Online Identity and Misinformation · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Being Honest Online, Thinking Before You Share

Personal & Social Development · Responsible Decision-Making · ages 12-13
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What do recommendation algorithms mainly do?

    • Show everyone the exact same content
    • Show you more of what you already click and watch
    • Randomly pick content for everyone

  2. What is your online identity?

    • Only your real legal name
    • How people see you through your posts, comments, and profile online
    • A password that protects your accounts

  3. Lateral reading means reading more articles on the same website to double-check a claim.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Diego notices that almost every post his app shows him agrees with his opinion. Why might that be happening, even though it feels like everyone agrees with him?

    • The algorithm is designed to show him more of what he already likes
    • Everyone online actually agrees with Diego
    • His phone checks facts for him automatically

  5. Maya sees a shocking post from a friend and feels angry right away. She shares it without checking. What made her more likely to share it fast?

    • The post made her feel strong emotion
    • The post had a boring headline
    • The post was very long

  6. This chart shows how many of the 10 posts shown to Omar each week agreed with his opinion. How many more agreeing posts did he see in Week 3 than in Week 1?

    Week 13Week 26Week 39

    Answer: ______________

  7. Which situation best shows that even a smart, careful person can still be fooled by misinformation?

    • A scientist ignores a claim because it has no listed source
    • A scientist reads three independent sources before deciding what to believe
    • A scientist believes a claim because a trusted colleague shared it and she has no time to check it before a meeting

  8. Liam reads a headline that matches what he already believes, so he shares it right away without opening any other source. What step did Liam skip?

    • Checking his own opinion
    • Lateral reading: checking what other reliable sources say
    • Choosing an emotional image for the post
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Being Honest Online, Thinking Before You Share W1-mt_WtO50EZQkf-s1

  1. Show you more of what you already click and watch · Algorithms track what you already engage with and show you more of it, which is how filter bubbles start.
  2. How people see you through your posts, comments, and profile online · Your online identity is the picture people build of you from what you post and how you act, not just your name or a password.
  3. False · Lateral reading means checking other independent sources, not reading deeper into the same site.
  4. The algorithm is designed to show him more of what he already likes · The pattern comes from the algorithm narrowing his feed, not from the whole internet agreeing with him.
  5. The post made her feel strong emotion · Strong emotions like anger or fear push people to share before they stop and check facts.
  6. 6 · Week 3 had 9 agreeing posts and Week 1 had 3, so the difference is 6.
  7. A scientist believes a claim because a trusted colleague shared it and she has no time to check it before a meeting · Trusting a source and being rushed can make careful people skip the checking step, not just carelessness.
  8. Lateral reading: checking what other reliable sources say · Liam trusted the headline because it matched his own view, but he never checked it against outside sources.
Worksheet · LightMySky