Should fake news be a concept taught in grade school?

Question

Lately there are lots of misconceptions and false realities that the media puts out. I’m especially concerned with the next generation of children that are being raised with this concept. As future voters, do you believe kids should be taught explicitly about fake news and how to analyze which sources are refutable and which or not? Or do you believe that it is not necessary and not really a big issue.

Answer

As an elementary school librarian, I do teach this. Given the crazy ‘information’ available on the internet, it is our job to teach students to begin to discern truth from opinion from falsehood. There are many helpful lesson plans to teach this concept.

Answer

It pretty much has been ever since Wikipedia was invented.

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Our media specialist does teach fake news to our 5th graders when they start their research project. She never actually uses the words “fake news” but she does teach them about weeding out sources that are not reputable.

Answer

Definitely! I teach about fake statistics in my math classes. (8th grade)

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It is also important to remember all media outlets do embellish regardless of the facts. 
Given some of the asinine I have seen even on this app, as well as some of the asinine things I have heard at work. Yeah, it should be.

Answer

Yes. Many of them will be attending college in the future and will have to discern between reliable and non- reliable sources to use for information. The internet is flooded with false information and pseudo science, I think it's important to be able to tell fact from fiction. As far as media news coverage  goes,  they should be taught how to think for themselves. Almost every media outlet is biased, in atleast one area or another. My husband did this in one of his classes. He put the same story covered by several different media outlets, they were all told differently. It was to get this point across to his students, that you have to do your research and think for yourself.

Answer

We already do. The key, is to form your own independent opinuon instead of letting the media form it for you.

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I think it should be taught. I’ve taught my kids about much more sensitive topics at elementary ages. It doesn’t do anyone any good to hide things from children.

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Teach them how to tell the difference between a credible source and an incredible one. I think American schools already do this (mine did anyway) but I may be wrong.

Answer

i believe it is taught in grade school. ever play "telephone"? i remember my teacher telling us not to believe everything we hear. dont listen to rumors etc. i also remember my 5th grade math teacher telling us SPECIFICALLY not to vote for celebrities. in politics. this was back when Arnold Schwarzenegger was running for governer. 
i also remeber learning in social studies how to do research and form an educated opinion. the only thing they didnt teach is how to find a credible source. i didnt learn thag till junior high

Should fake news be a concept taught in grade school?

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