Howardites
Questions answered · For teachers

How can I use meteorite news stories to teach source evaluation?

The short answer

Compare headlines with scientific facts, check how probabilities are reported, and identify sensational language, using stories such as asteroid near-misses.

Meteorites and asteroids often appear in the news, sometimes accurately and sometimes sensationally. They make excellent material for teaching pupils to evaluate sources.

Choose examples. Collect a few news stories about the same event, such as an asteroid flyby, a fireball or a claimed meteorite find. Include a calm factual report and a more dramatic one.

Questions for pupils. - What is the headline claiming? Is it supported by the article? - Who is quoted? Are they scientists or organisations with relevant expertise? - Are numbers given clearly? Is an asteroid's distance described in kilometres or in comparison with the Moon's distance? - How is risk described? A 'close approach' may still be millions of kilometres away. A probability of 1 per cent means a 99 per cent chance of no impact. - Are images real photographs, artist's impressions or computer graphics? - Is the story updated when new information appears?

Case study. The asteroid 2024 YR4 had a calculated impact chance that rose to about 3 per cent in February 2025 and then dropped to almost zero. Pupils can compare early and later coverage and discuss why probabilities changed as more observations came in.

Scientific process. Explain that early estimates often change as data improve, and that this is a strength of science, not a weakness.

Outcome. Pupils write a short, accurate news report or a checklist for evaluating science news.

This builds media literacy and understanding of how science communicates uncertainty.

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