Conspiracy Theory Conversation Questions

Warm-up Tasks:
Can we believe what we read in newspapers or see online?

Discussion Questions:

1. Which of the following words describes your personality best? Naïve, trusting, skeptical, cynical.
2. A conspiracy theory says people secretly caused an event. What famous conspiracy theories do you know? List as many as you can.
3. Are you good at keeping secrets? If someone tells you something secret, how important is it to keep it secret?
4. Is it possible for a large group of people to keep their activities secret? Will a secret inevitably get out?
5. One aspect of many conspiracy theories is secret government activity. How much can we trust our governments? Do governments hide what they are doing from their citizens? If so, why?
6. One of the most famous conspiracy theories is about the death of JFK, the American president. What do you know about his death? What do you think happened?
7. Some people prefer conspiracy theories to uncertainty. How about you? Are you comfortable not knowing, or do you need an explanation?

8. Do you think aliens have visited Earth? Why might governments hide evidence? Are they hiding it from the public?
9. Another famous conspiracy theory suggests that the moon landing was faked. What do you know about this theory? Do you have doubts that humans landed on the moon in 1969?
10. A conspiracy, as opposed to a conspiracy theory, is a secret plan between people to do something illegal or harmful. Can you think of any famous conspiracies from history?
11. Vaccination to prevent diseases is common in many countries, but some people think it is actually dangerous and a way for pharmaceutical companies to make money? What's your opinion?
12. Christopher Hitchens described conspiracy theories as the "exhaust fumes of democracy." What do you think he meant?
13. Some say groups like the Freemasons or Illuminati influence world events. What do you think? Who belongs to these groups?
14. On September 11, 2001, airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings in New York City. Some believe it was an inside job. What do you think?