Next week, the United States will choose its 47th president in the culmination of an election campaign that has been dominated by claims of fake news and AI interference.
It provides a fantastic opportunity to get young people thinking about how to critically assess what they see, read and hear online.
Here are three ways that teachers can help students to better understand how fake news, bias and polarisation influence election coverage.
1. Explore bias in election news reports
A practical way to explore bias with students is to have them create news reports from different perspectives.
Start by splitting the class into three groups. Give each group a list of facts about a US election issue, such as healthcare or immigration.
Assign each group a different bias, with one group writing a pro-Democrat report, another a pro-Republican one, and a third that is impartial.
This activity not only helps students recognise bias in news coverage, but also illustrates how media outlets can influence public opinion.
Encourage them to take the US Election AI or Real Quiz and think about how certain AI images have been used to alter people’s biases towards the candidates.
2. Explore informed debate
This activity drives home the benefit of students continuing to challenge opinions through knowledge gathering.
Begin by dividing the classroom into three sections: “agree”, “disagree” and “not sure”. Present a statement relevant to the US election, such as “Having guns is a fundamental American freedom” or “Healthcare should be free”.
Ask students to physically stand in the section that reflects their starting opinion, then reveal additional facts about the subject, one by one, asking them to move or stay put after each reveal. If students end up in a different group from where they started, ask them to consider why.
You could also ask students to look at the article ”Kamala Harris: fake news, deep fakes and The Simpsons” and ask themselves how seeking more information could have prevented these fake news stories from spreading.
3. Explore political echo chambers
One of the trends in election coverage is the focus on polarised views, perpetuated by social media echo chambers.
To help students understand how this happens, begin with a light-hearted statement such as “School dinners are brilliant”. Get them to line up, with those holding moderate views in the middle and those with more extreme views on the edges.
Starting in the middle, go alternately along the line between pro- and anti-school dinner views and watch as they become more extreme towards the edges. Ask students to reflect on what the fairest and most extreme views were and how they felt as things escalated.
This exercise encourages students to think critically about the role of algorithms in shaping political opinions.
The US election provides a timely opportunity for teachers to engage students in discussions about media bias, misinformation and polarisation.
Encouraging students to question the information they encounter, understand opposing viewpoints and remain open to new facts is vital in today’s complex media environment.
Andrew Swanson is executive producer of BBC Bitesize’s Other Side of the Story, which helps young people navigate fake news and misinformation and be more critical and curious about what they see and share online
