Lesson Plan

Fake News Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Unfortunately, fake news, fuzzy facts, and bogus news stories are not new phenomena. Class members use a "Fake News Through History" worksheet to analyze historical examples of false, invented, made-up news. Researchers share their findings with the class, as well as the problems the stories caused. The class discusses how these fake news stories are the same and different from today's fake news to conclude the lesson.

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Mount the E.S.C.A.P.E. Junk News poster on a fake news-themed focus wall
  • Load and tag the links to the gallery of historical sources on classroom or computer lab devices
Classroom Considerations
  • Instructors should read the Teacher Resource carefully, preview the links, and select those that are appropriate for their classroom
  • Requires copies of the "Fake News Through History" worksheet
Pros
  • Provides links to reports appropriate for middle schoolers and others appropriate for more mature learners
Cons
  • None