Lesson video

Hello, my name's Miss Willow, and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called the "Impact of Fake Information," and it fits into the unit "Media Influence: How Can I Evaluate the Truth Online?

" During this lesson, we are going to be talking about discrimination and other sensitive content, so for this lesson, we recommend that you have an adult with you.

If at any point you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's really important that you stop the lesson and that you speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start on today's lesson.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe some of the serious dangers caused by fake news.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, Laura says that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, we should challenge the statement and not the person themselves.

Next, Jacob says, "No judgment.

We can explore any beliefs and misunderstandings that we have about a topic without fear of being judged by others.

" Next, Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion if they don't feel comfortable.

We should never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Andeep says that we should respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves.

If we want to share a story or an experience, we can refer to someone as "my friend.

" This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

We're now going to take a look at the keywords for today's lesson.

Our first keyword is "disinformation.

" This is articles, videos, or images that are untrue and are designed to confuse or mislead us.

Our next keyword is "misinformation.

" False or inaccurate information shared without intent to deceive; getting the facts wrong by mistake.

"Deepfakes.

" This is a video, image, or sound that has been digitally changed to make it look or sound like someone did or said something that they never actually did.

Next, we have "polarization.

" This is when opinions or groups become very different or opposite, with little common ground between them.

And finally, we have "echo chamber.

" This is a place or situation where people only hear ideas that they already agree with, so their beliefs are repeated and not challenged.

Today's lesson is split into three learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called "What are the dangers of fake news?

" Our second learning cycle is called "How can fake news cause someone to become ill?

" And our last learning cycle is called "How can fake news change the way someone votes?

" Let's make a start on our first learning cycle.

What are the dangers of fake news?

People can create fake news that contains disinformation as a way of spreading harmful and hateful points of view.

Because fake news is so hard to spot, people may read this disinformation and take it as fact.

Lucas says, "If people believe the disinformation that they have read, they could share it with others, and this would be spreading misinformation.

" People may also create what's called deepfakes, so a deepfake is an image or video which has been generated or edited using artificial intelligence.

Lucas says these can be difficult to spot as they look so real.

Although deepfakes are not always harmful, they can be used to imitate a person saying or doing something inappropriate.

Deepfakes might also be used to spread fake news.

Fake news can lead to hatred if people don't question disinformation that they read or share with others.

So, for example, Ethan is scrolling on his phone and comes across a post on social media about girls being bad at science and maths.

Ethan doesn't realize that it's disinformation.

The post says that girls are bad at science and maths.

Ethan searches "Girls are bad at science and maths" online, but he can't see any articles or studies to prove it.

Instead, Ethan goes on a video site and searches the topic.

There are several videos saying the same thing, and all posted from content creators that he hasn't seen before.

He's interested, so he watches them.

Due to the searches Ethan has made online, the algorithm on his social media page begins to promote more content containing disinformation.

The disinformation being suggested to him is becoming more hateful.

Ethan is being suggested content like "Five reasons boys are better than girls," "Girls aren't as smart as boys," "Girls shouldn't be doctors," and "Girls shouldn't have jobs.

" Social media algorithms don't know if content it suggests contains disinformation or not.

Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

"Social media doesn't promote content that contains disinformation.

" What do you think?

Is this true or false?

Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why?

You might have said that social media algorithms promote content to users related to their previous searches and online habits.

The algorithm itself doesn't consider whether the content contains disinformation.

Well done if you said something similar to this.

As Ethan interacts more with these posts online that are getting increasingly hateful, and he makes more searches for related content on other sites, the algorithm suggests even more.

Eventually, the majority of Ethan's social media is full of hateful comments about girls.

This has created what's called an echo chamber, where content and content creators who support these views are the only ones that Ethan sees on social media.

Because Ethan is being recommended lots of content that contains disinformation about girls, he's starting to believe it.

As he's now in an echo chamber online, he's never seeing information that challenges this hateful content.

Ethan says, "I've seen so many posts online about girls not being as smart as boys.

It must be true.

" Ethan has found himself believing the content that he has seen because he hasn't seen any content saying something different.

Ethan now says, "I should share these stories with my friends online.

" Ethan doesn't realize that what he has read is disinformation, and because he shares it with his friends on social media, this is spreading misinformation and hateful content.

Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to fill in the blank.

"Only seeing content that supports one point of view is known as 'blank.

'" A, misinformation; B, echo chamber; or C, disinformation?

Which is the correct missing word?

Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said B, an echo chamber is correct.

Only seeing content that supports one point of view is known as an echo chamber.

Well done if you got this right.

Ethan's friends trust him and believe some of the things that he sent them.

They also begin to spread misinformation and feel angry about what they have read.

Ethan's saying in a group chat, "What did you think about that stuff I sent you?

" Someone replied, saying, "I couldn't believe it.

I have shared it as well," and another person said, "Why aren't more people talking about this?

" The people that Ethan has shared this content with don't realize that it's disinformation.

Ethan has spread misinformation because he doesn't know that what he shared isn't true.

As Ethan consumes disinformation through his echo chamber, he starts to have strong negative feelings about girls and believes all content that has a negative opinion on girls.

An echo chamber can deepen negative feelings and attitudes as hateful content is repeatedly shared.

This can create prejudices.

Sofia explains that prejudice is when someone judges or dislikes others unfairly without knowing them, based on things like their race or ethnicity, gender or appearance.

The disinformation people consume online can impact the way that they treat others in real life.

Fake news often uses emotionally charged language and imagery to provoke anger, outrage, and hatred.

When individuals feel angry or outraged, they may act impulsively and aggressively.

Lucas says, "This anger and aggression is often taken out on the group of people that the fake news was focused on.

" In Ethan's case, this anger is aimed at girls.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Is this statement true or false?

"Fake news has no impact on real life.

" What do you think?

Is this true or false?

Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why?

You might have said that fake news can lead to hatred in real life, particularly when people are in echo chambers that contain hateful disinformation.

Well done if you said this or something similar.

We're now gonna move on to our first practice task, and well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to fill in the flowchart with information about how fake news led to Ethan feeling hatred.

The first part has already been completed for you, so this is the first part of our task.

Ethan sees a post about girls being bad at science and maths, so he searches online for more information.

Can you fill in the rest of the flowchart to show how fake news led to Ethan feeling hatred?

Pause the video, and we'll go through your completed flowchart might look like in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

The second part of your flowchart might now look like this: The algorithm on social media promotes more disinformation to Ethan.

Next, Ethan is now in an echo chamber of disinformation about girls and shares what he has seen with his friends.

Finally, all the disinformation starts to make Ethan have strong negative feelings towards girls in real life.

Well done if your completed flowchart looks anything like this or has some similar ideas from this learning cycle.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle, "How can fake news cause someone to become ill?

" The internet is full of useful information.

Sometimes this information is really helpful and can aid us in our daily lives.

However, sometimes information on health and managing illnesses can be misleading and incorrect.

Nurse Daniel says that if you're ever worried about your health, it's best to speak to a medical professional, such as a GP or a pharmacist.

Sometimes when people feel unwell, they may search online to see if there's information about their symptoms.

Izzy says that often fake news about illnesses can exaggerate how bad something is or suggest that a person is seriously unwell based on their symptoms.

Aisha tells us that this can cause stress and panic.

Let's do a check for understanding.

Is this statement true or false?

"It's best to see a medical professional about any health concerns instead of searching online.

" What do you think?

Is this true or false?

Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

If you said that this is true.

It's true that it's best to see a medical professional about any health concerns instead of searching online.

If people are struggling with an illness, they may search for ways to manage their symptoms online.

Fake news sites or deepfakes can spread unproven or even dangerous remedies for illnesses.

Dr. Elsie says that this can lead people to try unsafe methods instead of seeking proper medical care from someone like a doctor, a medical professional at a hospital, or a pharmacist.

Fake news or deepfakes can also spread disinformation about medical professionals and medicine.

This can prevent individuals from seeking or sticking to treatment recommended by a doctor.

Jun says that this can cause distrust in medical professionals.

Sam says, "What can happen if people distrust medical professionals?

" If people distrust medical professionals, they may ignore necessary medical advice.

They may avoid going to medical professionals for medical conditions.

They may stop accessing treatments needed for long-term conditions that they have, and they may avoid essential vaccines that prevent them and others around them from becoming unwell.

Let's do another check for understanding, and I'd like you to fill in the blank.

"Fake news and deepfakes can cause 'blank' in medical professionals.

" What do you think the missing word is?

A, trust; B, distrust; or C, reliance?

What do you think is the missing word?

Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the missing word is "distrust.

" Fake news and deepfakes can cause distrust in medical professionals.

This can stop people from seeking medical help that they need or following medical advice from a medical professional.

Well done if you said the same thing.

We're now moving on to your second practice task, and well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to fill in the blanks using the word bank below.

"People may search for information about their 'blank' if they feel unwell.

Sometimes this information is helpful, but other times it contains 'blank.

' Fake news and deepfakes about medical issues often 'blank' how bad something is, causing 'blank' and panic.

Fake news and deepfakes can also encourage people to 'blank' necessary medical treatments and may suggest other, less effective treatments.

Fake news and deepfakes about medical issues can lead to 'blank' in medical professionals and people avoiding speaking to a doctor when they really need to.

" Let's have a look at the words in our word bank: "avoid," "exaggerate," "distrust," "disinformation," "symptoms," and "stress.

" Can you fill in the blanks using that word bank?

Pause the video, and we'll go through what your completed paragraph should look like in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what your completed paragraph should look like.

"People may search for information about their symptoms if they feel unwell.

Sometimes this information is helpful, but other times it contains disinformation.

Fake news and deepfakes about medical issues often exaggerate how bad something is, causing stress and panic.

Fake news and deepfakes can also encourage people to avoid necessary medical treatments and may suggest other, less effective treatments.

Fake news and deepfakes about medical issues can lead to distrust in medical professionals and to people avoiding speaking to a doctor when they really need to.

" Well done if your completed paragraph looks like this.

We're now moving on to our final learning cycle: "How can fake news change the way someone votes?

" The government of a country has a lot of power and influence.

They're in charge of things like funding for public services like schools, hospitals, and emergency services, such as the fire brigade; security and defense of the country as a whole; creating and enforcing important laws; protecting the environment; and protecting people's rights and freedoms.

During a general election, every adult in the country votes for the people that they want to be in charge of the government.

Elections have a really big impact on everyone in the country, so the way that people vote really matters.

Izzy says, "Before an election, people will usually look at the news or read stories about the people running in the election so that they can make the best choice for them in line with their values.

" The news and information that people read during an election can change the way that they vote.

So, for example, Izzy's uncle is looking at information about who to vote for in the next election.

The climate crisis is very important to him, and Izzy's uncle says, "I want to vote for a party that will help the planet.

" Izzy's uncle has seen something online that says, "Candidate A says that he loves climate change," and he says, "I can never vote for someone who said that.

" However, Izzy's uncle is looking at a deepfake news story.

This video contains disinformation about one of the candidates and their opinions on climate change.

Fake news and deepfakes can spread disinformation about a candidate's past actions or opinions.

This can cause voters to reject candidates.

Fake news and deepfakes can often simplify important issues or explain them using emotional language.

This can intensify what we call polarization and make voters less likely to consider opposing viewpoints.

Izzy says, "Candidate A wants to help fight climate change, Uncle.

" But Izzy's uncle says, "That's not true.

I've seen online that they love climate change.

" Let's do another check for understanding.

"Fake news and deepfakes can cause 'blank' and make voters less likely to consider different viewpoints.

" Which word is missing?

A, understanding; B, openness; or C, polarization?

Which word is missing in the sentence?

Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that "polarization" is the correct missing word.

Our completed sentence should now say, "Fake news and deepfakes can cause polarization and make voters less likely to consider different viewpoints.

" Well done if you got this right.

Voters often search for information that confirms their beliefs.

They're more likely to encounter and trust fake news or deepfakes.

This stops people from being open to credible information.

In this case, Izzy's uncle has searched online, saying, "Why does Candidate A love climate change?

" He is searching for information that confirms his belief, even if this belief is based on disinformation and it's not true.

Lots of exposure to fake news or deepfakes can undermine trust in credible traditional news outlets.

When voters distrust established news sources, they may rely on disinformation to guide their decisions without realizing that it's disinformation.

They may also spread misinformation to other voters if they spread this disinformation to others, which can change the way that other people vote.

Izzy's uncle has posted on social media saying, "I have seen that Candidate A loves climate change.

Do not vote for them!

" Because of the disinformation that Izzy's uncle has seen online, he is now spreading misinformation.

This could influence the way that other people vote.

Fake news and deepfakes are often made to create strong emotions like fear, anger, or excitement, which can affect someone's decision-making.

Being influenced by anger or fear might change the way that someone votes.

Izzy's uncle says, "I'm really worried about climate change, so I can't possibly vote for Candidate A.

" Jacob reminds us that elections have a massive impact on everyone in the country and the world around us, and Andeep says that if people vote for someone based on disinformation, it can have a terrible impact on everyone.

Fake news and deepfakes can lead people to vote for someone who doesn't really have their best interests at heart.

To prevent the impacts of fake news and deepfakes on the way a person votes, it's important that people verify the information that they read about elections.

This means to check that it is true and accurate.

People can verify the news that they read and consume by checking the author of the article and whether they have other articles written on legitimate news sites.

Looking up the information that they've read online and seeing if it's mentioned anywhere else.

If it isn't mentioned anywhere else, it's likely to not be true.

Avoiding news content from social media and verifying anything they do read on real, trustworthy news sites.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Is this statement true or false?

"Fake news and deepfakes cannot impact a whole country.

" What do you think?

Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is false, but why?

You might have said that fake news and deepfakes can impact the way that people vote.

If people vote for a candidate because of disinformation, it can impact the whole country.

Well done if you said this or had something similar.

We're now moving on to your final practice task, and well done for your hard work.

I'd like you to write one paragraph explaining how fake news and deepfakes can change the way that someone votes.

In your answer, I'd like you to consider elections and their importance, disinformation, misinformation, distrust in credible news outlets, polarization, and the word "verify.

" Pause the video, and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

You might have said that elections are important because citizens choose who they want to be in charge of the government and make important decisions for the country.

When people consume disinformation about a candidate or political party, they may believe it and possibly spread misinformation to others.

Fake news and deepfakes can make people distrust credible news outlets, and it can stop them from believing the truth.

When fake news or deepfakes use emotive language, it can cause polarization and make it harder to understand other people's viewpoints.

It's important to verify information about elections and candidates to ensure that disinformation isn't impacting the way in which someone votes.

Well done if your answer was anything like this or had some similar ideas.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that fake news, deepfakes, and disinformation can impact the way that people see others.

It can lead to anger, fear, or hatred of a group of people, especially if the person consuming it is in an echo chamber.

People often search for information online about illnesses or symptoms that they're experiencing.

If they come across fake news or deepfakes, it can lead to them becoming more ill or cause harm to others.

People will often use the internet to find out more about candidates during elections.

If what they consume is fake news or deepfakes, they may spread misinformation to others and change the way that they vote.

Before we believe anything that we read online, especially about important or emotive issues, we must verify what we have read.

In today's lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries or questions, and if you do, it's really important that you share these with a trusted adult.

There's also some resources on the screen that are there to help you too.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you again soon.