
Lesson
Claims, Evidence, and the Missing Piece
Summary
Help students learn how to assess what they're seeing online and determine if it's true or not.
Activities
Bellringer: You're Scrolling Online...
- Read the scenario to the kids and give them a few minutes to answer.
- Ask for a few volunteers to share their thoughts, then discuss some other options that they may not have thought of.
Instruction
- Real photos can still be presented without context or incorrectly, making them convey something that isn't true.
- Photos can also be altered or wholly generated to show something that never happened.
Activity: Fact or Fake
- Designate two sides of the room to represent Fact or Fake
- Show the photos on the slide and instruct students to stand on the side of the room they think is correct.
Instruction
- Using the 3-Part Investigation Method can help students know what's true.
- The most difficult part is finding what's missing.
Discussion: Social Detective
- Practice using the 3-Part Investigation Method.
- Discuss why someone would intentionally say something untrue online.
Wrap-Up & Assessment
- Explain how a real photo can still not be accurate when shared online.
- What is the “missing piece” in the 3-part investigation?
| Est. Time | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | Bellringer: You're Scrolling Online... |
|
| 8 min | Instruction |
|
| 10 min | Activity: Fact or Fake |
|
| 8 min | Instruction |
|
| 10 min | Discussion: Social Detective |
|
| 4 min | Wrap-Up & Assessment |
|
Class Presentation
Includes a 27-slide deck with teacher notes. Present from Banzai, download a PDF, or copy it to Google Slides.
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- Teacher NotesSlide-by-slide guidance, printable as one handout
Unit 5: Media Literacy

1
Copyright & Fair Use
Help students understand the differences between fair use, copyright, creative commons, and more.

2
Current Lesson
Claims, Evidence, and the Missing Piece
Help students learn how to assess what they're seeing online and determine if it's true or not.

3
Who Made This and Why?
While it may seem obvious on the surface, it's important to help students recognize that everything they see online was made by someone for a specific purpose.
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