Exercise 1: Fact, rumour, opinion

Duration: 10-20 minutes

 

Goal: learn how to distinguish facts from rumours, and opinions in the context of a terror attack.

 

Method(s): critical analysis of information through discussion  and categorization

 

Materials: empty spreadsheet, examples of titles fromthe  news and social media (examples below can be used)

 

Instruction for students: Read and analyse the news and social media titles below. Once you have finished, use the spreadsheet provided and categorize them into three categories: facts, rumours, and opinions. Please provide a justification of your choice. You can do this exercise alone or with a partner.

 

The examples are related to the 2011 terror attacks in Norway.

• Police now say 77 people, most of them teenagers, were killed in Oslo and on nearby Utoeya island. Source: BBC News
• Anders Breivik was mentally unstable. Discussion between neighbours.
• Facebook post about Norway 2011 attacks saying immediately after the attack that Muslim extremists perpatreted it.
• Anders Breivik’ trained’ for shooting attacks by playing computer games. Source: The Guardian
• Instagram story about how violent computer and video games cause autism.
• Files from Breivik’s personal computer consisting of information about planning the acts
• Breivik is planning a new attack in prison. Source: Independent blog
• Norwegian government sent Breivik to prison because he wanted to become the new King. Source: Reddit

Analyse them and categorize them either as “fact “, “rumour “or “opinion”. Once you have organized them, add an explanation of why you made that choice.

 

 

 

 

Example

 

Title	Category	Justification
Police now say 77 people, most of them teenagers, were killed in Oslo and on nearby Utoeya island. Source: BBC news	Fact	It comes from a respected news organization

 

Questions:

 

Further questions for discussion in pairs, small groups or in class, depending on students’ readiness.

• Why should we always stick to facts when talking about such acts?
• How rumours and opinions impact public and private opinion?
• How rumours and opinions impact victims and their loved ones?
• How rumours and opinions impact the group from which the perpetrators originate?