Remember: Before you share: check the headline, who made it, other sources, the date and the photo. Ask a grown-up or a teacher. You are never in trouble for asking.
Luca, Esme and the giant hamster
Read the story first, then answer.
News detectivesEsme ran into class, waving her tablet. The headline said, "Giant hamster found in town! Share before it is deleted!" Her thumb moved toward the share button. Then the bell rang, and Miss Lund said, "Class, today we are news detectives!" and drew five boxes on the board. Check one, the headline: it was made to make you click and share. Check two, who made it: there was no name, no school and no newspaper. Check three, other sources: three news places the school trusted did not mention a giant hamster. Check four, the date: the headline said today, but the page was three years old. Check five, the photo: the hamster's edges looked cut out, and its shadow did not match. The bus was real, but the hamster had been pasted in. Esme asked, "Am I in trouble for nearly sharing it?" "No, not at all," said Miss Lund. "Everybody nearly does."
1
Look at the table. Which check found that the story was old?
The headlineThe photoThe date
2
Join each check to its question.
1Headline
2Who made it
3Other sources
4Date
5Photo
Ais it old news posted again?
Bis it made to make me click?
Ccould it be changed?
Dis there a name I can find?
Edo other places report it too?
3
A big true event is usually reported in more than place.
4
Number the story, first to last.
Esme's thumb moves toward share
The class finds the photo was cut out
The bell rings and she stops
Miss Lund draws five boxes
Check before you share
5
A story must be true if lots of people have shared it.
TrueFalse
6
Esme says: "It has a photo, so it must be real." What is the mistake?
A photo can be changed or come from another timePhotos are too smallNothing, photos are always real
7
Circle every sign of a made-up story.
A headline that says share nowA page with no name behind itA school newsletter with a name and this week's dateAn old date on a new storyA story many trusted places report
8
A loud headline always means the story is false.
TrueFalse
9
Grandad shared a story that said the pool was closed on Friday. Which check would have caught it?
Counting the exclamation marksSharing it with twelve friendsReading the date
10
Grandad sent his friends a note: "Sorry, that story was ."
11
Stretch: A story says "Share before it is deleted!" Write two things you would check first.
12
Draw a magnifier over a photo you want to check.
Scan the code at the top to mark this sheet on screenTake a photo of your answers or type them. It is marked for you automatically, and your score is kept.
Answer key · Set A
Checking if news is true
1The date The headline said today, but the date at the bottom was three years old.
21-B, 2-D, 3-E, 4-A, 5-C Miss Lund's five boxes: headline, who made it, other sources, the date and the photo.
3one Not one of the three trusted news places had the giant hamster, so Esme said it would be on every one.
41, 4, 2, 3 Esme stopped when the bell rang, then the class checked the story with five boxes and found the photo had been pasted in.
5False Spreading fast does not make a story true. Many people can share a made-up story.
6A photo can be changed or come from another time A photo can be changed, like the pasted-in hamster, or come from another time.
7A headline that says share now, A page with no name behind it, An old date on a new story "Share now," no name and an old date are signs. A named newsletter and a story many trusted places report pass the checks.
8False Loud does not mean false. It just means you check before you share.
9Reading the date He read the date later, and the story was from last year. Then he checked the pool's own notice.
10old He told his friends it was old, which helps stop it spreading.
11Your own words: a grown-up reads it.
Mark each answer, count the right ones and write the score on the sheet.