunteer to share some examples of fake news that they have encountered. Use these examples to illustrate the process for spotting fake news.

Guided Practice

• Ask students to work in pairs and provide each pair with a set of fake news articles.
• Have students work together to spot the key characteristics of fake news and explain their reasoning.
• Have students share their examples and discuss their reasoning with the class.

Independent Practice

• Provide students with a list of websites that commonly host fake news, such as -clickbait websites and satirical news sites.
• Ask students to browse these websites and find examples of fake news.
• Have students create a project in which they present their findings in a visual format, such as a poster or presentation.

Closure

• Review the key points of the lesson, including how to identify fake news and how to avoid falling for hoaxes and scams.
• Ask students to share one thing they learned during the lesson.

Assessment

• Observe students during the group and independent practice activities to assess their understanding of the lesson material.
• Collect and grade their presentations or reports on a fake news story.