Fact or Fabrication?

HOW TO Fact or Opinion? There are a number of things that can be done to strengthen students' ability to resist such manipulation. For starters, it is important to help students of all ages learn to distinguish between fact and opinion. You can do this with websites, books, even materials they themselves have created. Marsh suggests, for example, having students generate ideas for a website on a topic relevant to your curriculum. Encourage them to be creative and varied in their approach. Perhaps they will include a "Top 10" list, charts and graphs, illustrations, or advice for other students. As they share their content ideas with classmates, ask them to identify which information is factual, and which opinion. A lively conversation will undoubtedly ensue. When they are ready, you can begin to take on more controversial issues. You might, for example, have students check out the following sites, which offer radically different perspectives on smoking: smokingsection.com and Health Hazards of Tobacco. Other examples can be found online in the article, "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly, or Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources" by Susan E. Beck of New Mexico State University Library. Or you could challenge students to do their own research to find point-counterpoint sites on such topics as the effects of television viewing on children or the advantages and disadvantages of a diet high in carbohydrates-or any other controversy that ties in with a current curriculum topic. As each site is located, students can summarize the key points being made and identify which ones directly contradict what they have learned elsewhere. Then it's time to debate what is the "truth." Which point of view is more popular? Does that make it more believable? Who created each site, and what reasons might that individual or organization have for espousing a particular point of view? Are they simply stating their opinion, or is there evidence that they are distorting or hiding information to make their case?

As your students become increasingly aware that the information they find online was created by real people, the next step is to focus on the question of "Why?" Every site and online article was created for a reason. While these reasons are rarely sinister, information found online - and in other media, as well-is almost inevitably biased in some way.