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Truth Detectives - Understanding Sources

Roxanne Campbell

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Truth Detectives - Understanding Sources

Evaluate news source credibility

In this lesson, students will learn to critically evaluate the credibility of various news sources. They will engage in activities that help them identify authentic news stories and understand the importance of credible information. This lesson is crucial in developing students' critical thinking skills and media literacy, empowering them to navigate the vast amount of information available today.

Audience

8th Grade Students

Time

1 hour

Approach

Evaluate news source credibility

Materials

Discussion Questions, Worksheet: Evaluating News Sources, Quiz: News Source Credibility, Answer Key: News Source Credibility, Pens, and Paper

Step 1

Introduction

10 mins

  • Begin with a brief discussion on the importance of credible news sources.
  • Ask students to share where they usually get their news from.
  • Introduce the lesson's objective: evaluating the credibility of news sources.

Step 2

Group Activity

15 mins

  • Divide students into small groups.
  • Provide each group with a set of news articles (real and fake).
  • Ask them to use the worksheet to evaluate the credibility of each article.
  • Encourage discussion within groups about their findings.

Step 3

Interactive Game

15 mins

  • Organize an interactive game where students must quickly identify fake news from real news.
  • Use a digital platform or printed cards with headlines for students to choose from.
  • Award points for correct identifications and discuss the reasoning behind each choice.

Step 4

Class Discussion

10 mins

  • Reconvene as a class and discuss the findings from each group.
  • Use the discussion questions to guide the conversation.
  • Highlight key indicators of credible sources.

Step 5

Quiz

5 mins

  • Distribute the quiz to assess students' understanding of the lesson.
  • Allow students to complete the quiz individually.

Step 6

Closure

5 mins

  • Summarize the key points of the lesson.
  • Encourage students to apply these skills when consuming news outside of class.
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Discussion

Discussion Questions

A set of questions to guide a class discussion on evaluating news sources.

Why is it important to evaluate the credibility of news sources?

Discuss the impact of misinformation and the role of credible news in society.







What are some indicators of a credible news source?

Guide students to think about author credentials, source citations, and publication reputation.







How can we verify the authenticity of a news story?

Encourage students to consider cross-referencing with other credible sources and checking for bias.







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Worksheet

Worksheet: Evaluating News Sources

A worksheet to help students analyze and evaluate the credibility of news articles.

List three indicators of a credible news source.

Consider author credentials, source citations, and publication reputation.







Choose one article and identify any potential biases or red flags.








How would you verify the information presented in the article?








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Quiz

Quiz: News Source Credibility

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Answer Key

Answer Key: News Source Credibility

The answer key for the quiz on news source credibility.

Which of the following is a sign of a credible news source?

Cited sources
Credible sources often cite their information, providing transparency and reliability.

What should you do if you suspect a news story is fake?

Verify with other sources
Verifying with other sources helps confirm the authenticity of the information.

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