How to Spot Statistics without Context That Spread Misinformation | Be MediaWise

This lesson will help students recognize potentially false data or statistics presented without context in online posts. Students will study how the MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network debunked a tweet from a Congressional staffer about President Biden’s Executive Order canceling student debt and the impact of inflation. Students will also be able to analyze how data and statistics are manipulated to make misinformation more credible, how to find original sources of data, and answer the following questions:

• Why is the context behind data or statistics important to know?
• What are some red flags that data shared online may be unreliable?
• How can I effectively fact-check data that is shared online?