Lesson Report:
## Title: Image Verification for Conflict Narratives: Geolocation, Reverse Image Search, and Metadata (EXIF)
This session launched a two-week unit on social media investigation and verification skills, moving from theory to real-world information assessment. Students practiced identifying where images were taken (geolocation) using reverse image search and metadata/EXIF inspection, then applied these ideas to a propaganda case study (a Russian MoD image later shown to be a video game screenshot). The class concluded by setting up new “clean� social media accounts and assigning a pre-Wednesday task to collect recent (≤3 weeks) on-the-ground media from a chosen current conflict for verification practice next class.
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## Attendance
– **Absent students mentioned:** 0
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## Topics Covered (Chronological)
### 1) Unit Preview & Setup: Why “Clean� Social Media Accounts
– Instructor previewed the next **two weeks** focusing on **social media** and verification.
– Requested students create a **new/clean account** on **Instagram and/or Twitter/X** (either is acceptable; both recommended if feasible).
– Rationale: using personal accounts for hashtag searching can “destroy your algorithms foreverâ€� by reshaping feeds/recommendations.
– Students unable to make new accounts were asked to notify the instructor so accommodations could be made.
### 2) Framing Problem: Recycled/Miscontextualized Visuals and Why Verification Matters
– Instructor described a common misinformation pattern: images claimed to be from a specific war zone/time are actually:
– from a different location, or
– from years earlier (“recycled photosâ€�),
– amplified by algorithms until they appear credible to ordinary users.
– Positioned verification as central to the course’s second part: students’ **independent ability to assess veracity** of online claims.
### 3) Core Skills Introduced: Geolocation & Reverse Image Search
– **Geolocation** defined as tagging an image/video to a location as precisely as possible (ideally close to coordinates).
– **Reverse image search** introduced as a key tool used for multiple tasks (finding originals, context, duplicates, related locations, etc.).
– Instructor signaled that students would use these in class activities and later in current-events investigations.
### 4) Cold Open Activity #1: “Where Was This Photo Taken?� (Instructor Photo)
**Instructions / Scoring**
– Students attempted to identify location of an instructor-provided photo (no groups—faster).
– Scoring rubric (“darts scoreboardâ€�):
– **Country = 1 point**
– **State/region = 2 points**
– **Town = 3 points**
– Students were told **not** to post answers immediately; they would share after a few minutes.
**Access/Tech Troubleshooting**
– A student on a phone could not view the image in Zoom chat.
– Instructor responded by:
– uploading via an image-sharing link,
– troubleshooting “black screen,â€�
– then **screen-sharing** to ensure everyone could see the photo.
**Collected Responses & Reveal**
– Students submitted guesses in chat; instructor noted multiple participants by name submitting answers.
– Correct answer revealed:
– **United States** (country)
– **New York** (state)
– **Guilderland or Schenectady** (town-level accepted)
– Follow-up: instructor asked those who got full points to explain their techniques.
**Student Methods Shared**
– **Yandex Images/Yandex Photos** used successfully (highlighted as “super powerfulâ€�).
– **Google reverse image search** also used.
– Students also reported using **ChatGPT** to interpret clues and suggest an area.
– Instructor emphasized: using reverse image tools and AI assistance was **not “cheatingâ€�**—it aligns with verification workflows.
**Key Takeaway**
– Instructor identified why the image was relatively easy: it contained **words**—specifically a **street sign/street name**, which is a strong geolocation anchor.
### 5) Activity #2: Second Location Guessing Challenge (More Difficult Instructor Photo)
**Task**
– Another image posted; same scoring rubric (country/state/town).
– Students again had some access issues; instructor re-shared link and encouraged laptop use to download.
**Responses & Reveal**
– Student guesses varied widely (multiple U.S. states, Kazakhstan, Russia, etc.), illustrating increased difficulty.
– Correct answer revealed:
– **United States**
– **New York**
– **Galloway** (town)
– Students also identified **Crane Road** as the street name.
**Debrief: How Was It Solved Without Visible Street Sign?**
– Students reported tools:
– ChatGPT (sometimes gave correct location; sometimes failed or refused)
– Google reverse image search (sometimes produced incorrect alternatives)
– A geolocation website tool: **Picarta** (student described it as providing precise location/roads)
**Instructor Pivot**
– Instructor prompted: there is “something within the photoâ€� enabling precise location—leading into metadata.
### 6) Mini-Lecture + Guided Demo: Metadata / EXIF as “Easy Mode� Geolocation
**Concept Introduction**
– Instructor introduced **metadata** (“data about dataâ€�).
– Clarified it’s not necessarily “big dataâ€� alone, though it can contribute to bigger datasets.
**Windows Walkthrough (Hands-on)**
– Instructor asked who was on **Windows**, then guided students through extracting metadata:
1. Download the image **from Zoom** (not the Imgur link), because Zoom file preserved metadata.
2. Locate the file on the computer.
3. **Right-click → Properties** (or **Alt + Enter**).
4. Go to the **Details** tab.
5. Find EXIF fields including **GPS** data.
**What Metadata Can Reveal**
– **Device model** used to take the photo (student identified **Pixel 6 Pro**).
– **Date/time** the photo was taken.
– **GPS location** (coordinates/embedded location information).
**Privacy/Platform Note**
– Instructor warned that many photos include this by default unless disabled on the phone.
– Many websites strip metadata, but **not all** do.
– Key example: sending through **Zoom did not remove EXIF**, enabling location/time/device identification.
### 7) Connecting Skills to Course Themes: Legitimacy, Propaganda, Hybrid Warfare
– Instructor tied verification to international relations concepts:
– States require **legitimacy** to survive.
– In “**hybrid warfare**,â€� undermining trust/legitimacy can be as effective as kinetic force.
– Online information operations can bolster one narrative while eroding rivals’ credibility.
– Positioned upcoming work as analyzing/validating online evidence used in state narratives.
### 8) Case Study: Russian Ministry of Defense Image (2017) Claiming U.S. Support to ISIS
**Image Context**
– Instructor shared a third image (not taken by instructor).
– Russian-language caption was translated by a student:
– Claimed “automobile columns of ISISâ€� entering **Abu Kamal** (near Syria–Iraq border), dated **Nov 9, 2017**.
– Instructor explained narrative: Russia’s MoD presented it as “irrefutable proofâ€� the **U.S. provided support/air cover to ISIS**.
**Visual Literacy Discussion (What Kind of Image Is This?)**
– Students analyzed whether it was satellite vs aircraft/drone/gunship imagery.
– Cues discussed:
– **Crosshairs/aiming reticle** suggests weapons system footage.
– **Thermal imaging** characteristics (heat signatures; bright vehicle areas against darker background).
**Verification Task**
– Students were asked to use earlier techniques to determine what was wrong with the image / whether claims were accurate.
**Resolution**
– Students correctly identified it as **a screenshot from a video game**, not real surveillance footage.
– Instructor noted that although students benefited from “public investigationâ€� history, the goal was to understand the methods used in real time.
– Some students reported:
– Google/AI tools surfaced the “video game screenshotâ€� context.
– Others recognized it from gaming experience (e.g., gunship-style interfaces).
### 9) Consolidation: Definitions and Practical Uses of the Two Techniques
– Instructor summarized:
– **Geolocation**
– easiest method: **metadata/EXIF** when present;
– harder cases: metadata scrubbed; rely on contextual cues (street signs, architecture, power lines, etc.).
– Recommended enrichment tool/game: **GeoGuessr** (practice deducing location from limited visual clues).
– **Reverse image search**
– can identify locations, duplicates, original sources;
– can identify specific objects (e.g., crop to a car to find make/model).
– Previewed that Wednesday would use these skills on “cutting-edgeâ€� content where there may not yet be reporting debunking/verifying it.
### 10) In-Class Task: Create New Social Media Accounts
– Instructor gave ~5 minutes for students to create a new **Instagram and/or Twitter/X** account.
– Clarified requirements:
– One platform is sufficient if two is too difficult (phone number constraints, etc.).
### 11) Building the Next Assignment: Selecting Current Conflicts and Planning Hashtag-Based Exploration
**Brainstorming Current Events/Conflicts**
– Students listed major domestic and international issues, including (examples mentioned):
– Israel–Hamas / Israel–Palestine conflict
– Russia–Ukraine war
– Sudan conflict
– Iran protests/“Iran warâ€� phrasing
– China–Taiwan tensions
– Kyrgyzstan political conflict (Tashiev–Japarov)
– Myanmar civil war
– Minnesota protests (U.S.)
– Epstein files (domestic/international political issue)
– Instructor emphasized: social media searches will surface multiple perspectives and persuasive “evidence,â€� which may be false/miscontextualized.
### 12) Assignment Brief (Due Before Wednesday): Hashtags + Recent On-the-Ground Media Collection
**Task requirements**
– Choose **one major conflict/issue** (from chat list or another approved issue).
– **Step 1:** Identify **relevant hashtags** for the issue.
– Suggested target: **3–5 hashtags**
– Ideal: hashtags reflecting **multiple perspectives/sides** (example: pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian tags).
– **Step 2:** Find **at least 3 photos or videos**:
– from the **relevant area**
– posted **within the last 3 weeks**
– that **purport to show something happening on the ground**
– Avoid generic posters/infographics; prioritize real-world captured media.
– Platforms allowed:
– Instagram, Twitter/X, **Threads** (noted as useful in Kyrgyzstan), and later clarified **TikTok is also acceptable** if accessible.
**Student Q&A / Clarifications**
– Question: Kyrgyz media often doesn’t use hashtags—can headlines/titles be used?
– Instructor: institutional media is a starting point, but preferred sources are **people on the ground** (influencers, regular users, eyewitness-style documentation). Threads suggested as an alternative for local documentation.
– Question: Hashtag count limits?
– Instructor: **3–5 hashtags** is fine.
### 13) Breakout Rooms: Group Alignment by Conflict Topic
– Students placed into **breakout rooms of ~3** (class count noted as ~25; created ~9 groups).
– Goal: agree on a **shared conflict/topic** to investigate as a group.
– Instructor brought class back and reiterated individual responsibility for finding the 3 qualifying media items before Wednesday.
### 14) Wrap-Up / Looking Ahead
– Wednesday: class will **verify** collected photos/videos using newly introduced techniques; also discuss more about the “whyâ€� behind verification.
– Instructor noted being ill (coughing) and hoped to be well by Wednesday.
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## Actionable Items (Organized by Urgency)
### Due Before Wednesday (High Urgency)
– **Students:** Choose **one conflict/major issue** to focus on (group consensus reached in breakout rooms).
– **Students:** Create a **clean social media account** on **Instagram and/or Twitter/X** (Threads/TikTok also acceptable for sourcing content).
– **Students:** Identify **3–5 relevant hashtags** (ideally representing different perspectives/sides).
– **Students:** Collect **at least 3 photos/videos** that:
– are **≤ 3 weeks old**
– are from the **relevant conflict area**
– **purport to show on-the-ground events** (not posters/graphics).
### Instructor Follow-Ups / Class Logistics (Medium Urgency)
– Prepare Wednesday workflow for verification lab:
– how students will submit/share media (links vs downloads),
– whether to standardize required metadata/context notes (date posted, account handle, claimed location).
– Consider providing a quick Mac-specific method for EXIF inspection (since Windows steps were demonstrated; Mac users may need a standard approach or recommended tool list).
### Ongoing / Notes for Future Lessons (Lower Urgency)
– Reinforce privacy implications of EXIF/GPS metadata and platform differences (what strips metadata, what preserves it—Zoom example).
– Build a short reference list of recommended tools mentioned by students:
– Yandex Images, Google reverse image search, Picarta, and guidelines for careful AI use (ChatGPT sometimes correct, sometimes fails).
Homework Instructions:
ASSIGNMENT #1: Create a fresh social media account for course verification work
[You are preparing a “clean� social media environment for the next two weeks so you can search conflict-related hashtags without “destroying your algorithms forever,� and so you can participate in upcoming image/video verification activities.]
Instructions:
1. Decide which platform(s) you will use for this unit: Instagram and/or Twitter/X (either one is acceptable; both are recommended if you can).
2. Create a new, fresh account on your chosen platform(s) (a new account is preferred so your personal feed/algorithm does not influence what you see while searching).
3. If you are unable to create a new account (e.g., you cannot meet phone number requirements or have other limitations), contact the instructor and explain the issue so an alternative can be arranged.
4. Keep the account available for in-class work over the next two weeks, since you will be “doing quite a bit of searching through hashtags.�
ASSIGNMENT #2: Conflict social media collection—hashtags + recent on-the-ground media (due before Wednesday)
[You will begin applying this week’s skills (reverse image search and geolocation/verification) by immersing yourself in one current conflict on social media, locating multiple perspectives via hashtags, and collecting recent photos/videos that claim to show events on the ground. This will provide the material you will verify together in Wednesday’s class.]
Instructions:
1. Choose one major current domestic or international conflict to focus on (you may use one listed in the class chat—e.g., Israel/Hamas, Russia/Ukraine, Sudan, China/Taiwan tensions, protests—or choose another major conflict if it genuinely interests you).
2. Identify relevant hashtags for your chosen conflict:
1. Find 3–5 popular hashtags connected to your issue.
2. Try to include hashtags that reflect multiple perspectives/sides (e.g., for Israel/Hamas, look for hashtags commonly used by pro-Israel perspectives and also hashtags commonly used by pro-Palestinian perspectives).
3. Using your fresh account, search those hashtags (or otherwise search within the platform) and locate recent on-the-ground media:
1. Find at least 3 items total (photos and/or videos).
2. Each item must be posted within the last 3 weeks.
3. Each item must purport to show something happening “on the ground� in the conflict (do not choose generic posters, infographics, or purely commentary content; choose media that claims to document real-world events/conditions).
4. Platforms you may use:
1. Instagram and/or Twitter/X are the primary platforms.
2. Threads is also acceptable.
3. TikTok is also acceptable if you have access.
5. Save/record what you will need for Wednesday’s verification work:
1. Keep links (URLs) to each post and note the date posted.
2. Keep a brief note of which hashtag/search path you used to find each item.
6. Bring your collected items to Wednesday’s class, because you will use “our newfound skills to try to locate the area [and] verify these photos and videos to the best of our abilities� using reverse image search and geolocation techniques.