Evaluating Websites
Created By:
Julie Ricker
Title/Role:
School Librarian
Organization/School Name:
Portsmouth High School
Location:
New Hampshire
Grade Level:
12 Type of Lesson:
Lesson in a unit Type of Schedule:
Combination Collaboration Continuum:
Limited Content Area:
Language Arts Content Topic:
Web Site Evaluation. Scenario:
Evaluating web sites is part of the English curriculum for Research Skills writing a research paper. After instruction from the librarian on web site evaluation and guided practice, students will write a ten page research paper on a topic of their choice. The paper requires 10 resources, three must be print and any web site sources must be evaluated. Students do an annotated bibliography for their research papers and students are required to hand in web site evaluations for the web site sources used in their papers. Some topics students have chosen in the past are golf, animal therapy,and music education. These topics are personal to the student and are usually something they want to learn more about. Students learn web site evaluation to build on their prior knowledge of navigating the web. Flexible scheduling in the library allows for the class to come to the library for instruction and time in the library to work on evaluating web sites. The librarian gives the instruction and the teacher and librarian help with the guided instruction. The assessment is done by the teacher when grading. Individual instruction occurs for students who need extra guidance with web site evaluation. Overview:
The concept of this lesson is to teach students the factors and indicators of what makes a web site credible or not credible and for the students to understand why it is important to use credible web sites when researching for papers. The essential question that students will explore is "what are the differences between a credible web site and a non-credible web site?" Final Product:
10-page research paper. Library Lesson:
The goal of the lesson is for students to learn how to evaluate web sites. In doing so, students will learn how to use different factors such as author, copyright date, updated date, and contact information to decide if a web site is credible and reliable. This will assist students in writing a well-rounded and trustworthy research paper. Estimated Lesson Time:
90 minutes Have you taught this lesson before:
Yes Strategies for differentiation:
This lesson could be taught in a more simplistic format, such as using just the basic criteria outlined in the PowerPoint as well as the student viewing the PowerPoint one-on-one with the para, librarian or teacher. Students requiring differentiated instruction could have assistance by their paraprofessional, librarian or teacher in the actual evaluation process by having the student pick the topic, the web sites and the assistance of the para, librarian or teacher running the computer for them and using the High School Web Site Evaluation Form created by the librarian. The student can state the criteria after looking through the website with the help of the para, librarian or teacher and that person can then type in the criteria the student gives in the evaluation form.