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Disclaimer

The real HG Wells and Noah Titor were each arrested and prosecuted by the FBI for their catfishing crimes. For the sake of this unit on credibility, we are pretending that one is guilty and the other is innocent. Sorry, HG and Noah. You two aren't getting out of prison any time soon.

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The Case File

This morning, two men were arrested after allegedly carrying out an elaborate catfishing scheme on college employees and students. The two men - who claimed for several weeks to be time-travelling academics - were, incredibly, able to fool not only master's level students but experienced faculty at many universities, most notably UC Denver.

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SKIP TO GAME

The Mission

The FBI have located an apartment which may have acted as the base of operations. Agents are reasonably sure that one of the two was the mastermind of the scheme while the other may be an innocent bystander. So, now it's up to you to find the nefarious spy, and possibly set an innocent man free.

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Who?

One of these two suspects is the spy. (Click to view more)

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Suspect 1 introduced himself to the police as Herbert George Wells. He claims to be the infamous novelist, journalist, historian who traveled here from the past in a time-machine of his own invention. According to "Wells" he has been tracking Suspect 2 (Noah Titor) through time to protect innocent people from his malicious intentions. Aside from his unbelievable story, this suspect seemed tense in the interrogation room, he had an unusual turn of phrase, and at one point asked for a smoke and said "What amazing vapors a lonely man may get into his head." He was polite to investigators but cryptic. He was well groomed in a funny sort of old fashioned suit, and seemed to favor musky cologne. Wells was able to gain the trust of several members of the community, including faculty at the local University. Could he be innocent? Or could he be the debonair mastermind of the operation?

Suspect 2 introduced himself to investigators as "Noah Titor" although his companion insists his name is "John Leslie Stevenson." He appears to have been impersonating a student in order to gain information. He claims to be a time traveling academic who's only goal has been to "learn more and engage with stories of this country." Could he be a Russian spy? Aside from his unbelievable story, this suspect seemed comfortable with investigators and could be found cracking jokes with them. He seems far more comfortable around "modern" conveniences than his counterpart. He claims that Suspect 1 (Wells) has been harassing him for months. Could Titor be innocent? Or could he be, as Wells suggests "...a dangerous mad man"? Both have been arrested for invading online classrooms. What is their purpose? That is still being determined.

What?

The spy used three different methods of spreading misinformation. You must understand all three in order to catch the crook. You can be sure that whichever suspect has spread the most misinformation is the culprit.

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Bots & Trolls

Deep Fakes

Media Bias

Where?

Within these rooms you will find everything you need to know. Watch out for false trails along the way.

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LAST WORD

Now that you've read the case file, you're ready to play. After you have explored all the rooms, click on the center tile to submit your accusation and see if you solved the mystery. Good luck, detective!

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I wonder what the headline is on other news channels?

In order to catch the crook, you'll need to understand the ways in which misinformation spreads. One way is media bias. In this room you will:

  • Discuss media bias and share your current understanding.
  • Gain a deeper understanding of how to critically analyze news sources and determine their biases.
  • Develop media literacy, allowing you to understand the biases of the news you read in everyday life. (All Sides)
  • Share your ideas and have a respectful political discussion through different digital tools.
Head on over to Jamboard to give opening thoughts about media bias. Your next clue, don't be misled Is the catchphrase for speakers at TED.

STOP: Have you already visited the "ESCAPE" picture? If not, click on the picture to the right to share your thoughts about media bias. Please watch the following video before moving on to your next clue. Your next clue is not impiousCheck out the book on media bias.

STOP: Have you already visited the "ESCAPE" picture and the TED talk? If not, head over there now. This is step number 3. Step number 2 was the TED video. For this activity, there are three questions on Padlet. Choose two questions to answer then respond to a classmate. https://padlet.com/karen_ramse/bkn3rypfgx6xu07s Clue the fourth will need a response in the book on the shelf about Wisconsin.

STOP: Have you already visited the two pictures on the wall and the book on media bias? This is clue number 5 which is a news article. https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/example-of-media-bias/cnn-removes-description-of-wisconsin-protests-as-violent/ CNN removes description of Wisconsin protests as "violent"Example of Media Bias: On August 24, CNN deleted the word "violent" from its reporting of the Kenosha, Wisc., protests, pulling down an on-screen...Student News DailyOpen the link with Hypothes.is and annotate within the Worldbuilders group. There are discussion questions at the end of the news article. HG Wells was known to be a journalist and Noah has also been leaving his fingerprints in the media. While HG Wells is an expert in omission, selection of sources and story selection in his bias; Noah is more familiar and uses placement, labeling and spin. Who wrote the CNN article? Noah or HG? Here is a short article that gives a definition of omission, selection of sources, story selection, placement, labeling and spin to help you identify which this article above uses. Types of Media The final clue you'll need to muffle Look to the right on the ipod shuffle

STOP: By now you should have visited the two pictures on the wall and the two books. If not, go back and check them out. Jack the Ripper was a notorious serial killer who operated in the impoverished areas around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. When HG Wells built his time machine in 1895, Jack stole an opportunity to travel to the year 1975. He changed his name to Stevenson and attempted to elude HG Wells who followed him. Currently, Jack or Stevenson has been impersonating a particular student, Noah in the class INTE 5340. The podcast below shares a two articles from two different newspapers in London based on one of Jack's murders. Listen for a surprising spin in at the end of the podcast that sources from the plot of the 1979 movie, Time after Time. Karen Ramse · Jack The Ripper Podcast This is the last clue related to Media Bias. Once you have explored this room, move on to other rooms to find clues as to who the villain is.

https://sites.google.com/view/lesson-on-deepfake-peabodies/home

Pay careful attention to the clues that you find on the bathroom tissue, They might be helpful for you before you know it. The last thing you should do before you leave this room is using the towel--it will enrich you with valuable resources you will need for your investigation. Good luck Be meticulous

Pay attention to these clues: Unnatural facial expressions Unnatural body movements Blurring or misalignment Images that look unnatural when slowed down 0:09

Social media started as a tool to interact with friends and family but has since evolved into a space to gather news, express or amplify our opinions, and explore other points of view. Talking to “strangers” has become more and more common and exposes us to worldviews we may not have otherwise considered. However, a lack of face-to-face interaction on social media exposes us to folks with nefarious intentions who may be attempting to negatively impact our view of reality. If you’ve had a stranger come after you in the comments section on social media, it could have been a real person, but it could also have been a bot or troll. Chances are you’ve come across a bot or troll on the internet without even noticing. What are bots and trolls? To learn more, choose your own adventure: Read to learn about Bots and Trolls OR Watch to learn about Bots and Trolls Understanding bots, botnets and trolls by Donara Barojan Manipulation: Bots and Trolls | Very Verified: Online Course on Media Literacy For your next clue: Look to the place where you lay your head, your next clue is located on the bed.

STOP: Did you visit the book first? If not, click on the book first to learn about bots and trolls before returning here. Bots and trolls can have a huge impact on social media. They can be used to influence politics and society in general. They allow small groups of people to amplify their messages on a large scale. How does this play out? Why should you care? To learn more about one example of the large scale impact of bots and trolls, the impact on elections, watch the following video: Respond: On this page, in the Hypothes.is “WorldBuilders” group, respond to the following prompt: Beyond elections, what are some of the ways bots and trolls are being used for nefarious purposes? Where do you see opportunities for bots or trolls to be used for good? For your next clue: Your next clue is hiding in the man with purple hair; you’ll have to look closely or you might not see him there.

STOP: Did you visit the book and pillow first? If not, click on the book first to learn about bots and trolls and then continue to the pillow to learn about implications before returning here. In the previous resources, you’ve learned some tips for spotting bots and trolls; now you’ll have a chance to practice. Test out this bot or not tool to chat with someone online. At the end you’ll guess whether you were chatting with a bot or a real human! https://botor.no/ Next, practice analyzing social media pages to practice spotting trolls. https://spotthetroll.org/start For your next clue: Find the final clue in the artwork on the right; the operative you seek could be hiding in plain sight.

Hmm... This gentleman looks a little familiar. STOP: Did you visit the book, pillow, and troll doll first? If not, back up to any earlier clues you missed. Now that you know what bots and trolls are, how they impact politics and society, and have even practiced spotting them, it’s your turn to help build a case against HG Wells or Noah Titor by determining which is actually a troll. In the news clip at the beginning of this lesson, it was revealed that the suspects’ names could be pseudonyms. Here’s your chance to find out! Analyze the following Twitter feeds of HG Wells and Noah Titor to determine which looks more like a troll. Use that information along with the information you collect in other rooms to determine which of the two is the spy. Good work detective, you’ve found all the clues in this room. Use the evidence you’ve gathered about which of our suspects is a troll to build a case for which suspect is the spy! TWITTER FEED ANSWER KEY

Books on the Shelf...

“We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.” ― H. G. Wells

“My days I devote to reading and experiments in chemistry... ― H.G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau

“Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all.” - H.G. Wells "The Time Machine"

Well this seems ominous.

A bowler hat? Seems a little on the nose.

Is this an important clue??Nope. Just boots.

An invisible man. Seems appropriate. This whole case is revolving around misinformation and people pretending to be who they aren't.

“Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all.”― H.G. Wells, The Time Machine Our two suspects seem obsessed with the idea of time and time travel. All this talk of deep fakes and bots might make anyone feel like they're living in the future.

Looks like a nice place to sit down and read a book... or maybe... it's a nice place to plan an overly elaborate time-travel themed con!!

Misinformation can travel faster than ever these days. "Fake news" can spread around the world in minutes.

Click to Submit your Accusation

Click to Submit your Accusation

Click to Submit your Accusation

Have you explored all the rooms and completed the learning activities for Deep Fakes, Media Bias, and Bots & Trolls?

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Accusations

Congratulations on completing the game! As you learned about deep fakes, media bias, and bots & trolls, you should have picked up hints as to the identity of the spy. Remember, whichever suspect spread the most misinformation is the culprit. Choose one of two options to submit your accusation.

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Create your own "Deep Fake"

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Leave a Comment

Deep Fake Accusation

Though not technically a deep fake, photo animations use similar technology. Choose a photo of the suspect you believe to be the spy from the folder below, and animate it using one of the following resources:

  • MyHeritage Deep Nostalgia: Animate Photos
    • Website, free
  • Avitarify: AI Face Animator
    • App, free 7-day trial
  • Reface: Face Swap Videos
    • App, free 3-day trial
Then post your photo animation accusation in the comments here.

Suspect Photos

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https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia MyHeritage Deep Nostalgia™, deep learning technology to animate the faces in still family photos - MyHeritageAnimate the faces in your family photos with amazing technology. Experience your family history like never before! Free signup is required. Photos...MyHeritage

https://avatarify.ai/

https://hey.reface.ai/

Comment

Once you think you know who the spy is, add a comment here. In your defense include how you came to that conclusion and one thing you learned from this experience about credibility/misinformation.

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Thank you for playing! We hope you learned a lot about how misinformation spreads in the digital age through social bots, trolls, deep fakes, and media bias. This interactive learning experience was created by Andy Barnes, Elizabeth Coughanour, Carissa Krug, Karen Ramse, and Henok Tekie.

Thanks

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