🕵️ Phase 3 - Investigation
🧪 Lab · Path B
⏱ 10 minutes
Task 5 - Path B: The Fact-Checker
Does the source actually say what the post claims it says?
Choose your path (you can only fully complete one)
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A: The Scientist
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B: The Fact-Checker
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C: The Media Detective
A post can link to "a study" and still misrepresent what that study actually found. Trace one claim all the way back to its source, one step at a time.
Step 1 - Follow the Source Trail
Step 1 of 3 · The claim
A wellness post says: "New study proves that eating berries daily cures anxiety!" It links to a news article.
What should you check first?
Step 2 of 3 · The news article
The news article says: "Researchers found a correlation between berry consumption and lower anxiety scores in a survey of 200 adults."
Does "correlation" mean berries cure anxiety?
Step 3 of 3 · The original study
The original study itself says: "This was a self-reported survey, not an experiment. We cannot determine cause and effect, and other factors like overall diet may explain the pattern. Further controlled research is needed."
What happened between the study and the post?
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Wonder Learning AI
"How can I tell if a health post's cited source actually supports its claim?"
"Good fact-checking means reading past the headline to the actual source, checking what was measured, how many people were involved, and whether the conclusion matches the data. As long as a post includes a working link to a scientific journal, you can trust that its claim is accurate."
Tap the highlighted sentence, then fact-check it:
Good fact-check - this is incomplete. A working link is a good start, but you just saw it isn't enough - the post can still twist, oversimplify or exaggerate what that linked study actually found. You have to check whether the source genuinely supports the claim, not just whether a link exists.
Step 2 - Save your Source Trail
What changed between the original study and the final post?
Tracing a source is powerful - now let's meet the other investigators.
What happens in Task 5
A 10-minute Phase 3 - Investigation activity (Path B of 3 - choose one). Students trace a health claim through three steps - claim, news article, original study - ask the Wonder Learning AI about cited sources, fact-check one claim, answer a check question, then save their trail.
🎯 Learning objectives
To learn how to trace a claim back to its original source and recognise when a source has been misrepresented.
♿ SEN Adaptations
- Trail steps read aloud; simplified two-option choices throughout; flexible pacing
🖨️ No-Tech Format
- Lab Booklet pages 4-5: the three-step trail printed with questions