Last updated on 12 May 2026
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How to cultivate the good reflexes of your students in front of the Fake News? How can we convey to them the urgent need to cultivate a constructive … in the face of the constant flow of information of all kinds from the web and social networks? This is the dual task of a workbook that lists no less than 59 activities for the class that has just appeared in Generation 5.
Fake News, cultivating the right reflexes is a very high-quality piece of work that we owe to Hélène Charlet, a documentary professor. I have just read the book, I recommend it to you.
Table of Contents
A new approach to the Fake News phenomenon
The author’s bias is to propose a (for once) deculpatory approach to the problem. In the 60 or so pedagogical activities on offer, it is never easy to demonstrate how gullible and naive they are.
The binder book offers instead a collaborative approach where everyone thinks, everyone doubts. Rather, the idea is to show that we are all easy prey, young and old alike. The author in passing invites us to reflect on our relationship to the truth: why are we fascinated by a piece of information, even though we know it to be false or unfounded? Good fake news is sometimes so much in line with our worldview that we almost want it to be true. One of the objectives of all the activities proposed by the book is to raise awareness that sharing fake news is not an innocuous act.
In doubt abstain
This is a bit of the central teaching of this pedagogical workbook proposed by Generation 5. The book is structured into four main themes.
• The info-pollution galaxy.
In other words, what exactly are we talking about when we talk about the phenomenon? 14 activities to recognize fake news and its various forms (rumor, opinion, hoax, propaganda, misinformation, etc.).
Fake news: why do we love them?
In my view, this is the most interesting chapter. Here we will learn to be wary of ourselves. To help you, 25 activities to become aware of the cognitive mechanisms responsible for our credulity.
• The era of post-truth?
How is a truth constituted: 10 disciplinary activities (letters, science, philosophy, SES…) to question our relationship to truth and how it opposes fiction.
• Institutional tools to fight fake news?
This last chapter proposes 10 activities to assess the relevance and effectiveness of some technological, legislative and journalistic tools to uncover disinformation. Like these 3 sites to uncover fake news I was talking about a few weeks ago here.
Fake News offers out-of-the-box educational activities
The book is intended for both middle and high school students. On each activity sheet proposed, you will find the level concerned, the materials to be used, the necessary equipment and the supports used.
Fake News, cultivating the right reflexes offers a whole series of activities that have the great advantage of being able to be adapted very easily to current events. The book ends with a good webography.
An excellent tool to sow this little constructive doubt in the minds of our students and thus make them more critical, more seasoned, already citizens . In our societies of too much information doubt is not only allowed, but often necessary.
Link: Fake News. Cultivate the right reflexes. Hélène Charlet. 202 Pages. 89 € at Generation 5.
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