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

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 clothes and 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. 2 ACTIVITY

Readaloud from to-buy-a-used-car/ READING ISN’T

…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. 4

5 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

Agenda 1.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 WEBSITE RELIABILITY CHECKLIST Use this 5-point checklist to evaluate websites for reliability. It will help you decide whether a particular site is worthy of inclusion in a college-level research paper. 1) VALIDITY a) Who is the author(s) of the site? Look for their credentials. b) Is contact information provided? The author should be accountable for her/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)? This indicates 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 an institution).

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

3) CONTENT a) What is the depth and breadth of the information offered? Be wary of too much or too little. b) Are there links to other useful and reliable sites? They should be relevant to the 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 or table of contents they should assist with navigating the information. e) Does the advertising overpower the content? It shouldn't.

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

5) ACCURACY a) 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 Apr 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

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 WEB SITE URL: _______________________________________________________

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. Developing The 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. Acceptable The 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.

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 WEB SITE URL: _______________________________________________________

Exit Ticket Here is the citation for the web site: