By learning how to spot fake news and understand the media's impact on wellbeing, students develop the critical thinking skills needed to navigate media campaigns and social media. These skills help them to make informed decisions and to be responsible digital citizens.

Year level

9-10

Duration

30 minutes

Type

In class activity

SEL Competencies

Self-awareness

Self-management

Social awareness

Relationship skills

Responsible decision-making

Learning intention

Students will understand what media literacy is, practise spotting fake news, and recognise the impact that media messages can have on individual and community wellbeing.

Key outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

  • analyse the credibility of media sources and recognise potential red flags in news stories

  • understand that media literacy involves analysing various types of media and the messages they communicate

  • explain how fake or misleading news affects individual and community wellbeing.

Materials needed

  • Students’ devices or workbooks

  • Whiteboard 

  • Whiteboard markers

  • Interactive whiteboard/projector to play video

Mapped to

Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education

  • Investigate and evaluate strategies to manage relationships and promote their own and others' health, safety and wellbeing in various contexts (AC9HP10P02)

  • Analyse how societal attitudes, behaviours and customs can influence identities and relationships (AC9HP10P03)

Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities

  • Critical and Creative Thinking:

    • Analysing, synthesizing, and evaluating reasoning and procedures

  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT):

    • Investigating with ICT

  • Personal and Social Capability:

    • Social awareness

  • Ethical Understanding:

    • Exploring values, rights and responsibilities

NSW PDHPE Syllabus

  • Researches and appraises the effectiveness of health information and support services available in the community (PD5-2)

  • Assesses and applies self-management skills to effectively manage complex situations (PD5-9)

Victorian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education

  • Evaluate health information from a range of sources and apply to health decisions and situations (VCHPEP144)

  • Plan, implement and critique strategies to enhance the health, safety and wellbeing of their communities (VCHPEP145)

Show details

Activity 1

What is media literacy?

5 minutes

  1. Ask students to share their favourite social media platforms and news sources. Create a brainstorm list.

  2. Discuss with students the purpose of media and how it is used in advocacy.

  3. Explain that media literacy is the ability to spot different types of media and to understand the messages they are communicating. It involves questioning what you’re watching, listening to or reading, so that you can make better judgements about the messages you’re being presented with.

Activity 2

Spot the fake

5 minutes

  1. Provide a list of headlines relevant to your class. Ask students to vote on which ones are real and which ones are fake. Some suggestions include:

    • Quokkas Named the Happiest Animal in the World (Real)

    • Australian Town Becomes First in World to Ban Bottled Water (Real – Bundanoon, NSW)

    • Vegemite-Flavoured Icy Poles Hit Australian Stores (Real)

    • Australian Government Considers Implementing 'No Thongs in Public' Law (Fake) 

    • Great Barrier Reef to be Painted to Boost Tourism (Fake) 

    • Drop Bears Added to Endangered Species List (Fake) 

    • New Study Shows Eating Fairy Bread Improves Math Skills (Fake)

    • Christmas Island's Annual Red Crab Migration Closes Roads (Real)

    • Wombat Poo is Cube-Shaped, Scientists Discover Why (Real)

Activity 3

The impact of media messaging

10 minutes

  1. Ask students, ‘What is the impact of fake or misleading news on individual and community wellbeing?’

  2. Instruct them to create a Venn diagram, labelling one circle ‘Individual’ and the other ‘Community’. Examples of impacts include:

    • stress

    • anxiety 

    • lost trust 

    • social division 

    • civil unrest. 

Activity 4

Tips for media literacy

10 minutes

  1. Distribute or provide access to the ReachOut article, The news and critical thinking. 

  2. Students discuss the article in small groups and choose which tip they think is the most important.

Print

Related resources

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Community wellbeing: Ideas to action

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Self-care and the news cycle

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        We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

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        ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

              Aboriginal flagTorres Strait islander flagRainbow flagAustralian flag

              We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

              We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

              ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

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