Evaluating Sources Pre-Assessment

It is important to determine if a website's information is accurate. Which of the following would help you decide that the website's information is accurate?

• Words are misspelled
• The sources of photographs and data are identified
• Common sense tells you the information is false
• Quotations are used but no sources are given

You need to find information about the planet Jupiter for a school project. Your teacher wants one of your sources to be a Web page. You have found several that may work, but you must evaluate them to make sure they are good sites. Using the choices below, select the question that will NOT help you evaluate the sites.

• Who is the author of the information?
• How many people use the site?
• When was the site last updated?
• Is the author an expert on the subject?

Which term means lack of bias or prejudice?

• Coverage
• Objectivity
• Currency
• Accuracy

"The extent of the subject matter" refers to:

• Coverage
• Objectivity
• Currency
• Accuracy

You have used a search engine to locate websites on the negative effects of drugs on teenagers. Below are some websites that your search retrieved. Read over the site descriptions and choose the one that would best meet your information need.

• www.addictionscare.com -- A 24-hour addiction hotline in your community
• www.teendrugabuse.org -- Describes how illegal drugs affect the teen brain
• www.teenscenezeen.org -- Explains how to say "no" to drugs at a party
• www.teendrugabusers.us -- Provides help for parents with troubled teens

The content of websites can change frequently. In order to make sure the information is current, you need to look for which of the following?

• The date the site was created and the date the information was updated
• The date the information was updated and the organization sponsoring the website
• The date you accessed the information and the date the site was created
• The name of the author and the date you accessed the information

Read the selection below. Which sentence demonstrates the author's opinion about the topic rather than fact?
Many species have become endangered due to the destruction of the rain forests. People around the world have become more aware of how destructive deforestation is to the environment and wildlife. This is a cause that all people should be willing to give money towards to stop it from happening.

• People around the world have become more aware of rainforest destruction.
• Species are becoming endangered due to habitat destruction in the rainforest.
• People should be willing to give money to help save the rainforests.
• Deforestation hurts the environment.

You are working on an assignment about the earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010. You came across a quote attributed to Trenton Daniel of the Miami Herald. What would be the best resource to use to verify the authority of this quote?

• Wikipedia
• A newspaper and magazine database
• An encyclopedia
• A Google search

"The worst natural disaster the world has seen took place when an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude took place in the Indian Ocean."This sentence is best described as:

• Rumor
• Fact
• Opinion

Your teacher wants you to write a report about Abraham Lincoln. Read the paragraph below and select the information that would help you answer this question: What did Abraham Lincoln accomplish during his presidency?
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. He was President during the Civil War and worked to bring the North and South back together. He abolished slavery and is thought to be one of America's greatest leaders. He was elected to a second term in 1864 but was killed while in office in 1865.

• Lincoln was killed while in office in 1865.
• Lincoln was President during the Civil War.
• Lincoln abolished slavery.
• Lincoln is thought to be one of America's greatest leaders.