Real or AI Quiz: Can You Tell the Difference?

Open and project the Britannica Education Real or AI Quiz: Can You Tell the Difference? page.

Ask students to work individually first, then in pairs:

• Which images look real?
• Which images look fake or AI‑generated?
• What makes you think so?

Record students' answer but do not complete the quiz yet!

Tell students: AI‑generated images are increasingly used in social media, advertising, news, and scams. We all need practical skills to recognize AI‑generated or manipulated images so they can make informed decisions related to health, consumer choices, employment, and civic participation. 

Explain to students that AI‑generated images are created by computer programs, not cameras.
They are made using large image databases and patterns.
They can be used for art, marketing, education — and sometimes for scams or misinformation.
AI images are not always bad, but people need skills to question and verify what they see.

Ask students: How can we recognize clues that an image was created by AI?

Teach necessary vocabulary, as needed, depending on your students' English proficiency. Give examples and show images.

Image & Visual Terms:

Background – What is behind the main person or object
Shadow – A dark shape made by light
Lighting – How light looks in the image
Blurry – Not clear, hard to see
Perfect / Unrealistic – Looks too perfect to be real

Media & Digital Literacy Terms:

Social media – Websites or apps where people share posts and images
Advertisement (ad) – Something that tries to sell or promote
Misinformation – False or wrong information
Scam – A trick to steal money or personal information
Verify / Check – To make sure something is true

Create a note-taking form and have students listen and fill in the form with these clues (below) to look for or have students read and take notes on the tips under STEP 3: Tips for Spotting AI-Generated Images on the Britannica website.

This can also be made into an infogap with one student having half the information and the other student having the other half, and they share information and take notes.

• Hands and fingers – extra fingers, missing fingers, strange shapes
• Faces and eyes – uneven eyes, strange reflections, unnatural skin
• Text problems – misspelled or unreadable words on signs, labels, or clothing\
• Background details – blurry, melting, or inconsistent objects
• Lighting and shadows – shadows that do not match the light source
• Too perfect or unrealistic – extreme beauty, symmetry, or cleanliness
• Logos and brands – slightly wrong logos or brand names
• Context problems – image does not make sense in real life

Now go back to the quiz at Britannica Education Real or AI Quiz: Can You Tell the Difference?

Ask students if they want to change any of their initial guesses after learning about clues to look for. 

Then have students navigate to the site themselves or ask them to give their guesses and select for the whole group.

Ask students:

• What clues did you use for each pair of images?
• Was it easy or difficult to tell which image was real?
• Where do you usually see images like these? (social media, ads, news, text messages)
• Why does it matter if an image is real or AI‑generated?

Optionally show the video from Common Sense Education, How to Use Google Reverse Image Search to Fact Check Images (2:23) and demo how to to use this tool. Make sure to turn on closed captions if you use the video.

Ask students if they think it is important for everyone to know how to use clues to determine if an image is real or AI-generated. Ask if they can think of examples or if they have heard of instances or news stories of people being misled or duped by AI images.

Individually or in small groups, tell students that they are going to create a tip sheet. Introduce the assignment:

Required Elements:

• Clear title (e.g., How to Spot AI‑Generated Images)
• At least 5 clues with simple explanations
• Visual examples or icons
• One real‑life tip (e.g., “Don’t share before checking”)
• Plain, clear language for the public

Provide language support (sentence frames), as needed:

• One clue to look for is…
• Always check for...
• This image may be AI‑generated because…
• People should be careful when…

Students can create their tip sheets on any tool that they are familiar with and that is accessible to them: Canva, MS Word, Google Docs, etc.

Have students share their tip sheets in a chosen way:

1. Presentations to other classes
2. Gallery walk
3. Small‑group presentations
4. Other

Depending on the course outcomes, create a rubric or checklist for writing, speaking, tech use. Possible items to include are the following:

• Content accuracy (clear and correct clues)
• Clarity and organization
• Visual support
• Real‑life usefulness
• Participation 
• Mechanics (spelling, grammar, etc.)

Have students reflect on their learning by responding to questions:

Students respond to 3–5 prompts:

1. What was one new thing you learned about AI‑generated images?
2. Which clue do you think is the most useful for you? Why?
3. Where will you use this skill?
4. How confident do you feel now about recognizing AI‑generated images? (rate 1–5)
5. What questions do you still have about AI or images online?

Or with an Exit Ticket: One thing I will do differently online after today is ________.

Over the coming weeks, have students find and bring examples of AI-generated images they see or news stories they hear related to this topic. Conduct reverse-search with the images to verify and model other methods of verification.