Why Teaching Students to Decipher Fake News is Crucial

Class Dismissed

In an age where information is constantly at our fingertips, distinguishing credible news from misleading or false information is more critical than ever. Fake news can distort perspectives, influence decision-making, and undermine trust in legitimate sources. Teaching students how to identify and analyze the credibility of news prepares them to navigate the digital world responsibly and fosters informed citizenship.

How We Can Teach Students to Spot Fake News

• Encourage Critical Thinking
  Teach students to question the origin of the information, its intent, and its potential biases. Asking “Who wrote this?” and “Why was it written?” helps develop a skeptical mindset.
• Introduce Fact-Checking Tools
  You can familiarize students with tools like Snopes, FactCheck.org, or basic search techniques to cross-check information from multiple reputable sources.
• Spot Emotional Language
  Teach students to recognize when an article uses overly emotional or sensational language, which can indicate bias or an intent to mislead.
• Evaluate Sources
  Help students learn to identify credible sources, including checking the publication’s history, credentials, and editorial standards.
• Practice With Real-Life Scenarios
  Provide students with examples of true and false stories and work through identifying characteristics that distinguish one another.

Our guest in Episode 274 of Class Dismissed is David Cutler, a Massachusetts high school history and journalism teacher. Cutler recognizes the importance of teaching to distinguish between legitimate news sources and news sites designed strictly for political or monetary gain.

Cutler authored a column featured on PBS Newshour titled “How I use George Washington to make kids care about fake news.” He detailed his methods in Episode 274. Listen to this latest episode on your favorite podcast app or Apple Podcast