Red Herring Fallacy Question Pack: Critical Thinking, Comic, Comprehension
Red Herring Fallacy Question Pack: Critical Thinking, Comic, Comprehension
Red Herring Fallacy Question Pack: Critical Thinking, Comic, Comprehension
FREE
You won't be charged yet
Description
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 over weapons of mass destruction. When none were found and reporters pressed for answers, the conversation shifted to Saddam Hussein's cruelty - true, but not the reason given for the war.
A red herring is when someone avoids the real question by introducing something else entirely - something unrelated but interesting enough to make the audience forget what they actually asked. It doesn't answer the original question. It just moves the conversation somewhere safer. The fallacy works best when the distraction is emotionally compelling: it's hard to keep asking "but what about my original question?" when something more dramatic is suddenly on the table.
You hear it everywhere: "Did I forget our anniversary? I've been so stressed at work - let me tell you what happened." "The budget went over? By the way, have you seen how well the team has been performing?" "I didn't answer your question because there's something more important we need to discuss." The distraction doesn't have to be false. It just has to be louder than the question.
This free expansion pack teaches you to ask "did that actually answer what I asked - or did the subject just change?" - through a true historical story, real-life examples, and activities that feel nothing like homework. It's the companion to the full Red Herring Activity Pack and a free preview of the upcoming book, 24 Fallacies and the Historical Disasters That Followed.
⭐ Rated 5.0 by people who now win arguments
THE STORY INSIDE
September 2001. After the 9/11 attacks, the United States went to war in Afghanistan. The Taliban had harboured Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, and the goal was to dismantle their network. That was the stated reason. It was a clear one.
By 2003, the focus had shifted. The Bush administration told Congress and the public that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction - biological, chemical, and nuclear - and posed an imminent global threat. In March 2003, American forces invaded.
No weapons were found.
When reporters pressed for an explanation, the conversation changed. Saddam Hussein's cruelty became the topic - his documented abuses, his brutality toward the Kurdish population, his history as a dictator. These things were true. They were not the reason given for the invasion.
The shift worked. "Saddam was evil" was something Americans already believed, so the new frame felt satisfying. The original question - where are the weapons? - lost its urgency. The war that had been justified by weapons that didn't exist continued for years. Over 185,000 Iraqis died in a conflict whose stated justification was never found.
The pack closes with the one question that cuts through a red herring every time: "Did that actually answer what I asked - or did the subject just change?" Because the new topic doesn't have to be wrong. It just has to be interesting enough that nobody keeps asking the original question.
WHAT'S INSIDE
📖 Illustrated True Story - how the justification for the Iraq War shifted from weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein's cruelty when no weapons were found - and why over 185,000 Iraqis died in a war whose stated reason was never established
🔍 Real-Life Examples - spot the Red Herring in politics, advertising, personal arguments, and the news
✏️ Activities - written questions, Going Deeper analysis, Spot it in the Wild, graphic organiser, and Draw Your Own Comic Strip
📋 Answer Sheet - for whoever's playing referee
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
Most fallacy resources are a definition on a slide and a matching worksheet. This pack shows the fallacy destroy lives in a true story, makes you recognise it in your own conversations, then sends you hunting for it in the wild. That's how it sticks.
WHO IT'S FOR
→ Anyone 11+ who's sick of losing arguments they were right about
→ The smartest person you know - this is their gift (see also: the other 23)
→ Homeschool families and teachers who want critical thinking that doesn't feel like a chore - yes, it works in classrooms too
WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE
Free digital download. Includes A4 and US Letter sizes at 300 dpi - print as a booklet or as individual pages. Arrives in your email.
COLLECT THE FULL SET
This is one of 24 free expansion packs - one for every logical fallacy in the series. Each has a matching full activity pack with an illustrated comic, true history story, and more activities. Find the full series at duchessandbruno.com.
Coming soon: 24 Fallacies and the Historical Disasters That Followed - the book behind the series.
FOR THE TEACHERS
Aligns with ACARA Critical and Creative Thinking, UK National Curriculum English/Citizenship, and US Common Core ELA (Grades 6+). We promise the students will never know it's curriculum-aligned.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "We're now catching ourselves using the fallacies which I didn't think would happen. A 10/10 resource!" - Kylie
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Really clever and funny comics. I wasn't expecting them to be so funny." - Sandra
NEED HELP?
Contact us at info@duchessandbruno.com - we'll sort it out.
TERMS OF USE
For personal or single-classroom use only. Not for sharing, reselling, or commercial use.
Connect with us:
Instagram: @duchessbruno
Facebook: Duchess and Bruno
Website: www.duchessandbruno.com
Description
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 over weapons of mass destruction. When none were found and reporters pressed for answers, the conversation shifted to Saddam Hussein's cruelty - true, but not the reason given for the war.
A red herring is when someone avoids the real question by introducing something else entirely - something unrelated but interesting enough to make the audience forget what they actually asked. It doesn't answer the original question. It just moves the conversation somewhere safer. The fallacy works best when the distraction is emotionally compelling: it's hard to keep asking "but what about my original question?" when something more dramatic is suddenly on the table.
You hear it everywhere: "Did I forget our anniversary? I've been so stressed at work - let me tell you what happened." "The budget went over? By the way, have you seen how well the team has been performing?" "I didn't answer your question because there's something more important we need to discuss." The distraction doesn't have to be false. It just has to be louder than the question.
This free expansion pack teaches you to ask "did that actually answer what I asked - or did the subject just change?" - through a true historical story, real-life examples, and activities that feel nothing like homework. It's the companion to the full Red Herring Activity Pack and a free preview of the upcoming book, 24 Fallacies and the Historical Disasters That Followed.
⭐ Rated 5.0 by people who now win arguments
THE STORY INSIDE
September 2001. After the 9/11 attacks, the United States went to war in Afghanistan. The Taliban had harboured Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, and the goal was to dismantle their network. That was the stated reason. It was a clear one.
By 2003, the focus had shifted. The Bush administration told Congress and the public that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction - biological, chemical, and nuclear - and posed an imminent global threat. In March 2003, American forces invaded.
No weapons were found.
When reporters pressed for an explanation, the conversation changed. Saddam Hussein's cruelty became the topic - his documented abuses, his brutality toward the Kurdish population, his history as a dictator. These things were true. They were not the reason given for the invasion.
The shift worked. "Saddam was evil" was something Americans already believed, so the new frame felt satisfying. The original question - where are the weapons? - lost its urgency. The war that had been justified by weapons that didn't exist continued for years. Over 185,000 Iraqis died in a conflict whose stated justification was never found.
The pack closes with the one question that cuts through a red herring every time: "Did that actually answer what I asked - or did the subject just change?" Because the new topic doesn't have to be wrong. It just has to be interesting enough that nobody keeps asking the original question.
WHAT'S INSIDE
📖 Illustrated True Story - how the justification for the Iraq War shifted from weapons of mass destruction to Saddam Hussein's cruelty when no weapons were found - and why over 185,000 Iraqis died in a war whose stated reason was never established
🔍 Real-Life Examples - spot the Red Herring in politics, advertising, personal arguments, and the news
✏️ Activities - written questions, Going Deeper analysis, Spot it in the Wild, graphic organiser, and Draw Your Own Comic Strip
📋 Answer Sheet - for whoever's playing referee
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
Most fallacy resources are a definition on a slide and a matching worksheet. This pack shows the fallacy destroy lives in a true story, makes you recognise it in your own conversations, then sends you hunting for it in the wild. That's how it sticks.
WHO IT'S FOR
→ Anyone 11+ who's sick of losing arguments they were right about
→ The smartest person you know - this is their gift (see also: the other 23)
→ Homeschool families and teachers who want critical thinking that doesn't feel like a chore - yes, it works in classrooms too
WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE
Free digital download. Includes A4 and US Letter sizes at 300 dpi - print as a booklet or as individual pages. Arrives in your email.
COLLECT THE FULL SET
This is one of 24 free expansion packs - one for every logical fallacy in the series. Each has a matching full activity pack with an illustrated comic, true history story, and more activities. Find the full series at duchessandbruno.com.
Coming soon: 24 Fallacies and the Historical Disasters That Followed - the book behind the series.
FOR THE TEACHERS
Aligns with ACARA Critical and Creative Thinking, UK National Curriculum English/Citizenship, and US Common Core ELA (Grades 6+). We promise the students will never know it's curriculum-aligned.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "We're now catching ourselves using the fallacies which I didn't think would happen. A 10/10 resource!" - Kylie
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Really clever and funny comics. I wasn't expecting them to be so funny." - Sandra
NEED HELP?
Contact us at info@duchessandbruno.com - we'll sort it out.
TERMS OF USE
For personal or single-classroom use only. Not for sharing, reselling, or commercial use.
Connect with us:
Instagram: @duchessbruno
Facebook: Duchess and Bruno
Website: www.duchessandbruno.com