Figuring Out COVID-19 Fact from Fiction

April 3, 2020
Figuring Out COVID-19 Fact from Fiction

In today’s barrage of Facebook updates, WhatsApp forwards, and “breaking news” tweets, how can high school students figure out fact from fiction? In late February, just as murmurs about the impact of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) were growing in the U.S., the Incubator’s Program Assistant, Tyler Fox, was invited to give a lecture to two sections of an Arlington High School history class. In this timely lecture, Tyler sought to unpack some of the myths and misconceptions associated with the illness and help students develop the critical thinking tools needed to find accurate and truthful information related to the outbreak as it continued. 

The lesson began with having the students write down everything they knew and heard about COVID-19, to identify students’ prior knowledge and any misconceptions they may have internalized from daily life. Building on this foundation, Tyler focused on the basics of the COVID-19—such as what the disease was, where it began, when it arose, and potential reasons behind why it occurred. The class examined zoonoses and the mechanics that go into animal-to-human transmission of disease. The students also studied a world map from the World Health Organization designed to display the number of cases within each country. 

To put their new knowledge to the test, the high schoolers participated in an activity geared towards identifying and dispelling misinformation in media. In small groups, the students discussed problematic and xenophobic media headlines, cartoons, and social media posts. The students then shared their views with the class and brainstormed evidence-based corrections to the information they were presented. 

A few days after his visit, Tyler responded to remaining student questions online, linking all his responses to an academic source. “My main goal was to have the students scrutinize information they were receiving from all sources – social media and news. If they can follow information back to its source, the classes will become even more responsible consumers of information.”