The conspiracy factory: yesterday and today

Core features of the practice

• Organisation:

  
  Institution name: Mémorial de la Shoah
  Institution type: Memorial, memory & education center, not-for profit foundation
  Institution URL: www.memorialdelashoah.org
  

• Format:

  
  Workshop
  

• Target population:

  
  Students, Young people
  

• Cost (per practice):

  
  51-100 euros
  

• Setting:

  
  Your institution, School, Other extra-mural site
  

• Themes:

  
  Citizenship/democracy education, Antisemitism, Xenophobia and other prejudices, Radicalization prevention, Critical thinking
  

• Core activities:

  
  Internet research, Group work, Group discussion, Film viewing, Image analysis
  

Additional information about the practice

Target population

• Number of participants:

  
  Up to 34
  

• Age of target population:

  
  16-18
  

• Additional specifics:

  
  National/local specifities (e.g. activity targeted to Swedish school students)
  

Components of the practice

• Topics and objectives:

  
  Rumours, conspiracy theories, photomontage and fiddled videos: today, misinformation is omnipresent. This workshop aims to provide students with tools to analyse images and discourses circulating every day on the internet and to understand the role and the impact of social networks better. The ultimate goal is to equip young people with judgment to distinguish the informaiton by questioning and paying strong attention to the source of the documents they are confronted to. Examples are drawn from history and today.
  

• Materials used:

  
  Audiovisual material, Online material
  Link to the material:
  
  1. http://www.memorialdelashoah.org/pedagogie-et-formation/activites-pour-le-secondaire/ateliers-pedagogiques.html
     

• Material produced:

  
  Not applicable
  

• Sequence of activities - methodology:

  
  1. Reflection on definitions: conspiracy and its elements, conspiracy theory through film abstracts & posters analysis 2. Through a humoristic video, students identify elements of a conspiracy theory 3. What is an information and what is disinformation 4. How to identify & deconstruct a cponspiracy theory website
  

• Length of activity:

  
  Up to 5 hours
  

• Is the activity digital?:

  
  No
  

Accessibility and replicability

• Language(s) in which activity can be delivered:

  
  French
  

• Is specialist knowledge or professional training required?:

  
  Yes
  

• If yes, which type?:

  
  Other, Pedagogy, history, conspiracy theory
  

Qualitative Details

• Has this practice been evaluated?

  
  Yes
  

How many times?:


10


• By whom?:

  
  Participants, Informal non-participant observer, Instructor delivering the practice, Internal evaluator
  

• By what means?:

  
  Informal verbal feedback, Formal verbal feedback, Qualitative written feedback
  

• Core content knowledge and transferable skills:

  
  Development of critical thinking; identification of fake news and conspiracy theory; ability to deconstruct such information; better understanding of the risks of social media; better ability to digest the flow of online information
  

• Indicators of success:

  
  Increasing number of demands (by far the most requested workshop of the Memorial); positive feedback by teachers who do not usually habe the necessary skills or time to reflect on these themes
  

• Educational coordinator contact details:

  
  Name: Marini Bambi
  Email address: ateliershorslesmurs@memorialdelashoah.org
  

Scalability

The RETHINK project is concerned with bridging formal and informal education. This section explores the factors that make a practice adaptable.

• Key factors for successful implementation:

  
  Materials needed
  

• Main challenges to teachers adapting this practice for their students:

  
  Important teacher preparation on the content Technical material needed (internet)
  

• Availability of guidance/training/replication materials (and in what language/format currently):

  
  N/A
  

• Other comments or details:

  
  N/A