a skull with sunglasses
You may find this picture cool, or you may find it scary, but it is just a picture of a skull with sunglasses. How we look at a picture may depend very much on who you are.

What is true and what is not true?

In general, what do you think is true and what is not true? Anything: the earth, nature, politics, the news, science -you name it.

Make a list of 10 things you think are true and 10 which are not true.

Teacher: You could treat it as 'homework' or as a discussion in groups.

This kind of question encourages students to think critically about the world and the nature of facts versus myths or misconceptions. Below is an example of how I would approach the task:

Further on in this chapter we will discuss what is true in what we see.
10 Things That Are True:
  • The sky appears blue during the day because of how light scatters in the atmosphere.
  • Water freezes at 0°C (32°F) under normal atmospheric conditions.
  • The Earth revolves around the sun once every 365.25 days.
  • Gravity is the force that pulls objects toward the Earth.
  • Plants produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
  • A triangle has three sides.
  • Human eyes can perceive millions of colors.
  • Sound travels faster through water than through air.
  • The heart pumps blood throughout the body.
  • All living organisms need water to survive.
    • 10 Things That Are Not True:
    1. The Earth is flat.
    2. Humans can breathe in space without any equipment.
    3. Elephants can fly.
    4. The sun is made of solid gold.
    5. Eating carrots allows you to see in the dark like a cat.
    6. The Great Wall of China is visible from the moon.
    7. The moon is made of cheese.
    8. Fish can survive without water.
    9. Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
    10. People can live forever without sleep.