Sunday, June 30, 2019

The Classroom Where Fake News Fails





Audio Time: 3 min 51 sec

Level: Upper Intermediate and up

Vocabulary:  To help learners fully understand the audio and transcript, most vocabulary that might be unknown for this lesson’s level is provided. Vocab in bold is more useful for learners at the lesson’s target level. Try to choose 8 to 10 new words to learn from the story (in general, it’s best to try to learn no more than 8-10 new words a day).

Definitions are written with the help of various sources including Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Pizzagate: The suffix “gate” means a political scandal. It derives from the Watergate scandal of the United States in the early 1970s, which resulted in the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon.

To air: to broadcast something on radio or television.

Bottom line: the most important part of something : the most important thing to consider; the result or outcome. 

Conspiracy: a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal.

Pizzeria: restaurant where mainly pizza is served.

Intel (intelligence): information of political or military value.

Annotation: a note added to a text, book, drawing, etc., as a comment or explanation.

Rumor: information or a story that is passed from person to person but has not been proven to be true.

To sort fact from fiction: To separate what is true from what is false.

To kick off: to start.

To pilot: done as a test to see if a larger program, study, etc., should be done.

Vignette: a short written description.

Meme: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another in a culture.

To catch on: to become popular.

To figure out: to understand or find (something, such as a reason or a solution) by thinking.

Credible: able to be believed : reasonable to trust or believe.

To label: to put a word or name on something to describe or identify it : to attach a label to (something).

Red flag: a warning sign: a sign that there is a problem that should be noticed or dealt with.

Byline: a line at the beginning of a newspaper or magazine article that gives the writer's name.

Damn: informal + impolite: used to show that you are angry, annoyed, surprised, etc.

Literacy: the ability to read or write; knowledge that relates to a specified subject.

To unveil: to show or reveal (something) to others for the first time; to remove a cover so that people can see it.

To endorse: to publicly or officially say that you support or approve of (someone or something).

To ignore: to do nothing about or in response to (something or someone).

To run through: to read, repeat, or practice (something) quickly.

Bias: a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in an unfair influence on something.

Face value: Something that is taken/accepted at face value is regarded as true or genuine without being questioned or doubted.

To admit: to say usually in an unwilling way that you accept or do not deny the truth or existence of (something).


Discussion questions:
1. What do you think about the project to help students improve their news literacy?
2. What are some of the ways to tell fact from fiction in the news?
3. How can we reduce fake news?
4. How can we help students to be better critical thinkers?
5. Have you ever been fooled by fake news?



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