Overview for Teachers

This lesson educates students about the prevalence of manipulated content online, highlighting the importance of critical thinking when interacting with digital media.

Slide 1

Welcome students to the lesson and briefly explain that today’s lesson is about the things we see online and how trustworthy they might or might not be.

Slide 2

Share the lesson objectives of what students will be learning today.

Slide 3

Initiate discussion with, "What does 'photoshopped' mean to you?" to assess students' initial understanding.

Note for teachers: The term ‘photoshopped’ was derived from the popular image-editing software, Adobe Photoshop. Today, it broadly refers to digital media (i.e. image or video) that has been altered or edited.

Slide 4

Explain manipulated content as photos or videos altered to deceive, which is sometimes referred to as ‘photoshopped’. Use localised examples that might be familiar to students.

Slide 5

Clarify the concept of false context by discussing how accurate images or videos can mislead when paired with incorrect information.

Slide 6

This is a Tweet from the account @SurreyRoadCops: “Remember as days get colder animals are attracted to the warmth of cars so check wheel arches or other hiding places” with a photo of a cow resting on top of a car. 

Encourage students to examine the image by asking them if there is anything strange about this image? Take a quick vote to see if students believe this to be true.

Slide 7

Explain that the image is an example of manipulated content. The cow has been edited or photoshopped to look like it was on top of the car, when in fact the original image (on the right) shows the cow laying on grass. 

Slide 8

Discuss various reasons for manipulating content, such as to entertain, misinform, or influence opinions. Use the provided image of a man holding a giant cat as a case study.

Slide 9

Prompt students to consider the consequences of believing manipulated images, focusing on emotional and societal impacts.

Slide 10

Explain manipulation through false context by using a photo or video out of its original setting to convey a misleading narrative.

Slide 11

Use this slide to discuss how out-of-context information can lead to misinformation, emphasising the importance of context in understanding content. In this example, the original post was by a regular person snapping photos from his trip to the safari. Taken out of context, the headline and image tells a different story. 

Slide 12

Teach students strategies to detect manipulation, including looking for visual cues of photoshopping and editing, verifying sources, and applying critical thinking.

Slide 13

Guide students through a creative activity where they generate headlines for images taken out of context, stressing the importance of accuracy and ethics in information sharing.

Slide 14

Prepare students for the activity by ensuring they have paper and pens ready to create their own attention-grabbing headlines.

For each photo presented, instruct students to brainstorm and write down headlines.

Slide 15-16

This is a photo of a group of young children running across grass. 

Encourage students to share their own headlines with the class. Discuss the impact of each headline and how it might affect reader perception. 

Debrief (slide 16): There are two headline examples provided. Use these examples to illustrate how different headlines can tell vastly different stories using the same image.

Slide 17-18

This is a photo of a female singer on stage. 

Encourage students to share their own headlines with the class. Discuss the impact of each headline and how it might affect reader perception.

Debrief (slide 18): There are two headline examples provided. Use these examples to illustrate how these contrasting headlines can make an image look positive or negative. 

Slide 19-20

This is a photo of a woman high-fiving a robot. 

Encourage students to share their own headlines with the class. Discuss the impact of each headline and how it might affect reader perception. 

Debrief (slide 20): There are two headline examples provided. Use these examples to demonstrate how many fake news articles will use exclamation marks and emotive words such as ‘Shocking” to entice readers to click on the article. 

Slide 21-22

This is a photo of a boy playing with slime. 

Encourage students to share their own headlines with the class. Discuss the impact of each headline and how it might affect reader perception. 

Debrief (slide 22): There are two headline examples provided. Use these examples to show how an image or video can be taken out of context, and a new story can be woven very easily.

Slide 23

Summarise this activity by highlighting the ease of manipulation and the importance of scepticism and verification when interacting with online content.

Slide 24

Encourage reflection on the day’s lesson, asking students to share insights or changes in their perception of online media.

Slide 25

Close with a recap of key points, urging students to apply critical thinking and verification skills to online content they encounter in the future.

Slide 26

Congratulate the students for their thoughtful participation and remind them to think twice and verify online content before believing what they see online.