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E9 M - Verify AI-generated facts and sources

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E9 M - Verify AI-generated facts and sources

Mini-description: Check information and sources named by AI. Compare claims with suitable independent sources. Spot made-up, wrong or unsupported details. Work mainly in English at B1-oriented M-level.

Media starter – English first: Look at the icon. Then answer: Does an AI label tell you that the content is true? Why or why not?

Deutsch-Hilfe: Ein KI-Hinweis sagt etwas über die Entstehung eines Inhalts, aber nicht automatisch über seine Richtigkeit. Prüfe Behauptungen und Quellen getrennt.

Einleitung

Generative AI can produce useful drafts, but a fluent answer is not the same as a verified answer. An AI system can produce confident but wrong information and may also give citations that do not support the claim or do not exist. Your job is therefore to verify before you use.

For this course, use the cycle:

English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again.

Understand: What exactly is the claim?
Respond: What do you think is reliable or doubtful?
Ask: What source, date, author or original evidence is missing?
Hint: Use the support steps if you get stuck.
Improve: Correct the claim and explain your evidence.
Use again: Apply the same method to a new text, image or AI answer.

Safety and privacy: Use fictitious practice data only. Do not enter private social-media data, real application data, passwords, personal messages or classmates' personal information into external AI tools. Recordings are voluntary and should stay private unless you actively choose to share them. You do not need an external AI system to complete this course. Keep your own first draft and show improvements separately instead of replacing your original text.

Background sources for teachers and learners: NIST describes generative-AI confabulation as confidently stated but erroneous or false content. UNESCO guidance stresses human-centred, age-appropriate use and data privacy. The Baden-Württemberg English curriculum includes understanding and producing texts and working with media at M-level. NIST AI 600-1 UNESCO: Guidance for generative AI in education and research Bildungsplan Baden-Württemberg: Text- und Medienkompetenz

I-can goals

By the end, you can say:

I can separate a factual claim from an opinion.
I can check whether a named source really exists.
I can check whether the source actually supports the claim.
I can compare information with suitable independent sources.
I can explain verified, contradicted or not verified yet.
I can correct an AI-generated draft without losing my own original text.
I can discuss reliability, ask follow-up questions and present a short fact-check in English.

Vorwissen: Quick check

Answer in short English sentences.

What makes a source reliable for a school task?
What is the difference between a source and evidence?
What would you do if two sources disagree?
Why can a confident tone be misleading?
Which details in a citation can you search for?

Starter sentence frames: I usually trust ... because ... / I would check ... / I am not sure yet because ...

Deutsch-Hilfe: Denke an Autor, Datum, Herausgeber, Originalquelle, Belege und Vergleich mit anderen Quellen.

Use the image: Name two actions that belong to fact-checking. Then add one action that the image does not show clearly enough for checking AI-generated sources.

Core strategy: TRACE a claim

Use TRACE when an AI gives you a factual answer.

T – Target the claim: Write the exact statement you want to check.
R – Read laterally: Open other sources instead of staying on one page.
A – Author and age: Who published it? When? Is the information current enough?
C – Compare: Look for suitable independent coverage or an original source.
E – Evidence match: Does the source really support the exact claim?

A source can be real but still be weak evidence. A real article may be outdated, quoted out of context or unrelated to the exact statement.

Media task: The tabs represent lateral reading. In pairs, explain why opening several independent pages can be stronger than reading one page for a long time.

Viewing focus: Watch a short section of the Crash Course video on lateral reading. Do not try to understand every word.

First viewing: What is the main idea?
Second viewing: Note three actions a fact-checker takes.
After viewing: Compare the method with TRACE.

Deutsch-Hilfe: Beim lateral reading prüfst Du Informationen außerhalb der ursprünglichen Seite und vergleichst mehrere Quellen.

Listening and Viewing

This BBC Learning English video uses natural learner-friendly English with two presenters.

Before viewing: Predict three words you may hear: fake, information, misinformation, source, evidence.

First viewing – understand: What is the main message?

Second viewing – respond: Write four keywords and one sentence that summarises the clip.

Ask: Which idea would you like the speakers to explain more clearly?

Improve: Compare your sentence with a partner and make it more precise.

Challenge viewing: Listen for language connected to critical thinking. Focus on meaning, not every word. When several speakers appear, note who says what.

What advice is practical for checking information?
Which word or phrase signals caution?
Which point could help you check an AI-generated answer?

Listening support: First listen without stopping. On the second pass, use English captions, pause after key sections or reduce playback speed if needed.

Reading: Can I trust this AI answer?

Practice AI answer – it may contain errors:

“A citation is reliable if it contains an academic-looking title and a DOI. If the link opens, the claim is automatically verified. AI systems normally invent sources only when the user asks for fiction.”

Your job:

Underline three separate claims.
Mark each claim: likely, doubtful or not checked yet.
Decide what kind of source could test each claim.
Check whether a source supports the exact claim, not only the topic.

Key idea: A DOI, link or official-looking title is not proof by itself. You must open the source, identify it and check whether its content matches the statement you want to use.

Image reading: The screenshot shows an example related to AI uncertainty. What is better: inventing missing information or saying that information is missing? Explain in two English sentences.

Short factual input

Generative AI creates text by predicting likely continuations from patterns in data. It can produce accurate information, but it can also produce wrong or internally inconsistent content. NIST uses the term confabulation for confidently stated false or erroneous content. For school work, treat every important AI-generated factual claim as a starting point for checking, not as final evidence.

Three different problems can occur:

Wrong fact: The claim is false.
Made-up source: The citation, author, title or link cannot be verified.
Unsupported claim: The source exists, but it does not say what the AI claims.

Spot the problem: Look at the image as an example of a plausible-looking AI response. Which part would you check first: the claim, the URL, the author or the date? Give a reason.

Context vocabulary

Word or phrase	Simple English meaning	Useful sentence
claim	a statement that can be checked	The claim says that ...
source	where information comes from	The source was published by ...
evidence	information that supports or challenges a claim	The evidence supports this point.
reliable	suitable to trust for a purpose	This source seems reliable because ...
verify	check whether something is correct	I verified the date in two sources.
citation	details that identify a source	The citation includes an author and title.
independent	not simply copying the same original source	I found an independent source.
context	information around a quote or claim	The quote needs more context.
unsupported	not backed by enough evidence	This claim is unsupported.
uncertain	not known or proved clearly	The result is still uncertain.

Use again: Choose five words and write a 60–80 word mini fact-check.

Pronunciation and fluency

Focus on being understandable, not accent-free.

verify – stress the first syllable: VE-ri-fy.
reliable – stress the second syllable: re-LI-a-ble.
evidence – stress the first syllable: E-vi-dence.
citation – stress the second syllable: ci-TA-tion.
source – make the final consonant clear.

Fluency chunking: Read in meaning groups: According to this source / the claim is partly supported / but the date is outdated.

Private practice: Read your sentence twice. Recording is optional. If you record, keep it on your own device unless you deliberately choose another safe arrangement.

Functional grammar: show certainty carefully

Do not write more confidently than your evidence allows.

Function	Useful language
Strong support	The source confirms that ...
Partial support	The source partly supports the claim because ...
Caution	The claim may be correct, but ...
No verification	I could not verify this claim.
Contradiction	This source contradicts the AI answer.
Compare	Both sources agree that ..., however ...
Reason	This source is useful because ...

Grammar focus: Use may, might and could for uncertainty. Use because, although and however to connect reasons and contrasts.

Speaking

Pair task: Fact-check meeting

Student A has an AI-generated claim. Student B is the checker.

Student A: The AI says that ...

Student B: What is the source? / Who published it? / Can we find the original? / Does the source support the exact claim?

Then switch roles.

Discussion goal: Agree on one status:

verified
contradicted
not verified yet

Negotiation language: I see your point, but ... / I agree that ..., however ... / We need stronger evidence. / Let us check the original source first.

Writing

Write a 120–160 word fact-check note about one provided practice claim.

Use this structure:

Claim: What did the AI say?
Check: Which sources did you use?
Evidence: What did the sources actually show?
Result: Verified, contradicted or not verified yet?
Correction: Write a better version of the sentence.

Keep your first version. Add your improved version underneath it. Do not delete your original wording. Mark one change that improved accuracy and one change that improved English.

Mediation

You read a short German source that gives useful factual information. Your English-speaking partner needs the key information for a fact-check.

Task: Explain the relevant information in simple English. Do not translate every sentence. Select only what answers the checking question.

Mediation frame: The German source says that ... / The key point is ... / The source does not mention ...

Deutsch-Hilfe: Sprachmittlung bedeutet hier: wichtige Informationen sinngemäß ins Englische übertragen, nicht vollständig Satz für Satz übersetzen.

Source-check lab

Important: A list about source reliability is itself something you should understand in context. Do not turn one rating or label into an automatic truth test.

Use this classroom checklist:

Check	Ask yourself
Existence	Can I find the source outside the AI answer?
Identity	Do author, title, date and publisher match?
Relevance	Is the source about the exact claim?
Support	Does the source really say what the AI says?
Independence	Is my second source genuinely separate?
Currency	Is the information recent enough for this topic?
Context	Is a quote, number or image being used in its original context?

Viewing task: Watch a selected section. Write down one question about the person or organisation behind a source, one question about evidence and one question about other coverage.

Evidence task: Find one example where a piece of information sounds relevant but does not fully prove the claim. Explain why in one or two sentences.

Images, clips and context

Language task: Describe the difference shown in the graphic without translating every word.

Fact-check task: An image can be real but used with the wrong caption or date. Check where it first appeared, what the original caption says and whether reliable sources connect it to the claimed event.

DW viewing: Note two practical checks for online video. Then compare them with TRACE.

Hilfestufen

Hint 1 – small push: Search the exact title in quotation marks and add the author's name.

Hint 2 – stronger support: Look for the publisher's official page, library catalogue, DOI record or original document.

Hint 3 – full support: If the source exists, search inside it for the key words from the claim. Then compare with a second suitable source.

Deutsch-Hilfe: 1. Titel und Autor suchen. 2. Originalquelle finden. 3. Aussage im Original prüfen. 4. Mit einer unabhängigen Quelle vergleichen.

Feedback and error analysis

Use feedback as evidence, not as an order.

Problem	Check	Improve
The AI says my fact is wrong.	Does the feedback name evidence?	Open the evidence before changing your text.
The citation looks real.	Can you find the exact source?	Correct or remove unverifiable details.
Two sources disagree.	Are they equally current and relevant?	Explain the disagreement instead of hiding it.
My sentence is too strong.	Is the evidence complete?	Use cautious language such as may or could.
My English was corrected.	Did the correction change my meaning?	Keep your original and accept only useful changes.

Error log: Write one accuracy error, one source error and one language error. For each one, add: What I changed and Why.

Transfer

New situation: An AI writes a short school report and gives three sources. One source exists and supports the claim. One source exists but is about another topic. One source cannot be found.

Transfer task: Explain how you would handle all three sources. Then write one rule you can reuse in history, science, geography or everyday research.

Can-do check

I can ...	Yes	Not yet
isolate a checkable claim	□	□
verify whether a source exists	□	□
check whether evidence supports the exact claim	□	□
compare independent sources	□	□
explain uncertainty in English	□	□
keep my own first draft and improve it transparently	□	□
protect private data during research	□	□

Folgekurs: E9 M - Compare AI answers and improve your own text

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

What should you do before using an important factual claim from an AI answer? (Check it with suitable sources) (!Trust it if the wording sounds confident) (!Use it if the answer is long) (!Copy it if it contains a link)

What is the best first step in fact-checking a long AI answer? (Separate it into individual claims) (!Check only the final sentence) (!Translate the whole answer) (!Count the number of sources)

What does lateral reading mean? (Check information on other relevant sources and pages) (!Read the same page from top to bottom several times) (!Read only the comments below a page) (!Use only one search result)

A source exists, but it does not support the AI claim. What is the best conclusion? (The claim is not supported by that source) (!The claim is automatically true) (!The source proves every statement about the topic) (!The citation is enough evidence)

Which action helps you test whether a citation is invented? (Search for the exact title, author and publication details) (!Judge the citation by its length) (!Trust it if it has a formal style) (!Use it if the year looks realistic)

Which sentence shows suitable caution? (I could not verify this claim yet) (!This must be true because AI said it) (!Every search result proves the claim) (!A confident answer is always reliable)

What is independent evidence? (Evidence that is not simply copying the same original claim) (!A second sentence from the same AI answer) (!A repeated post with the same wording) (!A longer version of the same unsupported claim)

What should you do with private personal data during this course? (Keep it out of external AI and public tasks) (!Add it to make the task more realistic) (!Post it so classmates can check it) (!Use real private profiles instead of fictitious data)

Why should you keep your first draft? (It lets you see and explain your own improvements) (!It makes source checking unnecessary) (!It proves every fact is correct) (!It removes the need for feedback)

Which result is appropriate when the evidence is still incomplete? (Not verified yet) (!Definitely true) (!Definitely false) (!No source needed)

Memory

Claim	A statement that can be checked
Evidence	Information that supports or challenges a statement
Citation	Details used to identify a publication
Context	Information around a quote, image or statement
Verification	The process of checking accuracy
Confabulation	Confidently presented false or erroneous AI content

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Target the claim	State exactly what must be checked
Read laterally	Open other relevant sources
Author and age	Check who published it and when
Compare sources	Look for independent coverage
Evidence match	Check whether the source supports the exact statement

...

Kreuzworträtsel

Verify	What verb means to check whether information is correct?
Evidence	What supports or challenges a factual claim?
Citation	What gives the details needed to identify a source?
Context	What helps you understand a quote or image in its original situation?
Author	Who created or wrote a source?
Reliable	Which adjective describes a source that is suitable to trust for a purpose?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Claim spotting: Take a short practice AI answer supplied by your teacher and highlight five checkable claims.
Source detective: Search for the exact title of one practice citation and record what you find in three English sentences.
Vocabulary card: Create a visual card for six words from the context vocabulary and add one example sentence for each.
Private fluency practice: Read a 30-second fact-check statement aloud. Recording is optional and stays private.

Standard

Two-source check: Verify one practice claim with two suitable sources and explain whether the sources are independent.
Fact-check dialogue: In pairs, perform a two-minute checker interview using at least four follow-up questions.
Correction note: Write a 120–160 word correction of an inaccurate practice AI paragraph and keep the original beside your revision.
Mediation challenge: Read a short German information text and give your English-speaking partner only the facts needed for the checking question.

Schwer

Citation audit: Audit three practice citations and classify them as verified, mismatched or not found; justify every decision.
Conflicting evidence: Compare two sources that disagree and explain which details create the disagreement without forcing a simple answer.
Mini presentation: Present a three-minute fact-check with claim, method, evidence, uncertainty and correction; answer one spontaneous question.
Transfer guide: Design a one-page English checklist that another class could use to verify AI-generated facts in a different school subject.

Lernkontrolle

Evidence transfer: You receive a new AI paragraph with four factual claims. Choose two claims that need the strongest checking and explain why.
Source mismatch: A real source is cited for a claim it does not contain. Explain how you would detect the mismatch and rewrite the sentence.
Conflicting sources: Two current sources give different numbers. Describe a fair checking process and write a cautious conclusion.
Privacy decision: A task asks for a real social-media profile as an example. Redesign the task so that the learning goal remains but private data is not used.
Feedback check: An AI suggests three changes to your own text. Decide which change you would accept, reject or investigate further and justify your choices.
Cross-subject transfer: Explain how TRACE could be used in another subject and give one concrete example of evidence you would look for.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, show that you can:

identify and isolate factual claims;
verify that a named source exists;
check author, date, publisher and original context;
test whether a source supports the exact claim;
compare suitable independent sources;
use English phrases for certainty, doubt and contradiction;
explain corrections with evidence;
keep your own original text and document revisions;
protect private data and use fictitious practice profiles where needed;
transfer the verification method to a new task.

OERs zum Thema

Verknüpfte Lernbereiche

This aiMOOC connects English language learning with source criticism, media literacy and responsible AI use. You practise listening, viewing, reading, speaking, writing and mediation while checking claims, citations, evidence, images and uncertainty.

Verify AI-generated facts and sources

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