Web+Literacy+5



=**Lesson 5 : How to Validate Information on the Web**=


 * Aim:**

How do we validate information we find 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 to use several different ways to validate information on the Web.


 * Vocabulary:**


 * users, people, members
 * extension
 * users, people, members
 * extension


 * Essential Question:**

When you search the Internet, how do you know that the Web site you like is a good one or not?


 * Introduction:**

As discussed, you need to have an understanding of Internet grammar, syntax, and cross-referencing.

You know how to use a search engine, but do you know how to think critically about the information you find there?

Too often, students accept information that looks authentic as the "truth," and this is one of the dangers of the Web.

You need to be aware that //anyone// can publish //anything// on the Web.


 * Discussion:**


 * Getting R.E.A.L.**

REAL is a short and easy acronym for steps involving a set of skills and concepts to validate Web information.

You can start by asking, "Is this information REAL?"

Finding information on the Web is completely different than searching for a book in the library.

A book in the library clearly displays the author's and publisher's name, along with when it was written.

It's organized in stacks alphabetically or by the Dewy Decimal system.

Web sites are less clear with this type of referential information.

You do not always know the author, the publisher, or how long ago the information was updated.

And most important, because anyone can be an author, you cannot always trust what you read.

People might pretend to be an expert on a topic when really they are not.


 * There is no fiction or nonfiction area of the Internet.**

Although a site may or may not appear to be authentic, one of the most expedient ways to find out is to glance at its address.

Knowing how to recognize bits of information in the URL may provide information or clues about a site, its publisher, and its relationship to other sites.

Ex. : http://pubweb.northwester.edu/~abutz/di/intro.html

You should ask yourself three basic questions when reading a URL


 * Do you recognize the domain name?

The domain name can sometimes provide clues about the quality of information or tell you what a site is about.


 * What is the extension in the domain name?

.k12 - schools in the US although not all schools use this .sch - some schools outside the U.S. use this .edu - educational organizations (most U.S. colleges) .ac - academic institution (not used in the United States) .com - commercial .org - any organization .gov - government agency .mil - military institution .net - network

.com, .org, and .net can be owned by anybody but the rest can only be obtained and used by educational institutions or government organizations


 * Are you on a personal page?

If you do not recognize the domain name or extension of a URL, keep reading past the first forward slash for more clues to see if you are on a personal page.

Look for the following:

a name, like abutz

Tilde (~)

Percent sign (%)

The words, //users, people//, //pubweb//, or //members//

Many personal pages can contain useful information or links to important resources and helpful facts. Just keep in mind that personal pages sometimes offer biased opinions.


 * Class Activity 1:**

1) Create a new page on your wiki and name it Web Literacy 5.

2) In the following URLs, find the extension in the domain name. What does each extension mean? Without visiting each, what can you tell about the site from just reading the domain name?


 * http://www.nike.com/
 * http://www.si.edu/
 * http://users.catsinfo.com/
 * http://www.sandiegozoo.org/
 * http://news.bbc.co.uk/
 * http://www.seaworld.com/cat_stevens
 * http://www.cam.ac.uk/
 * http://www.upeg.edu/~user/
 * http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/
 * http://census.gov/
 * http://www.musictheory.net/
 * http://people.dogowners.org/~psarles
 * http://www.army.mil/
 * http://www.dublin.k12.ca.us/
 * http://rutgers.edu/
 * http://theafa.org/
 * http://members.tripod.com/leann_mcclain
 * http://pubweb.northwestern.edu/~abutz/di/intro.html
 * http://af.mil

Answer for each like this:


 * **Domain Name** || **What it means** ||
 * nike.com || The extension is //.com// The extension tells you it is a commercial site. You can tell this is the home page for the sporting goods store Nike. ||
 * si.edu || The extension is //.edu//. The extension tells you it is an institution of higher learning from the United States. In this case, //si// refers to the Smithsonian Institution. This is their home page. ||

1. nike.com - The extension is //.com// The extension tells you it is a commercial site. You can tell this is the home page for the sporting goods store Nike.

2. si.edu - The extension is //.edu//. The extension tells you it is an institution of higher learning from the United States. In this case, //si// refers to the Smithsonian Institution. This is their home page.

Do the same for the rest of the Web sites.


 * Class Activity 2:**

Go to this site: @http://www.ibiblio.org/team/history/controversy/970107-Butz.html and read the short press release issued by Northwestern University about the controversy caused by Arthur Butz's personal pages at Northwestern University. Based on the release, you may be wondering why Professor Butz's site is no longer hosted at Northwestern. As it turns out, Northwestern decided that they would no longer host these open personal pages.

Now answer the following questions on your wiki:

1. Is the value of intellectual freedom more important than protecting society from views that are contemptible?

2. At what point does the protection of intellectual freedom outweigh protection of the truth?

3. What actions would you take if you were the president of the university?


 * Summary Activity:**


 * Go here: @http://padlet.com/psarles/exitticket5 and answer these three questions:**

I knew....

I now know....

I was surprised to learn....


 * Source:**

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