Catchy or Copycat?

This worksheet helps students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 practice media literacy, tone analysis, credibility evaluation, headline writing, and critical reading by comparing AI-generated and human-written news headlines. Students analyze language patterns, word choice, specificity, repetition, and emotional tone to decide which headlines sound reliable and which raise red flags.

Learning Goals

• Headline Analysis (Grades 6-8) – Students examine word choice, tone, and structure to distinguish AI-style writing from human journalism.
• Media Literacy Skills – Learners evaluate credibility, detect exaggeration, and recognize vague or over-polished language.
• Critical Thinking Practice – Students justify decisions using evidence, reasoning, and comparison across multiple examples.
• Writing Style Awareness – Students identify how style, specificity, and balance influence reader trust and perception.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators with classroom-ready language and age-appropriate examples.
• Low-Prep and Flexible – Works well for whole-class discussion, small groups, independent practice, or digital learning.
• Built-In Discussion Prompts – Encourages explanation, debate, and evidence-based reasoning.
• Supports Diverse Learners – Clear structure and repeated patterns help students build confidence with analysis.
• Cross-Curricular Use – Connects English Language Arts, social studies, and technology education standards.

This printable worksheet helps students become thoughtful readers by strengthening media literacy, source evaluation, tone awareness, and analytical writing skills. By comparing AI-generated and human-written headlines, learners build skepticism, improve judgment, and better understand how language shapes credibility. Whether used in a classroom or homeschool setting, this activity supports critical thinking, responsible technology use, and strong reading comprehension skills.

This worksheet is part of our Spotting AI Worksheets collection.