SHEET 9 – ACTIVITY 1

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

A film debate uses a film or video viewing to encourage students to voice their opinion on societal issues (Balkan youth emigration, ethnic tensions, discrimination against the LGBT+ community, widespread corruption, etc.). The post-viewing discussion gives participants a chance to express their points of view and also, in a respectful and attentive atmosphere, confront ideas that differ from their own and thus nurture different points of view.

Additionally, this activity is also a way of discussing portrayals on screen and the possible use of images to discuss an issue – such as in the case of a film – and to analyse audio-visual media tools such as documentaries and news reports.

More broadly, the activity inspires students to think critically about the things they have learned in the news report or film by understanding the ways information is shared through images and ultimately through debate and discussion.

Furthermore, the activity showcases the advantages of an audio-visual tool that is popular with young people and captures their attention more effectively.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the film debate: Teachers identify a news report, film, or documentary on the issues they want to discuss with participants.

2. Prepare the worksheets for students to fill in: Teachers provide students with worksheets that contain necessary information about the film (including information on the director and background information to understand the creator’s motivation behind the piece). For sample evaluation grid that can be customised if necessary, SEE ‘APPENDIX’.

3. Set up the room and procure the required equipment (video projector, speakers, chairs/desks).

4. Hand out the sheets: Participants fill in the first part of the sheets during viewing.

5. Watch the film.

6. Before starting the discussion, lead into it by identifying with participants the methods used to convey information (Interview? Hidden camera? Is the story being told sad or hopeful? Positive or negative images? etc.).

7. Lead the discussion of ideas with the help of the second part of the worksheet prepared beforehand by the teacher: ‘Questions for students’. The discussion should lead students to ask various questions about the particular issue.

Example: The teacher takes a quote or scene from the film that can be interpreted in multiple ways. The teacher states his or her point of view, asks the students to express theirs, and then to explain and justify them. Students express their opinion physically by moving to different parts of the room (students stand on the left, right, or in the middle depending on their opinion) in the style of a moving debate. Once they have joined their side, students are asked to express their point of view. They can change sides but cannot stay in the middle.

8. Wrap up: This is the moment to ask participants what they thought of this activity (did they like the debate? The film?) and to encourage them to take greater advantage of this medium, which is generally is more detailed and reliable than news found quickly on the internet.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. Teachers send students the video file or grant them access to a film/documentary viewing platform and do the same for the worksheets (see appendix: evaluation grid for debate).
2. Students watch the film remotely.
3. Students answer the questions on the worksheets.
4. The teacher creates a link on the videoconferencing platform Zoom (or other platform) and sends it to students.
5. Once everyone is in the same ‘virtual meeting room’, the teacher puts the students into groups (depending on the number of participants).
6. Most videoconferencing platforms have screensharing, which students can use to share their answers and opinions written on virtual Post-Its from the website https://note.ly/.
7. The teacher uses these observations to moderate the discussion.

APPENDIX: EVALUATION GRID FOR THE FILM DEBATE

1. Director: personal history; what other films has this director made?

2. Film characters: Who are they? What do they do in the film? What do they have to say?

3. Visual style: Describe the visual elements (images, ambiance, etc.) Why did the director make these visual choices?

4. Intent: Is the director using the film to convey a message? Why did the director choose to do so with a film/documentary?

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

The goal of this exercise is to show students how manipulating information and creating fake news is easy and can be done by anyone, and therefore to urge them to exercise more caution with the news they get from social media.

By putting them in the place of fake news producers or conspiracy theorists, they learn which tools and methods are used and become better at detecting this type of content in their daily internet use.

Fake news can take different forms and cover different topics. There is commercial fake news, conspiracy theories, fake science news, fake political news, fake pictures, and fake articles.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set up the room: Have participants sit at the computers in groups.

2. Produce fake news:

1. In this step, participants must choose the theme of fake news they want to make (scientific, political, etc.). The instructor can also suggest themes or specific topics.
2. Once they have chosen the theme, participants must find news items and arguments to distort that news item. For example, they can find articles about their topic and take certain statements out of context, twist them, etc. They can also use photo editing software, such as Photoshop, or use doctored photos they find on the internet.
3. To produce a fake news item, participants can follow the typical fake news pattern:

• The story must be surprising and/or shocking.
• Know who you want to target, whose attention you want to grab.
• Complain that ‘censorship’ is keeping your news item from being shared.
• When it comes to visual aspects, participants can simply write up an article in Microsoft Word or use a fake news generator to make the piece look ‘media-friendly’. Here are a few links: https://breakyourownnews.com/, https://www.thefakenewsgenerator.com/, https://www.worldgreynews.com/add-news.

3. Present and assess: Each group takes turns presenting their fake news piece or pieces. Other participants give their opinion.

1. The teacher writes down students’ observations on the board. At the end of this part, students use the teacher’s notes on the board to identify recurring characteristics of fake news. They then offer explanations of fake news, how it works, its aims, and the impact that sharing fake news can have.
2. Using the students’ explanations as a transition, the teacher gives more detail on how information is manipulated (see SHEET 8 – Fighting fake news and SHEET 10 – Images and the risk of manipulation).
3. At the end of the activity, students give each fake news piece a grade to determine which ones were the most believable and most successful. Students must explain why these pieces were the most convincing.

4. Wrap up: This activity can be used to introduce the issue of false information and the distortion of images and facts.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. The teacher creates a link on the videoconferencing platform Zoom and sends it to students (teachers can also use other platforms that they are familiar with).
2. Once everyone is in the same ‘virtual meeting room’, the teacher puts the students into groups.
3. The teacher assigns the themes of fake news the students will produce.
4. Once the themes are chosen, students meet in ‘breakout rooms’ and work on creating the fake news item. To do this, they look for articles online and take their content out of context and distort the information.
5. They can work together in real time on the same document using Google Drive, Framapad, or other collaborative online word processors.
6. Once the groups have created their fake news, they return to the ‘main meeting room’ to present it to the class. The teacher can use an ‘online Post-It’ site as a virtual whiteboard (e.g. https://note.ly/) and show it to students in real time by sharing their screen.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

The aim of this activity is to teach students to use fact-checking tools and encourage them to ask the right questions when they encounter sensationalist news.

In the activity, they are shown a number of online articles and news items and asked to identify which ones have been manipulated and can be classified as ‘fake news’ and which ones are real, verified news. Finally, they are asked to describe the fake news by answering a few questions intended to open a more general discussion on how information is manipulated.

Possible variations:

• The fact-checking can be done individually or in groups.
• The articles can be provided to participants directly on their computers (by USB flash drive or email) or displayed on a screen with a video projector (participants then must find the article first before deciding whether or not it is fake news).

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Collect articles: For this activity, finding and selecting the articles is an important step since the activity’s success hinges on it. The articles presented need to make students use their analytical, reasoning, and critical thinking skills. It is recommended that you use real news items that are relatively surprising or even sensationalist to show participants that it is not always easy to tell the difference, thus making them really think critically. It is also preferable to choose a variety of fake news items, such as one scientific story, one political item, one bit of celebrity gossip, etc. Ideally the number of articles to be analysed should not exceed 6 so as to not overburden the students.

2. Set up the room: Seat students in front of computers either individually or in groups.

3. Pass out the articles: Participants will then receive the articles they are to analyse to determine which category they fit into (fake news or real, verified, and reliable news).

4. Verification: Participants check facts and apply journalistic methods (see ‘SHEET 7 – Thinking critically about information’). You can present these methods prior to the activity or let participants verify the information in the manner of their choosing. Students may come up with this method naturally. However, if the methodology is not explained before the activity, it is important to go over it at the end. Furthermore, since there are now a large number of fact-checking websites, some fake news items will probably already have been checked. Participants may use these sites but need to understand how the information was verified and, if the item is fake, which procedure was used.

5. Presentation: Once they have finished, each participant presents their ‘fake news or not fake news’ ratings. You can show the articles on a screen and let the groups say ‘fake news’ for the fake news items and ‘not fake news’ for the non-fakes. Depending on which ones participants get wrong, you will need to figure out where they went wrong and correct them. You can also vary how you correct their work, such as asking participants to move to different parts of the room depending on their answer (those who think it is fake news stand on the right, the others on the left). Another idea is to give the students coloured sheet of paper to hold up depending on their answers (red for fake news, green for articles that have been verified).

6. Wrap up: Afterwards, to push students to think more about the subject and open up a discussion, it is recommended that you ask them a few questions, for example:

• What was the intent behind the fake news items (scam, inciting hatred, promoting someone, influencing elections, etc.)
• What methods were used in the fake news items (doctored images, decontextualisation, distorting a real news item, etc.)?
• Did it take very long to check? Could you do the same thing in your daily life?

These questions can serve to introduce other concepts presented in the lesson sheets, such as fact-checking.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. The teacher creates a link on the videoconferencing platform Zoom and sends it to students (teachers can also use other platforms that they are familiar with).
2. Once everyone is in the same ‘virtual meeting room’, the teacher puts the students into groups.
3. The teacher assigns the articles to the groups.
4. The groups leave the main meeting room and enter ‘breakout rooms’ (this is an option on Zoom), where the groups do their web searches and categorise the articles as either ‘fake news’ or ‘reliable, verified news’. Each member can work independently and communicate with other members through the chat function or via videoconference.
5. Correction is done in the main ‘meeting room’. This is when group spokespeople, previously selected by the teacher, give their answers and explanations on behalf of the group.
6. The teacher can then base the discussion on what the students got wrong and bring up the topic of fake news, how it is made and shared, and its aims and impact.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

Objectives:

• Provide a method for analysing information that allows students to assess the content of an article or post.
• Encourage participants to use the rules of journalism.
• Develop critical thinking skills by asking students to challenge preconceived notions.

Definition: The 5Ws rule is a journalistic method that allows journalists to structure their writing to ensure that their audience understand the most relevant information. It answers the basic questions about a piece of information:

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

This is a way of handling information critically and methodically and it provides a framework to receive that information. It is therefore useful for participants to be able to identify the most important information of an article or social media post.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Select an article on a current local news topic that is the subject of rumours or disinformation.
2. Put participants into pairs and give them the article or post.
3. On a separate sheet of paper (or computer) participants answer the 5Ws as completely as possible. If necessary, they can look up the information in the sources cited in the article.
4. Compare responses to each ‘W’ by correcting as a group and putting the correct answers on the board.
5. Discuss the activity and the relevance of applying this method in daily life.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

Send the link to participants via Google Drive and ask them to answer the 5Ws.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

By making their own ‘reliability scale’ based on scientific reasoning, students learn to rank types of evidence by their reliability. Students can thus analyse each news item and use reliability criteria to arrange the types of evidence from weakest to most irrefutable.

Objective: Show participants that not all proof and evidence are created equal.

Definition: What is a level of evidence?

In science, this refers to a study’s ability to answer a particular question. In media and information literacy, there are multiple levels of evidence:

1. Indications (low reliability):

• Report of an individual witness statement
• Individual witness statement heard first-hand
• Expert statement

2. Evidence (high reliability):

• A case study confirming a hypothesis
• Multiple case studies confirming a hypothesis
• Meta-analyses of studies
• Scientific consensus

However, even if reliability is high (scientific study, case study, etc.) it is important to still think critically and cautiously about the information you consult and use.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the activity: Choose a scientific topic that may be subject to disinformation (example: climate change)
2. Set up the room: On the whiteboard, draw an ‘evidence scale’ (see appendix)
3. Hand out suggestions on paper to participants, who are then asked to place them on the board on the ‘evidence scale’.

Sample suggestions

• Scientific report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• My uncle told me ‘climate change is not caused by human activity’
• A scientist declares on television that climate change is accelerating
• The President of the United States, Donald Trump, says ‘global warming isn’t real’
• Etc.

1. Correction: Once participants have placed the suggestions on the board, the instructor corrects by rearranging them in the right order as indicated in the activity introduction.
2. Reclassifying the evidence: Next to the corrected reliability scale, participants place the suggestions by level of evidence as indicated in the activity introduction.
3. Discussions: The activity concludes with a debate on the scientific method and critical thinking skills as well as on the utility of this method when thinking critically about information (see SHEET 7 – Thinking critically about information).

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

On a Google Drive: Present the reliability scale and use the suggestions below so participants can classify them. Then, use a prepared table to classify the suggestions by evidence type.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

The aim of this activity is to teach students to protect their data online. To do this, the teacher shows students step-by-step how to change their privacy settings on the internet and social media.

Start with one social network and slowly go through and make the changes to the account.

Objectives:

• Make students aware of the simple steps they can take to protect their online and social-media privacy.
• Show students how to do this on one social network so they can do the same on others.

INTRODUCTION

Step 1: Making students aware

1. Log into your Facebook account from your computer or smartphone.

2. See for yourself how well Facebook ‘remembers’ works: https://www.facebook.com/memories. On this page, Facebook lets you see content (photos, life events, and posts) by the date they were posted and the friends that are tagged. You can also decide to hide these memories by clicking on Hide Memories so that you never see suggested memories for you to post.

3. In the menu on the top of the page, click on Activity Log. You will see all of your Facebook activity and posts from other people that you have been tagged in. You explore the options on the left-hand side of the screen, such as Posts, Timeline Review, and Activity You’re Tagged In. You can change or delete your posts and tags by clicking on them.

4. View and download all of your personal data: Go to the menu at the top of the page and click on Settings, then click on Your Facebook Information in the left column.

Step 2: Changing your account’s privacy settings

1. Log into your Facebook account.
2. Open the menu on the top of the page, then click on Settings. In the left column, click on Privacy. Limit your audience by selecting who can see your posts: depending on your preferences, choose Friends, Friends Except Acquaintances, or Close Friends if available.
3. Remaining under Settings, click on Timeline and Tagging in the left column to limit who can post on your timeline and how. Select Only Me or Friends according to your preference.
4. Under Settings, click on Public Posts in the left column. If you wish, select Friends for each option.
5. Under Settings, click on Apps and Websites in the left column. Select the apps that you no longer use and delete them.

   Note: Deleting a Facebook-linked app may also delete your account for that app. For example, if you log into the travel website Booking.com via Facebook, you may lose your Booking.com account and all of your hotel reservation information.

6. Repeat the previous step for the options in the left column Instant Games and Business Integrations. The same risks apply.
7. Under Settings, click on Ads to limit targeted ads. Explore all of the options, especially the Your Information section. Explore the About you and Your categories tabs.

Finally, strengthen your password (choose one that is long and secure with a minimum of 8 characters). Choose a password that you do not use for any other account. Open the menu at the top of the page, then click Settings, followed by Security and Login and finally Change password.

Geolocation and Facebook

If you have Facebook installed on your mobile device, you may have authorised Facebook to track you without your knowledge!

To check this from your computer, go to Settings and click on Location in the left column. If you have activated geolocation, Facebook will show you the history of your movements!

Step 3: Do the same for your other social media accounts

The steps you take to change your privacy settings on a social network may vary depending on the device you are using (computer, smartphone) and the operating system (iOS, Android).

• To change your Instagram settings from your smartphone: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Settings (at the bottom of the menu) > Click on Privacy and Security > Explore the different options.
• To change your Twitter settings from your computer or smartphone: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Settings and privacy > Click on Privacy and security > Explore the different options.
• To change your Pinterest settings from your computer: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Change settings > Be sure to look at your basic account and social media settings.
• To change your YouTube settings from your computer: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo > Click on Settings > Be sure to look at your Account History and Privacy.

To do more, check the settings for the Google account that is linked to your YouTube account: https://myaccount.google.com/privacy

• To change your LinkedIn settings from your computer: Go to your profile > Click on your profile photo in the menu at the top of the page > Click on Settings and Privacy > Be sure to look at the Privacy and Ads tabs.

Step 4: Changing your browser settings

To add another layer of protection to your privacy and block ads, you can download browser extensions.

Different settings and extensions are available to you depending on the browser you use.

1. Block ‘third-party cookies’. You can find instructions for this on WikiHow: https://www.wikihow.com/Disable-Cookies

2. Install an ad blocker, such as AdGuard, AdBlocker, AdBlock or uBlock Origin. Enter ‘ad blocker’ and ‘extension’ into your search engine along with the name of your browser, for example: ‘ad blocker extension Firefox’.

Note: Installing an ad blocker might cause certain websites to not function properly. You can temporarily deactivate ad blockers by changing the options in the blocker you have installed.

3. Use a private browser window to avoid targeted ads. Enter the keywords ‘private browser’ followed by the name of your browser into your search engine, for example: ‘private browser Chrome’.

The top results will show you how to use a private window in your browser. Private browsing does not make you anonymous. It means that it will not save your search history, cookies, or the information you have entered into forms on your device.

Downloaded files and favourites are saved. Your activity remains visible to the sites you view (to compile statistics), your employer, or your school as well as to your internet service provider.

4. Activate ‘Do Not Track’: Enter the keywords ‘Do Not Track’ into your search engine followed by the name of your browser, for example: ‘do not track Firefox’.

The top results will show you how to activate the ‘Do Not Track’ option on your browser.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

Description:

This mini-quiz is a tool that makes learning a game – it is not an evaluation. The activity should consist at least partially of easy, accessible questions to build students’ confidence in tackling the topic and encourage them to get involved.

The mini-quiz ‘How much do you know about social media?’ is a fun, collaborative exercise in which students are asked to answer questions about the risks of everyday social-media use.

The activity enables students to do the following:

• Realise how vulnerable internet users (especially young ones) are and learn habits to adopt in order to make the best use social networks.
• Ascertain students’ knowledge of the subject matter and tailor the workshop to their habits and preferences. Students need to provide details and reasoning for their answers and should be encouraged to state their opinion in order to delve deeper into certain topics.

Objectives:

• Allow students to play their part as members of an information- and communication-based society.
• Teach them to be active, informed, and responsible ‘cybercitizens’.
• Teach students to be accountable for their digital consumption.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using the list of questions and answers supplied below, the instructor creates a mini-quiz. The instructor can also make up additional questions and answers with the help of lesson sheet 6.
2. The instructor splits the students up into teams of 4 or 5.
3. Each team is asked to work together to answer the quiz questions, which are presented as multiple choice.
4. When the teams give their answers, the instructor asks each team to give a brief oral justification of their choice.
5. The instructor reveals the correct answer, marking the number of points each team has received. Scores are announced after each question, with one point awarded per correct answer.

Sample questions (and answers):

1. Which social networks are used most by 13 to 17-year-olds worldwide? Select 3 correct answers.

• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• TikTok

Answers:

Number one is Snapchat (84%) – 2: Instagram (72%) – 3: Facebook (38%) – 4: Twitter (30%) – 5: TikTok (13%). Snapchat may be the most popular among young people, but the others are not exactly ignored!

2. On the internet, my profile consists of…

• My picture
• My first name, last name, and user name
• Any information about me

Answer:

My internet profile consists of any and all information about me. Nowadays, everyone has to manage their digital identity, which consists of their information and comments they make online. For example, you should choose the profile information you use to describe yourself wisely if you want to project a good image of yourself to others. Your digital identity is who you are, who you know, what you do, where you are… and so much more!

3. Deleting your Facebook account works right away:

– True

– False

Answer:

False. It gets deactivated, not deleted! Facebook will not let you go that easily. For a while, the account remains active. Read Facebook’s terms and conditions for more information.

4. Your online reputation is… (select 2 correct answers)

– What I want people to say about me

– What search engines reveal about me

– My posts, ‘likes’, comments, etc.

– Nasty comments about me

Answer:

• What search engines reveal about me
• My posts, ‘likes’, comments, etc.

Your online reputation is a major part of your digital identity. Knowing your online reputation is knowing the image you project and what people say about you. To do this, put your name into a search engine and look at the results. Some of the information you will find is important because it is difficult to influence. Often, the top results for your name are not your social media profiles, but posts about you.

5. How old do you have to be to sign up for Facebook?

– No age limit

– 13

– 16

Answer:

You need to be 13 to sign up for Facebook. Facebook follows American law, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) bans websites from collecting data from children under the age of 13 without parental consent. And collecting data is exactly what Facebook wants to do!

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

Objectives:

• Test students’ ability to quickly check dubious information
• Identify which information should be checked
• Learn the steps to checking information and sources

The disinformation race is a stimulating activity given that it is a game of speed in which students compete against one another.

With its easy preparation, it shows students how simple it is to carry out fact-checking.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Form groups of 3 to 4 participants.
2. Ask participants to go through their social media feeds until they find information that requires checking.
3. Ask them to discuss how to check the information.
4. Finally, see who can check it the fastest.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

‘Classroom investigation’ is a game that helps students understand how news is made.

In other words, it is an immersive journalistic investigation in which students act as journalists.

Objectives:

• Understand the basics of professional journalism and journalists’ need for thoroughness in order ensure the information they report is correct.
• Realise the importance of critical thinking when you come across information.
• Be able to check sources more easily after experiencing some aspects of the work journalists do in this area.

Eventually, students will become used to the process and will soon do it automatically. This will help them avoid disinformation traps.

In addition to fostering teamwork, note taking, deductive reasoning, and public speaking, this activity also focusses on the work journalists do to sift through information before sharing it.

INSTRUCTIONS

The immersive journalistic investigation comprises multiple steps:

1. Students spend two hours collecting documents and witness statements.
2. The instructor and other ‘accomplices’ (teachers, school or club staff, etc.) have written and/or recorded statements and documents beforehand.
3. The statements and documents all cover the same event, such as a mysterious disappearance of two lion cubs from a zoo, but come from different sources, such as the zookeeper or the owner of the café across the street.
4. Students compare the documents to try and understand what happened and then interview the witnesses, either in person or via chat.
5. They then create a spontaneous news report in which each student acts as the journalist while another films them on a smartphone or camera.
6. The videos can then be posted to the platform of your choice to highlight these issues to other students (and let students assess their performances!)

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

Description:

This quiz is a tool that makes learning a game – it is not an evaluation. The activity should at least partially consist of easy, accessible questions to build students’ confidence in tackling the topic and encourage them to get involved.

This activity can give students practical experience with topics such as fake news before trying to give it a theoretical definition. At the same time, it also directly encourages them to think critically.

Students may also be surprised to see how a news item or image can make them jump to conclusions.

In other words, this activity raises a variety of questions related to media literacy.

Objectives:

– Encourage oral participation, dialogue, and reasoned debate and consolidate the workshop’s theoretical concepts through a practical, cognitive activity

– Create a group dynamic by building team spirit

– Effectively convey theoretical concepts about the media universe (freedom of the press, historical dates, etc.)

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. The instructor prepares about 15 questions (one slide of questions followed by one slide of answers).
2. The instructor separates participants into teams of four or five.
3. Each team is asked to work together to answer the questions, which are presented as multiple choice, by choosing only one of the possible answers.
4. When the teams give their answers, the instructor asks each team to give a brief oral justification of their choice.
5. The instructor reveals the correct answer, marking the number of points each team has received. Scores should be announced after each question, with 1 point awarded per correct answer.

Ideally, you should make your own quiz on the topics in question. You can look for inspiration and show your students how quizzes work by going to a website such as ‘quipoquiz.com’, which offers fun quizzes in a range of categories (‘Science or Fiction?’ is of interest here).

Sample question:

Where do you think Serbia ranks in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index?

1. 2
2. 20
3. 71
4. 93

Answer: D. Serbia is in 93^rd place according to the 2020 World Press Freedom Index. Serbia remains a country where it is often dangerous to be a journalist and where fake news spreads very quickly. Most investigations into attacks against reporters have stalled or been shelved.