Lesson Plan - How to Fact-Check the Internet

Engage and Build Vocabulary

Ask students to respond to this prompt: Think of a time when you found out that something you believed wasn’t actually true. What happened? How did you feel when you found out? Have students write responses or record videos. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. As students read, direct them to star or highlight two or three tips they find most useful.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How does the introduction about Sandra the orangutan support the article? (Author’s Craft)
The introduction describes a viral post that falsely claimed that Sandra had started mimicking her keepers’ handwashing techniques during the coronavirus pandemic. It supports the article by giving an example of an online hoax and showing how widely information can spread online.

• What are some ways people can identify fake posts? (Key Details)
People can try to find the original post and do a quick search to see whether the handle that posted it is official. They can also look for spelling errors and grammar mistakes.

• Why do you think the authors included the statistic that 59 percent of social media links aren’t clicked on and read before they’re shared? (Text Structure)
The authors probably included the statistic to show one way that misinformation spreads online. If most people aren’t even reading what they share, how can they know whether it’s true?

Watch a Video

Before students watch “Five Ways to Spot Fake News,” have them set up a piece of paper with spaces to take notes on each of the five strategies. Ask: Which way of spotting fake news do you think is most useful? Why? What’s one thing you want to do differently when viewing information online?

Evaluate Online Information

Use the Skill Builder Check the Facts to guide students to evaluate two posts, photos, or articles. You may want to find items for students to choose from or guide them to search for items to evaluate.

Assess Comprehension

Use Quiz Wizard to assess students’ comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.