It's a Hoax

Knowledge Constructor

Overview

There are many Internet hoaxes on the Internet that are believable. It is important that students are taught to identify what is fake and what is real. After reading the content on a website about “The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus”, an endangered animal, students will understand that when they search online that not all sources are credible.

This activity will take at least two class periods. The first class period will be spent discussing Internet hoaxes and watching the video. The second class period will be spent looking at the Tree Octopus site and filling out the worksheet.

Learning Objectives

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

Vocabulary Words:

Credible: To be credible is to be valid and truthful.
Source: The source is where the information came from.

Pre-planning

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.
Teachers should take a look at this YouTube video on "How to Evaluate Websites".

Accommodations

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

Steps

Directions for this activity:

Teachers should discuss with students that there are many sites that can easily deceive you into believing the information is true.
Show students this YouTube Video on" How to Evaluate a Website".
Teachers should direct students to take a look at the Tree Octopus site.
The students as they are looking at the site can use this worksheet created by a classroom teacher and fill in the blanks.
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.
There is a list of Fake Sites under Additional Resources on the 21 Things 4 Students Q3 Web Site Evaluation page.

Assessment Options

Different options for assessing the students:

Observations
Check for understanding
Using one of the provided websites Ann Michaelsen's 4 Fake Sites or the website evaluator, teachers can see if students understand the concept.

MITECS Competencies

MITECS: Michigan adopted the "ISTE Standards for Students" called MITECS (Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students) in 2018.

Knowledge Constructor
3a. Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility
and relevance of information, media, data or other resources.

Devices and Resources

Device: PC, Chromebook, Mac, iPad

Browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, ALL

Websites:

How To Teach Students about Fake Web Sites

How To Evaluate Websites

Tree Octopus

Tree Octopus Worksheet