Lesson #5If you’re really determined to Google…

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Open your notebook and respond to one of the two prompts:

• You are purchasing a used car and want to make sure you don’t get ripped off. List ten things you would check on the

car before agreeing to buy it.• You are shopping for clothesand want to make sure you don’t get ripped off. List ten things you would check on the Item of clothing before deciding to buy it.

ACTIVITY

Readaloudfrom

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2010/04/11/how-to-buy-a-used-car/

READING ISN’T

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…show that we know criteria for evaluating web sites for our research papers

…by creating citations for three web sites and listing positive and negative aspects of each site in a T chart.

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2.0.B.2.a Evaluate sources based upon currency, authority, reliability, bias, point of view, relevance, authorship, purpose, and audience to select resources to meet the information need.

Vocabulary

• .edu• .com• .tv• .org• .gov• .biz• Bias• agenda

Agenda1. When you are test driving a car, which items are

you mainly looking for? Which items will a car dealer throw in to distract you from noticing important details?

2. When “test-driving” a web site, which items are you looking for to make sure the web site is truthful?

3. Show the slides at the end of this lesson plan to clarify items to look for when “test-driving” a web site.

4. Have students, as a class, evaluate a web site.5. Have students do an independent Google search

for a class project, taking Cornell notes, citing the web site, and evaluating the reliability of the web site via the exit ticket.

*Visual demonstrations*Presentation of material in small steps*One-to-one contact

From http://www.roundrockisd.org/docs/library_www_check.pdf

WEBSITE RELIABILITY CHECKLISTUse this 5-point checklist to evaluate websites for reliability. It will help youdecide whether a particular site is worthy of inclusion in a college-levelresearch paper.1) VALIDITYa) Who is the author(s) of the site? Look for their credentials.b) Is contact information provided? The author should be accountable forher/his work.c) Is there a link provided to their homepage? Look for a reliable institution.d) What is the first part (major domain) of the web address (URL)? Thisindicates the site's origin:.com = commercial.edu = education.org = non-profit organization.gov = government.mil = military.cu = Cuba (.it = Italy, etc.)~ usually means an individual maintains the site (as opposed to aninstitution).

2) CURRENCYa) When was the site last updated? A reliable site is frequently revised andimproved.b) When was the site first created? A site's longevity is a clue to its stability.

3) CONTENTa) What is the depth and breadth of the information offered? Be wary of toomuch or too little.b) Are there links to other useful and reliable sites? They should be relevant tothe subject matter.c) Is the site relevant to your needs? It is important to maintain your focus.d) How is the site structured? If there are functions such as an in-site index ortable of contents they should assist with navigating the information.e) Does the advertising overpower the content? It shouldn't.

4) PURPOSEa) Is this site trying to persuade you? Educate you? Market a product? Forinstance, a .com site may try sell you something whereas an .edu site mostoften exists for the sake of education.b) Are there any biases that might be promoted: racial, gender, religious, orother types? Even non-profit .org sites may be biased.

5) ACCURACYa) How can you ensure the information is precise, authoritative, and current?The author should cite the sources used. Look for

Let’s evaluate a web site.The web site I chose, based upon the following evidence is/is not reliable.

Good things Things that concern me

How I Will Cite the Site

The Walt Whitman Hypertext Archive. Kenneth M. Price and Ed Folsom. 1997-1998. 27 Apr. 2003 <http://www.whitmanarchive.org/archive1/works/>.

Title of web site

Authors, if known. Otherwise, omit this.

When the site was created or last updated

When I viewed it

Complete URL in angle brackets

http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games

Let’s evaluate a web site.The web site I chose, based upon the following evidence is/is not reliable.

Good things Things that concern me

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2285854/Caffeine-dangerous-regulated-like-alcohol-cigarettes-warns-leading-expert.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Rubric

Noteworthy

The student cited the web page and created a T chart listing 3 positive and 3 negative aspects of 3 sites. MLA citations were made for all web pages.

DevelopingThe student cited

the web page and created a T chart listing 1 positive and 1 negative aspect of one or two sites. MLA citations were made for all web pages.

AcceptableThe student cited

the web page and created a T chart listing 2 positive and 2 negative aspects of 3 sites. MLA citations were made for all web pages.

Not Ready

The student did not evaluate web sites.

Exit Ticket

Here is the citation for the web site: