Last updated: March 7, 2019
Lesson Plan
Critical Source Evaluation
- Grade Level:
- High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 90 Minutes
- State Standards:
- Arizona College and Career Readiness:
6-12.RH.1, 6-12.RH.2, 6-12.RH.5, 6-12.RH.6, 6-12.RH.8, 6-12.RH.9
6-12.RST.2, 6-12.RST.5, 6-12.RST.8, 6-12.RST.9
Essential Question
What are good practices for critical source evaluation?
Objective
Students will be able to:
Define "citation"
Name at least three criteria by which a source can be evaluated
Use deductive and inductive reasoning to draw conclusions
Evaluate the credibility of a variety of sources online and in the world
Background
The vast resources available on the Internet in the 21st century can be a treasure trove of information but can also be difficult to navigate. What is true and what is untrue? When is an author practicing sound research techniques? How do we determine whether a source is reliable or not?
The National Park Service preserves information in all types of forms (people, objects, documents) that can bring us closer to the primary sources we seek and that can verify or inform conclusions that we make.
Preparation
Evaluating Sources Worksheet
Materials
Evaluating Sources Worksheet
Download Evaluating Sources Worksheet
Procedure
Before a research project, introduce your students to the attached Evaluating Sources worksheet. This form can be used for a variety of materials including articles, websites, diagrams, personal interviews, etc. Make sure that students understand all the vocabulary included on the worksheet.
As a trial run, use the following sites on the Tumacácori National Historical Park website to test out the evaluation tool.Images
Mission records
Reports
Articles
You can explore the many reaches of Tumacácori's website for addition source information or plan a field trip to encounter more. The church itself is a primary source, as are the tortilla demonstrators, the river corridor, and the many artifacts in the musuem.
Vocabulary
source, citation, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, primary, secondary, correlation, causation, bias, persuasion