What makes a source credible?
Focus: What makes a source credible?
Suggested length: 1 hour
Learning objectives:
- Compare and evaluate multiple sources on the same topic.
- Justify the choice of a source based on evaluation.
| Approaches to Learning | Vocabulary | Reflection Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking Skills Justify a recommendation. Research Skills Evaluate the strength of a source. | claim source evidence evaluate misinformation credibility reliability | When you see conflicting information online how do you decide which source to trust? What are the potential consequences when people rely on unreliable or biased sources to support arguments or make decisions? |
Resources and Preparation
- Clone and share the discussion with students: Is recycling a useful strategy to combat climate change?
- Students will need Editor permissions.
- Provide students with a copy of the source evaluation checklist, attached below.
Introduction
Display the Kialo discussion: Is recycling a useful strategy to combat climate change?
This is a partially developed discussion, which includes claims supported by multiple sources.
Students will learn what makes an effective source, through critically evaluating the linked sources.
Read the thesis and four starter claims which introduce two main pros and two main cons of climate change.
Choose one of the branches and click through the claims.
Have students identify that some of the claims are sourced with several different sources.
Ask:
- Why is it important to support claims with sources (link to misinformation)?
- What makes an effective source?
Main Activity
Share the claim "Almost all recycling operations result in energy savings.”
Guide students through examining each of the linked sources.
- Source 1: American Geosciences Institute — How does recycling save energy?
- Source 2: Friends of the Earth — 7 Benefits of Recycling
- Source 3: Harmony Enterprises Inc. — How Recycling Saves Energy
Students should use critical thinking to compare the sources, evaluating the credibility and reliability of each one.
Use the source evaluation checklist (attached below) to guide students’ comparisons.
Use students’ responses to determine which source is the most credible and should therefore be referenced in the discussion.
In the discussion, model how to edit the claim to link to the chosen source and delete the remaining sources.
Students will work in small groups to follow the steps above for the other claims in their own clone of the discussion.
Students will need Editor permissions.
Reflection Activity
While students are working, prepare for the reflection activity by comparing students' discussions and identifying any differences in the sources they’ve chosen.
Address these differences by reviewing the sources as a class and asking students to justify their recommendations until a consensus is reached.
If there are no differences, ask groups which sources were most challenging to choose between and ask them to justify the decision they made.
Close the session with the following reflection questions:
- When you see conflicting information online how do you decide which source to trust?
- What are the potential consequences — for individuals or society — when people rely on unreliable or biased sources to support arguments or make decisions?
- If you were advising someone who had to research a controversial topic, what would be your top three tips for evaluating sources and avoiding misinformation?
