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Far from being a modern phenomenon, fake news dates back to antiquity. Julius Caesar, for example, was not only a brilliant strategist, but also a crafty spin doctor who controlled the historical narrative by writing volumes about his own military exploits. And he was not above making tactical omissions and reporting alternative facts.
This is why historians don’t take primary sources at face value. They read between the lines and look at multiple perspectives to reconstruct the past. By teaching students to think like historians, we arm them with the critical thinking tools that will help them sift fake from fact—an essential 21st-century skill.
