Think Before You Believe

Overview

Students investigate how critical thinkers evaluate claims in everyday media and conversation. They learn to distinguish fact from opinion, identify relevant evidence, recognise possible bias, and ask useful questions before accepting information as trustworthy.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to evaluate claims and explain our thinking using evidence.
• We are learning to distinguish facts from opinions.
• We are learning to recognise bias and consider who created and sourced information.
• We are learning to ask useful questions and respectfully challenge interpretations.

Success criteria

• I can identify whether a statement is mainly fact or opinion and explain why.
• I can identify evidence that supports a claim and say whether it is trustworthy.
• I can suggest how a creator’s purpose or viewpoint might influence information.
• I can ask a useful question before deciding whether to believe a claim.

Curriculum links

• Reading: using and explaining evidence to support reasoned interpretations.
• Reading: respectfully challenging and responding to interpretations.
• Reading: judging whether digital and media information is trustworthy by considering the creator, evidence, and sourcing.
• Writing: developing clear explanations and using evidence to support a position.

Key vocabulary

Claim, fact, opinion, evidence, source, trustworthy, bias, purpose, audience, reliable, question, interpretation.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Surprising claim starter. Display the claim, “Schools should ban homework because it makes students less intelligent,” using the opening claim slide. Students silently decide whether they believe it, then stand or show fingers to indicate “agree”, “unsure”, or “disagree”. Invite a few responses, asking, “What would we need to know before accepting this claim?” Do not confirm whether it is true; explain that critical thinking means slowing down and checking.

2. 7–17 min · Explicit teaching and modelling. Use the critical-thinking model slides to define claim, fact, opinion, evidence, bias, and source. Model a “source check” with the statement, “Our local library has more than 10,000 books.” Think aloud: identify the claim, ask whether it can be checked, identify what evidence would help, and consider who supplied the information and why. Contrast it with, “Our library is the best place in town,” explaining that this is an opinion because it expresses a judgement. Record the questions: Who created this? What do they want me to think or do? What evidence is provided? Can I check it elsewhere?

3. 17–22 min · Guided analysis. Display the worked example on the teacher think-aloud slide. Ask students to help classify: “Native trees provide important homes and food for many birds” and “Everyone should plant a native tree this weekend.” Highlight that a fact can still need evidence, while an opinion can be reasonable but should be presented as a viewpoint. Briefly explain that bias does not always mean someone is lying; it may reflect a person’s interests, experiences, purpose, or selection of information.

4. 22–38 min · Paired claim investigation. Distribute the paired claim investigation sheet. Students work in pairs, reading six short, age-appropriate claims about school life, sport, online content, hauora, and caring for whenua. For each claim they label fact, opinion, or mixed; underline the evidence provided; identify what information is missing; and write one useful question. They also complete a source check for two claims, considering creator, purpose, audience, evidence, and sourcing. Circulate and ask, “Which words signal an opinion?” and “What would make this evidence more trustworthy?”

5. 38–50 min · Collaborative discussion. Place students in groups of four or five, with mixed viewpoints where possible. Give each group one selected claim from the worksheet. Students use the discussion sentence stem desk mats to prepare a one-minute response using the stems “I agree because…”, “I respectfully challenge this because…”, “The evidence suggests…”, and “A question we still need to ask is…”. Groups share responses. Reinforce listening, paraphrasing, and challenging ideas rather than people. Invite students to notice how language, images, missing information, or emotional wording can shape an audience’s response.

6. 50–57 min · Individual exit task. Students independently complete the exit task on the individual response and plenary slide: “Claim: ‘A popular video online must be trustworthy because many people have watched it.’ Is this a strong claim? Explain your judgement using two critical-thinking questions and one type of evidence you would seek.” Students should write three to five sentences. Collect responses before discussion.

7. 57–60 min · Plenary and homework. Ask students to complete the sentence, “Before I believe a claim, I should…”. Set the brief homework: find one claim from a safe, suitable source at home, such as a news article, advertisement, council message, or website. Record the claim, creator, intended audience, one piece of evidence, and one question about its trustworthiness. Students who cannot access the internet may use a food packet, poster, book, or television advertisement.

Resources

• the critical-thinking introduction deck
• the paired claim investigation sheet
• the discussion sentence stem desk mats
• Whiteboard and markers
• Student exercise books or devices
• Timer
• Highlighters or coloured pencils

Assessment

• Listen during the starter and guided analysis for accurate use of fact, opinion, claim, and evidence.
• Check paired worksheets for classification, relevant questions, and consideration of creator, purpose, evidence, and sourcing.
• Use the individual exit task to identify students who can make a reasoned judgement and support it with appropriate questions and evidence.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank, colour-coded examples, and sentence starters for students who need literacy support; read claims aloud and allow oral rehearsal before writing.
• Pair students thoughtfully and assign roles such as reader, evidence finder, question writer, and reporter to support participation.
• For English-language learners, pre-teach vocabulary with simple definitions and visual examples; accept labelled diagrams or a recorded explanation before written expansion.
• Challenge confident writers to compare two sources making the same claim and explain how differences in evidence, wording, or purpose affect trustworthiness.