icon-background-square
New
New
Year 4

The problem with fake news

I can describe what fake news is and why it exists.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 4

The problem with fake news

I can describe what fake news is and why it exists.

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.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Fake news can look true.
  2. People make fake news for a number of reasons.
  3. Websites and apps make more money if more people visit their site.
  4. Fake news has certain features.

Keywords

  • Fake news - information that is not true but looks real

  • Motivation - the reason why someone does something

  • Persuade - change someone's mind

  • Clickbait - an image or video created to tempt you to click on it

  • Manipulation - influencing someone’s emotions, to make them do something

Common misconception

Everything that we read is true.

Online content can be created by anyone and there is no consequence for lying in the online space. We must check if things are true or not by cross-referencing.


To help you plan your year 4 rshe (pshe) lesson on: The problem with fake news, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Demonstrate features of online advertising by navigating to a news website and describing the elements. However, always check the site and subsequent links before showing it to the students, as some articles, images and videos may be inappropriate.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

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

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a link?
A picture
Some writing
Correct answer: A word or picture that takes you to a new place if you click or tap it
Q2.
Match the words and their meaning.
Correct Answer:Bias,A feeling that influences how you respond to a situation or person
tick

A feeling that influences how you respond to a situation or person

Correct Answer:Assumption,A feeling or belief about something that has no proof
tick

A feeling or belief about something that has no proof

Correct Answer:Website,An online place
tick

An online place

Correct Answer:Advert,Something designed to sell something to you
tick

Something designed to sell something to you

Q3.
Adverts always tell the truth.
True
Correct answer: False
Q4.
Why do websites have adverts?
Correct answer: To make money
To help you learn
People like adverts
Q5.
Match the animal to an assumption.
Correct Answer:Pig,Dirty
tick

Dirty

Correct Answer:Dog,Friendly
tick

Friendly

Correct Answer:Cheetah,Fast
tick

Fast

Correct Answer:Cat,Hates water
tick

Hates water

Q6.
What are the consequences of bias?
It makes people happy.
Correct answer: It influences how we react to people.
Correct answer: We make assumptions.
Correct answer: It limits what we imagine we can achieve.

4 Questions

Q1.
What is the purpose of clickbait?
Correct answer: To tempt you to tap on a link
To teach you something interesting
Correct answer: To make money from advertising
Q2.
Which of these is a tactic for clickbait creators?
Tell the truth
Use a simple image
Correct answer: Use interesting headlines
Q3.
Match the key words to the meanings.
Correct Answer:Fake news,Information that is not true but looks real
tick

Information that is not true but looks real

Correct Answer:Motivation,An image or video created to tempt you to click on it
tick

An image or video created to tempt you to click on it

Correct Answer:Manipulation,The reason why someone does something
tick

The reason why someone does something

Correct Answer:Persuade,Influencing someone’s emotions, to make them do something
tick

Influencing someone’s emotions, to make them do something

Q4.
How can we tell if something is real or fake?
If there is a picture, we know it is real.
Correct answer: We can research using other websites.
Correct answer: We could check with an adult.
Videos cannot be faked, so if we see a video we know it is true.