In this era of fake news, rumor mongering and spoofs, it can be difficult for a homeschool student to understand exactly what is true and what’s not. Since they will be getting a lot of their information online, it behooves the homeschool teacher to ensure that they are able to sift through the information available online and figure out what to trust. Here are some ideas to help them tell the difference.
Simplify the Path
The best way to help them find correct information is to give them a list of websites that you know will take pains to verify their facts before printing anything. Let them know that websites ending in .gov are more likely to give the correct data as they are from the respective state governments. Also certain sites with .edu may be more likely to give a balanced view point than a website with .com which may be producing sponsored content.
Discuss the Label of Sponsored Content
In may cases the website will mention a single line disclaimer saying that the post given on the page is sponsored content. Explain to your homeschool students that this means the product seller is hoping to showcase the product in a favorable light to draw more customers. Take them to sites which will give a free and fair review of the same product and show them the difference between such reviews and sponsored content. Ask them to look for the sponsored content signs and labels on websites they visit.
Describe Tools to Create Fake News
One of the prime reasons a piece of writing looks true, even when it is fake, is when it is supported by a newspaper headline image. It may be a good idea to help your homeschool students make a few such fake news headline images to understand how easy they are to falsify. A number of photo editing websites allow users to take a thumbnail image and create a fake headline image. Doing this once will be fun as well as drive home the fact that you are planning to make to the homeschool students.