Curated OER
Slavery in the United States: Primary Sources and the Historical Record Lesson
Students analyze primary source documents to determine how life was for slaves. In this slavery lesson plan, students view online resources from the Library of Congress to analyze and discuss. Students select a final object to analyze...
EngageNY
Applying Research Skills: “Rachel Carson: Environmentalist and Writer”
It's important to cite sources! Scholars take a closer look at their research about DDT by examining how to cite sources. Learners take turns sharing information that would be used to cite sources to complement Rachel Carson:...
Curated OER
Sample Lesson 1: Is This Source Credible? Useful? Why and Why Not?
Build background knowledge for The Book Thief by Markus Zusak while teaching your pupils how to determine the credibility of online sources. The plan is designed to take place over the course of two days. On the first day, model how to...
Curated OER
Analyzing Sources on Imperialism
Ninth graders explore the concept of imperialism. In this imperialism lesson, 9th graders analyze primary sources regarding British imperialism in Africa. Students analyze the sources for credibility as they gain an understanding of the...
Curated OER
Rainforest/Informational Web Sites that are Credible
Fifth graders evaluate whether various rainforest websites are credible and can be used for research purposes. They listen to the story "The Great Kapok Tree," discuss what makes a website credible, and examine and evaluate various...
Curated OER
The Real World Revisited
Class members participate in a series of hands on, online, and multimedia activities to identify the difference between primary and secondary sources. They watch a related video and visit a variety of sites to locate primary and...
Curated OER
Taming the Wild Wiki
Take a look at the credibility of online sources such as Wikipedia. Discussion points and handouts are included to facilitate a meaningful and informative dialogue. Tips are given on how to determine if a Wikipedia article is reliable...
EngageNY
Grade 9 ELA Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 4
It seems like the first result in a search engine is the best source, but how can you be sure? An activity on assessing sources guides ninth graders through an integral part of their inquiry-based research project, based on questions...
West Jefferson High School
The Novel — Honor
For classes tackling To Kill a Mockingbird, this lesson plan sets readers up for discussions or essay writing with questions and prompts. The prompts encourage individuals to explore beyond the novel itself, looking at photographs from...
Common Sense Media
Legit-O-Meter
Pop-ups, banner ads, grammar mistakes ... these are all signs of an untrustworthy website. With the handy Legit-O-Meter poster, scholars can now double-check their sources to ensure accurate, reliable information. The color-coded poster...
EngageNY
Using Search Terms for Further Research: Industrial Organic Food Chain
Class members conduct independent research to continue examining the consequences of the industrial organic food chain from Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Pupils learn about source credibility and effective search terms, then...
Newseum
Can I Trust the Creators?
It's easy to find information at the click of a mouse, but is it trustworthy? Pupils learn about the E.S.C.A.P.E. acronym for evaluating sources. Next, learners read a news story and evaluate its sources to determine credibility. Last,...
EngageNY
Researching Digital Sources, Part 1: Guided WebQuest
We are living in a technical world. Scholars learn how to examine digital resources for their research on DDT. They explore a list of websites using a Digital Resources on DDT sheet. Learners examine their research notebook to determine...
EngageNY
Deepening Your Research
Give credit where credit is deserved. Scholars discuss what makes a credible source as they take a look at "An Apparel Factory Defies Sweatshop Label, but Can It Thrive?" Learners read the article to look for answers to the research...
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
Two Truths and a Lie: Internet Research Skills
It's tough for high schoolers to assess what is a credible resource and what is not. A helpful resource prompts class members to research a particular topic and record two facts—and create one lie—while documenting the sources. They then...
Curated OER
Conducting Research Online
In a day and age when publishing online has never been easier, high schoolers need to know how to identify a credible source. Choose the PowerPoint slides most relevant to your lesson and spend more time on the hands-on activities provided.
Newspaper Association of America
The News
Young journalists learn about topics such as newspaper ethics, parts of a newspaper, credible sources, and different types of articles. The lesson empowers individuals and gives them the capability to express their voices through the...
Nemours KidsHealth
Media Literacy and Health: Grades 6-8
Internet suffers could drown in the volume of information available on line. Here's an activity that can be a lifeline and buoy confidence in middle schoolers' ability to find reliable information and credible sources. After reading...
Curated OER
Alphabet Soup Job Descriptions
Eleventh graders investigate New Deal programs. In this Great Depression activity, 11th graders read the provided source materials that detail the agendas of 3 New Deal agencies. Students complete the provided analysis sheets and then...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 2: What Happened in July 1967? How Do We Know?
Even in a world in which dozens of participants and curious onlookers record every controversial event, the basic facts of what happened are often in dispute. Revolution '67, Lesson 2 explores 1967 Newark, New Jersey using an examination...
Newseum
Putting the Consumer's Questions to Work
Who, what, when, where, why, and how are good questions to ask when evaluating a source. First, scholars find two sources of information relating to a chosen topic. Next, pupils complete a worksheet to gauge the source's credibility....
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...