Hello, Providence Day parents and others who may be watching this video. This is Dr. Wes Fryer. Today is November 11, 2024, and this week we’re starting our “Froot Loop Conspiracy Theories” unit. This is an engaging, exciting, and highly relevant topic today because there are many wild and misleading conspiracy theories online that we want students to be able to critically evaluate.
I’m sharing this video to provide some background on this project. I’ll include the link to get more information about our unit and this lesson series in both this video’s description and the email sent to you as parents. The key point I want to emphasize is that the purpose of this unit is not to promote any particular political viewpoint. Rather, it’s to encourage critical thinking and help students avoid the “rabbit holes” of misinformation.
Today, while introducing this unit to one of my classes, I shared how different things were when I was in middle school in the early 1980s. We didn’t have the Internet, YouTube, or TikTok. It was, in some ways, a less complicated time. Today, with so much information coming at us from so many sources, it’s crucial to discuss how to identify credible sources and make informed decisions.
In this unit, students will create animations (like the one I made in Canva), InfoPics with text and graphics, and sketchnotes using their iPads and stylus. These visual notes will combine text with drawn images, helping them engage with content on multiple levels. We’ll also be watching a series of three videos to build on these skills.
The first video is by James Rallison, a cartoon animator known as “The Odd1sOut.” His video, Conspiracies and Crazy People, helps introduce the concept of conspiracy theories. I make it clear to students that while true conspiracies do exist, a level of distrust that sees a “boogeyman” behind every situation is often extreme. Rallison gives examples of people who believe in unfounded ideas, like doctors intentionally withholding cures from patients, or being constantly followed. People with these views are, in my view, buying into “fringe” or what I call “Froot Loop Conspiracy Theories.”
Our second video is by JP Sears, a YouTuber and comedian who created the video “13 Reasons the Moon Landing Was Faked.” We’ll examine how his YouTube content might be crafted to generate likes and views, and then use the SIFT Web Literacy Framework to analyze it. SIFT stands for Stop, Investigate the Source, Find Trusted Coverage, and Trace to the Original. This method helps students handle information from unknown or emotionally charged sources.
Lastly, we’ll watch a video by S.G. Collins, a filmmaker with expertise in special effects, explaining why it was technically impossible to fake the 1969 moon landing. By comparing these sources, students will learn to interrogate sources: Who is this source? What does it say about itself? What do other credible sources say about it?
The goal of this unit is for students to avoid “Froot Loop” conspiracies—those extreme and unfounded theories—and build their media literacy skills, becoming savvy citizens and researchers. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m excited for this unit, and I hope it will be a productive experience for everyone.
Thank you very much.
Source : Froot Loop Conspiracy Theories
