Lesson Plan - Can You Spot the Fake?

Watch the Video
Play the video “Don’t Get Fooled by Fake Photos” to learn how easy it is for people to manipulate photos—and to help students recognize fakes.

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• reliable  
• skeptical

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about reasons people might share false information online.

1. Based on the article, why might online disinformation be getting harder to spot?
You can infer from the article that online disinformation is getting harder to spot because it is now easy to create and share content online. The author writes, “It’s never been easier to create and share fake online content that seems real. Just about anyone can edit photos and videos.”
^{(RI.4.1 Make Inferences)}

2. What does the author mean when she advises people to “check your emotions” when trying to spot false information online?
When the author advises readers to “check your emotions,” she means to pay attention to whether an article makes you feel emotions like anger or sadness. She notes that disinformation is “often meant to get a strong emotional reaction from people” and may even be designed to affect your opinion on something. Recognizing that can help you identify disinformation.
^{(RI.4.4 Determine Meaning)}

3. How do influencers differ from reliable news reporters? Consider their goals and the kinds of content they share.
According to the article, influencers set out to get you to think a certain way or convince you to buy something. They use opinions to reach those goals. Reliable news reporters set out to share facts. They do research and interview people to achieve their goal.
^{(RI.4.5 Comparison)}

FEATURED SKILL: Media Literacy
Distribute the skill builder “Fact or Fake?” and review the checklist together. Then have students work in pairs to evaluate the credibility of the two sample articles. Each team will need a copy of both articles (available below). When students finish, explain that “A Supersized Frog” is a real news story, while “The World’s Smallest Giraffe” is a fake. See the online answer key for a list of details students may notice.
^{(RI.4.8 Author’s Purpose)}