Skip to content
THINKCRITICAL.eu

Menu

Manipulation atlasKids and schools

Account

Start for freeLog in

Language

Display

Appearance
Text size
← All courses
Ages 11–15 · Lower secondary school

Not Falling for It

A course for pupils aged 11 to 15. Using situations from gaming, social media and school, children practise spotting a scam in a game, clickbait, hidden ads by influencers, a mistake or invention by artificial intelligence, an edited screenshot or deepfake, the recommendation bubble and numbers that mislead. Each of the seven lessons takes 7–8 minutes: a short story, a “spot the trick” game with explanations, a quiz or sorting game and, at the end, questions to talk about with a tip for adults. It helps most if you then chat with your child about the lesson for a while – at home or in class. The course is free, with no ads and no sign-up: your child doesn't need an account, we store nothing about children, and progress is remembered only in the browser. At the end, your child can print a “Not Falling for It” diploma; the name is written on it only on their own device and isn't sent anywhere. Teachers can show each lesson in class or set it as homework; a paid class kit with lesson plans and worksheets is available. Updated: October 2026.

7 missionsabout 54 minutesquizzes and interactive gamesFree · no sign-up

For parents ↓For teachers: show it in class ↓

Start the first mission →

After the last mission, your child can print a diploma with their name. The name stays on this device only.

No account. Only this browser remembers which missions are done.

0 of 7 missions complete

Missions

  1. Scams in games: free currency and stolen accountsWhy “free crystals” are never free, what fake game support looks like and what to do if someone steals your account.
  2. Clickbait: headlines that want to hook youWhy headlines shout, promise secrets and “shock” – and how to tell whether an article or video delivers what the headline promised.
  3. Influencers and hidden adsHow to tell when your favourite creator recommends something because they believe in it and when they're being rewarded – and why they have to say so clearly.
  4. AI can get it wrong – and make things upWhy a chatbot sounds sure even when it doesn't know, how to spot a made-up number or source – and how to use AI for school wisely.
  5. Edited screenshots and deepfakesA screenshot is easy to edit, and AI can create video and voices. You'll learn how to find out what really happened – and what to do if someone misuses a person's photo or video.
  6. The recommendation bubbleWhy the app keeps showing you the same things, why what makes people angry spreads most – and how to tell that your feed isn't the whole world.
  7. “9 out of 10”: numbers that misleadNumbers look precise and convincing. You'll learn three questions that reveal when they mislead: Out of how many? Who measured it? Compared with what?

For parents: do it together

Sit down with your child for a mission – each takes about 8 minutes. Every mission ends with questions to talk about and one tip for you.

  • Your child needs no account and no email address. We store nothing about them.
  • No ads, no points, no leaderboards and no countdowns.
  • Your child writes their name on the diploma – it stays on your device only.

If your child confides in you, listen and don't blame them. Children can call the child helpline 116 111, free in most EU countries.

Safety and privacy in the missions →

For teachers

You can show the missions to your whole class for free and then set them as homework. Children need no account.

Show it in class

Large text and games for the whole class. Arrow keys or a presenter remote, F = full screen, Esc = exit.

  1. Scams in games: free currency and stolen accountsShow in class – mission 1: Scams in games: free currency and stolen accounts
  2. Clickbait: headlines that want to hook youShow in class – mission 2: Clickbait: headlines that want to hook you
  3. Influencers and hidden adsShow in class – mission 3: Influencers and hidden ads
  4. AI can get it wrong – and make things upShow in class – mission 4: AI can get it wrong – and make things up
  5. Edited screenshots and deepfakesShow in class – mission 5: Edited screenshots and deepfakes
  6. The recommendation bubbleShow in class – mission 6: The recommendation bubble
  7. “9 out of 10”: numbers that misleadShow in class – mission 7: “9 out of 10”: numbers that mislead

Set as homework

Send parents the link or show the QR code. The missions work at home without an account, on phones too.

Class kit€15.90

A 45-minute lesson for every mission: lesson plan, worksheet with answer key, links to media literacy learning goals, homework variants, advice for when a child confides in you, and diplomas for the whole class.

See the class kit →

Want to go deeper? Course for teachers: Media Literacy for Teachers: Ready-to-Teach Lessons (€40.00)

About this course

Author
Bc. Pavel Cinkeis, MBA, MPA (with thematic specialists)
Updated
Sources