Curated OER
Evaluating Accuracy and Adequacy
Evaluate non-fiction works with your English class. While practicing a variety of strategies detailed in the plan, readers compare and contrast the information in three non-fiction passages about the same topic. They then discuss the...
Media Smarts
Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion?
Divide your class into groups to study the validity of online sources. One group looks at the authority and accuracy of four listed websites, another group looks at advocacy and objectivity, and the third group looks at currency and...
Curated OER
How to Locate and Evaluate Information, Part I - Online Catalog
Using the online catalog, researchers locate and record on a citation template specific sources for their research paper. A library specialist models searching strategies while the teacher introduces the research paper process. Daily...
Curated OER
A Valid Conclusion? Testing and Reporting on Hypotheses Using the Scientific Method
Students explore importance of accuracy in reporting, focusing particularly on articles documenting scientific discoveries, and practice scientific method by conducting experiments to test and report on scientific hypotheses.
Curated OER
Check It Out: Verifying Information and Sources in News Coverage
If it’s in the news it must be true, right? Prompted by a New York Times article, class members consider the importance of accuracy in reporting and validating sources. The detailed plan includes warm-up exercises, discussion questions,...
Curated OER
Past Imperfect: Examining Secondary Sources of the American Revolution
Ninth graders respond in essay form to the following writing prompt. Mel Gibson, star of The Patriot, is quoted as stating, "If one were to adhere to historical accuracy all the way, you'd probably have the most boring two hours on...
Curated OER
Web of Deceit
Check the validity of Internet web sites analyzing the accuracy of the information. Students will use this knowledge to create their own web site about a person of their choosing.
IREM
Conflict Management Styles Assessment
How do you prefer to handle conflict? And what does your approach say about you? Although not a validated, or scientific instrument, this assessment is sure to generate lively discussion.
Curated OER
Savvy Surfers: Website Evaluation and Media Literacy
Sixth graders strengthen their understanding of what a high quality website is composed of. Learners evaluate three websites for accuracy, credibility, and reliability by completing a chart.
Curated OER
Critical Evaluation of a Web Page Lesson Plan
Pupils research and examine importance of evaluating source and validity of information found on a web site.
Curated OER
Smoking Out Valid Information About Smoking
Eighth graders work in teams to investigate the authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency & coverage of web sites related to tobacco use. They have previously been taught the concepts of authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency...
Curated OER
Hamlet Research Paper: Find, Evaluate, and Select Appropriate Research Sources
Help young researchers find credible sources online. Modeling with a Google search for information about Shakespeare’s Macbeth, use a computer projector or Smart Board to show class members how weak the top three search results are....
Curated OER
Comparing Visual Interpretations and Actual Events: War & Battle
A Venn Diagram is used to compare artistic and historical representations of a single event. Young analysts view the provided images, read textbook descriptions, and discuss the validity of each representation in terms of bias and...
Curated OER
To Dam or Not to Dam
Young ecologists explore the Aswan Dam in Egypt via the internet. Each collaborative group is assigned a specific article about the ecological impact of the dam. Then they prepare a presentation to share with the rest of the class. Some...
Curated OER
The Real World War II
High schoolers work in groups in order to investigate primary and secondary resources in order to make their own conclusions about the history of World War II. They look at the evidence critically looking to find valid resources.
Curated OER
You're the Scientist
Students explore ways to assess the accuracy and reliability of data reported by Journey North observers.
Curated OER
Rain Forests
Middle schoolers investigate claims of medicinal plants found in the rain forest. In this research skills lesson plan, students examine the validity of Internet sources as they visit websites in search of information about rain forest...
Curated OER
Water Usage
Discuss how much water an individual might use for a shower, brushing teeth, and other activities. The website containing actual water use data for comparison is not valid, but perhaps you can find another by a quick internet search. At...
EngageNY
Modeling with Quadratic Functions (part 2)
How many points are needed to define a unique parabola? Individuals work with data to answer this question. Ultimately, they determine the quadratic model when given three points. The concept is applied to data from a dropped object,...
PBS
Broadcast News
Just because a story is on the news doesn't mean it's being presented fairly. Analyze news broadcasts with a instructional activity focused on evaluating television journalism. At home, kids watch a news show and note the stories...
Curated OER
Conceptual Change: The History of Thanksgiving
Twelfth graders investigate how to analyze, question and debate the validity of the information given to them from teachers, text books, the media and their peers. The purpose of this lesson plan is to foster a true understanding about...
Curated OER
Eggs On My Head
Students apply math skills using formulas to solve a Physics equation. Working individually, students create an equation to calculate the drop rate of an egg from a tower so it will hit a specified target, the teacher. Students test...
Curated OER
Help! I Am Lost at Fox Chapel
Sixth graders create a map to locate places on campus and share the map with another student. The other students use the map to locate certain places and validate for accuracy via a checklist. The parents use the completed map at open...
Curated OER
Time For Breakfast
This unit encourages students to assess the validity of a set of statements and then plan and carry out investigations to find out whether the statements are true. Students then carry out statistical investigations of their own.