Conspiracy

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/conspiracy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the psychological framework?Conspiracy theories often rely on principles of interconnectedness and hidden agency
2. What is the historical precedent?Covert operations by states to influence foreign governments have been documented
3. Why do conspiracies stay secret?They stay secret because if people know, the plan might fail or the conspirators could be punished.
4. How do conspiracies affect history?Secret plots have changed governments and wars, but it is hard to know exactly what happened because the plans are hidden.

Clandestine Agreement: A secret pact or arrangement made between individuals.
Subversion: Undermining the power and authority of an established system or institution.
Falsification: The process of proving a statement or theory to be false.