Defining Mis- and Disinformation: A Toolkit for Teaching and Instilling Critical Thinking Skills

During the childhood of many parents today, information typically came from regulated and trustworthy sources. Misinformation and disinformation spread slowly, or by means generally recognized as dubious, such as tabloids. Today, with technology making information more accessible than ever before, we are facing a challenge. This surge of disinformation, often fueled by malicious entities aiming to harm individuals, destabilize nations, sow mistrust, and damage the foundations of a free and democratic society, poses a significant concern. People of all ages, especially many of our students, are bombarded with mis- and disinformation, often lacking the media literacy tools to effectively discern fact from fiction.

This AFT-sponsored toolkit is based on extensive conversations with educators, parents and experts in mis- and disinformation. Educators spanning red and blue across the country—in Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia—have created invaluable resources and lesson plans.

There are three slide decks and five case studies in this toolkit, compiled by a dedicated team of educators and educational professionals. Although the toolkit could be used to support an entire unit on disinformation, this is not a one-size-fits-all approach! Our expectation is that teachers will utilize materials as time and circumstances permit. An educator might dedicate a week to talking about disinformation (as parts of this toolkit fit with every core subject), or one class period, using one simple lesson to get students thinking.