Finding Sources
USING A SEARCH ENGINE
Alright. I'm going to say it. You guys suck at using Google (or any search engine for that matter). How do we know? Well, when you're given a question you don't know, what do you typically do? You enter the entire question into Google and use just the tiny little blurb it spits out as your answer. This works, right? NOT!! You don't even put any thought into whether that might even be the correct response or not.
This is so bad. It's a terrible way to find answer, let alone support anything you might be trying to write about. Because here's the thing: Google is not a source.
I'll say it again: Google is not a source!
When you're asked to support your writing with evidence from a source, Google doesn't count. It's a search engine. Not a source. Google gives you the sources; it is not a source itself. Please learn this and remember it forever.
For this lesson, you will look at specific ways to search Google that will give you more effective, reliable results.
Watch the video and pay attention to:
Search Terms
Refine Your Search
Exact Words or Phrases
Content Specific
Advertisements (Avoid)
To help optimize your searches, take a look at this document (you can get a printed one from one of the teachers to put in your binder).
WHAT IS CREDIBILITY? IT IS... = worthy of trust
If a source is credible, it is trustworthy. It's reliable. It's a source you would use with the confidence that it will support your argument in a good way.
It's not good enough to just have a source; it also needs to be a credible source. It needs to be reliable.
SO WHAT IS CREDIBILITY OF A SOURCE?
Watch the Crash Course video and take notes. Try to answer these questions:
What is credibility?
Why is credibility important?
How can I evaluate the credibility of a source?
Why is it dangerous to use secondary sources rather than primary sources?
What is the problem with the media as a source?
WHAT TO DO WHEN EVALUATING A SOURCE:
Check out this article and take notes on what you should consider when evaluating a source...
LET'S PRACTICE
Analyze the website below and consider: What makes you think the website is or isn't...
Accurate
Biased
Relevant
Reliable
www.akc.org/dog-breeds/bernese-mountain-dog/
So what should you look for when trying to find information that is trustworthy?
You should look for information presented in an unbiased and honest way from someone who is experienced and knowledgeable on the topic.
CHECK OUT THIS EXAMPLE...
If you've ever seen Harry Potter, you'll know that the newspaper is a common way to gather information from the Ministry of Magic. However, what did you learn about the media in the Crash Course? It's unreliable, right? And why is that again?
Did you notice, in the Harry Potter movies, the ministry spends several movies trying to prove that Voldemort has not returned? To do this, they publish many articles that prove Dumbledore is unfit and senile or Harry is a liar. It isn't until the end of the 5th movie/book that they actually see Voldemort and change their tune.
The media is used to spread lies and manipulations to the public. Check out the images taken from the movie:
And why is this such a huge problem?
In the HP movies, we obviously know that Voldemort did return, and they wasted a huge amount of time denying it when they could have been preparing to defeat him once again. They used propaganda and media to push their agendas and try to lead the public into their own manipulations. And it worked!
So, in our own lives, how might the media manipulate people? Why is fact checking and considering the credibility of the media so important?
FINDING RELIABLE SOURCES.
Look through the slides and take notes on how to find reliable sources.
FINAL ASSESSMENT:
Choose a topic of interest from the list below
Create a Google Doc and attach it to the assignment on Google Classroom (once you've completed the following:)
Find 4 sources you could use in a research paper: 2 reliable and 2 unreliable
Type the title of the website and then paste a link to the website underneath
Explain what makes the sources reliable and unreliable.
Year-Round Schooling
Homework
Standardized Testing
Corporal Punishment
Banned Books
Tablets vs. Textbooks
Social Media
Drug Use in Sports
Paying College Athletes
Video Games & Violence
Artificial Intelligence
Bottled Water Ban
Minimum Wage
Binge-Watching
Vaping
Obesity
Daylight Savings Time
Under God in the Pledge
Kneeling for National Anthem
Historic Statue Removal
Ready to move on? Did you...
Watch the videos and take notes?
Go through the slides and take notes?
Finish the practice?
Complete the mastery check?