Evaluating Online Sources

Introduction

We all go online to find information that answers questions for school and our personal lives, but it's not always easy to decide if an online source is credible or not.

In this lesson students will be able to:

  • compare the two main ways (vertical and lateral reading) people evaluate online sources.

  • apply knowledge about lateral reading to properly fact check an online source.

Opening Question

Think about a big purchase you recently made. What factors played into your decision? What research did you need to do to gain all the information you could?

Some things to consider: Did you go to websites you know are reliable to find out more information? Trust particular friends’ opinions? Look at reviews?

It is important to fact-check information when we do personal research and academic research.

Below you will learn about two common ways people evaluate sources and learn more about the best way to fact-check online information.



Part 1: Denmark's Dollar Forty-One Menu

You’re going to evaluate an article, “Denmark’s Dollar Forty-One Menu” on the website minimumwage.com. Minimumwage.com is paid for by another person or organization. Figure out who is behind this site. You can open up new tabs—do whatever you normally would to learn about a site. You can stay on the page or go out to another website. After you evaluate this article/website, respond to the Google Form to the right.

Article link: Denmark’s Dollar Forty-One Menu



Part 2: Vertical Reading vs Lateral Reading

There are two common ways to evaluate sources, using vertical reading and lateral reading. Reflect on which method you used to evaluate the Minimumwage.com article, "Denmark's Dollar Forty-One Menu."

  • Vertical Reading: Staying within a website to evaluate the credibility of the source. Those who use vertical reading check information on the webpage like the About Page, Contact Information, etc., but do not open new tabs and fact-check information by leaving the website.

  • Lateral Reading: On the other hand, those who read a website laterally leave the website to evaluate the credibility that source. Think about what you can learn about a site by leaving it. Before you spend too much time on an unfamiliar site, open up a new tab and start Googling.


Part 3: Re-evaluate Denmark’s Dollar Forty-One Menu.

This time, user the lateral reading techinique. Open up a news browser windwo and use Google for more information on Minimumwage.com. Then, complete the Google Form to the right.

Part 4: the College versus the Academy

Use the lateral reading technique to evalute the following two websites. Then, complete the Google Form.

Website #1: American College of Pediatricians

Website #2: American Academy of Pediatriacs

Part 5: Wrap up and Exit Ticket

Watch the following video from the Stanford History Education Group and complete the Exit Ticket below.