English · Première, Terminale (B1 to C2), Bac pro

Session 1: What is in my feed? Anatomy of a viral post

Read one step, do it, then move on.
Step 1

Recap check

Recap check
  1. Name two social networks where people share pictures.
  2. What is news, in your own words?
  3. Have you ever shared a picture without knowing where it came from?
Answer key
  1. For example Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, Snapchat.
  2. A new fact, dated and sourced, that matters to an audience.
  3. Personal answer: we observe our habits, we do not judge.
Step 2

Objectives

Step 3
Today's language goal

To describe a viral post: who made it, how it was made, how it spread, we need the words of social media (viral, source, caption, share, algorithm, feed) and the passive (The picture was made with Midjourney).

Documents

The viral post

March 2023. A picture shows Pope Francis in a huge white puffer coat with a cross around his neck. Tens of thousands of accounts share it on Twitter, Reddit and Facebook, and many users praise his new style. The picture was made with the AI program Midjourney. We describe it; we do not reproduce it.

Fact-checks : Full Fact · Reuters Fact Check · AFP Fact Check

"These images were generated using artificial intelligence."
Full Fact, verdict
"Is this legit?"
A comment quoted by Reuters Fact Check
Step 4

Grammar lesson: the passive: was made, is shared, were generated

To describe a viral post: who made it, how it was made, how it spread, we need the passive: was made, is shared, were generated
On the board, to copy

Rule

be + past participle: The picture was made with AI.

Form

  • present: am / is / are + past participle: The post is shared.
  • past: was / were + past participle: The images were generated.
  • the doer, if useful: by + noun: The picture was made by a user of Midjourney.
  • irregular participles: make → made, see → seen, take → taken, write → written, share → shared

Examples from the lesson

  • These images were generated using artificial intelligence. (Full Fact)
  • The picture was made with the AI program Midjourney.
  • It is shared by tens of thousands of accounts.

Common mistakes

  • Not The picture was make with AI., but The picture was made with AI.
  • Not The images was generated., but The images were generated.

Quick check (2 minutes, hands up or mini whiteboards)Active or passive? Write A or P.

  1. Thousands of users shared the picture.
  2. The picture was shared on Reddit.
  3. Full Fact checked the claim.
  4. The claim was checked by Full Fact.
Show the answers

1. A. 2. P. 3. A. 4. P.

Exercises

EntryRecognition. Underline the passive verbs and give the tense (present or past).

  1. The picture was made with Midjourney.
  2. Many users praise his new style.
  3. These images were generated using AI.
  4. Posts are chosen by an algorithm.
  5. The coat was not designed by a fashion house.
  6. Fake pictures are shared every day.
  7. A comment was quoted by Reuters.
Show the answers

1. was made, past. 2. no passive. 3. were generated, past. 4. are chosen, present. 5. was not designed, past. 6. are shared, present. 7. was quoted, past.

CoreTransformation. Rewrite in the passive. Keep by + doer only when it is useful.

  1. Someone created the picture in March 2023.
  2. Tens of thousands of accounts shared it.
  3. Fact-checkers checked the picture.
  4. Reuters quoted a comment.
  5. The algorithm shows the post to millions.
  6. Users posted it on Twitter, Reddit and Facebook.
  7. AI generates more and more images.
Show the answers

1. The picture was created in March 2023. 2. It was shared by tens of thousands of accounts. 3. The picture was checked by fact-checkers. 4. A comment was quoted by Reuters. 5. The post is shown to millions by the algorithm. 6. It was posted on Twitter, Reddit and Facebook. 7. More and more images are generated by AI.

StretchProduction. Describe the Pope post in five sentences: three in the passive, two in the active.

Show the answers

For example: In March 2023, a picture of Pope Francis in a white puffer coat was posted online. It was made with Midjourney. It was shared by tens of thousands of accounts. Many users praised his style. Fact-checkers soon explained that the image was generated by AI.

Words in action

To say it precisely, we need the right words

EntryMatch: caption, source, share, algorithm, feed.

  1. the text under a picture
  2. where information comes from
  3. to send a post to other people
  4. the program that chooses what we see
  5. the list of posts on your screen
Show the answers

1. caption. 2. source. 3. share. 4. algorithm. 5. feed.

Task 1

Read the description and fill in the grid: who posted, when, where, which caption, how many reactions.
Step 5

Task 2

Find what makes the picture shareable: surprise, humour, celebrity, style.
Step 6

Task 3

Pair discussion: is someone who shares a fake picture as a joke responsible?
Step 7

Figures of speech in the documents

Metaphor: viral, feed

Session title: “What is in my feed? Anatomy of a viral post”

A viral post spreads like a virus. This is a metaphor.

EntryWhat spreads like a virus?

Show the answers

A viral post.

Gap-fill worksheet

Word bank : viral caption source shares Midjourney
  1. A post shared very fast by thousands of accounts goes .
  2. The text that goes with a picture is the .
  3. The picture of the Pope was made with .
  4. The number of does not prove a story is true.
  5. Before sharing, I look for the .
Answer key
  1. viral
  2. caption
  3. Midjourney
  4. shares
  5. source
Step 8

Expression task

Now say it

Pair discussion: is someone who shares a fake picture as a joke responsible?

EntryTwo sentences: your answer and one reason with because.

Tools to use:

  • viral, share, source, caption
  • the passive: was shared, was made
  • because, but, although

Sentence starters:

  • I think he is responsible because ...
  • The picture was shared ...
  • But ...
Show a model answer

I think someone who shares a fake picture as a joke is partly responsible. The Pope picture was shared by thousands of people who believed it. Although the first user only wanted to laugh, the joke went viral and became misinformation. A short caption such as “AI image” would have been enough.

Homework

Observe one post on a social network (do not share it). In five lines, write the account, the date, the caption, the reactions, and what makes you trust it or not.
Answer keyModel answer: the account is named, the exact date is given, the caption is copied, reactions are counted, and one trust criterion is given (source quoted, other media, known account). Reward any remark about a missing source.