The Badge Archive

Spot the Real Deal

Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Brownie Cybersecurity Investigator badge requirements.

Info Needed for badge requirements: Photographs are pictures of things you see in real life. However, Computers have programs that can alter photos. When you see a photo it might not be real. Some are more obvious to see than others. Look at some photos and see if you can tell which are real and which are fake.

Items Needed

  • (Optional) Magazines with lots of colorful photos and advertisements
  • (Optional) Sticky notes
  • (Optional) Magnifying glasses
  • VTK Spot the Real Deal by GSUSA (enough for each team of three scouts)
  • (Optional) Additional examples of fake photos and real ones.
  • Paper
  • Pens or pencils

Instructions

  1. (Optional) Provide magazines and sticky notes to the scouts. Each scout puts their initials on one or two sticky notes and places them on photos they like in the magazines.
  2. Divide scouts into teams of three. Give each team a Spot the Real Deal printout.
  3. Scouts compare the two photos and write down all the differences they can spot.
  4. (Optional) Use magnifying glasses if available to help identify small changes.
  5. After comparing, have each team share the differences they found with the group. Talk about how photos online or in magazines may not always show the truth. Examples:
    • Filters or edits can change colors or remove details.
    • Photos can be altered to look more perfect or realistic than they actually are.
    • Discuss how fake photos could be harmful, like spreading false information or creating unrealistic expectations.
  6. (Optional) Go back to the magazine photos they liked. Scouts can now look at their favorite photos and evaluate whether those images seem realistic or overly edited. This adds a layer of reflection, helping them understand how edited photos can manipulate perception and why questioning the authenticity of what they like is essential.

Key Lessons

  • Scouts learn the importance of not believing everything they see in photos.
  • Share tips for spotting fake images, like looking for unusual changes or imperfections.
  • Reinforce the idea that it’s always good to question whether something online is real or edited.
Tia Kennard