Q2 Reliable Sources

Which of these is NOT a good factor for determining that a source is reliable?

• the information is very recent or very recently updated

• the information comes from an author with credentials

• the information comes from a reliable location, like a scientific paper or a .gov website

• the information strongly supports the position you are defending

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

You have been assigned a persuasive paper on the topic of school lunches and their size/nutritional value. Which of the following resources would be the MOST reliable?

• a debate.org poll that shows that 79% of people think that school lunches are too small and should be improved with no date on the survey

• a blog/website written by a concerned mom who is very confident that her children are not getting enough to eat in a school lunch, dated last week

• a scientific paper written by a university professor three years ago breaking down the nutritional content of the meals each day for a week at a junior high school

• a research paper that your older sibling wrote on this same topic two years ago when they were in 8th grade

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

You are creating an informational presentation on marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins. Which of the following resources would be the LEAST reliable for your project?

• a memoir/biography written by a marine biologist who worked rescuing dolphins for 30 years

• a chapter on the animals you are studying in a science textbook that discusses their biology and life cycle.

• a .org website from a conservation organization operating at a national level describing the efforts being made to preserve the animals' habitat

• a .com website from a "whale superfan" with lots of pictures of the blogger taken on whale-watching tours and at marine parks

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which of the following is almost always a reliable source for nearly any topic?

• Wikipedia entry

• Asking a friend

• A blog

• a .gov website

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Kerry's social studies class is studying current world events. She is assigned a 3-page PERSUASIVE paper where she must find a topic dealing with something going on in the school. Then, she has to either persuade for or against the topic she chooses. Kerry decided to write a paper in support of school uniforms. Which of the following would be the MOST reliable source?

• A scientific paper by a professor at MU about the effects of school uniforms on middle schoolers.

• A debate.org poll on whether students would prefer to have uniforms or not.

• An interview with a student from a local school that has uniforms about their feelings on the subject.

• A fashion website that discusses the many ways in which students find ways to enhance their uniformed looks.

Anna’s English teacher assigns the class a 3 page INFORMATIONAL paper about their favorite thing in the world. Anna chooses to write her paper about her favorite animal, cats. Which of the following would be the LEAST reliable source to use?

• The World Wildlife Foundation's web page on the current endangered status of various big cats around the world.

• The wikipedia article on the common house cat.

• A news story in the Washington Post about new discoveries by a research biologist showing that cats that were previously assumed to be isolated animals were actually more social than previously believed.

• A Prezi about cats made by a student at a school in Texas.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which of the following statements about source reliability is true?

• It doesn't matter how old an article or website is when determining its reliability.

• There are many factors that affect how reliable a source is, and as a researcher you have to consider all of them to determine if a source is reliable or not.

• The only thing about a source that you need to consider when determining its reliability is who the author is.

• Most sources that you can find with a basic Google search are reliable.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9