Education Standards

Avoiding Confirmation Bias

Avoiding Confirmation Bias

Overview

We may be leaving out information or disregarding it because it doesn't conform with our own beliefs.  Students will learn about confirmation bias, different perspectives and how to avoid confirmation bias.  This lesson is part of a media unit curated at our Digital Citizenship website, "Who Am I Online?".

 

Lesson Objective/Student Target:

The students will be able to…

Understand the concept of confirmation bias

Understand different perspectives on an issue

Use strategies to avoid confirmation bias

Washington State ELA Learning Standard:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D

Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

Overarching Question:

What is missing from the information I’m seeing?

Key Vocabulary:

Confirmation bias- bias that results from the tendency to process and analyze information in such a way that it supports one’s preexisting ideas and convictions

Materials:

Slide Deck

Perspectives Graphic Organizer

5 Ways to Beat Confirmation Bias

Procon.org

Content Objective:

We may be leaving out information or disregarding it because it doesn’t conform with our own beliefs.  Students will learn about confirmation bias, different perspectives and how to avoid confirmation bias.

Before Beginning:

  1. Make a copy of the lesson slidedeck and edit as needed.
  2. Preview the video to ensure that it’s appropriate for the class.
  3. Provide a copy of the perspectives graphic organizer for group use.  This can be a digital copy or a printout of the .pdf file.

Activity:

Activity #1

iPhone vs. Android

  1. Have students vote on their favorite smartphone
  2. Present facts to the class
  3. Have students vote again.
  4. Could any amount of facts sway your vote?
  5. Define “confirmation bias”

Activity #2

Perspectives

  1. Divide class into small groups
  2. Hand out Perspectives graphic organizer or access online
  3. Have students go to:  https://vaccines.procon.org
  4. Small groups work on filling out 2 of the 4 perspectives
  5. Share out and address class discussion questions

Activity #3

  1. Watch 5 Ways to Beat Confirmation Bias
  2. Review ways introduced in the video as a class

Check for Understanding:

Exit Ticket of your choice:

What are some steps that YOU can take today to avoid confirmation bias?

How has your thinking changed today?

Resources:

This lesson is part of a larger unit on Digital Citizenship called "Who Am I Online?". To see the full lesson in context with the rest of the unit, visit our Google Site.

Lesson Objective/Student Target:

The students will be able to…

Understand the concept of confirmation bias

Understand different perspectives on an issue

Use strategies to avoid confirmation bias

Washington State ELA Learning Standard:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D

Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

Overarching Question:

What is missing from the information I’m seeing?

Key Vocabulary:

Confirmation bias - bias that results from the tendency to process and analyze information in such a way that it supports one’s preexisting ideas and convictions