Title of Unit Curriculum Area

Evaluating Internet Sources

Literature/Composition

Grade Level Time Frame

9th
2 day (Lesson would be part
of larger unit on acquiring information literacy skills.)

Stage 1 Desired Results

Content Standards: ELA9W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing. The student a. Formulates clear research questions and utilizes appropriate research venues (i.e., library, electronic media, personal interview, survey) to locate and incorporate evidence from primary and secondary sources. b. Uses supporting evidence from multiple sources to develop the main ideas within the body of an essay, composition, or technical document. c. Synthesizes information from multiple sources and identifies complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium (i.e., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, or technical documents).

Understandings
Students will understand that: The internet can be used to find information. Internet sources are useful if they are valid and reliable. All internet sources need to be evaluated. All sources will not always be in agreement. Related Misconceptions: Any internet source is useful. The internet only provides web pages. All websites ending in .edu or .org are always valid. Only students have to verify web page content.

Essential Questions
Overarching Questions: How can the internet be used for more than just entertainment? What skills are necessary for gathering information in the digital age? Topical Questions:

Why must internet sources be verified? What information do you look for to verify a web pages reliability? Where on the web page do you find information about its contributors?

Knowledge and Skills Knowledge

Students will know: What criteria to search to find reliable internet sources. How to extract the pertinent details to provide research on selected topics.

Skills
Students will be able to: Successfully select meaningful internet sites as resources. Evaluate internet resources. Use information gathered from the internet to create a product.

Stage 2 Determine Acceptable Evidence

Students will understand that: The internet is a useful tool for gathering research. There are varying types of resources available on the internet. All sources are not credible, reliable, or valid. There are criteria to look for when determining a websites usefulness.

Stage 2 Evidence Performance Tasks

Video Podcast Evaluating Internet sources practice using the web evaluation guide mentioned in the podcast. Website evaluation guide.doc Wequest Reviewer GRASPS assignment evaluating student understanding of video podcast. See attached document: GRASPS Rubric

Other Evidence
Build Background activities: 1. Internet quiz (to be done at beginning of unit)- Students will take a pre-assessment quiz at the beginning of the entire unit on http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=prequiz&state =none 2. Fact or fiction scenarios On the day of this specific lesson, students will be presented with two brief scenarios. One of them will be fictional and one will be factual. Students will be told the source for each scenario. Then, they will determine which if real and which is fake. This will help them to understand the need to check the reliability of sources.

Learning activities: 3. Informal Comprehension check Guess the URL activity on http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=activity_guess _url&state=none 4. Students will complete and discuss the website evaluation guide activity provide in the codcast. Formal assessment 5. Final research project Students will complete a final webquest over Greek Mythology. This webquest will allow students to learn about the Greek pantheon. After this, students will identify their own skills and talents and determine which Greek would have bestowed those talents upon them. They will create a final product (will be encouraged to use Microsoft Publisher) to demonstrate their understanding of this research. The GRASPS assignment below will be integrated in this unit.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

1. After instruction of the entire unit, students will complete the What did you learn quiz? on http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=postquiz&stat e=none 2. Writing Reflection Students will provide a written response to the following question: How does this unit change the way you have previously done reports?

Stage 3 Learning Plan

The following serves as the learning plan for this unit. All items are listed in sequential order as they will be presented to the identified group of learners. This serves as the O of the WHERETO process forming stage 3 of the unit. Day 1 1. Students will take the Internet Basics quiz at the beginning of the overall unit. W, R 2. Read the standards to the students. Ask them what they think the standards and its elements are addressing. W 3. Pass out fact or fiction scenarios. Let students read each situation and make predictions as to which are real and fake. H 4. Allow students to listen to the vodcast at their individual computers with head phones. They will complete framed notes of the content and ask questions as needed. E,H, T 5. Students will complete the Guess the URL online activity. 6. After about 30 minutes of individual work, discuss the results of the website evaluation

guide used in the vodcast. R, E Day 2 7. Students will be given the GRASPS assignment. The assignment will be explained. Then students will be grouped to sit with their group members to work on assignment. W, H, E, R, E,T 8. At the end of the unit, students will complete the What I learned Quiz. E,R, E 9. Students will be given the final project rubric to be completed on their own. E, R 10. The final part of the unit will conclude with students explaining how future research reports will be completed. E

Sources: Web
http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=web_eval&state=none

Print Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J.(2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J.(2005). Understanding by Design: Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Name __________________________________________ Date _____________ Block_______ Web Site Evaluation Goal: Determine if the information contained in selected web pages is reliable. Role: Webquest reviewer Congratulations, you are a webquest reviewer! Audience: 9th grade The Situation: A number of new teachers have created webquest. However, it has been reported that some webquests are ineffectual in providing instruction. The school district has decided to hire a reviewer to evaluate all web based content before it is put to student use. Review committees have been formed to review various aspects of the webquests. Your committee will evaluate the websites being used in the webquests. Your goal is to provide quality control to ensure that teachers have selected reliable sources for their web projects. If you stumble upon sites with weak content, explain why the site is weak and make a recommendation as to some other site that would be better suited for the webquest. Wequests resource pages link: http://greekmythologybasics.weebly.com/ Product Performance and Purpose: This assignment will allow students to demonstrate their comprehension of web site evaluation. Students will look at a pathfinder that will be integrated into a webquest. This webquest will be the culminating assignment of their internet research unit. They will determine if the sources are valid and sufficient enough to be used as resources in the webquest to be created with them. They will work in groups of 3 to evaluated 6 out of 9 sites. They will compile one report to explain which sites where reliable and which were not. For both reliable and unreliable sites, they will provide evidence to explain their reasoning. Standards and Criteria for Success: 1. Students will listen to vodcast Evaluating Internet Sources. 2. Students will complete the webquest evaluation guide for the practice web site contained in the vodcast. 3. Students will ask any looming questions or view additional resources before proceeding to the next step. 4. Each student will evaluate six websites using the web site evaluation guide. 5. In small teacher selected groups, students will compare notes on the validity of 6 web sites from the pathfinder. Students will review sites again if discrepancies arise.

6. Students will compose one report as a group to describe which pages are credible and why they will be useful. They will also explain which sites are ineffectual, what problems arise with use of the sites, and what other site(s) can be used to replace the weak sites. 7. Students will participate in the writing process and peer editing. 8. Students will publish a final report for grading.

Research Report : Wesite evaluation

Teacher Name: K King Student Name: ________________________________________ CATEGORY Quality of Information 4 Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples. Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance. 3 Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 12 supporting details and/or examples. Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance. All topics are addressed and most questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each. Most paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence. Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors 2 Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given. Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance. All topics are addressed, and most questions answered with 1 sentence about each. Paragraphs included related information but were typically not constructed well. 1 Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.

Internet Use

Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.

Amount of Information

All topics are addressed and all questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each. Paragraph All paragraphs Construction include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence. Mechanics No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.

One or more topics were not addressed.

Paragraphing structure was not clear and sentences were not typically related within the paragraphs.

A few grammatical Many grammatical, spelling, or spelling, or punctuation errors. punctuation errors.

20 -16 = A 15 - 11 = B 10 - 6 = C 5-0 = F

Name_________________________________________________________ Date________________ URL__________________________________________________________________________ Web Site Evaluation Guide

Critical Questions Who?

Who is the author, publisher, or organization (look at the URL)? Is there contact information? What are the authors credentials?

My Notes

What?
What is the sites purpose? What is on the site, and how is it organized?

When?
When was the site created? When was it last updated? Do all the links work?

Where?
Where are the sources listed? Where can you find more information?

Why?
Why should I use this site? Why is this site better than another? Why is this site reliable?

Additional Notes: