WebQuest

Evaluating Websites for the Elementary Student

Add to Favorites

Process

20120301021549VutyT.jpg

STEP 1:  EXACTLY HOW MUCH INFORMATION DO I HAVE ACCESS TO?

Activity 1:  Complete a Google search using the term "cancer."  Record the total number of results on the Google Worksheet attached in the Resources Section at the bottom of the page.

Activity 2:  Complete a second Google search using the term "zoo."  Record the total number of results on the Google Worksheet.

Activity 3:  Complete a third Google search using a term of your choice.  Be sure to choose a topic that interests you!  (i.e.  basketball, horses, stars, etc.)  Record the total number of results as well as the URLs of the Top 5 results on the Google Worksheet.  Keep the Google Worksheet for Activity 2 in STEP 4!

STEP 2:  WHO CAN PUBLISH INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET?

Activity 1:  Visit the following sites.  See if you can determine who published the information.  Hint:  Look for names, contact information, qualifications, etc. often found on pages titled "About Us", "Philosophy", "Background", "Biography," etc.

Jackalope Conspiracy

and

The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency

STEP 3:  HOW CAN I SEPARATE THE GOOD FROM THE BAD?

Activity 1:  Use the following links to learn about the attributes of reliable websites.

QUICK:  The QUality Information ChecKlist

Berkeley:  Evaluating Web Pages

Duke:  Evaluating Web Pages

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Activity 2:  Using what you have learned, create a checklist of 15 to 25 attributes/questions that can be used in evaluating the reliability of information on the web.  Record your attributes/questions on the blank Evaluation Checklist located in the Resources Section at the bottom of the page.  Remember, the more attributes you use, the more likely you will be to locate reliable information!

STEP 4:  PRACTICE!!!

Activity 1:  Below you will find 3 questions, each accompanied by a pair of websites.  For each pair, one website is "Real" and one is a "Hoax".  Complete an Evaluation Checklist (created in Activity 2 of STEP 3) for each website and use it to help you determine which is which.  Notice that when you figure out which site is "Real" you will also have figured out the answer to the question.  Be sure to complete the  Justification Section of the Evaluation Checklist for each website.  Simply mark "Good", if the site is "Real", or "Bad", if the site is a "Hoax", and use 5-7 sentences to explain your findings.  Be sure to hand in ALL 6 evaluation checklists when you are finished!

1.  Which animal is real?

Haggis

or

Aye-Aye

2.  Which zoo would you visit?

Turtle Back Zoo

or

Sellafield Zoo

3.  Which hospital would you trust?

Scripps Mercy Hospital

or

RYT Hospital

Activity 2:  Now that you know what to look for, use your newly trained eye and carefully developed Evaluation Checklist to determine the reliability of the top five results produced by the Google search you performed in Activity 3 of STEP 1.    Turn in ALL 5 checklists and your Google Worksheet when you are finished!

Attachments


File

File

The Public URL for this WebQuest:
http://zunal.com/webquest.php?w=137540
WebQuest Hits: 73,348
Save WebQuest as PDF

Ready to go?

Select "Logout" below if you are ready
to end your current session.