#TIL Information Literacy Challenge
You learned a lot this year in your classes. You took notes in class, read, took tests, and wrote essays. Now, let's try learning something that wasn't covered in class. Something new and interesting that your classmates don't already know.
The rules, in general:
1. Your #TIL information must be in SOME way connected to something you heard about in class.
2. Your #TIL information must be arguably true. You've got to make a strong case that your #TIL information is real. No #fakenews, if you please.
3. Your #TIL information should be new and interesting to the people in your class. You want to find information that most people in class don't already know, and you want to find information that most people in class would agree is interesting.
Sharing Your Work Product
Submitting your Work Product, and getting it to appear on the table to the right:
Bonus learning for ECVHS students: be sure you have shared your Digital Portfolio at bit.ly/ecvshare.
Creating Your Work Product
You will create a page on your digital portfolio kind of like this one you're reading now (click here for how to add pages to your digital portfolio). You can add the page wherever it fits best in your navigation. Below are descriptions of the 3 parts your page needs. Your page will probably include embedded images and videos and more. As you embed images and videos and links to information sources, be sure you are keeping track of where you found it all in order to complete part 3.
Part 1
Give context for your #TIL
Briefly (~2-5 sentences) tell us what you learned and how it connects to something you heard about in class this year.
Bonus:
- The more interesting, the better.
- The fewer people in class who already know it, the better.
Part 2
Explain your your #TIL
What did you find? Be sure you really understand the information. What exactly do your information sources say? Don't confuse what you WISH your sources said with what they ACTUALLY said. Read beyond the clickbait. Remember, we're not looking for rumors here. We're looking for interesting information from trustworthy sources.
Why is this interesting to you? Why might it be interesting to others?
This is probably going to be the longest section of your page.
Bonus:
- Direct quotations are fine, but be sure you explain what you found in your own words. Copying and pasting is lame.
- Images that show your #TIL (save where you got them for part 3)
- Videos that show your #TIL (save where you got them for part 3)
Part 3
Defend the veracity of your #TIL
- Do this for at least 2 different sources.
This is the hard part. You've got to make a strong case that the information you found is accurate and can be trusted. Identify and think about your information sources. Consider these questions for each of your sources:
- Who is the author? What are the author's credentials / affiliations? Is the author an expert on the topic?
- Note: if author information isn't available for your information source, that could be a red flag.
- Another note: Wikipedia might be a great place for you to start, but it's NOT a source. It might help lead you to information sources, but it's not (in itself) an information source.
- No: "This information is true because on Wikipedia..."
- Yes: "I read _________ on Wikipedia, and then followed the citation to the information source used to make that statement. According to that information source..."
- Is the information published by a reputable publisher or organization?
- There are many, many sources of information out there. Have you heard of this information source? Do they get referenced by other journalists or experts? Your source doesn't have to be a mainstream news network or newspaper, but you should certainly avoid information sources that fact checkers regularly accuse of spreading false information. Maybe check if your source is mentioned at FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com, and Snopes.com.
- Is the information in the source cited? Do they say where they got their information?
- Why was this information published? To inform? To persuade? To entertain?
- How current is the information? Has it been disproven/questioned since being published?
As you consider the above questions, think about whether or not you should trust your source of information. Remember, you only meet the #TIL Information Literacy Challenge if you can successfully make the case that your information is true.