Overview

Students will develop a better understanding of conspiracies, conspiracy theories, and how to avoid being tricked by "froot loop conspiracy theories."

Goals

1. Deepen student understanding of what a conspiracy is, what a conspiracy theory is, and how to identify "froot loop" conspiracy theories (beliefs of crazy people or ideas people share for purposes like gaining more social media views / likes)

2. Develop student web literacy skills using SIFT: Obtaining background details about the SOURCES of information online.

3. Learn and practice "lateral reading" skills.

4. Learn ways to responsibly and effectively utilize WikiPedia when checking online news / information sources (Note: The Lesson "Launchpad WikiPedia" should precede this unit)

Preparation

1. Setup classroom interactive writing / sharing space. (Use WriteAbout.com, Seesaw, etc.)

2. Introduce sketchnoting to students prior to this unit

3. Ask students to post several times to their blog / learning journal.

4. Ask students to comment / provide appropriate feedback to classmates on the classroom blog / learning journal.

5. Print and display a color banner about SIFT (CC licensed example)

Days 1-2 Activity (Introducing our Conspiracy Theories Unit)

Text of our Google Classroom assignment

Goals

1. Continue developing your Sketchnoting skills.

2. Continue learning and practicing "lateral reading" skills.

3. Practice ways to responsibly and effectively utilize WikiPedia when checking online news / information sources.

4. Start thinking about CONSPIRACY THEORIES and why they are often popular.

Steps

1. Visit the YouTube channel homepage for "TheOdd1sOut" and the author's (James Rallison's) WikiPedia page

2. On your iPad using a STYLUS, start a new Sketchnote titled, "Conspiracy Theories and Crazy People." Add that as a title, today's DATE and your FIRST NAME.

3. Discuss with someone else some things you learned about James Rallison from his WikiPedia page, and add at least THREE of those ideas to your Sketchnote.

4. Capture the key points of TheOdd1sOut / James Rallison's video, "Conspiracy Theories and Crazy People" in this sketchnote as you watch it.

5. Save your sketchnote as an IMAGE (screenshot(s) or exported image) and upload to our shared Padlet,"Our Sketchnotes." (SAVE TO YOUR IPAD CAMERA ROLL)

6. Log in to our shared Padlet, "Our Sketchnotes (Fall 2023."

7. Post your sketchnote image(s) to our shared Padlet, "Our Sketchnotes (Fall 2023."

8.  Include an appropriate TITLE.

9. Copy the link to your PADLET POST.

Turn In

Paste / turn in the LINK to your PADLET post here in Canvas. (below)

Days 3-4 Activity (SIFT 2 - Moon Hoax?)

Text of our Canvas assignment

Goals

1. Understand the SIFT Framework: You'll get to know the SIFT web literacy framework better.

2. Critical Thinking: Practice your critical thinking by analyzing and deciding how credible different sources are, especially when it comes to conspiracy theories.

3. Narrative Skills Development: Improve your storytelling skills by making and narrating your own sketchnote.

4. Media Literacy: Use different digital tools like your iPad, a sketching / drawing app like FreeForm, and Padlet effectively.

5. Awareness of Misinformation: Learn about how misinformation spreads and why it's important to check how reliable sources are.

Steps

1. Introduction and Video Viewing: First, learn about the SIFT framework by viewing the attached slideshow

2. . Then, watch JP Sears' video, "13 Reasons the Moon Landing was Fake." 

3. Sketchnote Creation: Create a sketchnote on your iPad summarizing JP Sears' main ideas from his video.

4. Research and Investigation: Check out JP Sears' Wikipedia page

5.  and at least one of the links or footnotes. Think about how believable his claims are.

6. Script Preparation: Make a COPY of and fill in the provided script. It should include the main points from the video, your thoughts on JP Sears as a source, and any typical conspiracy theory elements you notice.

7. Narrated Sketchnote Production: Use your iPad to make a narrated sketchnote. Follow your script and make sure to include your first name, today's date, a brief intro to the topic, and your detailed thoughts on JP Sears' video.

8. Peer Review: Share your sketchnote with a classmate and get their feedback. See if there's anything you can improve.

9. Finalization and Upload: Finish up your sketchnote, record your narration, and upload both the image and video to our class Padlet board. (on SEPARATE posts!)

Here is an example of a narrated sketchnote video about JP Sears video. Yours should be similar: Here is a tutorial video showing you how to create an iPad screencast of your Sketchnote. (Remember to TURN ON the microphone!) 

Turn In

1. Post both your sketchnote image and the narrated video on our class Sketchnotes Padlet

2. Since your iPad screencast video will be LARGE, you will (probably) need t:

   1. UPLOAD TO GOOGLE DRIVE first.

   2. SHARE the file so ANYONE with the link can VIEW.

   3. COPY and PASTE the SHARE LINK in a new PADLET post.

3. Make sure to include all the required parts from the script and show how well you understand the SIFT framework.

4. Submit the links to both of your Padlet posts as LINKS in the Canvas text box below.

Example: Here are the links to my Padlet post sketchnote

 and my padlet post narrated sketchnote about the JP Sears video.

Days 5-6 Activity (SIFT Part 3 - Debunking the Moon Hoax Conspiracy)

Text of our Canvas assignment

Goals

1. "Find Trusted Coverage" as part of the SIFT process for the Apollo Moon Landings

2. Create meaningful notes about SG Collins' video, "Moon Hoax Not!"

3. Compare the Ideas and Arguments Collins presents with those of JP Sears.

Steps

1. Check out this introductory lesson slideshow

2. . (Also summarized in the "Analyzing the “Moon Hoax Not” Video with SIFT"

3. Decide what you want to CREATE as "meaningful notes" about our new video, "Moon Hoax Not!" This can be:

   1. a sketchnote

   2. 3 related InfoPics

4. Watch * the Video "Moon Hoax Not!" by SG Collins 

5. If you are NOT creating a sketchnote, take other notes using Notability, a Google Doc, etc.

6. Now STOP and INVESTIGATE THE SOURCE:

   1. SG Collins' Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/sgcollins (archived version)

   2. His EverybodyWiki profile: https://en.everybodywiki.com/S._G._Collins

   3. "In memory of SG Collins" by Jeremiah Content (video) 

   4. Optional: "diary 2023-04-03" (by SG Collins)

7. Think about and discuss: What are some reasons we can consider SG Collins a better source about the historical facts around the Apollo Moon Landing in 1969 than JP Sears?

8. Either:

   1. Finish and "polish up" your sketchnote about SG Collins

   2. Use Canva.com to create 3 1500 x 1500 pixel (square) InfoPics about key ideas shared by Collins in this video.

Turn In

You can turn in either:

1. The PADLET SHARE LINK

2. Links to an external site.

3.  to your uploaded sketchnote about SG Collins' video.

4. The PUBLIC share link for your digital portfolio / InfoPics page (on which you've added your 3 InfoPics about "Moon Hoax Not" along with a short description.

Bonus Links

Here are some additional links related to this assignment you can OPTIONALLY check out:

1. Dr Fryer's Narrated Sketchnote about "Moon Hoax Not!"

2. Operation PaperClip

3. Apollo 11 Moon Landing Site Seen in Unprecedented Detail

In Spring 2022 in addition to the S.G Collins video, I  shared, "Why the Moon Landing COULDN'T Have Been Faked | Adam Ruins Everything." (5 min) If you're teaching this unit to older students the Collins' video could still be used, it's very good, but much longer (13 min) and denser / harder to follow and understand.

Day 4-6 Culminating Activity / Final Video Project

Text of our Google Classroom assignment

Complete the STEPS in the attached "Script for Final SIFT Video (Froot Loop Conspiracy Theories)" Google Doc:

You will turn in 3 attachments here in Google Classroom::

1- Your completed VIDEO SCRIPT (attached)

2- Your final Adobe CC Express Video (download and UPLOAD here in Google Classroom)

3- The PUBLIC LINK to your final video on the DIGITAL STORIES or VIDEOS page on your website / portfolio, which includes the Adobe Spark / CC Express video both LINKED and EMBEDDED)

Day 4-5 Activity (3 Things I Learned About Conspiracy Theories Video)

Text of our Google Classroom assignment

Choose three ideas from our collaborative Google spreadsheet ("Things we learned about conspiracy theories") to create a 5 image narrated slideshow using Adobe Spark Video.

1. Contribute ideas to our collaborative Google spreadsheet ("Things we learned about conspiracy theories") 

2. Complete the project planning slideshow ("PLAN: 3 Things I Learned About Conspiracy Theories")

3. Publish your Adobe Spark Video (so you can copy a PUBLIC LINK)

4. Post your video to our class blog on WriteAbout.com. Include some introductory sentences about the video.

5. When you are finished, view and comment on at least TWO classmates video posts on WriteAbout.com.