Over the years I’ve written quite a bit Dan Russell’s work and the concept of using images as the basis of web search challenge activities for students. Last month, Dr. Russell posted another fun search challenge that could be completed by middle school and high school students. That challenge is called Real or Fake? You can read the challenge set-up here and the solutions here.

There are three parts to the Real or Fake challenge. In the first part students have to decide if a picture is real or fake. The second part of the challenge asks students to determine the validity of a Trip Advisor review. The third aspect of the challenge tasks students with determining the authenticity of quotes posted in social media memes.


Applications for Education
The thing that I like most about the Real or Fake challenge is that the emphasis is on critical thinking and not on technical tricks or deep knowledge or search engine operators. If they take time to evaluate the information in front of them and think critically about it, most middle school and high school students should be able to solve the three Real or Fake challenge activities.