Lesson Plan: Can You Spot a Scam?

Essential Questions

• How can you tell when something is too good to be true? 
• What dangers come with the ability to shop, play, and socialize online?

Literature Connection

• Novel: Thieving Weasels by Billy Taylor

Build Background Knowledge (10 minutes)

Have students take our fun, interactive prereading quiz, “How Safe Are You Online?” The quiz will prepare students to read by activating their prior knowledge about internet safety and providing information about how to make thoughtful choices online.

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

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

• Based on the article’s title and subtitle (the text to the right of the title), what do you think is the article’s purpose? The article’s purpose seems to be to let readers know how people can get tricked online and how to protect themselves.
• The article has three sections with headings. Based on the headings, what do you think the sections are about? The headings begin with “Scam 1,” “Scam 2,” and “Scam 3,” so each one probably describes a type of scam.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (urgent, sued, represent, influencer, partnership) 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 explaining to students that the article “Can You Spot a Scam?” will tell them how to recognize some tricks people use to cheat others out of money or personal information online. This knowledge will help them to avoid getting tricked. 
• Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
• Point out the activity at the end of the article and tell students they will complete it after reading. Encourage them to briefly scan the questions and to keep them in mind as they read.

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

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

• The author begins the article by describing an imaginary situation in which you, the reader, are caught by a scam. Why do you think she starts this way? What does she want you to understand about scams? (author’s purpose) By having you imagine yourself getting scammed, the author makes it easier for you to understand how scammers get people’s attention and how quickly and easily a person can be tricked.
• Based on the section “Scam 2: Click Right Here,” what information should you keep to yourself in order to avoid being scammed? (problem and solution) Based on the text, you can avoid being scammed by not sharing your password or other personal information.
• Based on the section “Scam 3: Social Media Stardom,” what should you NOT expect when applying for a real job? (reading for information) When applying for a real job, you should not expect to be asked for money. 

Critical-Thinking Question (5 minutes)

• To scam someone is to steal from them. It’s against the law. Why might someone choose to do this instead of working to earn money in a legal way? (critical thinking) Answers may vary. Some students might say that scamming someone is a quicker and easier way to get money than working. Others might say that scammers get satisfaction from tricking people. 

3. Skill Building and Writing

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill activity at the end of the article.
• Use our Summarizing Skill Builder, available in higher- and lower-level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders for this article.)
• Writing prompt: Imagine that your friend Ivy texts you to say that she has amazing news. Her favorite makeup company has offered her a job as a model! Write a text back to Ivy with advice on how to make sure the offer is real. Remember to be kind as well as helpful!