Tackling Misinformation
Lesduur is: 30 minIntroductie
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Students learn what misinformation is, why it spreads and how to check a claim before believing or sharing it. The lesson ends with five quick questions on everyday verification habits.
Slide 11 uses a real news example involving race and arrests, and slide 13 refers to racism; set clear expectations for respectful discussion and follow the school's safeguarding procedures if concerns arise.
Learning Objectives
Understand what misinformation is
Examine why it could be dangerous
Evaluate how to ensure you recognise it where possible
Read the three objectives aloud and revisit them before the final quiz to check progress.
What does 'misinformation' mean?
This word web draws out prior knowledge of the term before the dictionary definition is revealed, so students can compare their ideas with it.
Stretch: Students choose one word from the web and justify whether it describes accidental or deliberate false information.
Device-Free: Students write one word on a sticky note; the teacher groups the notes on the board.
Misinformation
According to the Oxford Dictionary, misinformation is defined as:
“the act of giving wrong information about something” – this can be done either by mistake or deliberately.
So, it sounds pretty simple and easy to avoid, right? But... It also notes that ‘misinformation’ can involve the sharing of false information, knowingly or unknowingly.
The dictionary definition shows that misinformation covers both creating and sharing false information, whether on purpose or by accident.
Stretch: Students give a real-world example of someone spreading false information without realising it and explain whether that person is still responsible.
Device-Free: Read the definition aloud; students tell a partner which part of it surprised them most and why.
What does that mean for me?
It means that whether you are the one that ‘makes up’ fake stories, or shares them – you are still participating in the spreading of misinformation. Something that has become much more common in the political arena of the world today.
This slide applies the definition to students themselves: sharing a false story counts as taking part, not just making one up.
Stretch: Students argue whether someone who shares a false post without checking is as responsible as the person who created it.
Device-Free: Agree/disagree line: students stand along the room to show how far they agree that sharers are as responsible as creators.
This video gives real-world context for how misinformation spreads; preview it in full before the lesson to confirm it still plays and suits the class.
Stretch: Students summarise the video's main message in one sentence and link it to something they have seen online.
Device-Free: If the video cannot be shown, pairs describe a false story they have heard about and how it reached them.
Do you agree that misinformation is a problem?
This emoji poll gauges how seriously the class rates misinformation as a problem before the reasons are explored.
Stretch: Students at either end of the scale explain their choice with a real-world example.
Device-Free: Fist-to-five: students show zero to five fingers to rate how big a problem misinformation is.
Why it's important
Tackling misinformation is important because it protects public health, preserves democratic processes, maintains social stability, and builds public trust.
The issue has become more urgent with generative AI and social media platforms, which can amplify false or misleading content at an unprecedented scale.
In 2025, the World Economic Forum named misinformation and disinformation the top short-term global risk.
The slide sets out why misinformation matters for health, democracy and public trust, and why generative AI has raised the stakes.
The World Economic Forum statement refers to its Global Risks Report 2025; check the latest edition (usually published in January) before teaching in February 2027.
Stretch: Students choose one of the four areas named (public health, democracy, social stability, public trust) and give a real-world example of misinformation causing harm there.
Device-Free: Pairs rank the four areas by how badly misinformation affects them and justify the top choice.
How do we do it?
Media Literacy
Safety and Security
Cultural Awareness
Ethics
The four strategies listed here structure the next part of the lesson, with a slide on each.
Stretch: Students predict which strategy would be most useful against AI-generated content and justify the choice.
Device-Free: Students copy the four headings and note one thing they already know under each.
Media Literacy
You should be able to navigate the online environment. This includes finding credible sources, evaluating them, and utilising them effectively. It also involves being aware of bias and misinformation. This is where your critical thinking skills are vital.
Media literacy means finding, evaluating and using sources well, with critical thinking at its centre.
Stretch: Students name a source they trust and explain the evidence that makes it credible.
Device-Free: Pairs list three questions to ask about any source before trusting it.
What bias can you see here? How would your opinion on the case change depending on the version you read?
Comparing two reports of the same incident gets students evaluating how wording and image choices shape opinion, rather than recalling facts.
The example comes from US news coverage in 2020 and involves race; keep the discussion focused on the language used and on respectful debate.
Stretch: Students identify the single word or phrase in each caption that most shapes the reader's view and justify the choice.
Device-Free: Display or print the image; pairs underline the words in each caption that suggest a viewpoint.
Safety and Security
When you visit a website, you leave a digital footprint. This means the website collects user data about you, including cookies that monitor your digital activity.
Be cautious about what information you share!
Know how to use privacy settings,
set cookie preferences and
turn off geotagging features in photos.
This slide links misinformation to personal data: what websites collect and the settings students can control.
Stretch: Students explain how a geotagged photo could reveal more than intended, using a real-world example.
Device-Free: Students list three settings they could check on their own devices after the lesson.
Cultural Awareness
To understand and appreciate the differences between cultures. When we recognise and respect different beliefs, values, and customs, it allows us to improve our social engagement, but should also help you decide if what you are reading or watching seems ‘off’ or crosses the line into racism.
Being online should push us to learn about other cultures so we can interact with a diverse range of people in positive ways.
Cultural awareness helps students notice content that stereotypes or misrepresents a group, a common feature of misinformation.
Stretch: Students explain how a misleading post about a community could affect how people treat its members.
Device-Free: Pair talk: what signs suggest a post is unfair to a particular group?
This second video adds real-world context; preview it before the lesson to confirm it still plays and is suitable for the class.
Stretch: Students link one point from the video to one of the four strategies on slide 9 and justify the link.
Device-Free: If the video cannot be shown, pairs recap the four strategies from memory.
Ethics
It is an important life skill to know how to find credible information online and share it responsibly.
This includes proper use of copyrighted materials and knowing how to fact-check and cite your sources.
Failing to give credit is plagiarism. But quoting misinformation, fake news or made-up facts just makes you look foolish...
Ethics covers using and citing sources honestly, and checking facts before repeating them.
Stretch: Students explain the difference between plagiarism and spreading misinformation, giving an example of each.
Device-Free: Students write one sentence on why citing a source makes their own work more credible.
The third video reinforces the lesson's message with real-world context; preview it in advance to check availability and suitability.
Stretch: Students identify the most persuasive point in the video and explain why it works.
Device-Free: If the video cannot be shown, reread the Ethics slide and take two questions from the class.
Top Tips
Verify information by checking trusted sources, reverse image search, and using fact-checking websites like Snopes or academic research, Full Fact, or BBC Verify.
Pause before sharing sensational or emotionally charged content, verify the original source, and look for reliable URL endings (.gov.uk, .ac.uk, .nhs.uk)
Recognise potential signs of misinformation, such as poor grammar, unbelievable claims, or emails from unknown sources, and trust your instincts if something feels wrong.
These tips turn the lesson into practical habits: verify, pause before sharing and watch for warning signs.
Stretch: Students decide which tip is hardest to follow in practice and suggest how to make it a habit.
Device-Free: Students rank the three tips on a mini-whiteboard and share their top choice.
What role do critical thinking skills play?
They help evaluate information effectively
They complicate understanding
They only confuse the issue
They are unnecessary
This question checks the misconception that critical thinking gets in the way of understanding, rather than helping students evaluate what they read.
Stretch: Students write one critical-thinking question they would ask about a viral post and explain why it helps.
Device-Free: Students hold up one to four fingers to show their answer.
Why is fact-checking important?
It's not necessary
It prevents the spread of falsehoods
It takes too much time
It's only for journalists
Some students see fact-checking as a job for journalists only; this item checks whether they see it as everyone's responsibility.
Stretch: Students describe a situation where skipping a fact-check could cause real harm.
Device-Free: Read the options aloud; students move to a corner of the room for A, B, C or D.
What should you do with suspicious claims?
Ignore them completely
Investigate further before believing
Accept them as true
Share them immediately
The item targets two opposite mistakes, ignoring suspicious claims or simply accepting them, and checks that students choose to investigate.
Stretch: Students list the first two steps they would take to investigate a suspicious claim and justify the order.
Device-Free: Mini-whiteboards: students write the letter of their answer and reveal on a count of three.
How can you spot fake news?
Look for multiple reliable sources
Trust headlines only
Follow social media trends
Ask friends for opinions
Trusting headlines or trends is a common shortcut; this question checks that students know to compare several reliable sources.
Stretch: Students explain why two sources that copy each other do not count as independent checks.
Device-Free: Thumbs up as each option is read aloud for the one students think is correct.
What is one way to verify information?
Believe everything you read
Ignore conflicting evidence
Share without checking
Check the source's credibility
As the final question, this checks what students have taken away about practical ways to verify information.
Stretch: Students explain how they would judge a source's credibility, using a website they know as the example.
Device-Free: Exit slip: students write the answer plus one other way to verify information.
A blank slide for adding school-specific information, links or contacts.