1. Just the Facts How to be an Internet Detective
By Ashley Larsen & Jessica Ormonde
Pacifica Libraries

2. Is the Internet a Good Place to Find Information?
A good opportunity for a class discussion. I usually start by asking for a show of hands of who thinks the Internet is a good source or information, a bad source, or both. Then we discuss why both things can be true. Some benefits of the Internet: lots of information that can be accessed quickly and easily, and can be more up to date than print sources. Some downsides: misinformation, viruses and scams. 

3. Good Sources of Information
Government Web Sites
Museums
Universities
Newspapers and Magazines
I usually give some examples of each site. For Newspapers and Magazines we talked about the difference between an informational article and an editorial, an opinion piece where the information hasn't always been fact checked.

4. Here we ask the kids to identify the source (Monterey Bay Aquarium) and if they think it is a trustworthy site to use for information on Pacific octopus.

5. Bad Sources of Information
Web sites that are trying to sell you something
Web sites that ask for your personal information
Web sites that are deliberately misleading or fake
Web sites that are inaccurate or out of date

6. An example of a bad source. This is a famous Internet hoax
An example of a bad source. This is a famous Internet hoax.  I ask the kids if they have ever heard of a "tree octopus" or "zapatopi.net."

7. Five Questions to Ask The Five W’s WHO wrote it?
WHAT sources did they use?
WHEN did they write it?
WHERE is it published?
WHY did they write it?

8. WHO?
Can you find the author of the web site or article? Is that person an expert on the topic?
If an author isn’t listed, who created the web site?

9. Here I point out the author of the tree octopus site (Lyle Zapato), and the sentence about the site not being associated with any school or educational organization.

10. This is the web site for Lyle Zapato (creator of the tree octopus site). I read the class the top sentence ("The following redacted dossier file...") and ask if they know what a Sasquatch is, and if this seems like a legitimate source.

11. A better source of information on Pacific octopus
A better source of information on Pacific octopus. I ask the class to identify who posted the article.

12. Here I point out the author of the Birch Aquarium post on octopus.

13. The bio for the woman who wrote the Birch Aquarium post on octopus (and many other topics for the aquarium). I ask the class if she seems like a reliable source.

14. WHAT? WHAT sources did the author use?
WHAT kind of information is provided?
Is it relevant to your topic?
Is it at the right grade level? 
Can you find the same information from other sources?

15. Here I point out the name of the curator featured in the video, and ask if he seems like a good source of information.

16. WHEN? WHEN was the article or web page written? Can you find a date?
Does your topic require recent information? For example, an article about Fortnite would need to be written more recently than one about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Do all of the links on the web site work? Does it seem to be a site that is being maintained?

17. Here I ask the kids to find a date (2001), and point out the last sentence about there being 9 planets in the solar system. We talk about how Pluto was classified as a planet until 2006, when it was reclassified as a "dwarf planet." We talk about the importance of using more current information for topics like space.

18. WHERE?
WHERE did you find the information? What kind of web site is it?
Look at the web site address for clues about what kind of site it is:
.edu = Education (Schools, Colleges, etc.)
.org = Organization (Museums, Nonprofit groups, etc.)
.gov = Government
.com = Commercial (Businesses)
Some kids ask about .net when we get to this slide. I explain that .net used to be primarily used for networks like Earthlink or Comcast, but that now it can be used by anyone. 

19. A sample Google search on "pacific octopus
A sample Google search on "pacific octopus." I ask the class which links they think would be good to use, and point out the word "Ad" next to the bottom two links. We talk about how usually the links at the top and bottom of the search results are there because someone paid Google to put them there. We also talk about the third link, which is a Google site that could have been created by a student.

20. WHY?
WHY was the web site created? Was it meant to provide information, to collect other people’s information, or to sell something?
Does the author seem to be trying to persuade you to do or believe something? 
Watch out for “clickbait:” web sites that are trying to convince you to click on a link or visit a particular page, usually with news that is meant to sound shocking or mysterious

21. An example of clickbait
An example of clickbait. We talk about how some authors are paid to create articles that will lead people to visit a particular web site using phrases like "You won't believe" or "What happened will shock you."

22. What About Wikipedia? Anyone can create a Wikipedia page or edit one
Can be a good source of information, but always check to see if you can find the same information from a reliable source 
Look for red flags at the top of the page
Good Wikipedia articles will list sources at the bottom

23. An example of a Wikipedia article with red flags at the top, showing that the page has some issues that need to be corrected.

24. The Wikipedia page for the Pacific Northwest tree octopus, which explains that it is an Internet hoax. This article has no red flags, and may be a good source of information, even though it is about something that was untrue.

25. Here I point out the references and links at the bottom of the Wikipedia page, which may be good sources to use as well.

26. Library resources: smcl.org
Library Catalog
Biography in Context
Kids InfoBits
General OneFile
California Social Studies Fact Cards
U.S. History in Context, World History in Context
Science in Context
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
These are resources available through our local libraries, which we go over on the library web site.

27. Questions?