Test before you trust

Test Before You Trust!

Identifying High Quality Sites

Source: Common Sense Media Inc. 2011 http://www.commonsensemedia.org

Some Questions for You• Can Anyone be an Author?

• What websites do you use for research?

• How do you know you can trust those sites?


Key Vocabulary• Evaluate:

– To carefully examine something to figure out its value

• Trustworthy:– Accurate and dependable

• Criteria: – Standards on which you base a judgment or decision

• Community (on the Web): – Group of people who are connected through a

website, often working on a common project

• Site Map: – A list of the webpages on a website


What Do YOU Think?• Who might you expect to write a book on an

endangered species in Australia?

– Wildlife biologist– Zoologist– Expert on Australian animals– Someone who has spent time in Australia studying

wildlife– Aboriginal people who know about the local wildlife


What Do YOU Think?

• What kinds of people might write an article about a new health care law just passed by Congress?– Health care experts– Doctors– Political scientists– Reporters who cover health care– Reporters in Washington who write about

Congress


What Do YOU Think?• Suppose YOU wrote a book about an endangered

species in Australia?– Would a book publisher be likely to publish it?

• What if you wrote an article about a new health care law?– Could you get a newspaper to print it?

• But, could you post your book or article on the web?


Books and Newspapers Versus Web• Website

– May or may not be published by an expert– Usually no editor– “Facts” might be opinions– Errors may not get fixed– May deliberately misrepresent

• Book and Newspapers– Authors who know their subjects– Editors and fact checkers


What You Should Know• The Web is Improving

• Standards are Being Developed

• Don’t assume its not true because its on the web

• View it with a critical eye!


How Can YOU Be a Reliable Author?

• Use Trustworthy Sources

• Learn a lot about your topic

• Check your facts carefully


Testing

• Is the author is an expert? Received awards?• Is the site run by a respected organization or type of

website (e.g., .gov, .edu)?• Is source from a well-known newspaper?• You arrive there from another trusted site


Review

• Why should you carefully evaluate websites before using their information in research projects?• Anyone can publish material of any quality on the Web.

– What questions do you need to ask?• See handout


Assignment 3

• Find and save 3 websites that you might be able to use for your Science Fair Project.

• Complete the worksheets for each of the three websites

• Due October 19, 2011


Test before you trust

Technology

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