Title of Unit Evaluating Internet Sources Grade 9th

Level
Curriculum Literature/Composition Time 2 day (Lesson would be
part of larger unit on
Area Frame acquiring information
literacy skills.)

Stage 1 – Desired Results

Content Standards:
ELA9W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing. The student
a. Formulates clear research questions and utilizes appropriate research venues (i.e.,
library, electronic media, personal interview, survey) to locate and incorporate
evidence from primary and secondary sources.
b. Uses supporting evidence from multiple sources to develop the main ideas within
the body of an essay, composition, or technical document.
c. Synthesizes information from multiple sources and identifies complexities and
discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each
medium (i.e., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches,
journals, or technical documents).

Understandings
Students will understand that:
 The internet can be used to find information.
 Internet sources are useful if they are valid and reliable.
 All internet sources need to be evaluated.
 All sources will not always be in agreement.
Related Misconceptions:
 Any internet source is useful.
 The internet only provides web pages.
 All websites ending in .edu or .org are always valid.
 Only students have to verify web page content.

Essential Questions
Overarching Questions: Topical Questions:
 How can the internet be used for more  Why must internet sources
than just entertainment? be verified?
 What skills are necessary for gathering
information in the digital age?  What information do you
look for to verify a web
page’s reliability?
 Where on the web page do
you find information about
its contributors?
 Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge Skills
Students will know: Students will be able to:
 What criteria to search to find reliable  Successfully select meaningful
internet sources. internet sites as resources.
 How to extract the pertinent details to  Evaluate internet resources.
provide research on selected topics.  Use information gathered from
the internet to create a product.

Stage 2 – Determine Acceptable Evidence

Students will understand that:
 The internet is a useful tool for gathering research.
 There are varying types of resources available on the internet.
 All sources are not credible, reliable, or valid.
 There are criteria to look for when determining a website’s usefulness.

Stage 2 – Evidence

Performance Tasks
 Video Podcast – Evaluating Internet sources practice using the web evaluation guide
mentioned in the podcast.
Website evaluation guide.doc
 Wequest Reviewer – GRASPS assignment evaluating student understanding of video
podcast. See attached document:
GRASPS
Rubric

Other Evidence
Build Background activities:
1. Internet quiz – (to be done at beginning of unit)- Students will take a pre-assessment
quiz at the beginning of the entire unit on
http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?
content=prequiz&state=none
2. Fact or fiction scenarios – On the day of this specific lesson, students will be presented
with two brief scenarios. One of them will be fictional and one will be factual.
Students will be told the source for each scenario. Then, they will determine which if
real and which is fake. This will help them to understand the need to check the
reliability of sources.

Learning activities:
 3. Informal Comprehension check – Guess the URL – activity on
http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?
content=activity_guess_url&state=none
4. Students will complete and discuss the website evaluation guide activity provide in the
codcast.
Formal assessment
5. Final research project – Students will complete a final webquest over Greek
Mythology. This webquest will allow students to learn about the Greek pantheon.
After this, students will identify their own skills and talents and determine which
Greek would have bestowed those talents upon them. They will create a final product
(will be encouraged to use Microsoft Publisher) to demonstrate their understanding of
this research. The GRASPS assignment below will be integrated in this unit.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

1. After instruction of the entire unit, students will complete the “What did you learn
quiz?” on http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?
content=postquiz&state=none
2. Writing Reflection – Students will provide a written response to the following
question: How does this unit change the way you have previously done reports?

Stage 3 – Learning Plan

The following serves as the learning plan for this unit. All items are listed in sequential
order as they will be presented to the identified group of learners. This serves as the O of
the WHERETO process forming stage 3 of the unit.
Day 1
1. Students will take the Internet Basics quiz at the beginning of the overall unit. W, R
2. Read the standards to the students. Ask them what they think the standards and its
elements are addressing. W
3. Pass out fact or fiction scenarios. Let students read each situation and make predictions as
to which are real and fake. H
4. Allow students to listen to the vodcast at their individual computers with head phones.
They will complete framed notes of the content and ask questions as needed. E,H, T
5. Students will complete the Guess the URL online activity.
6. After about 30 minutes of individual work, discuss the results of the website evaluation
guide used in the vodcast. R, E
 Day 2
7. Students will be given the GRASPS assignment. The assignment will be explained. Then
students will be grouped to sit with their group members to work on assignment. W, H, E,
R, E,T
8. At the end of the unit, students will complete the “What I learned Quiz.” E,R, E
9. Students will be given the final project rubric to be completed on their own. E, R
10. The final part of the unit will conclude with students explaining how future research
reports will be completed. E

Sources:

Web
http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=web_eval&state=none

Print

Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J.(2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J.(2005). Understanding by Design: Professional Development

Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Name __________________________________________ Date _____________ Block_______
Web Site Evaluation
Goal:
Determine if the information contained in selected web pages is reliable.

Role:
Webquest reviewer
Congratulations, you are a webquest reviewer!

Audience:
9th grade

The Situation:
A number of new teachers have created webquest. However, it has been reported that some
webquests are ineffectual in providing instruction. The school district has decided to hire a
reviewer to evaluate all web based content before it is put to student use. Review committees
have been formed to review various aspects of the webquests. Your committee will evaluate the
websites being used in the webquests. Your goal is to provide quality control to ensure that
teachers have selected reliable sources for their web projects. If you stumble upon sites with
weak content, explain why the site is weak and make a recommendation as to some other site
that would be better suited for the webquest.
Wequests resource pages link:
http://greekmythologybasics.weebly.com/

Product Performance and Purpose:

This assignment will allow students to demonstrate their comprehension of web site evaluation.
Students will look at a pathfinder that will be integrated into a webquest. This webquest will be
the culminating assignment of their internet research unit. They will determine if the sources are
valid and sufficient enough to be used as resources in the webquest to be created with them.
They will work in groups of 3 to evaluated 6 out of 9 sites. They will compile one report to
explain which sites where reliable and which were not. For both reliable and unreliable sites,
they will provide evidence to explain their reasoning.

Standards and Criteria for Success:

1. Students will listen to vodcast “Evaluating Internet Sources.”
2. Students will complete the webquest evaluation guide for the practice web site contained
in the vodcast.
3. Students will ask any looming questions or view additional resources before proceeding
to the next step.
4. Each student will evaluate six websites using the web site evaluation guide.
5. In small teacher selected groups, students will compare notes on the validity of 6 web
sites from the pathfinder. Students will review sites again if discrepancies arise.
6. Students will compose one report as a group to describe which pages are credible and
why they will be useful. They will also explain which sites are ineffectual, what problems
arise with use of the sites, and what other site(s) can be used to replace the weak sites.
7. Students will participate in the writing process and peer editing.
8. Students will publish a final report for grading.
 Research Report : Wesite evaluation
Teacher Name: K King
Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Quality of Information clearly Information clearly Information clearly Information has
Information relates to the main relates to the main relates to the main little or nothing to
topic. It includes topic. It provides 1- topic. No details do with the main
several supporting 2 supporting and/or examples topic.
details and/or details and/or are given.
examples. examples.
Internet Use Successfully uses Usually able to use Occasionally able Needs assistance
suggested internet suggested internet to use suggested or supervision to
links to find links to find internet links to use suggested
information and information and find information internet links
navigates within navigates within and navigates and/or to navigate
these sites easily these sites easily within these sites within these sites.
without assistance. without assistance. easily without
assistance.
Amount of All topics are All topics are All topics are One or more topics
Information addressed and all addressed and addressed, and were not
questions most questions most questions addressed.
answered with at answered with at answered with 1
least 2 sentences least 2 sentences sentence about
about each. about each. each.
Paragraph All paragraphs Most paragraphs Paragraphs Paragraphing
Construction include include included related structure was not
introductory introductory information but clear and
sentence, sentence, were typically not sentences were
explanations or explanations or constructed well. not typically
details, and details, and related within the
concluding concluding paragraphs.
sentence. sentence.
Mechanics No grammatical, Almost no A few grammatical Many grammatical,
spelling or grammatical, spelling, or spelling, or
punctuation errors. spelling or punctuation errors. punctuation errors.
punctuation errors

20 -16 = A
15 - 11 = B
10 - 6 = C
5-0 = F
Name_________________________________________________________
Date________________
URL__________________________________________________________________________
Web Site Evaluation Guide

Critical Questions My Notes

Who?
 Who is the author, publisher, or
organization (look at the URL)?
 Is there contact information?
 What are the author’s credentials?

What?
 What is the sites purpose?
 What is on the site, and how is it
organized?

When?
 When was the site created?
 When was it last updated?
 Do all the links work?

Where?
 Where are the sources listed?
 Where can you find more information?

Why?
 Why should I use this site?
 Why is this site better than another?
 Why is this site reliable?

Additional Notes: