Lesson 2: The Investigation

About 30 minutes — Activity-based lesson

What You Will Learn

This lesson covers:

Step 1: Find the original source of the data
Step 2: Evaluate the methodology (who, how many, how selected)
Step 3: Check for bias and misleading presentation
Step 4: Look for what is missing

Step 1: Find the original source of the data

This section covers the key ideas about step 1: find the original source of the data. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Step 2: Evaluate the methodology (who, how many, how selected)

This section covers the key ideas about step 2: evaluate the methodology (who, how many, how selected). Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Step 3: Check for bias and misleading presentation

This section covers the key ideas about step 3: check for bias and misleading presentation. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Step 4: Look for what is missing

This section covers the key ideas about step 4: look for what is missing. Discuss with your group or family and explore the concepts together.

Check Your Understanding

1. How do you find the original source?

Answer: Follow the chain: the news article cites a study, the study has a methods section. Always go back to the original data, not just someone's summary of it.

2. What should you check about methodology?

Answer: Sample size, how participants were selected, what was measured, who funded the study, and when it was conducted. These details reveal whether the results are trustworthy.

3. What types of bias should you look for?

Answer: Selection bias (who was included/excluded), presentation bias (misleading graphs), framing bias (how questions were asked), and funding bias (who paid for it and what did they want to find).

4. What is often missing from data claims?

Answer: Context, sample size, margin of error, time frame, methodology details, and alternative explanations. What is NOT said is often more important than what is said.

Key Takeaways

Step 1: Find the original source of the data
Step 2: Evaluate the methodology (who, how many, how selected)
Step 3: Check for bias and misleading presentation
Step 4: Look for what is missing

Ready for More?

Next Lesson

Continue to Lesson 3: Writing Your Verdict

Start Lesson 3

Session Home

Review all lessons and materials.

Back to Session Home