Title: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Evaluating Websites
by Chris Ozias
Subject: Technology Skills (choice of websites can relate this to any subject area)
Intended Grade Level: 6
Description: In this lesson students will be introduced to guidelines for evaluating information on the internet.
It has become increasingly apparent that one of the basic survival skills of the 21st century is the ability to find information on the internet. With the overwhelming amount of information available, it is crucial that students learn to sift through the array of choices available to them and be able to discriminate between useful and useless web sites, based on factors of relevancy, quality, accuracy, and bias. This lesson will begin building those skills.
It goes without saying that the use of the internet is necessary to this assignment. While it is possible to discus evaluating resources without actually using the internet, giving students access to the internet will make the lesson more meaningful to them because they will be able to apply the concepts they’ve learned right away. The use of technology in this lesson creates an authentic situation that will not only be more engaging for the students but will provide a more meaningful assessment for the instructor.
Benchmarks: from the Michigan Educational Technology Standards:
5. Technology research tools
a. Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
2. Students describe basic guidelines for determining the validity of information accessed from various sources (e.g., web site, dictionary, on-line newspaper, CD-ROM).
c. Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
- Students identify appropriate technology tools and resources by evaluating the accuracy, appropriateness, and bias of the resource.
Materials/Hardware/Software: Computers with internet access, web browser, evaluation sheets, list or hotlist of pre-selected websites, teacher computer and projector for class presentation
Teacher Preparation: Print evaluation sheets, post hotlist, verify that selected websites still exist
Prerequisite Student Skills: Basic computer /mousing skills; able to read
Activities/Procedures/Timeline:
Period 1:
1. Whole group instruction: The instructor begins by checking prior knowledge and explaining the purpose of the lesson. Introduce the terms accurate/cy, bias, reliable
2. Brainstorm with the whole group qualities of a website (or any other sort of information source) that could be considered reliable.
3. Instructor organizes concepts brought up in brainstorming into categories matching those on the Evaluation Worksheet (see attached).
4. Using a projector and internet-connected computer, the instructor takes the students to some pre-selected websites and “thinks out-loud”, modeling how the sites could be evaluated (see links below).
5. Students are then sent to computers (this could be done singly, but groups of two may be more effective, especially for younger students). Students are given one evaluation sheet per website and are told where to find the websites pre-selected by the instructor (some of the websites should have obvious flaws in them)
6. Students are to navigate to each website and evaluate it according to the criteria on the Evaluation Worksheet and in light of the goal given for the their research (i.e. “You are going find evidence to prove or disprove that the Apollo moon landings happened. Evaluate the following websites with this goal in mind.”). Each student is responsible for filling in two of the worksheets (using different colors?).
7. When students are finished, they will choose which of the given resources is the one they are most likely to use for their purposes and explain why. They will select the website they are least likely to use and explain why. Their written explanations and their original evaluation sheets will all be turned in together.
Periods 2 and 3
1. Students will continue working.
2. At the end of Period 3, students can present their ideas to the class.
Assessment/Evaluation:
Informal assessment will be done by the instructor by observing the students while they are working looking for evidence of engagement and attentiveness to the criteria on the worksheet.
Formal Assessment will be based on the final evaluations created by each student grouping. Assessment should include the written evidence on the Evaluation Worksheets but a verbal interview could be substituted for a written final evaluation. Criteria should include:
· Evaluations are thorough
· Evaluation questions answered correctly based on evidence at the site
· Final assessment-well reasoned based on evidence
· Prioritized which criteria to emphasize (i.e. bias counts for more than no spelling mistakes)
Follow-up Activities: This will lead into the next lesson in this unit which will be focused on independent search strategies. As students begin finding their own sources of information on the internet, they will be continually required to evaluate their sources, thereby reinforcing the lessons of this assignment. Later in the year this lesson will be reinforced yet again when the students are required to do research reports in Language Arts.
References
Websites for Whole-Group instruction:
· http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html Nice, all-ages site that shows how a website can be utterly ridiculous but look professional
(Any of the DHMO websites would serve a similar purpose for older kids)
· http://www.dinosauria.com/
Built by a hobbyist
· http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/
Very slick and professional looking; reliable source
· http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/dinosaur.html
Check out the URL; provides references
Websites for Student Evaluations:
The Goal: evaluate websites that argue pro and con whether the Apollo Moon Landing really happened.
· http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/cosmicapollo.html
· http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/Academy/UNIVERSE/MOON.HTML
· http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html
· http://www.redzero.demon.co.uk/moonhoax/
Web Site Evaluation
Your Name: ______
Web Site URL: ______
Web Site Title: ______
Note: answering yes or no to any one of these questions has no impact on the usefulness of a site; the idea is to build up a whole picture of whether this is a good resource for you.
What can you tell about the author? / Y/N· What can you tell about the author from info on the website?
· What can you tell about the author from the web address/ domain?
· Does the website look professional?
· Are there major grammar and/or spelling mistakes?
· Is there a date showing when the site was updated?
· Who is the author(s) of this site?
· What is their connection to the subject?
· Do they have a reason to be biased in relation to the subject?
· Is it reasonable that they know what they’re writing about?
Relevance
· Is the website organized?
· Is there an introduction or summary?
· Are there headings or navigation that help organize the information?
· Are the images on the site relevant to the topic?
· Is the writing/ depth of information appropriate for what you need?
Quality of information
· Do the facts and arguments seem reasonable?
· Are there any facts that contradict what you already know?
· Does the site list resources/links to other websites that support what it says?
· Can you find similar information in unrelated sources?
· Who links to this site?
· Are arguments supported with other sources?
Bias
· Does the author/organization have an agenda to promote or something to sell?
· Are there questions or issues that the author does not address?
Is this a useful Website? Why?