About This Lesson
OVERVIEW
Quotes taken out of context can completely change the meaning of what someone says. This tactic is commonly used to spread misinformation with potentially serious consequences, such as provoking violence or providing fake evidence to spread conspiracy theories.
Students will learn how quotes have been manipulated to spread conspiracies about the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and read upstream to get at the truth behind a quote that’s been taken out of context.
These lessons were developed by PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs in partnership with MediaWise and the Teen Fact-Checking Network, which are part of the Poynter Institute. This partnership has been made possible with support from Google.”
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
- Explain how contextomy can be used to spread misinformation
- Read upstream to find the original source of excerpted quotes
- Explain how contextomy changes the meaning of quotes
ESTIMATED TIME: 45-minutes
