Web+Literacy+8



=**Web Literacy 8 : Getting R.E.A.L. : Look at the Links**=


 * Aim:**

What are forward links and backward links and how can they help you validate information on the Web?


 * Common Core State Standards:**


 * CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7** Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.


 * CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8** Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.


 * Objectives:**

Students will learn what forward links and backward links are and how they help you validate information on the Web.


 * Vocabulary:**


 * forward links
 * back links


 * Introduction:**

A forward links is the name given to a link from your Web site to a page on someone else's Web site.

Investigating forward links of Web sites can be an important validating step because it can sometimes help students evaluate whether a site contains biased, false, or quality information.

If all the forward links have the same domain name as the site you are currently on, then you should be suspect of the information.


 * Discussion:**


 * What is a Back Link?**

Back links are like digital threads that come from other sites. Any author can choose to link to another site - an author may even create a link to his or her own work. Back links are invisible. Unlike forward links, which are controlled by the Web site author, anyone in the world can create a link to a site from an external source. There are no link police!


 * Why Examine Back Links?**

A quick look to see who has linked to a site gives you perspective about the quality of information.

A list of external links potentially provides a range of thoughts or comments about any given page.

The reasons why someone chooses to link to another site vary, but usually some sort of purpose exists. Establishing who has linked to another site and what that purpose might be can help validate Internet information.


 * In-Class Activity:**

1) Create a new page on your wiki and name it Web Literacy 8. You will write all your answers on this page.

2) I want you to continue to either think about a topic you'd like to research, or to visit Web sites related to something you are learning in school. Perform a search in the search engine of your choice.

3) Find a Web site you'd like to scrutunize. If you can't think of one, use one of these: @http://www.umbachconsulting.com/miscellany/velcro.html, @http://www.improbable.com/airchives/classical/cat/cat.html, @http://www.genochoice.com/, @http://martinlutherking.org or @http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/. Ask yourself these questions and answer them on the new page you created on your wiki.


 * Who is linked to the Web site? (Look to see what other groups or individuals have linked to it. Are they schools or commercial sites? Read the URLs and titles carefully. Are there any patterns in the types of sites?)


 * Why are they linked? (What is the purpose of the link? Why have groups or individuals chosen to create a link to this site?)


 * What do other sites say about the material on the site? (Gain perspective about a site by reading what another site tells you about it. Cross-reference information and look for hidden bias).

a) Now go to Google and type in link:http://www.dhmo.org or any Web site you'd like to examine. (Be sure to leave no space before or after the colon). b) Once you click the search button, you will see an assortment of sites that have chosen to link to this site. Remember the questions to ask. c) Can you make any generalizations about this site? What perspectives do you gain after looking at the back links?

4) Examine both the forward and back links on **ONE** site and record on your wiki what you have discovered and whether you think it is a credible site. Ask yourself these questions for the forward links:


 * What are the URLs of the forward links? (The reason for checking the URL of a forward link is straightforward. It can help you see any patterns of reference. For example, does every forward link have the same domain name as the home page? If this site is a reputable, academic source, it should have a range of forward links to universities, museums, or government research sites. Of course, with any simple strategy of validation, this approach can backfire. It would be possible for any Web site to try to gain credibility by inserting forward links to an academic site).


 * Do the domain names change? (Chance of bias in information increases in an academic-type Web site if the same person writes all of the referenced material. Think of the equivalent in print material. If one author writes a book and all the reference sources within it, you probably wouldn't consider it quality research. Therefore it is important to look at the URLs of forward links to see who has written them. If the same domain name appears again and again in the forward links, and does not change, this pattern might suggest bias).


 * Summary Activity:**


 * Exit Ticket:**


 * @http://padlet.com/psarles/exitticket8**

3-2-1

Name 3 new things you learned from the lesson.

Name 2 areas in which you are still confused.

Name 1 way you might apply what you've learned to another area.


 * Source:**

November, Alan (2008). //Web literacy for educators.// Thousand Oaks, CA : Corwin Press.