Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 6

Finding health information online

I can explain the importance of accurate health information online and explain how to verify health information.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 6

Finding health information online

I can explain the importance of accurate health information online and explain how to verify health information.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Understanding how to be healthy is important and can affect our wellbeing and life expectancy.
  2. There is a large amount of misinformation about how to stay healthy.
  3. We need to use our verification skills to decide if health information is accurate.
  4. There are untrue conspiracy theories around health information, some suggesting that vaccines are dangerous (not true).
  5. Following inaccurate health advice can be harmful and even deadly.

Keywords

  • Wellbeing - our physical and mental health

  • Accurate - when something is exact or correct

  • Misinformation - articles, videos or images that are untrue, designed to confuse or mislead us

  • Verify - to decide if information is accurate and trustworthy

  • Vaccine - a medicine that can prevent some diseases and serious illnesses

Common misconception

If a website looks scientific then I can trust the health advice that it gives.

There is a huge amount of misinformation about health online. Some of it is very dangerous and has been linked to deaths. In the UK, the only place we should access health information is the NHS website.


To help you plan your year 6 rshe (pshe) lesson on: Finding health information online, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Model how to find out more about a medical issue using the NHS website. Choose a less serious ailment such as dealing with a cold, to avoid distress for young people worried about their own health or that of a loved one.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:misinformation,false or inaccurate information; getting the facts wrong
tick

false or inaccurate information; getting the facts wrong

Correct Answer:motivation,the reason why someone does something
tick

the reason why someone does something

Correct Answer:verify,checking if other people or websites confirm that information is true
tick

checking if other people or websites confirm that information is true

Correct Answer:analyse,in this context, looking closely at where information has come from
tick

in this context, looking closely at where information has come from

Q2.
Which are effective ways of verifying information online?
Correct answer: checking other websites
Correct answer: asking if it seems real
searching social media
Correct answer: checking the source
Q3.
Which of these statements are false?
Correct answer: Misinformation is harmless.
Misinformation can have powerful consequences.
Correct answer: Everyone recognises misinformation easily.
Everyone, including adults, can find it hard to identify misinformation.
Q4.
What is the definition of 'cross-checking'?
spreading misinformation without knowing it
Correct answer: verifying information by looking up the information elsewhere
asking a friend what they think about the information
Q5.
Making someone feel guilty so that they do what you want them to do is an example of a tactic.
Correct Answer: manipulation, manipulative
Q6.
is a tendency or inclination that affects how you respond to a situation or person.
Correct Answer: Bias

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

5 Questions

Q1.
Match the word with the correct definition.
Correct Answer:wellbeing,our physical and mental health
tick

our physical and mental health

Correct Answer:misinformation,content that is untrue and designed to confuse or mislead us
tick

content that is untrue and designed to confuse or mislead us

Correct Answer:verify,to decide if information is accurate and trustworthy
tick

to decide if information is accurate and trustworthy

Correct Answer:accurate,when something is exact or correct
tick

when something is exact or correct

Q2.
How can we verify if health information is accurate?
Correct answer: cross-check with the NHS website
see if the website looks scientific
ask a friend
Correct answer: ask if it seems real
Q3.
Which of these statements are true?
If a website looks scientific then it won't contain misinformation.
Correct answer: Some websites contain both accurate health advice and misinformation.
Correct answer: The NHS website contains health advice we can trust.
Q4.
What is a vaccine?
A vaccine is a medicine that causes you to be become unwell.
Correct answer: A vaccine is a medicine that helps you keep yourself and others healthy.
Correct answer: A vaccine is a medicine that can prevent some diseases and serious illnesses.
A vaccine is a medicine that is dangerous and isn't tested for safety.
Q5.
theories are ideas that an event or situation is part of a ‘secret plan’ or ‘plot’ by someone else or an organisation.
Correct Answer: Conspiracy