Identifying Misinformation and Disinformation

Active learning works for this topic because students need to practice critical thinking in real time, not just absorb facts about misinformation. Handling actual examples lets them experience the emotional triggers and credibility gaps that make fake news spread so quickly.

• Grade 9
• Language Arts
• 4 activities
• 35 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze digital messages to identify at least three common indicators of misinformation or disinformation.
2. Compare and contrast misinformation and disinformation, providing specific examples of each.
3. Evaluate the credibility of an online news source using a self-designed checklist.
4. Explain the purpose and function of fact-checking websites and lateral reading strategies.
5. Design a public service announcement script that warns audiences about a specific type of online deception.

Gallery Walk

⏱ 45 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Spot the Fakes

Display 8-10 printed articles or screenshots around the room, each with varying credibility levels. Students walk in pairs, using a provided evaluation checklist to note indicators of misinformation. After 20 minutes, pairs share top findings with the class.

Prepare & details

What are the key indicators that a news source might be unreliable?

Facilitation Tip: During Gallery Walk: Spot the Fakes, position yourself to overhear group conversations so you can gently redirect assumptions by asking, 'What makes you say the author is anonymous?' instead of confirming their guesses.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Jigsaw

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Jigsaw: Disinfo Types

Divide class into expert groups on types like clickbait, deepfakes, echo chambers, and propaganda. Each group researches one type and prepares a 2-minute teach-back. Groups then reform to share knowledge and apply to sample posts.

Prepare & details

Explain the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

Facilitation Tip: For Jigsaw: Disinfo Types, assign each expert group a single misinformation tactic to teach back, then rotate so every student practices explaining one concept clearly to peers.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Escape Room

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Checklist Design Challenge

In small groups, students review sample articles and collaboratively build a 10-point credibility checklist. Groups test checklists on new articles, then refine based on peer feedback. Compile class checklists into a shared digital resource.

Prepare & details

Design a checklist for evaluating the credibility of online articles.

Facilitation Tip: When running Checklist Design Challenge, provide a timer so students feel the pressure of making quick decisions, just like they would in a fast-moving social media feed.

Setup: Group tables with puzzle envelopes, optional locked boxes

Materials: Puzzle packets (4-6 per group), Lock boxes or code sheets, Timer (projected), Hint cards

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Escape Room

⏱ 35 min·Whole Class

Fact-Check Debate

Present a controversial online claim to the whole class. Split into affirm/deny teams to fact-check live using devices, then debate evidence. Conclude with a vote on credibility and reflection.

Prepare & details

What are the key indicators that a news source might be unreliable?

Setup: Group tables with puzzle envelopes, optional locked boxes

Materials: Puzzle packets (4-6 per group), Lock boxes or code sheets, Timer (projected), Hint cards

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teachers approach this topic by treating misinformation like a puzzle: students learn to spot pieces that don't fit, such as mismatched dates or unverified quotes. Avoid lectures that just list warning signs; instead, model your own thinking aloud while examining sources together. Research shows students improve fastest when they repeatedly apply criteria to fresh examples rather than memorizing lists.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently pointing to specific features of a source that raise credibility concerns. They should move beyond vague warnings to articulate why a headline, image, or author makes a claim questionable. Class discussions should reveal consistent patterns of skepticism rather than confusion.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Gallery Walk: Spot the Fakes, watch for students assuming that posts with many likes or shares are automatically trustworthy.

What to Teach Instead

Use the gallery walk comments section to post a prompt: 'Compare shares to fact-checks. How many likes would it take to make you believe this claim is true?' Guide students to examine viral examples where popularity clashes with verification.

Common Misconception

During Jigsaw: Disinfo Types, watch for students believing all mainstream news outlets publish completely neutral stories.

What to Teach Instead

Have each jigsaw group analyze three headlines from reputable outlets on the same event, noting word choices that reveal bias. Ask groups to present examples of slant they found, then compare headlines to primary sources like official statements.

Common Misconception

During Checklist Design Challenge, watch for students using the terms misinformation and disinformation interchangeably without considering intent.

What to Teach Instead

Provide role-playing cards with scenarios: one accidental error versus one deliberate hoax. Students must label each and explain how they would respond differently to each type in a real situation.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Gallery Walk: Spot the Fakes, give students a printed example of a viral post with clear red flags. Ask them to circle and label three specific credibility gaps and explain in two sentences why each weakens the claim.

Discussion Prompt

During Fact-Check Debate, pose the question: 'Your friend shares a shocking headline about a local event that seems true but lacks sources. What three steps do you take before sharing it?' Circulate to note who mentions lateral reading and who relies only on gut feelings.

Exit Ticket

After Checklist Design Challenge, have students write definitions for misinformation and disinformation on one side of an index card, then provide one real-world example where distinguishing between the two matters for civic decisions on the other side.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to design a social media post that unwittingly spreads misinformation, then swap with a peer who must rewrite it using only credible sources and neutral language.
• Scaffolding: Provide a partially completed checklist for students to finish, focusing only on headlines and author credentials before tackling the full evaluation.
• Deeper exploration: Have students trace the origins of a viral claim by following links backward to find the original source, documenting each step in a flowchart.

Key Vocabulary

Misinformation	False or inaccurate information that is spread, regardless of intent to deceive. It often arises from honest mistakes or misunderstandings.
Disinformation	False information deliberately created and spread with the intention to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm, often for political or financial gain.
Lateral Reading	A verification technique where a reader leaves the original source to open new tabs and search for information about the source, author, and claims on other reputable websites.
Sensationalism	The use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy, often to attract attention or increase sales.
Propaganda	Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.