How Do You Know When News is Real News?
When you read an article, see a photograph, or watch a video that is “news” do you ever question the source of the information? The issue of fake news has gained significant attention in the past few months, surrounding the United States Presidential Election.
The idea of fake news has been around for much longer, though. Sometimes it’s (hopefully) obviously fake:
Other times the news looks deceptively real, and this misinformation has the potential to do all kinds of damage:
Take a look at this photograph. The caption states that the daisies were mutated as a result of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in Japan.
Do you all know about Snopes and their services?
To make the issue even more confusing, there are a number of satirical news sites that look like real news – but their purpose is to entertain. The most popular examples include The Beaverton and The Onion.
So… what are the impacts of fake news? Why is it important to be able to tell when news is real or fake? Besides not being that annoying friend sharing garbage on social media it’s also important because news often shapes how we see and understand the world – so getting our facts straight is key!
Instructions for Today:
You will read either “The Honest Truth About Fake News” or “The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Source Credibility” and create a summary of the article so we can discuss it in class. Your summary should include:
- A brief overview of what is in the article
- Interesting/important points about the topic
- Suggestions/lessons for avoiding getting caught by fake news/information
We will be discussing the articles as a class. A strategy to collect and organize information from an article is by using a graphic organizer. A simple 5W (Who, What, Where, When, Why) chart might be all you need!
Introductory Writing Activity: Super Bowl Essay
I would like to assess your writing, (as it’s been awhile!) so you will write a short descriptive essay on a Super Bowl advertisement. You can find the assignment below:
ENG 3U – Super Bowl Descriptive Essay
Please review the assignment’s outline, success criteria, and due date!