One morning during reading class, I held up a book for my 4th grade students that had a big picture of Pluto across the cover. I read the book to my students as if it were any other non-fiction read aloud. In elementary school, students are taught that non-fiction texts contain facts and information about real life, so when it came time for me to ask students what kind of book this was and how they knew, I got the expected textbook answers. It so happened that while we were studying non-fiction texts, we were also covering another learning standard typical of 4th grade curriculum–fact vs. opinion. I never did like the idea of teaching this topic. Even before I became an elementary classroom teacher, it always seemed overly simplistic and incapable of capturing the real complexity of the concepts as they apply in the real world. Nonetheless, I took this as an opportunity to discuss an issue that I think is probably one of the most important concepts one will ever learn in his or her entire life.
“Pluto is a planet…”
For the rest of the lesson, I focused on a single statement straight from our read aloud book for the day: “Pluto is a planet…” I looked at everyone and paused. “Is this a fact from the book?” The consensus was that it was. “So that must mean it’s true? Facts from non-fiction books are true, right?” No one disputed. “What if I told you that this fact is not true? Is it possible for facts to not be true?” I received some quizzical looks, but I proceeded.
“In some students’ minds, statements presented as facts were true, and that’s all there was to it.”
“Facts Are Always True” and Other Fun Lies Adults Have Told Me
I spent the rest of the lesson going over more recent information about how Pluto’s classification had changed since the publication of this relatively ancient book from the 80’s. I emphasized that an idea that everyone once thought was true could be proven wrong with further investigation, and that scientists and other experts are constantly learning new information that could debunk what we once took for granted as truth. Some students were interested in the idea of “false facts” while others did not even want to hear it. In some students’ minds, statements presented as facts were true, and that’s all there was to it. To provide another much more straight-forward example, I turned to a student and said, “His shirt is red.” Everyone looked at me. Clearly his shirt was not red. Not even close. Was what I said an opinion? No. So if it’s not an opinion, it must be a fact. Right? And all facts are true. Right?
With Challenge Comes Discomfort
While some students showed increased understanding and interest, others got defensive. They didn’t like it. I recall one student even calling me crazy. I pretended I didn’t hear him. Sometimes new ideas and discoveries that challenge what we once thought were pure truth are uncomfortable to accept, aren’t they?
“Throughout their entire lives, these students are going to be confronted with countless lies both intentionally and unintentionally wrapped up as simple, tidy truths.”
Remember how doctors told us that margarine was the healthier alternative to butter? Or how ads told us that milk “does the body good” (try explaining that one to all the lactose intolerant folks out there)? Or how experts told us that fats were all bad for us? What about that nifty FDA Food Pyramid from the 90’s that said we should basically be stuffing ourselves with bread and pasta every day? Outside of health, what about the myth that reading in the dark is bad for your eyes? Or the belief that Napolean was short? Imagine the discomfort I experienced when I realized that oatmeal wasn’t in fact as wholesome and “heart healthy” as the container claimed. I ate that stuff pretty much every day, sometimes multiple times a day! I was uncomfortable realizing this, but after the initial discomfort, I was grateful for having new eyes.
Why Not Just Call Them Myths?
I needed students to understand that falsehoods could be disguised as objective, non-negotiable facts intentionally or they could be erroneously perpetuated as facts unintentionally. In other words, something that is presented as a fact, even when it is not, could erroneously be considered a fact by most people. I wanted students to fully understand that falsehoods may very well look like non-negotiable facts, and people will many times present them as such. Ideas labeled as myths do not carry with them the same weight of objectivity or undeniable truth that “facts” do. The bottom line is that while myths are already defined as beliefs not backed up by empirical evidence, “false facts” still have the suggestive power of objectivity that come with the word “fact”. Its like a warning call to let you know, “Hey, this ‘objective, non-negotiable’ statement may not be what it seems.”
An Important Life Lesson Taught Through Reading and Science
Was this lesson about “false facts” in the 4th grade curriculum? No. But there was one thing I knew for sure. Throughout their entire lives, these students are going to be confronted with countless lies both intentionally and unintentionally wrapped up as simple, tidy truths. They’ll be confronted with “non-fiction” resources such as published books, newspapers, magazines, and even peer-reviewed research articles that will provide them with falsehoods, and they will need to make the decision of whether or not to believe these “facts” or not. One of the greatest lessons someone can learn is to seek truth through research and to be open to the possibility of perceived facts changing as more information is gathered.
And who knows. Maybe one day we’ll find out Pluto isn’t even a dwarf planet.
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