It's a Hoax

Students will:

• Be able to look at a website while researching and decide if the source is credible.
• Be able to tell the difference between real and fake news.

Vocabulary Words:

1. Credible:  To be credible is to be valid and truthful.

2. Source: The source is where the information came from.

To prepare for this lesson:

• The teacher should look over the Tree Octopus website.
• Teachers can also use this website to get more information on fake sites. 
• Benedictine University Library has an excellent website to assist students and teachers. At the bottom there is a worksheet that the teacher can make a copy of to use with students when they are doing website evaluation. 
• Teachers should take a look at this video on "Evaluating Websites for Elementary Students".

See the Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students website in the Teacher Resources. 

Directions for this activity:

1. Teachers should discuss with students that there are many sites that can easily deceive them into believing the information is true.
2. Show students this YouTube Video on" How to Evaluate a Website".
3. Teachers should direct students to take a look at the Tree Octopus site. 
4. The students as they are looking at the site can use the worksheet at the bottom of this website. 
5. After the students have viewed the site and filled in the worksheet, discuss this website with the class and talk about the specific reasons why this is not a credible website.  

Optional Activity:

• Show the students the other sites from the pre-planning section. Ask them if they know of any other sites that are questionable. 

Different options for assessing the students:

• Observations
• Check for understanding
• Using one of the provided websites Ann Michaelsen's 4 Fake Sites or this evaluation tool teachers can see if students understand the concept.