FactCheckED.org

Term Of The Week: Classical Economics

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Classical economics, usually thought to date from the publication of Adam Smith’s "The Wealth of Nations" in 1776 and extending through about 1870, is the first modern theory of economics. Like modern, or {neoclassical economics}, it uses the principles of supply and demand to explain the price of goods, the level of output and the distribution of income in markets. Classical economists determined that national income could be measured using three variables: wages, rent and interest. According to this view, the interconnection between those variables determines the natural price of goods and services.

Topical Lesson: Amnesty: More Than a Word

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:17:03 GMT

Ever yelled “fire!” in a really crowded theater? Don’t. It’ll probably get you arrested. Because language can inspire emotions (panic!) in addition to conveying information (the building is on fire), we have to be careful not to let words do our thinking for us. This lesson will teach students to identify when emotive terms, in this case “amnesty,” alter their perceptions and obscure the facts. Students will examine two advertisements, both of which claimed a 2007 immigration reform bill would provide “amnesty” to illegal immigrants. Students will also analyze polling data that show how the word “amnesty” affected public perceptions.

Topical Lesson: Combating the Culture of Corruption

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:47:23 GMT

It’s a classic American film: the young, idealistic new senator, Jefferson Smith, heads off to Washington where he finds that his boyhood hero, Sen. Joseph Paine, is accepting bribes. Worse still, Mr. Smith finds that none of the other senators really care all that much. In Hollywood, the solution is simple: Jimmy Stewart saves the day. Fast forward 60 years: The corruption is still around, and in a fundraising e-mail, the Democratic National Committee claims that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain is more Joseph Paine than Jefferson Smith. That charge has little basis in reality. In this lesson students will dig into a recent bribery scandal to assess John McCain’s real role in rooting out the culture of corruption.

Topical Lesson: Death and Taxes

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:18:31 GMT

Did you know that the federal government taxes dead people? Did you know that John McCain wants it to continue? Well, actually, he doesn’t. But that didn’t stop the conservative anti-tax group Club for Growth from saying otherwise. The ad contains a claim that may be literally true, but misleads the viewer by omitting crucial information. This lesson examines the ways in which the unscrupulous can use charged language to mislead casual readers. Students will dig beneath the loaded language to assess the truth of Club for Growth’s claims.

Topical Lesson: Dubious Adoption Data

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:10:38 GMT

Maybe numbers don’t lie, but they can certainly be folded, spindled, turned inside out and refashioned to support a different conclusion. In this lesson, students will analyze a graph from the New York City Administration for Children’s Services showing a significant increase in New York City adoptions after ACS was founded. They’ll see how the statistics were manipulated to show these results, and will learn to keep an open mind about statistical proofs and to analyze for themselves the numbers they encounter.

Topical Lesson: Facts of the Union

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:31:40 GMT

It's morning again in America! Jobs are plentiful, the deficit is shrinking, we're reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and all our children are above average. At least that's the impression you might have come away with if you watched President Bush's 2007 State of the Union Address. The facts are a little more complicated, and the picture not always as rosy. This lesson provides students with a good starting point for examining some of the crucial issues Bush laid out in his address. Students will research these issues, analyze the president’s statements and claims, and draw conclusions about how straightforward he was with the American people.

Topical Lesson: Hillary Clinton’s Record, Through the Looking Glass

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:55:26 GMT

Sometimes advertising is easy. Flash up a picture of Osama bin Laden and you’ve got viewers who are ready to be angry. Flash a picture of Osama bin Laden next to a picture of Hillary Clinton and you’ve got…well, you’ve got an ad sponsored by John Spencer, a 2006 Republican senatorial candidate from New York. Spencer’s ad stated that Sen. Clinton opposed the USA Patriot Act and controversial National Security Agency wiretaps, which the ad claims were vital in stopping a terrorist plot to blow up airliners going from Britain to the United States in 2006. Students will use Clinton’s actual voting record to assess the accuracy of Spencer’s claims.

Topical Lesson: Made in the U.S.A.

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:51:05 GMT

It seems like fewer and fewer things bear that label anymore. Toyota outsells two of Detroit’s big three automakers and may soon pass the third. Our televisions and DVD players are mostly made elsewhere. And Wal-Mart imports about 50,000 pounds of merchandise every 45 seconds. As if that’s not bad enough, American companies are shipping many jobs overseas. Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards wants to stop U.S. companies from moving jobs offshore, and a group called Working 4 Working Americans ran an ad in support of his plan. But the story the ad tells doesn’t quite give the whole picture. In this lesson, students will examine the facts behind this potentially misleading ad. This lesson comes in a basic version, for classrooms without Internet access and/or students at the 8^th-9^th grade level, and a more advanced version, which does require Internet access and is aimed at students at higher grade levels.

Topical Lesson: Olly Olly Oxen Free!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:42:56 GMT

You find the perfect hiding spot and you wait, hoping to hear that magical sound, to hear whoever is “it” call out in frustration, “Olly Olly Oxen Free!” You know that you’re safe, that your hiding spot – your sanctuary – can be used again the next time you play. But in debates about people who are in the U.S. illegally, the concept of sanctuary is considerably more controversial. In fact, some argue that providing sanctuary to people who are in the country illegally is decidedly wrong. This lesson focuses on an argument between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani over New York’s alleged status as a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. Students will explore the meaning of the term “sanctuary city” and determine for themselves whether New York City ought to be designated a sanctuary city.

Topical Lesson: Survey Says...

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:33:29 GMT

Can 50 million Elvis fans be wrong? We often rely on polls and surveys to take the temperature of the population — how better to find out what people think than to ask them? But depending on how the polls are constructed and conducted, we might end up with misleading answers. This lesson examines two polls that asked Iraqis about the quality of life in their country, one which showed an alarmingly negative outlook and one a more positive assessment. Students will look at the conclusions offered by the organizations that sponsored the polls and their methodologies. They will also conduct their own survey and see how poll results can be skewed by how, when, where, of whom and by whom the questions are asked.

Topical Lesson: Suspect Sources at the Republican Debate

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:17:43 GMT

If you’re looking for a job, you’d better hope you’re doing it in the U.S. and not in Europe because job growth is a stunning 17 times higher in America than it is in the old country. Perhaps that’s because Americans are all working as tax preparers, something they spend $140 billion a year on. Those “facts” are according to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain of Arizona. And they even had sources for their numbers. Unfortunately, those sources aren’t actually very good. In this lesson, students will cross-check the candidates’ claims against available data. They will then question whether bias may explain the conflicting data.

Topical Lesson: U.S. Generals ...Support the Draft

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:36:33 GMT

Being drafted hasn’t been much of a concern for anyone born on this side of the Age of Aquarius. But rumors of the return of the draft abound. Those rumors are especially scary when they seem to originate from U.S. military commanders. This lesson examines an anti-war advertisement sponsored by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq asserting that military officials plan to continue the war in Iraq for an additional 10 years and that that plan will require reinstating the draft. Students will examine whether quotations from Gen. David Petraeus and Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute really do support AAEI's claims.

Topical Lesson: Wikiality

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:27:31 GMT

“Please help me. I got an ‘F’ on my paper because I cited Wikipedia.” Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, recently lamented that he gets 10 e-mails of this sort every week. And yet, despite Wales’ own stated views that Wikipedia provides “good enough” knowledge, students keep using it – and teachers keep giving out Fs. This lesson illustrates the potential pitfalls of Wikipedia. Drawing on two controversies – Stephen Colbert’s on-air altering of his own entry and his call for viewers to alter a second entry, and the false biography of John Seigenthaler – students will discuss the ease with which false or misleading information can be added to Wikipedia, and they’ll search Wikipedia entries for inaccuracies.

New Lesson: Amnesty: More Than a Word

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:17:03 GMT

New Lesson: Background Beliefs

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:20:45 GMT

We’ve all had that experience, the one where we start arguing with someone and find that we disagree about pretty much everything. When two people have radically different background beliefs (or worldviews), they often have difficulty finding any sort of common ground. In this lesson, students will learn to distinguish between the two different types of background beliefs: beliefs about matters of fact and beliefs about values. They will then go on to consider their most deeply held background beliefs, those that constitute their worldview. Students will work to go beyond specific arguments to consider the worldviews that might underlie different types of arguments.

New Lesson: Building a Better Argument

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:15:14 GMT

Whether it’s an ad for burger chains, the closing scene of a “Law & Order” spinoff, a discussion with the parents about your social life or a coach disputing a close call, arguments are an inescapable part of our lives. In this lesson, students will learn to create good arguments by getting a handle on the basic structure. The lesson will provide useful tips for picking out premises and conclusions and for analyzing the effectiveness of arguments.

New Lesson: Combating the Culture of Corruption

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:47:23 GMT

New Lesson: Death and Taxes

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:18:31 GMT

New Lesson: Dubious Adoption Data

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:10:38 GMT

New Lesson: Facts of the Union

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:31:40 GMT

New Lesson: Hillary Clinton’s Record, Through the Looking Glass

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:55:26 GMT

New Lesson: Hoodia Hoodoo

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:45:59 GMT

Many of us have wished we could magically shed a few pounds. So it’s no surprise that "miracle" weight-loss products rake in millions of dollars – especially when their advertisements sandwich (so to speak) endorsements by leading news organizations between pictures of impossibly ripped bodies. It’s also no surprise that the products rarely live up to their billing. This lesson assesses misleading claims for a weight-loss product called Hoodia that is advertised heavily on the Internet and elsewhere. Students will dig beneath the hype to find the single scientific study on which the marketing is based and analyze whether it can support the claims.

New Lesson: House and Holmes: A Guide to Deductive and Inductive Reasoning

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:32:04 GMT

Maybe you’ve seen Dr. House in action – figuring things out from what seem like totally unrelated clues. Like Sherlock Holmes before him, House is a master of induction. In this lesson, students will keep up with the doctor (and a lawyer, too) as they learn how to spot – and analyze – both inductive and deductive arguments. Students will then get a chance to show off their deductive skills by solving a logic puzzle and test their inductive abilities by solving a 5-minute mystery.

New Lesson: Listerine: Miracle Liquid or Product in Search of a Purpose?

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:03:56 GMT

Everyone knows that Listerine kills the germs that cause bad breath. You probably assumed that meant that Listerine would cure bad breath. But it doesn’t. Nor does it cure dandruff. Or prevent colds. Or eliminate the need for flossing. That, of course, hasn’t kept the makers of Listerine from making all of those claims. This lesson examines misleading (and even outright false) advertisements for Listerine, a well-known household product. Students will locate and analyze several alternative sources of information about Listerine’s claims and weigh their credibility.

New Lesson: Made in the U.S.A.

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:51:05 GMT

New Lesson: Monty Python and the Quest for the Perfect Fallacy

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:57:42 GMT

If you weigh the same as a duck, then, logically, you’re made of wood and must be a witch. Or so goes the reasoning of Monty Python’s Sir Bedevere. Obviously something has gone wrong with the knight’s reasoning – and by the end of this lesson, you’ll know exactly what that is. This lesson will focus on 10 fallacies that represent the most common types of mistakes in reasoning.

New Lesson: Olly Olly Oxen Free!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:42:56 GMT

New Lesson: PETA Pressure

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:46:39 GMT

Persuading an audience requires intensive research and scrupulous fact-checking – or, you could just figure out what your audience wants to hear and tell them that. Politicians, advertisers and others with something to sell choose words and images that will appeal to their target audience, enticing them to accept claims unquestioningly. Some of these manipulators, like the animal activism site peta2.com, focus their attentions on teenagers and young adults. In this lesson, students won't check peta2's factual accuracy, but will learn to spot their manipulative tactics and why they should be skeptical about them.

New Lesson: Survey Says...

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:33:29 GMT

New Lesson: Suspect Sources at the Republican Debate

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:17:43 GMT

New Lesson: The Battle of the Experts

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:21:40 GMT

When we hear a piece of information that surprises us, we often react by saying, “Where’d you hear that?” It’s a good question, and one we should ask more often, because some sources are better – sometimes much better – than others. In this lesson, students will learn to distinguish between credible and not-so-credible types of sources. They’ll explore the biases of different sources and develop tools for detecting bias. In their effort to get to facts that are as objective as possible, students will examine the differences between primary and secondary sources, check the track records of different sources and practice looking for broad consensus from a range of disinterested experts.

New Lesson: The Language of Deception

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:58:10 GMT

It’s a phased withdrawal, not a retreat. Except that the terms actually mean the same thing. But “retreat” sounds much worse, so savvy politicians avoid using it. That’s because they understand that there is a difference between the cognitive (or literal) meaning and the emotive meaning of a word. This lesson examines the ways in which terms that pack an emotional punch can add power to a statement – and also ways in which emotive meanings can be used to mislead, either by doing the reader’s thinking for him or by blinding her to the real nature of the issue.

New Lesson: U.S. Generals ...Support the Draft

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:36:33 GMT

New Lesson: Who'll Stop the...Snow?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:13:36 GMT

Rudy Giuliani, maybe? After all, he did it in New York. At least that’s what he boasted during a Republican presidential primary debate in November 2007. Giuliani, who has since dropped out of the race, was clearly joking, but his spoof illustrated a serious point that good critical reasoners should keep in mind: the fact that two things happen at the same time isn’t by itself reason for thinking that they are related. Giuliani’s joke illustrates what logicians call a post hoc fallacy. This lesson will help students recognize – and avoid – post hoc arguments.

New Lesson: Wikiality

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:27:31 GMT