Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Media Literacy · Grade 6

AI Content & Deepfakes

Sixth graders learn that AI can now create realistic text, images, and even fake videos (deepfakes) of things that never happened. They learn the telltale signs and the golden rule: verify with the original source before trusting or sharing.

Grade 6AI & Deepfakes50 minutes1 class periodMedia Literacy · CCSSExplicit teaching4 StandardsCCSS / NAMLE
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Understand AI content.
  • ✓Know what a deepfake is.
  • ✓Spot telltale signs.
  • ✓Verify before sharing.
Essential Question

AI can make text, images, and videos that look real but aren’t. How do you stay sharp in a world of AI-made content?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The AI Content Explorer

Project this and tap each. Have students learn about AI-generated content and deepfakes.

🤖 Explore AI content & deepfakes — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Literacy Flow (Hook · Explore · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Looks Real, But Isn’t

6 min

AI can make content that looks real but isn’t — how do you stay sharp?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show an AI image.
  • Ask if it’s real.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — AI Content & Deepfakes

13 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the AI Content Explorer.
  • Present each idea.
  • Note verify first.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a telltale sign.
  • Explain a deepfake.
  • Explain verifying.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Explain.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Apply

12 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Examine a suspicious image.
  • Look for signs.
  • Share your verdict.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Examine.
  • Check.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say what a deepfake is.
  • Name a way to verify.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Name it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core ELA Standards (informational literacy) & NAMLE media-literacy competencies.

CCSS
RI.6.7

Integrate info in media.

CCSS
SL.6.2

Interpret info in media.

NAMLE
Evaluate

Assess AI-generated media.

CCSS
RI.6.6

Determine purpose & reliability.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • AI concept cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I can check by ___.”
  • Use examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with AI images & verify.
  • Use pictures.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Find a deepfake example.
  • List verification steps.
  • Discuss AI & trust.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🤖AI concept cards
  • 💻The AI Content Explorer
  • 🔍Sample AI images
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

AIartificial intelligencegeneratedmade by a computerdeepfakefake video or audiorealisticlooks realverifyto check it’s trueoriginal sourcewhere it first came frommisleadto trickskepticalcarefully doubtful
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a deepfake?
Fake video or audio that makes someone appear to say or do something they didn’t.
QUESTION 2
Name one telltale sign of AI-made images.
Odd hands, strange text, or a source you can’t verify.
QUESTION 3
What should you do before trusting AI-made content?
Verify it with the original source and other reports.

Reflect: AI content & deepfakes.

Have students name one way to check whether a realistic image or video might be AI-made. A printable AI-content sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 AI-Generated Content & DeepfakesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 AI-Generated Content & DeepfakesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ AI-Generated Content & DeepfakesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: AI, deepfake, generated, mislead, original source, realistic, skeptical, verify
  1. made by a computer
  2. to check it’s true
  3. where it first came from
  4. carefully doubtful
  5. to trick
  6. artificial intelligence
  7. fake video or audio
  8. looks real

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a deepfake?
  2. Name one telltale sign of AI-made images.
  3. What should you do before trusting AI-made content?
Answer key — Part A: 1) generated · 2) verify · 3) original source · 4) skeptical · 5) mislead · 6) AI · 7) deepfake · 8) realistic
Part B: 1) Fake video or audio that makes someone appear to say or do something they didn’t. 2) Odd hands, strange text, or a source you can’t verify. 3) Verify it with the original source and other reports.