Fact-check worksheet (Lesson 2)
Name: ______ · Partner: ______
Printable handout for Lesson 2.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-25
The answer you will check
Read it once, normally. Mark each sentence: T (sounds true), ? (not sure), F (sounds false). Then start checking.
“The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space with the naked eye. It stretches exactly 21,196 kilometers. The wall was built mainly to keep out rabbits and deer, a fact documented in the 1998 book Walls of the Middle Kingdom by Professor Henry Caldwell.”
Step 1 — first reaction (before checking)
| Sentence | My mark (T / ? / F) |
|---|---|
| “Only structure visible from space…” | |
| “Stretches exactly 21,196 kilometers” | |
| “Built mainly to keep out rabbits and deer” | |
| “1998 book Walls of the Middle Kingdom” |
Step 2 — what kind of claim is it?
Claims with a number, date, name, source, or superlative (“the only”, “exactly”) always get checked. Underline every claim type in the text above.
Step 3 — verify at least two claims with a reliable source
Sentence frame: “The claim says ___. The source says ___. So the claim is ___.”
| # | Claim | My source (title / site) | What the source says | Verdict: correct / wrong / can’t tell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 (stretch) |
Stretch: find the claim where the source partially disagrees. Why is partial truth harder to spot than total nonsense? ______________________
Step 4 — think it through
- Which claims did you mark T before checking that turned out wrong or unsourced? __
- What made them sound right? __
- Complete the rule: “Before I use a chatbot fact, I check __ and __.”
Teacher’s answer key (for reference)
The “visible from space” claim is a well-known myth (astronauts have said it is not visible to the naked eye). The 21,196 km figure is roughly correct for all sections of the wall across dynasties — students should notice it needs a named source to trust. The rabbit/deer purpose is invented. The 1998 book does not exist — a fabricated source. Objective met with two verified claims; the class discussion about why the false ones sounded fine is the lesson.