Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, R.9, W.1, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will synthesize information from two texts about disinformation on the internet.

Key Skills

synthesizing, text features, vocabulary, cause and effect, key details, problem and solution, author’s craft, critical thinking, argument writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The article explains how lies spread on the internet. The infographic explains how to help stop the spread. 

Structure: The texts include cause-and-effect structures.

Language: The texts use simple, direct language.

Knowledge Demands: Some familiarity with social media will be helpful. 

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: U 

DRA Level: 50

Lesson Plan: That Can’t Be True . . . Can It?/4 Ways to Stop the Spread

Essential Questions

  • How do you know if you can trust a source?
  • What motivates people to spread lies?

Literature Connection

  • Novel: The Giver by Lois Lowry

1. Preparing to Read 

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Have students respond to the following prompt: Have you heard the term fake news? What do you think it means? Why might it be a problem? Discuss responses as a class. Then tell students they’re about to read two texts about fake news.

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article and the infographic. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text under the title). When you get a piece of information on your social media feed or from your friends, do you check to see if it’s true? How can you tell that something might not be true?  Answers will vary.
  • Look at the infographic. Read the title and subtitle. The subtitle uses the term disinformation. Look at the vocabulary box to read the meaning of this word. What is another word for disinformation? Another word for disinformation is lie. Why do you think it’s important to stop the spread of lies online? Answers will vary.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (disinformation, source, confirms, alleged, outright) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan: 

  • Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the article and the infographic provide information about how lies spread and what can be done to stop them from spreading.
  • Tell students that after they read, they’ll complete a synthesizing activity by combining information from the texts.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Guide students to read the articles. Once they understand them well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • What do companies that pay to place ads on websites have to do with the spread of lies on the internet? (cause and effect) Companies that pay to place ads on websites prefer websites that get a lot of visitors. An easy way to get a lot of visitors is by posting about crazy ideas that cause people to click links. Websites that do this get more companies to buy ads on their sites. Companies get their ads in front of more people when they advertise on websites that spread false information.
  • The article states that the spread of disinformation is a growing problem. Which example from the article best shows how online untruths can have real-life effects? (key details) The example that best shows how online untruths can have real-life effects is the one about 5G cell phone towers. In January 2020, a doctor told reporters that these towers might be spreading the coronavirus. The idea caught on, and soon, people were setting fire to 5G towers. This example shows how disinformation online has led to violence in the real world. (Note that this question asks for the best example, so while flat-Earth theory, aliens, and Bigfoot are also mentioned, they don’t answer the question because their consequences are not explained.)
  • How are companies trying to stop the spread of disinformation? What can individuals do to stop the spread of disinformation? (problem and solution) Companies like Twitter and Facebook have started banning users who tell lies. They’ve also put labels on posts that may be untrue. Individuals can think twice before sharing a post, taking the time to check whether it’s true or not by reading the article, finding its source, and researching what experts say about the topic.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Why do you think the author begins the article by telling the story of the rapper B.o.B. and his idea that the Earth is flat? (author’s craft) The author grabs your attention with this wild idea. The claim sounds crazy, and finding out that an entire group of people—“flat-Earthers”—believes it might make you want to know why. 
  • It’s clear why a lie that causes violence is bad, but what about lies that seem harmless—that the Earth is flat or that Bigfoot exists? Could these lies also cause problems? How? (critical thinking) Answers will vary. Students might say that lies without obvious consequences can cause problems by encouraging people to blindly believe everything they hear or read, which makes it easy for others to take advantage of them. Additionally, in a society in which people have wildly different versions of reality, it becomes hard to get along with one another. Students might say that it’s OK to talk about the Earth being flat or Bigfoot running wild, as long as we understand that these are fiction. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the Synthesizing Skill Builder.  (Click here to view all of your Skill Builders.)
  • Writing Prompt: Imagine your friend Liz has shared a news story on her Instagram that you know is fake. You tell her, but she says, “Who cares? It’s still a wild story, and look at all the likes I’m getting.” Do you think it’s OK for her to keep the story up, knowing that it’s fake? Why or why not? In a short essay, explain your opinion and support it with evidence from the article and infographic.

Learn Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Read Like a Detective

Now that you’ve learned about the spread of disinformation online, see how well you can spot it on your social media feeds. For one week, as you go about your regular social media activities, look out for any articles, videos, or photos that look fishy. Then investigate the truth using the four tips in the infographic.

Each time you discover a lie, document it by taking a screenshot and saving the link. At the end of the week, write a report on what you discovered. Which links were obvious lies? Which ones surprised you? What did you learn by taking extra steps to uncover the truth?

ELL Springboard

Teach Fact vs. Fiction to make this article more accessible.

After reading the texts, ask students to think about the phrase “Is it fact or fiction?” Explain that fact means something is true and is able to be proven. Fiction refers to things that are made-up. Read each sentence below out loud and ask students if it states a fact or if it should be considered fiction. Discuss students’ reasoning.

  • Nearly 700,000 hours of video are added to YouTube every day. (fact)
  • Companies pay to place ads on websites. (fact)
  • Bigfoot lives in Oregon. (fiction)
  • 5G cell phone towers spread the coronavirus. (fiction)
  • Twitter and Facebook have banned some users. (fact)

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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