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About this Kit | Using the Resources in this Kit | Creating Units

How to integrate Resource Kit activities into exisiting lessons

About this Kit

Online information needs to be evaluated. Some of it comes that way in the form of articles reviewed and maintained by subscription databases or endorsed by experts. But much of the information that is available online has not been evaluated. Since anyone can post whatever they want on the Internet there is potentially a vast amount of unintentional misinformation and even intentional malinformation mixed in with articles, facts and opinions that can be trusted. The only way to tell the difference is by evaluating the source and the content of the information.

There are a number of criteria that may be used to ascertain the credibility/reliability of information. This Kit features eight criteria which cluster around the source of the information--author, publisher, objectivity and links from, as well as the content of the information--accuracy, evidence, date and links to.

This Kit contains exercises that strengthen investigative abilities to locate information and then evaluate it. Topics include:

Finding the author, publisher and date

Evaluating expertise, reputation and date (freshness)

Detecting bias in an author's writing

Finding searchable clues related to evidence and accuracy

Evaluating claims based on accuracy and strength of the evidence

Using links to determine what others say about the information

For information on evaluating Web 2.0 sources and content, refer to the Web 2.0 Resource Kit.

Using the Resources in this Kit

Resources suited for stand-alone applications

When time permits only one activity, we recommend using any of the following, depending on the objective:

Timed Search Challenges

• Action Zone: Highest Lake Challenge -- Tests ability to find a reliable source of information

• Action Zone: Cell Phone Challenge -- Similar to the Highest Lake Challenge

• Action Zone: Useless Facts Challenge -- Find the copyright owner

• ActionZone: Sorting Hat Challenge -- Find the author

Tutorials

• QuickPick: Reading URLs (Teacher-facilitated) -- Powerful Investigative techniques that depend on URLs

• Quick Pick: Links To (Teacher-facilitated) -- Using advanced operators reveals unsolicited references

• Teacher's Guide: Personalized Evaluation Searches (Teacher-facilitated) -- Using personalized search engines to find credible animal information resources (all grade levels)

• Interactive Evaluation Tutorials (Self-guided) -- Three different interactive tutorials about finding and evaluating the author, publisher and links to

• IMSA Evaluation Wizard (Teacher-facilitated) -- Using our Evaluation Wizard to assess how well students evaluate what they find online

Action Zone Learning Games

• Use it? or Lose it? (Self-guided) -- Two different evaluation challenges that require decisions about credibility criteria

• Elect Susie Flynn (Self-guided) -- A third evaluation challenge that requires decisions about credibility criteria

• Bad Apple (Self-guided) -- A total of four challenge exercises that require decisions about credibility criteria

• Bad Apple (Classroom Edition) (Teacher-facilitated) -- A total of five challenge exercises used to facilitate discussions about credibility

Resources suited for sequences

When time permits more than one activity, combine activities into sequences for more powerful effects.

The Internet Challenge Model I (Challenge - Tutorial - Challenge)

1. Start with the Highest Lake Challenge to encourage awareness of the difficulty of finding trustworthy information.	2. Follow this with either the QuickPick: Links To activity or the Interactive Evaluation Tutorials.	3. Conclude with the Cell Phone Challenge to allow students to apply evaluation techniques. Compare timed search challenge experiences.

The Internet Challenge Model II (Challenge - Tutorial - Challenge)

1. Start with the Sorting Hat Challenge to encourage awareness of the difficulty of finding information about an author.	2. Follow this with either the QuickPick: Reading URLs activity or the Interactive Evaluation Tutorials (Author or Publisher)	3. Conclude with the Useless Facts Challenge to allow students to apply locating missing information techniques. Compare timed search challenge experiences.

A shorter option includes using one of the tutorials either preceded or followed by a timed Search Challenge.
For longer sequences, include one or more learning games with a tutorial activity.

Creating Units

For information on creating larger units in which materials from this Kit are embedded, see Creating Units.