Asynchronous Academy

Fake News Detective

Suggested Duration: 5 Hours

"The attention-grabbing algorithms underlying social media propel practices that aim to sow confusion, ignorance, prejudice, and chaos, thereby facilitating manipulation and undermining accountability."

Ronald J. Deibert, Founder & Director of The Citizen Lab (U of T)

In the past, we trusted our eyes. If there was a photo or a video of something happening, we generally believed it was true. But today, technology has made it possible for anyone to create "synthetic media": images and videos that look and sound real but never actually happened.

The Pope’s "Fashion Moment"

You might remember seeing a photo in 2023 of Pope Francis walking down the street in a massive, stylish white puffer jacket. It went viral instantly! Millions of people thought the Pope had a new fashion sense. In reality, the image was created by a guy in Chicago using an AI tool called Midjourney. While this was a harmless prank, it was a "wake-up call" for the world.

In Canada, these fakes have started showing up in more serious ways. Recently, deepfake videos of Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Mark Carney have appeared on social media. Scammers used AI to clone their voices and manipulate their lip movements to make it look like they were endorsing fake cryptocurrency schemes. Some people unfortunately lost thousands of dollars because the videos looked so official. By learning to spot the "glitches," you aren't just protecting yourself: you're helping keep your community safe, too.

Find Your Examples

Use the research process from the Spectrum of Journalism assignment you just did to find one "famous" AI glitch (like the Will Smith Spaghetti video or the Balenciaga Pope) and one recent Canadian news story about a deepfake scam.

TinEye

Upload an image you find online to TinEye to see if you can trace the origin of the image to determine its authenticity.

💡

Never Stop Learning! In your professional career, and even in your daily life, having a process for checking facts keeps you from being fooled by "deepfakes" or misinformation. Use this as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with some new online tools.

Verification Log

A Verification Log is the "behind-the-scenes" work diary of a journalist. Since we can't always trust our first impressions of a photo or a story, we use this log to track the steps we took to prove something is actually true. Your log doesn't need to be long, but it should be clear. For each piece of media you investigate, you will record:

  • The Original Claim: What does the image or post want you to believe?
  • The Tool Used: Did you use a TinEye search? Did you use "Lateral Reading" by opening a new tab to see what Snopes or a major news site said about it?
  • The Evidence: What did you find? (e.g., "I found the original photo from 2018, so it can't be from the protest happening today.")
  • The Final Verdict: Based on your research, is the post Verified, False, or Satire (a joke)?

Deliverable:

📤

Verification Log (Google Doc)

Show the strategies and tools you used to investigate suspicious images online. Try to have 4-5 examples between the two (or more) stories you investigate.

Protect Your People

Then it's your turn to help others navigate this new world! You are going to create a one-page "Field Guide" in Canva that teaches someone else how to spot a digital fake. Don't worry about being perfect; the goal is to explore the tools and share what you find.

  1. Open Canva: Log in to our school Canva account and search for an "Infographic" or "Poster" template. Choose one that feels peaceful and easy to read.
  2. Create Your Guide:
    • Tip-Offs: List a few specific things to look for (like "liquid" fingers, floating objects, or weird shadows) based on what you found in your research.
    • How To Respond: Explain the "Stop, Drop, and Roll" of fact-checking: Stop before sharing, Drop the original site, and Roll through other news sites to see if others are reporting the same thing. Feel free to use a different "technique," instead of Stop, Drop, and Roll, if you want.
    • Include Visuals: Use Canva’s "Elements" to add arrows or circles that point out where glitches usually happen in photos.
  3. Export Your Work:
    • When your guide is finished, click the Share button in the top right corner.
    • Select Download.
    • Choose PNG or JPG from the file type dropdown menu and download your file.

Deliverable:

📤

Infographic

Share an educational resource you created to help the people you care about stay safe online!

Assessment

Pre-Submission

Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.

What to Turn In

  • 📤

    Verification Log

  • 📤

    Infographic JPG/PNG

💡 A Different Way to Learn

Async Academy courses are inquiry-based. There are no rote answer keys or multiple-choice worksheets here. You learn by exploring, questioning, and building projects you care about.

Because your discovery path is completely unique, you need a human sounding board. Enroll to submit your projects and get personalized video feedback from an Ontario Certified Teacher to guide your work.

Learning Goals

We are learning to:

  • 🎯

    Evaluate the credibility of online sources using lateral reading and reverse image searches

  • 🎯

    Produce clear and coherent writing that explains complex digital concepts to a general audience

  • 🎯

    Apply proofreading and editing skills to ensure professional communication

  • 🎯

    Analyse how media techniques are used to create specific perspectives or biases

Success Criteria

I can:

  • ✅

    Use Google Lens to find the original source of an image and explain its context

    Expectations Covered: MS1
  • ✅

    Write a clear explanation of how AI is used to manipulate media, using a structure appropriate for my audience

    Expectations Covered: W1, W2
  • ✅

    Use appropriate technology to research, format, and cite my findings accurately

    Expectations Covered: W3
  • ✅

    Edit and proofread my work to ensure my message is communicated effectively

    Expectations Covered: W3, MS1
  • ✅

    Identify the strategies I found most helpful for verifying information in a digital environment

    Expectations Covered: W4, MS4

Rubric

Category Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Knowledge / Understanding
How well does the student understand the forms and conventions of digital media and investigative writing?
 Demonstrates a thorough understanding of media conventions and writing structures Demonstrates a considerable understanding of media conventions and writing structures Demonstrates some understanding of media conventions and writing structures Demonstrates limited understanding of media conventions and writing structures
Thinking / Inquiry
How effectively does the student use digital tools and lateral reading to verify information?
 Uses advanced search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with a high degree of effectiveness Uses search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with considerable effectiveness Uses search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with some effectiveness Uses search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with limited effectiveness
Communication
How clearly and accurately is the information communicated for the intended audience?
 Communicates information and ideas with a high degree of clarity and technical accuracy Communicates information and ideas with considerable clarity and accuracy Communicates information and ideas with some clarity Communicates information and ideas with limited clarity
Application
How well does the student apply their research and editing skills to create a professional final product?
 Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with a high degree of effectiveness Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with considerable effectiveness Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with some effectiveness Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with limited effectiveness
Knowledge / Understanding
Criteria: How well does the student understand the forms and conventions of digital media and investigative writing?
Level 4

Demonstrates a thorough understanding of media conventions and writing structures

Level 3

Demonstrates a considerable understanding of media conventions and writing structures

Level 2

Demonstrates some understanding of media conventions and writing structures

Level 1

Demonstrates limited understanding of media conventions and writing structures

Thinking / Inquiry
Criteria: How effectively does the student use digital tools and lateral reading to verify information?
Level 4

Uses advanced search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with a high degree of effectiveness

Level 3

Uses search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with considerable effectiveness

Level 2

Uses search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with some effectiveness

Level 1

Uses search strategies and critical thinking to verify information with limited effectiveness

Communication
Criteria: How clearly and accurately is the information communicated for the intended audience?
Level 4

Communicates information and ideas with a high degree of clarity and technical accuracy

Level 3

Communicates information and ideas with considerable clarity and accuracy

Level 2

Communicates information and ideas with some clarity

Level 1

Communicates information and ideas with limited clarity

Application
Criteria: How well does the student apply their research and editing skills to create a professional final product?
Level 4

Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with a high degree of effectiveness

Level 3

Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with considerable effectiveness

Level 2

Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with some effectiveness

Level 1

Applies research, formatting, and editing skills with limited effectiveness