Impacts of Sharing Misinformation

Overview

In this third lesson of Navigating Fake Online Information, students examine how misinformation can affect individuals, whānau and wider communities. They use realistic digital scenarios to trace consequences, distinguish accidental misinformation from deliberate disinformation and harmful malinformation, and propose responsible actions before sharing.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• explain how sharing false or misleading information can create harm
• analyse impacts on individuals, whānau, relationships and communities
• distinguish misinformation, disinformation and malinformation in examples
• apply a pause-check-share strategy to make safer decisions online

Success criteria

• I can identify who may be affected by a piece of false or misleading information.
• I can explain at least two possible consequences, using evidence from a scenario.
• I can distinguish misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.
• I can suggest a safe and responsible response before sharing.

Curriculum links

• Technology — developing digital technological knowledge and ethical, responsible use of digital technologies.
• Health and Physical Education — analysing how online platforms influence relationships, self-image and personal development, and developing safe navigation strategies.
• Health and Physical Education — evaluating how competence, platform design and social norms affect online safety, privacy, consent and peer interactions.
• English — evaluating misinformation, disinformation and malinformation by analysing language, source credibility, purpose and context.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and retrieval. Teacher opens with the opening question and scenario and asks, “If a false post is shared by someone you trust, who could be affected?” Students silently predict one impact, then share with a partner and recall the source-checking strategies from lessons 1–2.

2. 5–12 min · Direct teaching. Teacher uses the key concepts and impact map to clarify:

• misinformation: false information shared by mistake
• disinformation: false information shared deliberately
• malinformation: true information shared to cause harm Teacher models an impact map: post → audience → immediate effect → longer-term effect. Students contribute possible impacts, such as embarrassment, anxiety, damaged trust, unsafe choices, conflict or pressure on public services.

3. 12–25 min · Scenario investigation. Teacher distributes the misinformation impact investigation and places students in five groups of four. Each group reads one age-appropriate scenario, such as a false school closure notice, an edited image about a student, a misleading health claim, a rumour about a local event or a fake emergency warning. Students identify whether the example is misinformation, disinformation or malinformation, then map effects on the individual, whānau, school and wider community. Remind students not to name real classmates or share real harmful content.

4. 25–34 min · Evidence and consequences. Teacher pauses groups halfway and displays the consequence prompts: “Who benefits?”, “Who carries the risk?”, “What might happen next?”, and “How could platform design increase the spread?” Students add one evidence-based consequence and one factor, such as algorithms, emotional language, reposting, screenshots or pressure to respond quickly, to their worksheet.

5. 34–41 min · Responsible response round. Teacher displays the pause-check-share decision flow and asks each group to present its scenario, impact chain and recommended response. Students listen and give one “because” statement: “The safest response is ___ because ___.” Responses may include pausing, checking the original source, checking another reliable source, correcting privately, reporting harmful content, not forwarding it, or telling a trusted adult.

6. 41–45 min · Exit reflection. Teacher returns to the opening question and asks students to complete the final section of the misinformation impact investigation: “One harm caused by sharing false information is…”, “Before I share, I will…”, and “One question I still have is…”. Collect worksheets to identify students needing further support in lesson 4.

Resources

• the complete lesson slide deck
• the misinformation impact investigation
• Projector or interactive display
• Five printed scenario copies, one per group
• Pens or highlighters
• Timer
• Board or shared digital canvas
• Teacher notes with local support and reporting pathways

Assessment

• During group work, check whether students correctly classify the scenario and connect the post to specific impacts rather than simply labelling it “bad”.
• Listen for understanding of individual, whānau and community consequences, and question students who name an impact without explaining how it might occur.
• Use the worksheet and exit reflection to assess whether students can apply a responsible pause-check-share response and identify the role of platform design or social pressure.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank and sentence starters: “This could affect ___ because ___”; “The information is likely to be ___ because ___”; and “Before sharing, I would ___.”
• Read scenarios aloud, reduce the text load and allow students to record responses orally or through a labelled flow diagram. Pair students strategically and check understanding of key terms.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach “harm”, “source”, “audience”, “rumour”, “deliberate” and “reliable”; allow discussion in a first language before sharing ideas in English.
• Challenge confident students to compare two possible responses, explain trade-offs, and evaluate how an algorithm, influencer or group norm might amplify the harm.
• Keep discussion hypothetical and avoid asking students to disclose personal experiences. Offer a private check-in with the teacher or counsellor if a scenario raises concern.