Research Literacy ~ Website Evaluation

Write down your response to the following questions (in full sentences): (1) What does it mean to “evaluate” websites? (2) What is your current method of evaluating websites when you do research? DO NOW:

How can we identify and evaluate a reliable website? AIM:

Wading Through the Web InternetBooks/Text Anyone can publish a Web page No one checks to see if the information is true or false There are millions of places to look for information Using the Internet is much quicker You can narrow down what you’re looking for more easily The Internet uses search engines Both provide sources of information Both are viewed by millions of people each day Compare and contrast the Internet and books/texts. How do they differ? How are they similar? A book has to be published by a publishing company Editors check and verify the information Looking for a book can be more time consuming You have to visit a library The library uses the Dewey Decimal System

URL: (Uniform Resource Locator) The address identifying a specific site on the Internet. In the address  designates the TCP/IP protocol used to access the resource HtTP world wide web (  designates the TCP/IP protocol used to access the resource (the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, that is, the language used in accessing the address on the world wide web (  (.northwesternuniversity)represents the name of the institution or organization hosting the site  (.northwesternuniversity) represents the name of the institution or organization hosting the site  (.edu)type of entity serving as network host  (.edu) is a top level domain code indicating type of entity serving as network host.

For the United States, the six basic top level domain codes are:.com - commercial enterprise.edu - educational institution.gov - government agency.mil - military installation.net - network.org - nonprofit organization Remember these!

Cont.

What does the URL tell us? ~ Tilde (the “squiggle thingy”): specifies a user’s home directory. is the user name, butz is the user name, is the home directory of Arthur Butz ~butz is the home directory of Arthur Butz Remember what the tilde indicates!

How do we know who created a website? Use: Then type in Remember these!

What method do we use to evaluate websites? REAL Remember this acronym: REAL R R ead the URL E E xamine the page using prior knowledge A A uthor’s Credibility (Authority/Credentials) LL L ast Updated / L inks Remember this acronym!

How current is your information?

What can you learn about a webpage by who links into it link: To find out who links in to a page, try the link command [ link: ] in : Remember the altavista.com website and why you would use it!

Now it is your turn to practice. Remember the ‘REAL’ acronym! Your 4 classroom teams will evaluate one of these sites: future.com

Learning Standards New York City Curriculum Resources Information Fluency Continuum Phase: Investigate p. 18 Indicator: Identifies inaccurate and misleading information New York City Performance Standards Applied Learning Standard 3a: Gather information to assist in completing project work Applied Learning Standard 3b: Use information technology to assist in gathering, organizing, and presenting information Social Studies.5.d Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between fact and opinion. Social Studies.5.e. Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations. Social Studies.5.f Works individually and in teams to collect and share information and ideas. Social Studies.6.e. Recognizes sources of bias in data ELA.3.d. Make informed judgments about TV, radio, film.

Standards Technology Standards ISTE National Educational Technology Standard (NETS) Standard 5: Technology Research tools: -- Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources -- Students use evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks