NSW Department of Education
Conversation starters

Students need help detecting fake news

For teachers
For parents
For students

Key message

Digital literacy education needs to include strategies and tools for detecting fake news.

Frank Baker goes through some recent and historical examples of fake news, and presents strategies for leading discussions with students about the importance of digital media literacy. This article also includes links to other guides and collections of tools on the topic of combating fake news.

Learn more about how critical thinking skills can be used by students across all content areas and its importance in processing large amounts of data.

Curriculum and syllabus links

Technology Mandatory S4

  • TE4-1DP Designs, communicates and evaluates innovative ideas and creative solutions to authentic problems or opportunities

History S4

  • HTE4-6 Identifies the meaning, purpose and context of historical sources
  • HTE4-8 Selects and organises relevant information from sources, to develop an historical inquiry

History S5

  • HTE5-6 Identifies and evaluates the usefulness of historical sources in an historical inquiry process
  • HTE5-8 Selects and analyses a range of historical sources to locate information relevant to an historical inquiry

Digital Technologies S4

  • ACTDIP025 Evaluate the authenticity, accuracy and timeliness of data

History S4

  • ACHHS208, ACHHS151 Identify and locate relevant sources, using ICT and other methods
  • ACHHS211, ACHHS154 Draw conclusions about the usefulness of sources

History S5

  • ACHHS168, ACHHS186 Identify and locate relevant sources, using ICT and other methods
  • ACHHS171, ACHHS189 Evaluate the reliability and usefulness of primary and secondary sources
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