Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: Responsible socials

20 minutes

Find Out: Fact-checking websites

25 minutes

Take Action: Personal action plan

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

explore how individuals and groups contribute to civic life
understand their responsibility in combating misinformation.

Success criteria

Students can:

describe ways individuals and groups participate in civic life
propose strategies to address misinformation responsibly.

Tune In: Responsible socials

Preparation

For this activity, you must source 5 social media posts to either display or describe to students.

Step 1

Show students 5 social media posts (or describe them aloud). These should represent a mix of responsible and irresponsible online behaviours. For example:

a respectful disagreement in the comments section
a post sharing misinformation without fact-checking
a positive advocacy post for a social cause
a post encouraging online bullying
a meme that could be taken as offensive or harmless.

Step 2

Ask students to quickly vote on whether each post is an example of responsible or irresponsible digital citizenship and explain why.

Step 3

Next, pose the question to students:

What does responsible citizenship look like in the age of social media?

Step 4

Invite students to share their responses with the class. Suggested responses could include:

Responsible citizenship means fact-checking before you share. Misinformation spreads fast, and we all play a role in stopping it.
Think before you type, as being respectful online is just as important as being respectful in real life. If you wouldn’t say it face-to-face, don’t post it.
Online privacy matters. Protect your information, respect others’ data, and don’t overshare.
Call out hate speech and misinformation, but do it constructively. Responsible citizens use social media for positive change, not drama.

Find Out: Fact-checking websites

Step 1

Explain to students that due to the constant spread of inaccurate information on social media, non-governmental organisations work to identify, analyse and assess misinformation and disinformation that is widely shared online.

Being a responsible digital citizen means thinking before we hit ‘like’ or ‘share.’ Spreading false information, even accidentally, can cause problems like panic, confusion, or unfair blame. But if we all take a moment to fact-check, we help make the internet more thoughtful and safer for everyone.

Step 2

In small groups, students must investigate 1 fact-checking website (see below) and use the Student Worksheet to identify:

Role in civic life: What does the organisation do?
Strategies: How do they fight misinformation and disinformation?
Example: Summarise an issue that they fact-checked and outline their verdict.

Fact-checking websites:

Australia:

Global:

AFP Fact Check (global)
Africa Check (Africa)
RumorGuard (USA)
Full Fact (UK)
EUvsDisinfo (European Union)

Step 3

Invite groups to share 3 things they learnt, 2 interesting facts and 1 question they still have about fact-checking websites.

Take Action: Personal action plan

Step 1

Pose a question to students:

What does it mean to be a responsible citizen online?

Invite students to brainstorm challenges related to misinformation and online civic discussions.

Step 2

Your students’ task is to form a personal action plan on the Student Worksheet by addressing 3 key areas:

Identifying and countering misinformation	• How will you fact-check information before sharing? • What strategies will you use to stop misinformation from spreading? • Which fact-checking resources or organisations will you use?
Contributing positively to civic discussions	• How will you engage in respectful and productive discussions online? • What steps will you take to challenge harmful or misleading narratives? • How will you promote inclusivity and diversity in online conversations?
Educating younger and older generations	• How can you help younger students develop digital literacy skills? • What methods can you use to inform older generations about misinformation? • How will you encourage responsible digital habits in your families or communities?

Step 3

Once completed, direct students to pair up and exchange their plans. Invite students to provide feedback to their peers on whether their plans are realistic, actionable and impactful.

Encourage students to refine their action plans by implementing the feedback.

Learning support: Select 1-2 questions per category to support and scaffold for students with additional needs.

Step 4

Invite students to volunteer to share key points from their plans.

Reflection

Students write a short sentence on sticky notes summarising their personal responsibility as digital citizens. Invite students to display these in an area of the classroom.

Responsibility to Combat Misinformation

Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables

Responsibility to Combat Misinformation

Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables