Our brains are great at using past experiences to make quick decisions on the fly, but these shortcuts can also lead to bias. "Confirmation bias" is our brain's tendency to seek out information that confirms things we already think we know. Help your students learn to recognize this when they encounter news online, as a way to examine competing opinions and ideas and to avoid drawing questionable conclusions.
Students will be able to:
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Define confirmation bias and identify why it occurs.
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Explore examples of confirmation bias, particularly related to news and online information.
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Identify strategies for challenging their own confirmation biases.
Lesson Snapshot
Estimated time: 45 mins.
Consider:
Real or Fake?
15 mins.
Explore:
Biased Brains
15 mins.
Create:
Challenging Confirmation Bias
15 mins.
What You'll Need
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Student Handout: Biased Brains
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Lesson Quiz
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Take-home resources
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News & Media Literacy