Countering Conspiracy Theories and Extremism
Duration
Two 50-min class periodsLanguage
English — UKPublished
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About This Lesson
This is the sixth lesson in a unit designed to help teachers have conversations with students about media literacy in a critical, reflective and constructive way. Use these lessons to help students reflect on the changing media and information landscape; understand how this landscape impacts individuals, communities and society; and consider how they can thoughtfully and responsibly engage with content they encounter online and in print. This learning can also help them become conscientious content creators. Supporting students to develop as critical consumers and creators of information is vital for their well-being, their relationships and our democracy.
This lesson teaches students about the risks that conspiracy theories and extremism pose to individuals and society, what draws people to these ways of thinking and behaving, and the role the Internet and social media play in exposing people to conspiratorial and extremist content.
Conspiracy theories are beliefs that allege secret, powerful groups control the world, mislead the public and/or are behind significant events. They are a form of misinformation, disinformation and/or mal-information, and are easily spread on the Internet and social media. These theories are central to the beliefs of all extremist movements in existence today, 1 and can serve as a recruitment tool for extremism, functioning as a form of propaganda, and exploiting people’s sense of injustice and any confusion they might have about the world.
The changing information landscape has made it easier to find and disseminate conspiracy theories and extremist content, and for people to be radicalised online. Teaching students about conspiracy theories and extremism is therefore a vital part of media literacy education.
In the first part of the lesson, students reflect on what guides their behaviour and worldviews, and explore what conspiracy theories are, why people believe in them, how they spread and their impacts. They then consider how they can respond to conspiracy theories. In the second part of the lesson, students consider the relationship between conspiracy theories and extremism, learn more about what extremism is and what makes people susceptible to extremist thought and becoming radicalised. They also consider how being part of an extremist group fulfils social, psychological and emotional needs, and what can be done to help people step back from extremism.
We recommend that you revisit your classroom contract before teaching this lesson. If you do not have a class contract, you can use our contracting guidelines for creating a classroom contract or another procedure you have used in the past.
- 1Jigsaw, ‘7 Insights From Interviewing Conspiracy Theory Believers’, Medium, 17 March 2021 (accessed 23 December 2023).
A Note to Teachers
Before teaching this lesson, please review the following information to help guide your preparation process.
Part I Activities
Activity 1 Reflect on Behaviours and Worldviews
Inform students that, in today’s lesson, they will be discussing conspiracy theories, what they are and why people believe in them. First, invite students to respond to the following prompts:
- On a scale of 1–5, 1 being strongly agree and 5 strongly disagree, how far do you agree with the following statements?
- I look for patterns in the world around me.
- I do not believe in or spread rumours.
- I approach information with an open mind.
- I do not believe in coincidences or chance (everything can be explained).
- I like to have a sense of control over my life.
- I trust public institutions and the government.
For students who finish quickly, you might wish to share the questions:
- How are these statements related to conspiracy theories?
- How are they related to the media and information landscape?
To gauge student responses to the statements, you might do a Barometer activity or invite students to share how they voted for each statement using the Fist-to-Five strategy.
Activity 2 Create a Concept Map for Conspiracy Theories
Tell students that some people seek to explain what is happening in the world by believing in conspiracy theories. Most teenagers have heard the phrase ‘conspiracy theory’, but they might struggle to articulate a definition.
Tell students that to help them reflect on their understanding of conspiracy theories, they will create a concept map: a visual representation of the concept using words, phrases, questions, the space on the page, lines, and arrows.
Lead students through the steps of the Concept Maps teaching strategy, first generating a list of words, phrases, and ideas they associate with conspiracy theories, and then representing the relationship between their ideas on the page using spacing, lines, arrows, colour, and sizing.
Next, have students share their concept maps in a Think, Pair, Share. Invite them to revise their maps by adding new information they learnt from their ‘pair, shares’ that extends or challenges their thinking.
You might then facilitate a discussion in which students share ideas from their maps with the class.
Then, provide students with the following definition of conspiracy theory, inviting them to add it to their concept maps:
Conspiracy theories (noun): Beliefs that allege secret, powerful groups control the world, mislead the public and are behind significant events.
It is also worth explaining that conspiracy theories are a form of misinformation, disinformation and/or mal-information, and that they are easily spread on the Internet and social media.
Activity 3 Explore Why People Believe in Conspiracy Theories
Next, explain to students that they will learn more about why people believe in conspiracy theories and the impact they have on society.
Distribute the handout Understanding Conspiracy Theories (Developing / Intermediate / Advanced). Either ask students to read it independently or in groups, if they are reading different versions, or read it as a class. After reading, check for students’ comprehension.
Then, ask students to respond to the following questions in small groups or pairs:
- What causes people to believe in conspiracy theories?
- How might the Internet and social media facilitate the spread of conspiracy theories?
- Why is it difficult for people to stop believing in conspiracy theories?
- What impact do conspiracy theories have on individuals who consume them? On minority groups? On society?
- In which ways can conspiratorial thinking be helpful?
- What can you do to avoid falling for conspiracy theories?
- How can you engage with people who believe in conspiracy theories?
Lead a short class discussion inviting students to share their views, and then give them the opportunity to add information they learnt to their Concept Maps.
Activity 4 Reflect on Conspiratorial Thinking
Explain to students that it is reasonable, and can even be helpful, to be sceptical about the world; however, people need to be able to walk a line between questioning things and mistrusting everything and everyone.
Share the following tips with students:
- Understand the choice is not between being ignorant and believing in conspiracy theories (that is a false dichotomy/dilemma), you can choose to be intelligently sceptical. 1
- If you start believing in a conspiracy theory, engage in some self-reflection. Where did you hear about it? What about the theory is appealing to you?
- Do research and engage with different perspectives. Do not just look up evidence that proves the theory, search for evidence that disproves it to and evaluate what you learn.
- Be aware of how believing in a conspiracy theory impacts you – What needs do you have that it is satisfying? What emotions does it provoke in you?
- Ask yourself, how would you feel if you learnt the theory was false? Don’t let your feelings or a desire to be right overpower your ability to accept evidence and the truth.
You might also choose to show students the PBS NewsHour video I believed in conspiracy theories, until this one pushed me over the edge (6:22).
After students have read the tips and/or watched the video, ask them to respond to the following questions:
- Why is it helpful to:
- Reflect on how you came to believe/hear about a theory?
- Do research that engages with different perspectives?
- Consider why you were drawn to a conspiracy theory and how it impacts you?
- What other ways can you challenge your thinking?
- Are there any other tips that you would add to this list?
- How, if at all, will what you have learnt in this lesson impact how you engage with conspiracy theories?
Then, invite students to share their ideas using the Think, Pair, Share activity.
- 1How to Resist Conspiracy Theories, The School of Life, YouTube, 19 April 2017 (accessed 28 December 2023).
Part II Activities
Activity 1 Reflect on Extremism and Conspiracy Theories
Inform students that in this lesson they will be discussing extremism, which is the holding of extreme or radical political or religious views.
First, invite students to respond to the following prompts:
Conspiracy theories are central to the beliefs of all extremist movements in existence today. 1 Conspiracy theories can serve as a recruitment tool for extremism, functioning as a form of propaganda, and exploiting people’s sense of injustice and any confusion they might have about the world. Conspiracy theories can be used by extremists to attack people seen as belonging to out-groups, to suggest in-groups are victims, to discredit democratic and reasonable ways of challenging power and to encourage acts of violence. 2
- Why might appealing to a sense of injustice encourage people to adopt extreme views? You might wish to think about how something unjust happening has made you feel.
- How can extremists use conspiracy theories? What impact might this have?
- Can you think of any conspiracy theories that have been used to encourage extreme views?
- What types of extremism are you aware of?
Once students have finished reflecting, invite them to share their thoughts in a short class discussion.
Activity 2 Explore Extremism Further
Next, explain to students that they will be reflecting further on what extremism is, why people become extremists and the consequences of this.
Share the following definitions with students:
- Extremism (noun): Holding extreme or radical political or religious views. In the UK, extremism is regarded as opposing the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and respect and tolerance for different faiths and beliefs.
- Radicalisation (noun): When someone is persuaded to support extremist beliefs.
- Terrorism (noun): The use of violence, especially against civilians, to achieve political or religious aims.
Then, play the video Let's Discuss: Extreme Right-Wing (Educate Against Hate, 4:36), explaining that it is looking at far-right extremism, but that much of the information it outlines is relevant to many different types of extremism.
Pre-watching the video, show students the following questions so that they are primed to answer them after watching.
- What kinds of hatred do extremist groups promote? Why?
- What methods do extremists use to spread their ideas and recruit people?
- How can social media and/or the internet be used to enhance or facilitate these methods?
- Why might extremist groups intentionally try to find people who are having difficult times?
- What are the possible consequences of extremism?
- How can we counter extremism?
Once students have responded to the questions, lead a short class discussion, inviting students to share their answers.
If you have time and would like your students to reflect further on how the Internet is impacting extremism, you might also choose to share the clip 4:18–8:13 of the video Incels: how online extremism is changing (The Economist).
Activity 3 Understand the Risk Factors of Extremism
Next, explain to students that in addition to the information landscape, psychological and emotional needs can push people towards extremism: these are known as ‘risk factors’. Divide students into groups and distribute the handout The Risk Factors of Extremism. Ask them to cut along the dotted lines and group the options into push factors and pull factors.
Explain that push factors are factors that can push an individual towards extremist groups, and pull factors are used by extremist groups to attract individuals to them.
Alternatively, you might project the jumbled list (which is on slide 16 of the PowerPoint Countering Conspiracy Theories and Extremism) and ask them to copy down the factors in their books under the headings push factors and pull factors.
After they have organised the risk factors, ask them to discuss the following questions in their groups:
- What are the differences between push and pull factors?
- How can these risk factors be used by those trying to recruit extremists/promote an extremist narrative?
- Which extremist movements, if any, have you seen draw in members using push and/or pull factors?
- What can be done to counter these risk factors?
- What roles can individuals, schools and communities play?
Once students have grouped the factors and discussed some or all of the questions, share the answers with them on slide 18 of the PowerPoint Countering Conspiracy Theories and Extremism, and lead a short class discussion to debrief the activity and questions.
Activity 4 Consider How People Can Leave Extremist Groups
Inform students that it can be very difficult to step back from extremist movements. Then, read or share the following text with students:
Extremist movements can offer people answers and a sense of belonging. When people join them, they become part of a social community, which is evolutionarily important for humans: working with others and fitting in was necessary for survival. These communities tend to operate online, in chat rooms, on message boards and on social media platforms – the Internet has been shown to facilitate violent extremism. 3 These online networks then help people meet with those who share similar views in-person.
Once people form friendships and relationships, their extremist and conspiratorial beliefs tend to become more fixed and a core part of their identity. This can make it very difficult to challenge their beliefs because doing so can threaten their sense of self and their place in the social group. 4 This social aspect also leads people to commit harm to prove their place within extremist communities, leading to copy-cat acts of violence, and is a reason why some terrorists now live-stream their murder rampages and/or write manifestos that they share online. 5
Leaving an extremist group can also be very difficult as people fear being attacked by the community they leave behind and of not being accepted in wider society because of having held extremist ideas. 6
Then, invite them to reflect on the following questions in pairs:
- Why is having a sense of belonging and being part of a community important for people?
- How can friendships and relationships shape what people think and what they do?
- What experience do you have of ‘peer pressure’? Or of acting a certain way to fit in?
- Why can it be difficult to leave extremist movements?
- How are these difficulties related to some of the identified risk factors?
Next, explain to students that many organisations, some of which are supported by former extremists, argue for the need to engage extremists in dialogue, 7 to build empathy 8 and help them have a sense of belonging outside of extremist circles. Share students one or more of the following videos with students:
- Share the clip 3:59–7:05 of Vidhya Ramalingam’s talk Why I talk to white supremacists (TEDxLondonWomen)
- Share the video Former White Supremacist Dedicates His Life to Fighting Racism (New York Post, 5:13)
Then, invite them to consider these questions:
- What can help people step away from extremism?
- How can cultivating a sense of belonging help people step back from hateful ideas?
- How does what you learnt in the video(s) connect to, extend or challenge your knowledge on extremism?
Activity 5 Reflect on the Lesson
Finally, if there is time, invite students to respond to the following questions in their journals:
- How has what you have learnt in this lesson shaped your understanding of extremism?
- What have you learnt about the relationship between the Internet and social media and extremism?
- How, if at all, will this learning impact you in school and the world beyond school?
- 1Jigsaw, ‘7 Insights From Interviewing Conspiracy Theory Believers’, Medium, 17 March 2021 (accessed 23 December 2023).
- 2For example, many far-right extremists believe in the ‘Great Replacement’ theory, which alleges that the white populations of Western countries are being replaced by immigrants from Africa, the Middle East and/or Latin America, and will eventually be wiped out. This theory attacks Jews, Muslims and/or any perceived as immigrants as the out-group, presents white people as the victimised in-group, and suggests traditional means of using power do not work because governments allow immigration (politicians and supporters of political parties are also targeted). Far-right terrorists believing in this theory have murdered people around the world. Far right extremism, however, is not the only threat. Both Islamist extremism and incel and misogynist extremism have taken lives.
- 3Gaudette et al., ‘The Role of the Internet in Facilitating Violent Extremism: Insights from Former Right-Wing Extremists’, Terrorism and Political Violence.
- 4Jigsaw, ‘7 Insights From Interviewing Conspiracy Theory Believers’, Medium.
- 5‘No.002 Violent White Supremacy – Introduction: Demystifying The Problem: Global, Connected and Decentralized’, Jigsaw.
- 6 Ibid.
- 7‘Dialogue & Deradicalisation’, Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
- 8‘About Us’, Life After Hate (accessed 23 December 2023).
Extension Activities
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