#Teachers: The false viral claim that a photo of locked mailboxes at a post office in Burbank, Calif. is evidence of an attempt to suppress votes is a great opportunity to engage students around questions of authenticity, evidence and verification.

First, share these tweets & ask students if they are strong evidence for the claim (that the Trump administration is interfering w access to mailboxes). Then ask for the reasons behind Ss' answers: Why is/isn't this evidence? What questions do we need answered to know for sure?

One question that may surface quickly is one of authenticity: Is this photo actually of a post office in Burbank? Great question--esp since false context is so common online. A quick search for "post office burbank california" gives you locations to check out in Google Maps:

While the mailboxes in Google Street View's most recent capture (2017) are different, a quick comparison makes it clear that it's the right location. This is the downtown Burbank, Calif. post office (135 E Olive Ave):

Once you've confirmed that the location is, in fact, a post office in Burbank, Calif., pose the original question again: Is this photo strong evidence for the claim (that the Trump administration is restricting access to mailboxes)? Ask those who say "no" to explain their answer.

Hopefully you can elicit several more important but unanswered questions: Was the photo taken this month, or is it old? Do the locks actually block people from using the mailboxes? Is there any precedent for such mailbox locks?

There are lots of ways you might go about exploring these questions, but perhaps the easiest way? Check the comments. For all the unreliable bunk that circulates online, there is still (often) some wisdom of the crowd ... especially if a post has gotten a lot of attention.

Even a cursory glance at the comments will surface the fact that a number of people (including some journalists) are disputing the reason for the locks, & even providing links to 2016 news reports about mailbox locks in the San Fernando Valley & other areas in Southern California

Other commenters share additional photos and videos--taken from different angles, in different light--of the same location, some of which show that there is a slot for mail on the other side. And you discover more links to coverage & screenshots explaining the locks.

So the takeaways here?
1. Our biases have a lot of influence over what "feels" like strong evidence online.
2. Many of the people sharing this false claim likely didn't mean to spread a falsehood--they just hastily connected the locks with recent changes/announcements at the USPS

3. Watch out for false context (check the location details using Street View, or do a reverse image search) but also recognize that authenticity does not equal evidence.
4. Reading the comments and/or doing a quick search about viral claims often quickly leads you to answers.

If you want to use this as a springboard into other false mailbox rumors (some of which are presented in false contexts) here are some examples: https://twitter.com/ushadrons/status/1294715673365667840

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/usps-mailboxes-removed-oregon/