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Chapter 1354 min read

Fact or Fiction

By Vivek M Agarwal•About the Author

Activity illustration

At a Glance

  • Time: 3-4 minutes
  • Prep: Minimal (prepare 5 statements—4 true, 1 false)
  • Group: Individual or whole class
  • Setting: Any classroom
  • Subjects: Universal
  • Energy: Medium-High

Purpose

Develop critical evaluation skills by challenging students to identify which statement among several is false, requiring careful analysis of credibility, logic, and evidence. Use this to build media literacy, activate prior knowledge, or introduce lessons on source evaluation.

How It Works

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Present statements (30 seconds) - Display 5 statements related to your content. Four are true, one is false. All should be plausible

  2. Evaluate and vote (2 minutes) - Students analyze each statement individually, considering: Does this sound plausible? What do I know that supports or contradicts this? Which statement seems suspicious? They vote for which they think is false

  3. Reveal and discuss (1-2 minutes) - Reveal the false statement. Discuss: What clues suggested it was false? Why did it seem plausible? What strategies helped identify the fiction?

What to Say

Opening: "Five statements about photosynthesis. Four are true, one is completely false. Your job: identify the fiction. Don't guess—use evidence and reasoning. Think: Does this align with what I know? Does the logic hold? Ready? [Read statements.] Which is false? Vote now!"

During: "Don't just guess—reason it through... What do you know for certain?... Which statement contradicts established knowledge?... What sounds too specific or too vague?"

Closing: "The false statement was #3. Who got it? What clue gave it away? Many of you chose #4—why did that seem suspicious even though it was true? This is exactly how you should approach information online or in media: question, verify, look for inconsistencies. Plausible doesn't mean true."

Why It Works

Fact or Fiction trains critical evaluation skills in a low-stakes, engaging format. The requirement to identify the false statement among plausible options forces active analysis rather than passive acceptance. Students must draw on prior knowledge, logical reasoning, and pattern recognition simultaneously. The activity reveals common reasoning errors (believing specific details make something more credible) and builds healthy skepticism. The game-like format maintains engagement while teaching crucial media literacy skills.

Research Connection: Explicit instruction in evaluating claims and identifying misinformation improves students' ability to assess credibility and resist manipulation (Wineburg & McGrew, 2019; Roozenbeek & van der Linden, 2019).

Teacher Tip

Make the false statement plausible but not perfectly true. It should contain a kernel of truth mixed with error—that's how real misinformation works. "Plants perform photosynthesis using only green light" sounds scientific but is false. "Plants don't perform photosynthesis" is obviously false—too easy.

Variations

For Different Subjects

  • History: "Five statements about WWI—which is false?"
  • Science: "Five 'facts' about the solar system—spot the fiction"
  • Literature: "Five claims about this novel's themes—which is unsupported?"
  • Current Events: "Five headlines—which is fake news?"

For Different Settings

  • Large Class (30+): Use Poll Everywhere or raising colored cards for anonymous voting
  • Small Group (5-15): Discuss reasoning before voting; students must defend their choice

For Different Ages

  • Elementary (K-5): Use 3 statements (2 true, 1 false) with more obvious false statement
  • Middle/High School (6-12): Standard 5-statement format
  • College/Adult: Increase difficulty: include partially true statements or statements that are technically true but misleading

Online Adaptation

Tools Needed: Polling tool (Poll Everywhere, Mentimeter) or chat

Setup: Prepare statements in advance on slides

Instructions:

  1. Display all 5 statements on screen
  2. Give students time to read and analyze (90 seconds)
  3. Launch poll: "Which statement is false? Vote: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5"
  4. Display poll results live
  5. Reveal answer and discuss reasoning in chat or verbally

Pro Tip: Use Kahoot or Quizizz for this—built-in timer and instant results add excitement

Troubleshooting

Challenge: Students guess randomly instead of reasoning Solution: Require them to write WHY they chose their answer before voting: "State your reasoning: What evidence suggests this is false?"

Challenge: The false statement is too obvious—everyone gets it immediately Solution: Make it more plausible next time. The false statement should fool at least 30% of students to be appropriately challenging

Extension Ideas

  • Deepen: After revealing the answer, have students rewrite the false statement to make it true, explaining the correction
  • Connect: Link to media literacy: "This is what fact-checkers do every day. What strategies can we learn from them? Check multiple sources, look for original sources, be skeptical of extremes"
  • Follow-up: Students create their own Fact or Fiction challenges for classmates using content from the textbook

Related Activities: Logic Puzzles, Misconception Check, Critical Friends