Activity #1: Fake vs. Real Photos of Hurricane Sandy
- Preview the images and slideshow from the Huffington Post article “Fake Hurricane Sandy Photos Spread On Internet As Storm Barrels Toward Northeast.” View the fake Hurricane Sandy photos. Next, scroll to the bottom of the article and view the real images of Hurricane Sandy.
- Answer/Discuss these questions:
- What kind of role do you think the Internet played in helping people learn about Hurricane Sandy?
- Review the image of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the top of the article page. Click on the image. This is an example of a Tweet that someone shared during the hurricane. What if I told you that this photo wasn’t actually taken during Hurricane Sandy? This photo was actually taken a month earlier than when the hurricane hit. Taken out of context, the photo went viral online and was even picked up by major news outlets like NPR and the Washington Post. People misinterpreted it to be a snapshot of the hurricane.
Activity #2: Test before you trust.
- Review this website: Wikipedia: Year-round School
- Complete the Website Test handout.
