EVALUATING ONLINE RESOURCES PLAN

LESSON SAMPLE

LESSON TITLE

Is it Reliable? Online Resources

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1.3A: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for
their intellectual or creative pursuits.

1.3B: Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility, and relevance of information, media, data,
or other resources.

1.3C: Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create
collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.

1.3D: Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas
and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions.

FOCUS QUESTION

How do I know if the online resources is reliable and unbiased?

RELATED QUESTIONS

How do I know if the online resource is relevant?

Where can I find reliable resources online?

How do I know if the author is biased?

OBJECTIVE

In this lesson, students will identify and analyze reliable information online. They will support
their analysis with evidence from the source.

RESOURCES NEEDED

 Computer/device
  Internet
 “How to Evaluate Sources for Reliability.”
 Evaluating a Source
 Analyzing Sources” Activity cards
 What is a Reliable Source Anyway?
 CRAAP Test

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

Activating Strategy: Think, Pair, Share: Ask students the following question: What does the
word “reliable” mean to you? They will think about it for 1 minute. Students should be prepared
to share what the word means and use it in a sentence. When their minute is up, they will turn
and tell their elbow partner what they believe the word “reliable” means. Teacher will call on
two to three students to discuss their responses aloud with the class. Based on responses, explain
to students that reliable means “able to be trusted.” Explain that we will be determining reliable
sources today prior to doing research for our informational writing assignment.

Mini-Lesson: Students will start by watching the video “How to Evaluate Sources for
Reliability.” Review the checklist with students on Evaluating a Source. Teacher will model the
first portion of Evaluating Sources in their digital textbook. Students will review sources and
determine if they are reliable as well as compare which source is better for specific topics.
Teacher models the first option “Spiders and Insects” to show how to determine which source is
better. Teacher then invites students to think along with them with the next option “Dinosaur
Fossils.” Students will release the students to work with their table groups to compare the rest of
the examples “The Wright Brothers,” “The Special Olympics,” and “Active Volcanoes.”
Students will share their choices aloud to show they understand choosing the correct sources for
specific topics.

Independent Practice: Students will complete “Should You Use This Source?” This assignment
gives students a list of scenarios for research topics and then shows the source the person used to
complete the assignment. The student must decide if they are using a reliable and relevant source
for the topic. They will then complete the activity “Which Source is Most Useful?” This activity
provides scenarios again and the student must choose the best source to use for the topic. This
activity will help students to know what sources they should be using when conducting their own
research in the next portion of the unit.

EXTENSION IDEAS

 Students can use the CRAAP Test document to evaluate sources.

 Students can watch PBS learning video What is a Reliable Source Anyway?
 Teacher can provide students with a list of research topics. Student finds a source online
they deem “reliable” and “relevant” to give information on that topic.
 Students can complete the “Analyzing Sources” Activity cards.
 TEACHING TIPS

1. Review important vocabulary with students prior to the lesson, such as reliable and
relevant. This may include words such as “source” and “cite” as well.
2. Make sure you emphasize to students the importance of finding reliable sources online.
This is because much of the information online is not reliable or true. Explain the
students the consequences of spreading false information.
3. Explain to students that the most reliable domains are “.edu” and “.gov.” “.Org” can have
reliable information, but it is an open domain and is not guaranteed to be reliable. That is
when students will need to use their own skills to determine if it is a reliable source. They
can refer to the checklist to help them.
4. Review the videos in the digital text ahead of time so that you are prepared with “why”
you have chosen the source that you did for the teacher model portion of the assignment.
5. Choose a list of research topics for students to search online and try to find a reliable
source as an extension activity.

ONGOING PLAN

Lesson 2 will focus strongly on active researching and implementing the skills taught in
yesterday’s lesson. Students will practice actual searching of the web to find a source on a
particular subject. For example, students will need to research “what influences a healthy self
esteem in teens.” They will research online to find a source of information on their topic. They
will use the CRAAP test worksheet to determine if the source is relevant and reliable. This will
allow students to practice researching skills before they are expected to do it for their own
informational writing assignment.

Lesson 3 will focus on citing sources in their paper. Teacher will model how to properly quote a
source explicitly as well as how to paraphrase from a source and give proper credit. Students will
practice citing texts both directly and paraphrasing, including providing the in-text citation. This
skill is pivotal in creating strong digital citizens and preventing students from accidentally
plagiarizing. Teacher will then show students how to complete a bibliography. The students will
be required to have one to two references when they write their papers, and the teacher will
provide step by step instructions on how to make this possible.

Lesson three is new to students and may require more than one day of practice. Once students
have the skills down for citing sources, teacher will introduce the informational writing
assignment to students. Students are expected to write an informational essay answering the
questions “How does cyberbullying affect teens?” They will need to write a four-paragraph essay
with at least two sources of information. Students must have an introduction with a strong thesis
statement, two body paragraphs explaining how cyberbullying affects teens, and a strong
conclusion that restates the main points of the essay and connects it to the bigger picture (why is
this topic important?). Students must have a bibliography with two reliable sources listed and
they must match the in-text citations provided. Students will use what they learned on
determining reliable sources and how to cite sources to properly write their essay.
All these lessons build on each other where they will not only allow students to strengthen their
writing skills in preparation for state testing, but they will allow students to improve in multiple
areas on their digital citizenship skills. Students will research the effects of cyberbullying,
practice finding reliable sources, and practice citing sources to give proper credit.

RATIONALE

According to the US Department of Diplomacy and Human Rights, “Digital Citizenship teaches
individuals how to engage and participate in responsible ways of using technology, in order to
protect themselves from internet dangers and respect each other’s human rights” (Cameron,
2022). Digital citizenship in education teaches students how to responsibly and safely use the
internet. Since covid, technology in education has grown exponentially, but students do not
always know how to responsibly and safely participate in the digital world. However, “Digital
citizenship and well-being go beyond conversations about personal responsibility. It is about
being active citizens who see possibilities instead of problems, and opportunities instead of risks
as they curate a positive and effective digital footprint” (ISTE, 2022). This means focusing on
what students should be doing online to be excellent digital citizens instead of focusing on what
not to do. The activities in the full and ongoing plans help students to focus on and learn the
ISTE standards of digital citizenship such as online safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility,
and information literacy. The lessons allow students to grow as digital citizens while working on
their content curriculum. According to ISTE, “digital citizenship is most effective when it’s
integrated into the curriculum across all grades, so the message gets reinforced again and again”
(Kreuger, 2022). This means that while it is still beneficial to teach the skills separately as health
or character classes, it is best when it can be woven into the everyday curriculum. The lessons
provided in this lesson combine digital citizenship skills with the content standards of sixth grade
Language Arts.

The lessons provided within this lesson plan build upon each other as students develop the skills
necessary to grow as a digital citizen. Each lesson focuses on the importance of evaluating online
resources for reliability and credibility. Students learn not only how to evaluate a resource online
but why it is important to know the difference between real and fake resources. This gives
students an understanding of real-world application and knowing that it is something they will be
doing as lifelong learners. Lesson one eases students into understanding the topic and comparing
the best sources to use for particular subjects. Lesson two allows students to put lesson one into
practice by going online and searching for reliable sources on a particular subject. They use the
CRAAP test to determine accuracy and reliability. Lesson three is an important next step in the
process, because it shows what students need to do next when they have found a source they
would like to cite in their own work. As a sixth-grade teacher, students are expected to do
research as part of their curriculum but have little to no experience with how to cite sources. This
lesson is incredibly important to teach them both research skills and digital citizenship skills.

The final lessons of writing their informational essays builds on their knowledge of digital
citizenship by having them research an important topic in the field: cyberbullying. Students
apply essential ISTE standards on digital citizenship through this assignment by planning and
employing effective research strategies, evaluating the credibility of information, curating
information from digital resources, and exploring real world issues and problems through the
research of the topic cyberbullying.

REFLECTION

Research is a major aspect of education that is required across all content areas. Since the rise of
technology in education is so profound, it is more important now than ever before that students
have a strong understanding of how to find credible sources when searching the web. There is an
ample amount of false information online, and much of it works hard to disguise itself as
reliable. People are tricked by false information online every day. It is our duty as educators to
prepare students for that possibility and teach them how to best review online material for
accuracy and reliability. Much of the false information online is posted onto social media and
spreads rapidly across people that do not actually read the articles, or do not know how to check
for credibility. To prevent themselves from falling for “fake news,” students can ask themselves
questions when reviewing a site to determine its credibility. They can ask who is the author? Are
they an expert in their field? When was this information written? Is it up to date? Is this a trusted
publication? What is the domain? Does the article back their claims with reliable sources? Does
the author show bias? The best way to teach the importance of exploring online resources was to
include these skills into a research project they are doing for Language Arts. Students can
practice their writing skills and their digital citizenship skills together. These are necessary skills
to learn when conducting research and they can show their rationale in their own writing.
Students can have their source credibility checked by the teacher prior to beginning their essays.
They use the CRAAP document to support their analysis.

EMOTIONS

I felt strongly about how I wanted this lesson to work the second I read about the expectations of
the assignment. I did not have how it would look laid out, but I knew I wanted to tie it into
conducting research for an informational essay. I work with students each year and expect them
to conduct research to respond to an informational essay question, and students do not have any
of the skills required to complete this assignment. Rarely are students explicitly taught how to
research, how to find reliable sources, and how to properly cite. I knew this is what I wanted to
focus on, while asking them to show their knowledge and skills in their own research papers.
Students have truly not been explicitly taught these skills and benefit from the teacher model of
each section of this lesson prior to practicing the skills on their own.

PERSPECTIVES
Teacher: I designed this plan specifically to target the necessary skills to conduct proper research
and apply these skills to future assignments for the rest of their school career. I deliberately
included the I do, we do, you do strategy with each lesson to allow students to see a teacher
model of each strategy, work with peers to try it on their own, and then complete the work
independently for further practice. The lesson specifically targets evaluating online resources
with the purpose of conducting research. I wanted them to have a clear understanding of their
expectations prior to asking them to conduct their own research and apply these skills in their
own informational essay.

Student: I have never been taught how to research before and had no idea there was so much
unreliable information online. In past research assignments, I have just typed in questions and
used the first sites that came up as my sources of information. I have never been shown how to
cite information or give credit when I use someone else’s work. These lessons let me practice the
skills and helped me prepare for the research paper that we are writing. I understand that we are
learning how to be good citizens in the digital world.

ADDRESSING DIVERSE LEARNERS

As a digital citizenship educator at the most diverse middle school in our county, I implemented
strategies within the lesson to target the diverse learning needs of my students. This includes
explicitly teaching specific vocabulary, providing visuals for each lesson, and using different
forms of media to practice the information. For example, when comparing reliable sources, I
used audio, video, and written articles. This allowed for different learner styles to have the
opportunity to use the way they learn best to practice the skills. I used a variety of examples that
could be relatable or relevant to many different students. Each lesson provides the opportunity to
pull small groups for students that may need more explicit instruction, while allowing other
students to work in their own collaborative groups to learn from one another.

POSITION

As an educator, I believe explicitly teaching students digital citizenship skills is incredibly

important. Students will be using the internet for not only the rest of their career as students, but
for the rest of their lives. There can serious consequences to a lack of knowledge in digital
citizenship and there are many times that grown adults have paid for things they did online as
young as middle school. Middle school is such an important age to start teaching digital
citizenship skills. They truly need to know how to be safe online to protect themselves, what to
post, what information to share, and how to determine credible sources. I believe it is possible to
weave digital citizenship skills within content lessons to make for more meaningful experiences
for students. People not knowing the difference between real and fake news has been an
increasing problem in society today, and it is important to start our students on these lessons as
early as possible to produce responsible, ethical, and knowledgeable citizens in the digital world.
 ACTIONS

As an digital citizenship educator, I will continue to revise and improve on my implementation

strategies as I teach these skills to my students. Upon implementation, many of my students will
immediately grasp the skills and many will need more development and explicit instruction to
help them understand how to determine reliable and accurate sources. While this lesson was
strong, as the lessons continue, it builds on the levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, making the
expectation of showing proficiency more difficult with each task. While students grasped pretty
quickly how to determine which source was best for each particular topic, the skill of finding
your own reliable source can be more difficult. The CRAAP document and the checklist are
great tools to help students determine reliable sources, but some students will need more one-on-
one instruction to make these inferences for themselves.

My students have made clear they have never had any formal digital citizenship lessons in the
past and will need to continue their education in this department. They had no understanding of
how to write an in-text citation, and even needed explicit modeling on how to directly quote
from a source in a paper. This let me know we will need to continue this practice in other lessons
and activities throughout the year to continuously improve on this skill.

References:

Cameron, J. M. (2022, May 26). What is Digital Citizenship and why is it important?. USIDHR.
https://usidhr.org/what-is-digital-citizenship-and-why-is-it-important/

“Digital Citizenship in Education.” ISTE. Accessed May 19, 2022. https://www.iste.org/areas-of-

focus/digital-citizenship.

Kreuger, N. (2022, September 27). 3 ways to weave digital citizenship into your curriculum. ISTE.
https://iste.org/blog/3-ways-to-weave-digital-citizenship-into-your-curriculum