Q5: Fake or Real News: Fact Checking

9. Search Strategies

Fact Check Political Stories

Every day, political news stories are published that are deceptive and misleading. There are three fact-checking sites to explore: FactCheck.org,  Snopes, and PolitiFact. Compare these sites and select one to check whether the political article you just read is accurate. These sites monitor the factual accuracy of major U.S. political players' statements through TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.

1. Your assignment is to visit a popular news site such as CNN, ABC News, Huffington Post, or Fox News.

2. Find a trending political news story. You might want to find the same story on one or more news sites. *Open up a notes document and take notes to share them with the class. 

3. Next, compare the information with one or more fact-checking sites, FactCheck.org, Snopes, or PolitiFact, and see if the story is listed on the site. If not, go back and look for another story to check on.

4. Discuss the following questions as a class. 

  • What do the fact-check sites say about your story?
  • How accurate is the reporting? 

Real or Fake?

 (image generated by Canva AI)

Images are increasingly generated using AI, making it difficult to tell what is real or fake. One way to know if an image is real is to look at its metadata. You can locate an image's properties by right-clicking it and selecting "Properties." You can also check the copyright, date, location, and camera settings. This is not always foolproof, as this information can also be altered. 

Test your observational skills with one or more of the following:
 

  • Britannica Education Real or Fake Quiz: This is a Real or Fake Artificial Intelligence quiz to see if you can tell which images are AI-generated. At the end of the quiz, there is information on key questions for evaluating pictures and tips to assist you. 
     
  • Real or Photoshopped? 

    Photoshop users make the impossible possible, and we thank them for taking creativity to places we never could have dreamed of. Some things are so amazing that we're unsure if they're Real or Photoshop. Can you tell?  LandingAdobe.com 

 9.Q5 CIRCULAR REPORTING 

9.Q5 AUTHENTIC?  

Quest Checklist 9.Q5 Student Checklist  

9.Q5 Teacher Guide

MITECS  Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students, and

ISTE Standards for Students

1. Empowered Learner
d. Understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies, are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies

2. Digital Citizen
a. Cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world
b. Engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices
d. Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property

3. Knowledge Constructor
a. Plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits
b. Evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources

Websites

Videos from Outside Sources

21t4s Videos

21t4s Documents & Quizzes

21t4s Digital Breakout Challenge


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