ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

Objectives:

• Understand the benefits and limits of images as a source of information.
• Channel your own perceptions of reality to challenge and deconstruct them.

In this activity, students examine an image and its possible interpretations. Participants will be asked to come up with a story based on a photo or short video.

The same image will be shown to multiple groups (either as a hard copy or a projection). Each group, working separately from the others, will then have to explain it or tell the story of the image.

Possible variations:

– When explaining the activity to the class, you can give them guidance on what type of story they should invent. For example, one group is told to give a more positive and happy interpretation, while another is told to present the photo as portraying a negative, or sad, event.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Choose the images: Teachers plan the activity in advance by looking for photos or videos that are open to interpretation or that may even have been manipulated or doctored in the news recently. You can also choose iconic photos that students might not know, such as the man standing in front of Chinese Army tanks during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations in the People’s Republic of China.

2. Set up the room: Divide participants into groups and spread the groups as far apart from one another as possible so they cannot overhear each other.

3. View the photo: There are two options here: either you can project the image onto a screen so each group can see it and make up a story on paper or on the computer, or you can give the photo to each group individually, either on paper or on the computer.

4. Make up the story: Participants have free reign to interpret the image and invent/write a relatively short story based on their own inspiration or the emotion they have been assigned. The writing can take the form of an article or a narrative story.

5. Class discussion: At this point in the activity, the groups take turns presenting their stories to the other participants. This way, participants can see and react to the diversity of the results.

6. Check the source: Once the groups have finished, it is time to reveal the true story behind the photo and tell them the real context in which it was taken. This could also lead to a fact-checking session (see SHEET 8 – Fighting fake news and SHEET 7 – Thinking critically about information).

7. You can wrap up the activity with a class debate about using images as evidence and their potential for manipulation and interpretation.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. Teachers plan the activity in advance. They find the photos and send them to students.
2. The teacher creates a Zoom link (or a link to another platform) and sends it to students.
3. Once all students have joined the videoconference with the teacher, they can look at the photo again.
4. The teacher divides the students into groups. Each group meets in a ‘breakout room’, which is a function offered by most remote conferencing platforms (such as Zoom). Participants have free reign to interpret the image and invent/write a relatively short story based on their own inspiration or the emotion they have been assigned. The writing can take the form of an article or a narrative story. They work together in the same document using a platform such as Google Drive or Framapad.
5. Once they have finished writing, students return to the ‘main meeting room’, where the groups take turns presenting their stories to the class. This way, participants can see and react to the diversity of the results.
6. Once the groups have finished, it is time to reveal the true story behind the photo and tell them the real context in which it was taken.
7. You can wrap up the activity with a class debate about using images as evidence and their potential for manipulation and interpretation.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

In this activity, participants play the part of a fact checker to determine whether a news item, particularly an image or video, is real. The aim is to demonstrate how images can be manipulated, taken out of context, or misinterpreted on the internet, especially on social media. Participants are asked to decrypt images that have been edited or manipulated (for example, by taking them out of context) in order to disinform users.

Possible activity variation:

• This activity can be done individually or in groups.
• One option to make the activity more dynamic would be to give each participant or group a certain number of images to fact check and, just for fun, present the activity as a competition to select the best fact checker.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Choose images: Teachers prepare the activity in advance by searching for photos and/or videos that have been in the news recently and that may have been manipulated or doctored

2. Set up the room: Participants will need computers and an internet connection to do this activity.

3. View the photo: Teachers put the participants into groups at computers. The activity can be carried out in one of two ways, either by giving participants the images to check directly – on a USB flash drive or on the computer – instructing them to find out the images’ origins, or by sharing the entire fake news piece, such as the article or social media post.

4. Checking the source: Participants can check the source of the image or photo by copying it to the search field in Google Images. Sites such as https://tineye.com/ and Google Images (https://images.google.com/) will let you do a reverse-image search of a photo. These search engines search the web for similar content, often allowing you to find the origin of the image.

5. Class discussion: Talking about the activity as a class gives participants a chance to react to the results. This is also a chance to remind students that checking images is a quick, easy, and useful way to avoid being manipulated.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. Teachers must prepare the activity in advance by finding photos or videos that have been in the news recently and that may have been manipulated or doctored and emailing them to students.
2. The teacher creates a Zoom link (or other meeting platform) and sends it to students.
3. Once students are in the video conference with the teacher, they can have another look at the doctored photo or video.
4. The teacher divides the students into groups. This can be done using the ‘breakout room’ function most videoconferencing platforms such as Zoom provide. The students do their web research in these groups.
5. Once they have found the photo’s source, the groups go back to the main meeting room and give their answer and explanation of how they performed the search as well as why they think the creator wanted to manipulate the photo.

ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

This activity involves watching and analysing a television news programme.

Objectives:

• Understand how news programmes convey information.
• Understand what goes into creating televised journalism.
• Become familiar with the methods of creating and sharing information (professional journalism and its ethics, economic model, etc.).

Activity variations: You may want to show participants two different news programmes and have them compare them. Students can also watch a watch a news report from a TV news programme and one from an ‘infotainment’ outlet, such as BuzzFeed, on the same news topic. They can then compare the two ways of sharing information.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set up the room: Set up the required viewing equipment.

2. Watch the news programme.

3. Divide students into groups and pass out worksheets: For this activity, teachers need to divide students into two or three groups. The students then answer the questions.

Teachers must prepare the worksheets in advance. They should contain questions about various aspects of the news programme watched in class → SEE ‘APPENDIX’ for a sample WORKSHEET.

4. Students answer the questions as a group: Each group produces one answer to each question, which is presented to the class by a single spokesperson chosen from the group.

5. Presentation to the class: This part will shine a light on the most important elements identified by students.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. Teachers provide students with links to the news programmes or videos and worksheets (see ‘Appendix’).
2. Students watch the news programme remotely.
3. Students are divided into groups to answer the questions. Students can do this remotely using sites such as Google Drive or Framapad, which allow them to collaborate on the same document.
4. Answers are presented to the class using a videoconferencing platform, such as Zoom. The teacher sets up an access link and sends it to students.
5. Only the group’s spokespeople can present responses to the class. The spokesperson should be chosen beforehand either by the teacher or by other members of the group.
6. The teacher can use an ‘online Post-It’ website, such as https://note.ly/, as a virtual whiteboard and then leads the discussion.

APPENDIX: WORKSHEET

CREDITS: Opening music: what impression does it give? Is it always the same? What is its purpose? What do the images or symbols used represent? What feelings do the credits seek to evoke? What is the colour scheme?

PRESENTOR AND SET: Do you know the presenter? How is he or she dressed? Are they sitting? Standing? What do they say to introduce the programme? What tone does the presenter use? How is the programme shot, using close-ups or wide angles? What is the presenter looking at?

CONTENT: What topics are announced? In what order (and why, in your opinion)? How are the topics presented (duration, tone, etc.)? What do the images show and for what purpose? What essential information to the presenters give?

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!