{"id":1584,"date":"2025-07-11T01:19:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T01:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/?post_type=docs&#038;p=1584"},"modified":"2025-07-11T01:56:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T01:56:05","password":"","slug":"evidence-based-thinking-what-makes-a-source-credible","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/docs\/evidence-based-thinking-what-makes-a-source-credible\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes a source credible?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Focus:<\/strong> <em><em><em>What makes a source credible?<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p><p>Suggested length: 1 hour<\/p><p>Learning objectives:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Compare and evaluate multiple sources on the same topic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Justify the choice of a source based on evaluation.<\/li>\n<\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-table align-top\"><table class=\"has-background has-fixed-layout\" style=\"background-color:#e9f1fb\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Approaches to Learning<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Vocabulary<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Reflection Questions<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Thinking Skills<\/strong> <br>Justify a recommendation.<br><br><strong>Research Skills<\/strong> <br>Evaluate the strength of a source.<ul style=\"margin:0; padding-left:20px; list-style-position:inside;\"><br>          <\/ul><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">claim<br>source<br>evidence<br>evaluate<br>misinformation<br>credibility<br>reliability<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">When you see conflicting information online how do you decide which source to trust?<br><br>What are the potential consequences when people rely on unreliable or biased sources to support arguments or make decisions?<br><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure><style>#sp-ea-1576 .spcollapsing { height: 0; overflow: hidden; transition-property: height;transition-duration: 300ms;}#sp-ea-1576.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single {margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #e2e2e2; }#sp-ea-1576.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.ea-header a {color: #444;}#sp-ea-1576.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.sp-collapse>.ea-body {background: #fff; color: #444;}#sp-ea-1576.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single {background: #eee;}#sp-ea-1576.sp-easy-accordion>.sp-ea-single>.ea-header a .ea-expand-icon { float: left; color: #444;font-size: 16px;}<\/style><div id=\"sp_easy_accordion-1752081769\"><div id=\"sp-ea-1576\" class=\"sp-ea-one sp-easy-accordion\" data-ea-active=\"ea-click\" data-ea-mode=\"vertical\" data-preloader=\"\" data-scroll-active-item=\"\" data-offset-to-scroll=\"0\"><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-15760\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse15760\" aria-controls=\"collapse15760\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Resources and Preparation<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse15760\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-15760\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/cloning-a-discussion\/\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Clone<\/a> and share the discussion with students: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/p\/4f238cd6-0176-4070-94fb-a0b9c3064c45\/491507\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\" rel=\"nofollow\">Is recycling a useful strategy to combat climate change?<\/a><\/li><li>Students will need <a href=\"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/participant-roles-and-permissions\/\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Editor permissions<\/a>.<\/li><li>Provide students with a copy of the source evaluation checklist, attached below.<\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-15761\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse15761\" aria-controls=\"collapse15761\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Introduction<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse15761\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-15761\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p>Display the Kialo discussion: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/p\/4f238cd6-0176-4070-94fb-a0b9c3064c45\/491507\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\" rel=\"nofollow\">Is recycling a useful strategy to combat climate change?<\/a><\/p><p>This is a partially developed discussion, which includes claims supported by multiple sources.<\/p><p>Students will learn what makes an effective source, through critically evaluating the linked sources.<\/p><p>Read the thesis and four starter claims which introduce two main pros and two main cons of climate change.<\/p><p>Choose one of the branches and click through the claims.<\/p><p>Have students identify that some of the claims are sourced with several different sources.<\/p><p>Ask:<\/p><ul><li>Why is it important to support claims with sources (link to misinformation)?<\/li><li>What makes an effective source?<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-15762\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse15762\" aria-controls=\"collapse15762\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Main Activity<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse15762\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-15762\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p>Share the claim \"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/p\/4f238cd6-0176-4070-94fb-a0b9c3064c45\/491507.19?path=491507.0~491507.3_491507.7_491507.19\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\" rel=\"nofollow\">Almost all recycling operations result in energy savings.<\/a>&rdquo;<\/p><p>Guide students through examining each of the linked sources.<\/p><ul><li>Source 1: <a href=\"https:\/\/profession.americangeosciences.org\/society\/intersections\/faq\/how-does-recycling-save-energy\/\" target=\"_blank\">American Geosciences Institute &mdash; How does recycling save energy?<\/a><\/li><li>Source 2: <a href=\"https:\/\/friendsoftheearth.uk\/sustainable-living\/7-benefits-recycling\" target=\"_blank\">Friends of the Earth &mdash; 7 Benefits of Recycling<\/a><\/li><li>Source 3: <a href=\"https:\/\/harmony1.com\/recycling-saves-energy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Harmony Enterprises Inc. &mdash; How Recycling Saves Energy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p>Students should use critical thinking to compare the sources, evaluating the credibility and reliability of each one.<\/p><p>Use the source evaluation checklist (attached below) to guide students&rsquo; comparisons.<\/p><p>Use students&rsquo; responses to determine which source is the most credible and should therefore be referenced in the discussion.<\/p><p>In the discussion, model how to edit the claim to link to the chosen source and delete the remaining sources.<\/p><p>Students will work in small groups to follow the steps above for the other claims in their own clone of the discussion.<\/p><p>Students will need <a href=\"https:\/\/support.kialo-edu.com\/en\/hc\/participant-roles-and-permissions\/\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">Editor permissions<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ea-card sp-ea-single\"><h3 class=\"ea-header\"><a class=\"collapsed\" id=\"ea-header-15763\" role=\"button\" data-sptoggle=\"spcollapse\" data-sptarget=\"#collapse15763\" aria-controls=\"collapse15763\" href=\"#\" aria-expanded=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"ea-expand-icon eap-icon-ea-expand-plus\"><\/i> Reflection Activity<\/a><\/h3><div class=\"sp-collapse spcollapse spcollapse\" id=\"collapse15763\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"ea-header-15763\"> <div class=\"ea-body\"><p>While students are working, prepare for the reflection activity by comparing students' discussions and identifying any differences in the sources they&rsquo;ve chosen.<\/p><p>Address these differences by reviewing the sources as a class and asking students to justify their recommendations until a consensus is reached.<\/p><p>If there are no differences, ask groups which sources were most challenging to choose between and ask them to justify the decision they made.<\/p><p>Close the session with the following reflection questions:<\/p><ul><li>When you see conflicting information online how do you decide which source to trust?<\/li><li>What are the potential consequences &mdash; for individuals or society &mdash; when people rely on unreliable or biased sources to support arguments or make decisions?<\/li><li>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?<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Materials<\/h2><div data-height=\"auto\">\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/p\/4f238cd6-0176-4070-94fb-a0b9c3064c45\/491507\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\" rel=\"nofollow\">Is recycling a useful strategy to combat climate change? <\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/strong> &mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\" referrerpolicy=\"unsafe-url\">kialo-edu.com<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kialo-edu.com\/assets\/static\/js\/embedded-kialo.min.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\t\t<\/div><p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Focus: What makes a source credible?Suggested length: 1 hourLearning objectives: Approaches to Learning Vocabulary Reflection Questions Thinking Skills Justify a recommendation. Research Skills Evaluate the strength of a source. claimsourceevidenceevaluatemisinformationcredibilityreliability 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"wds_primary_doc_category":0,"wds_primary_doc_tag":0,"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[30],"doc_tag":[],"class_list":["post-1584","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-research-ev"],"acf":[],"year_month":"2026-05","word_count":83,"total_views":"19","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"Louise","author_nicename":"louise","author_url":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/author\/louise\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Research and Evidence","term_url":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/docs-category\/research-ev\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"knowledge_base_info":[],"knowledge_base_slug":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/1584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/1584\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=1584"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.kialo-edu.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=1584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}