Notes from the Misinformation Zone

This past semester, I discussed misinformation with my seventh graders. My belief is that teachers have traditionally been the leading source of misinformation in America. I think that the internet has passed teachers. The advantage the internet has is that you can usually check information rather easily. It is not usually so easy when your teacher is giving you wrong information. I think you should make a habit of checking surprising or questionable information by asking somebody else whom you trust or looking up the information online. Remember to stick to reliable sources. Even great teachers sometimes will give you misinformation. We are responsible for providing a large, large amount of information - and it is inevitable that we sometimes get it wrong.

One example of misinformation that stuck with me until a few days ago regards SAFEWAY - the grocery store. My seventh-grade history teacher told us that Safeway was founded by nuns who wanted to provide a store that charged reasonably priced groceries. It was essentially a non-profit organization until it was taken over by a grocery conglomerate. It turns out that this is not true at all. Safeway was started the same way as any grocery store, and for the same reasons. I believed this information, and passed it along, until I decided to look it up. This is one way misinformation is spread.