Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Media Literacy · Grade 8

Confirmation Bias

Eighth graders learn about confirmation bias — the natural tendency to favor information that agrees with what we already believe and ignore what challenges it. Recognizing it in ourselves is the first step to thinking more fairly.

Grade 8Confirmation Bias50 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…

  • ✓Define confirmation bias.
  • ✓See its effects.
  • ✓Fight it with open inquiry.
  • ✓Think fairly.
Essential Question

We tend to believe what we already agree with. That’s confirmation bias. How does it shape what we accept as true?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Confirmation Bias Check

Project each item and have students answer about confirmation bias.

🧠 Understand confirmation biasTry it
Answer each question about confirmation bias.
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 — Believing What We Like

6 min

We tend to accept what we already agree with — how does that shape truth?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show two takes on a topic.
  • Ask which we’d believe.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Confirmation Bias

13 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Check.
  • Note ignoring challenges.
  • Note seeking opposing views.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Define confirmation bias.
  • Give an example.
  • Suggest a fix.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Define.
  • Give it.
  • Suggest.
4

Apply — Apply

12 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Notice it in yourself.
  • Find an opposing source.
  • Share what you learned.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Notice.
  • Find it.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Define confirmation bias.
  • Name a way to fight it.
  • 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.8.8

Evaluate reasoning & evidence.

CCSS
SL.8.3

Evaluate soundness of claims.

NAMLE
Reflect

Recognize one’s own bias.

CCSS
RI.8.6

Analyze conflicting viewpoints.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Concept cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I can fight bias by ___.”
  • Use examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “believe what we agree with.”
  • Use one example.
  • Discuss one idea.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Track your own bias.
  • Read an opposing view fairly.
  • Explain the risk.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🧠Concept cards
  • 💻Confirmation Bias Check
  • 📰Two sample takes
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

confirmation biasfavoring what you already believebeliefwhat you hold to be trueevidencefacts & proofchallengeto questionopen-mindedwilling to considerperspectivea viewpointseekto look forfaireven-handed
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 confirmation bias?
The tendency to favor information that agrees with what you already believe.
QUESTION 2
Why is confirmation bias a problem?
It makes you ignore facts that challenge your view.
QUESTION 3
How can you fight confirmation bias?
Seek out and fairly consider evidence that disagrees with you.

Reflect: confirmation bias.

Have students explain how confirmation bias could lead someone to a one-sided view, and one way to counter it. A printable 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.

🃏 Confirmation BiasFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Confirmation BiasQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

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.

🖨️ Confirmation BiasPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: belief, challenge, confirmation bias, evidence, fair, open-minded, perspective, seek
  1. to look for
  2. to question
  3. a viewpoint
  4. what you hold to be true
  5. even-handed
  6. willing to consider
  7. favoring what you already believe
  8. facts & proof

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is confirmation bias?
  2. Why is confirmation bias a problem?
  3. How can you fight confirmation bias?
Answer key — Part A: 1) seek · 2) challenge · 3) perspective · 4) belief · 5) fair · 6) open-minded · 7) confirmation bias · 8) evidence
Part B: 1) The tendency to favor information that agrees with what you already believe. 2) It makes you ignore facts that challenge your view. 3) Seek out and fairly consider evidence that disagrees with you.