Misinformation Detectives

Overview

Students investigate fictional social media posts about sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress. Working independently through a timed rotation, they identify claims, examine evidence and warning signs, consider source credibility, and create and present a fact-check card supported by cited information.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Identify the main health claim in a social media post.
• Distinguish evidence from opinion, advertising, and unsupported statements.
• Evaluate a source for credibility, accuracy, relevance, and transparency.
• Paraphrase or quote information and cite the source.
• Present a focused conclusion using clear speech and appropriate visual support.

Success criteria

• I can state a post’s health claim accurately.
• I can identify at least two warning signs or strengths in the post’s evidence.
• I can use a trustworthy source to support a correction or qualified conclusion.
• I can present my fact-check card clearly and explain my reasoning.

Curriculum links

• Gathering information from multiple print and digital sources and evaluating credibility and accuracy.
• Quoting or paraphrasing information while avoiding plagiarism and using a standard citation format.
• Presenting claims and findings with relevant evidence, valid reasoning, clear pronunciation, adequate volume, and eye contact.
• Integrating visual displays into a presentation to clarify information, strengthen evidence, and add interest.

Lesson structure (56 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Hook: Can you trust the post? Teacher opens with the hook and learning goals and displays a fictional post claiming, “Drinking a special drink before bed guarantees perfect sleep.” Ask: “What would make you pause before sharing this?” Students silently list two questions they would ask, then explain one aloud.

2. 6–14 min · Mini-lesson: Detective tools. Teacher uses the credibility and evidence slides to model the difference between a claim, evidence, and opinion. Introduce the checklist: Who created it? What evidence is provided? Is the language extreme or promising a guaranteed result? Does the source identify its author, date, purpose, and supporting information? Students mark the model post’s claim, evidence, emotional language, and missing information on the health misinformation detective worksheet.

3. 14–30 min · Independent investigation rotation. Teacher places four fictional posts around the room or displays them one at a time through the four investigation post slides; each post concerns sleep, nutrition, exercise, or stress. Give the student approximately four minutes per post, with a one-minute transition, and prompt: “What is the post claiming, and what would you need to verify?” Students complete one investigation box on the worksheet for each post, recording the claim, evidence offered, warning signs, and a useful search term or source question. The posts should include a mix of accurate advice, oversimplification, influencer marketing, and unsupported claims; they are not medical advice.

4. 30–38 min · Source check and evidence selection. Teacher provides a small teacher-curated source set on the worksheet or classroom computer, including public health agencies, hospitals, universities, and reputable medical organizations. Model how to compare a source with the post and how to record a title, organization, date if available, and access information in a simple citation. Students choose one post, select the strongest relevant source, and paraphrase one supporting idea without copying. They complete the source-check box and explain why the source is trustworthy. Remind students not to use a personal diagnosis or treat social media content as professional medical advice.

5. 38–49 min · Create a fact-check card. Teacher displays the fact-check card directions and model and explains that the card must include: the original claim; verdict (“supported,” “misleading,” or “unsupported”); two warning signs or evidence strengths; a correction or more accurate explanation; one paraphrased or quoted piece of evidence; a brief citation; and one visual symbol, color cue, or small diagram that clarifies the conclusion. Students create their card on the reverse side of the worksheet, then rehearse a 45–60 second presentation using the stem: “The post claims ____. Our verdict is ____. We found ____. This source is trustworthy because ____.”

6. 49–56 min · Presentation and exit reflection. Teacher uses the presentation and reflection slides to set the audience expectations: face the listener, speak audibly, pronounce key terms clearly, and refer to the visual. The student presents the card to the teacher; the teacher asks one follow-up question requiring evidence. Students finish the worksheet exit reflection: “One warning sign I will look for online is ___, and one source feature I will check is ___.”

Resources

• the misinformation detective slide deck
• the health misinformation detective worksheet
• Four fictional social media posts: sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress
• Teacher-curated source set from reputable health and educational organizations
• Timer
• Student device or printed source excerpts
• Index card or worksheet reverse side for the fact-check card
• Colored pencils or highlighters

Assessment

• Check the investigation boxes for accurate claim identification, relevant warning signs, and thoughtful source questions.
• Review the fact-check card for a defensible verdict, relevant evidence, paraphrasing or quotation, citation details, and an explanatory visual.
• Use the presentation and exit reflection to assess clear speaking, reasoning, and transfer of the credibility checklist.

Differentiation

• Support with a completed model, a word bank, color-coded labels for claim/evidence/opinion, and sentence starters such as “The source may be reliable because…” and “This post is misleading because…”
• Provide printed source excerpts, read posts aloud, enlarge text, and allow speech-to-text or oral recording for students who need writing or reading support.
• For EAL students, preview terms such as claim, evidence, credible, misleading, and citation; permit a bilingual glossary and rehearsal before presenting.
• Extend the challenge by asking students to explain what additional evidence would change their verdict or compare two sources that reach different conclusions.