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AI Literacy · Stage 5

Trace the Claim

A claim gets passed along — person to person, post to post. Learn to follow it back to where it really came from, and check the original truly says it.

✦ AI Literacy📘 Stage 5 · S5⏱ ~8 min🧒 Ages 9–10★ Free to start
I can trace a claim to its source.
Start the free lesson →⬇ Printable PDF
Kavi the owl for AI Literacy
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Kavi Follows the Trail

A friend tells Kavi, "A new study says owls can read in the dark!" Kavi tilts her head. "Fun — but where did that start?" She traces it back: her friend saw it in a post, the post pointed to a video, and the video named a real study. Kavi opens the study 🔬 — and it only says owls see shapes in the dark, not read. "The claim got twisted along the way," she hoots. "Trace it to the source, and check the original really says it!"

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What your child will learn

1A retelling vs the original sourceA claim travels. Most of what you hear is someone retelling it. To check it, you follow those retellings back to the original source — where it really started. Tap each card!
2Does the trail reach a source?Follow each claim back. Some lead to a real source you can check — others dead-end or just loop. Tap a bin for each one!
3Trace it backFollow each claim toward where it started, then tap to check. Tap Next test for more.
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A peek inside

A clip says 'a new study proves video games make kids smarter.' How do I trace this claim to its source?
I don't trust it just because it says 'a study.' I find which study the clip names, follow that back to the actual study, and check the study really says it. If the clip names no study — or the trail just loops — I can't trace it, so I don't trust it yet.

Try this at home: What does it mean to trace a claim to its source?

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Questions parents ask

+What does it mean to trace a claim to its source?

It means following a claim back — from the person or post that told you, through anyone who retold it, to the original source where it first came from. Once you reach the original, you can check whether it really says what the claim says.

+What is a primary (original) source?

It is where a claim actually started — the study the scientists published, the official record, or the person who saw it firsthand. A retelling just passes the claim along; the original is the one you can check.

+What is a broken trail?

A broken trail is when you follow a claim back and it dead-ends — 'someone said so,' a post with no link, or a page whose source is gone. With nothing original to check, you pause and look it up in a trusted source instead of believing it.

+Can a retelling change the original?

Yes. When you trace a claim back, the original source sometimes says something different — or even the opposite — from the claim you were told. Tracing lets you catch a retelling that twisted the original and trust the real source instead.

+What is a circular source?

A circular source is when Page A says its source is Page B, and Page B says its source is Page A. The trail just loops with no real beginning, so it never reaches a source you can actually check.

+What age is this 'Trace the Claim' lesson for?

It is a Stage 5 lesson for roughly ages 10–11 in KAVI Academy's AI-literacy track. It builds on earlier lessons about asking where an answer came from and checking the date and source.

Ready to play and learn?

Start the free interactive lesson, or print the handout for screen-free play.

Start the free lesson →⬇ Download PDF

Part of AI Literacy · Stage 5 · S5 on KAVI Academy — a secular, whole-child learning platform for ages 5–12.