What you will be able to do
identify a news claim and its source; use a trustworthiness checklist; pause and verify before sharing
News and Source Trustworthiness
What can we check before believing or sharing a news claim?
Activate what you know
Imagine seeing the message, “School closes tomorrow!” What would you check before believing or sharing it?
- newsreported information about recent or important events
- claima statement presented as true
- sourcethe person, document, image, organization, or evidence from which information comes
- trustworthydeserving confidence because information is careful, transparent, and supported
- verifyto check whether information is accurate
- headlinethe title of a news report, written to summarize and attract attention
1
A Claim Needs a Source
News reports make claims about events. Before trusting a claim, identify the publisher or speaker, date, evidence, and purpose. A trustworthy report explains where information came from and corrects errors when they are found. A headline cannot carry every detail. It may be shortened, old, unclear, or separated from the full report. Read or hear the complete item with an adult, and check whether an official source or another reliable report confirms the main fact
2
Trust Is Built through Checks
A trustworthy source can still make a mistake, so verification matters. Compare the exact claim, not just similar headlines. For a school closing, the school district’s official notice is direct evidence; a dated local report may provide helpful context. Opinion and news can appear near each other. Opinion tells a viewpoint or judgment and should be labeled. News reporting should support factual claims with evidence. A person may disagree with an opinion, but a checkable fact still needs accurate support
Stop Before You Share
If you do not know who made a claim, when it was made, or what evidence supports it, pause. Sharing can spread an error farther
Say the Check Out Loud
I see the claim ____. It comes from ____. It was dated ____. The evidence is ____. I will verify it with ____
Popular Does Not Mean Proven
Many likes, shares, bright graphics, or confident words do not make a claim accurate. Look for source, evidence, date, and confirmation
Verify a Fictional Headline
Use three teacher-made cards about a park closing: an anonymous post, a dated city notice, and a local report linking to the notice. Rank the cards and explain each check
Trustworthy news identifies sources, dates, evidence, and methods. Careful readers open the full report, verify important claims, and pause before sharing
Practice and answer guide
Work through all 8 questions. Open an answer only after you have written or explained your response.
- 1. What should you do first with a surprising anonymous claim? A. pause and check B. share it quickly C. add a dramatic picture
Check answer
Pause and check
- 2. Name four things to check in a news report
Check answer
Useful checks include creator or publisher, date, evidence, full context, purpose, links to direct sources, corrections, and confirmation by an official or independent reliable source
- 3. Which source best confirms whether a school district closed schools? A. the district’s dated official notice B. an anonymous message C. an old unrelated photograph
Check answer
The district’s dated official notice
- 4. Why should you open the full report instead of reading only the headline?
Check answer
The full report gives context, evidence, source information, date, and limits that a short headline may leave out
- 5. Draw a pause-and-check sign with three questions
Check answer
The drawing should include three useful checks, such as who, when, evidence, and confirmation
- 6. Why do many shares not prove a claim is accurate?
Check answer
Sharing repeats a claim but does not test it. Many people can pass along the same original mistake
- 7. How is a factual news claim different from an opinion?
Check answer
A factual claim can be checked with evidence. An opinion expresses a viewpoint or judgment and should be identified as such
- 8. Complete: The claim is ____. The source is ____. I would verify it by ____
Check answer
Answers vary. The response must name a specific claim and source and propose a relevant direct or independent check