Becoming a Web Detective

Ms. SilagManchester Essex Regional School District

December, 2008

For Learning…For Life!

Today’s Objectives

• To learn why it is important to become “web detectives” when you are researching on the internet.

• To learn how to evaluate website sources.

Two Truths

One Fib

Why Website Evaluation?

• Billions of websites out there!• Trash vs. treasure• Hoax cites

California's Velcro Crop ChallengedAluminum Foil Deflector BeanieHunting Season for HaggisMoon developmentMankato, MNUncyclopediaMale pregnancyBiohazard Alert Detectorhttp://www.license.shorturl.com/

ABC’s of Website

EvaluationA = AuthorIs there an author?Is the author qualified to write about the subject?Can the information be verified elsewhere?

The Joe Bros.

B = BiasIs information presented in a fair, objective manner?Is the page free of unnecessary advertising?

John McCain John McCain 2

C= ContentIs the information relevant, believable and useful for your purposes?

More ABC’s…well, D and E!

D= DatesDoes the webpage show the date when it was created? Last updated? Is it updated regularly?Is the information outdated?

E= EditorDoes the webpage name an editor or fact checker?

Does the webpage have a reputable sponsor such as a university or government agency.Does the webpage include a bibliography?

More Clues…

• Look at the Internet Address Ending

.com = commercial site (www.soccer.com)

.org = non profit organization (http://soccer.org)

.edu = educational site by an educational institution (www.harvard.edu

.net = network of organizations (www.veniceshopping.net

.mil = military organizations (www.navy.mil)

.ma .us = geographically based website (www.manchester.ma.us) vs. (www.manchesteronline.co.uk)

.gov = government website (www.whitehouse.gov)

• Truncate the URLhttp://www.wic.org/bio/jgoodall.htmhttp://www.wic.org/bio/http://www.wic.org Host site: Women’s International Center Webpage: Biography on

Jane Goodall

http://www.myspace.com/barackobamahttp://www.myspace.com

Where Should You Go?

Your teacher tells you to create an anti-smoking ad campaign for

an assignment on persuasive writing. Using the Web Detective

Worksheet you will each evaluate one of the following sites and

determine if you would use it for this project:

• American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation http://www.no-smoke.org/ • R.J. Reynolds http://www.rjrt.com/home.asp • American Lung Association (Tobacco Control section)

http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK9O0E/b.33484/• Tobacco Free Initiative (World Health Organization) http://tobacco.who.int/ • Tobacco Free Kids website  http://tobaccofreekids.org/ • Big Drug's Nicotine War http://www.forces.org/evidence/pharma/index.htm • Coalition for a Tobacco Free Midlands  http://www.tobaccofreemidlands.com/ • Children Opposed to Smoking Tobacco  http://www.costkids.org/ • MIT Anti Smoking Project http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/archtrucker/264282

Just Say NO...

• No internet without adult supervision.

For Learning…

Reliable, accurate information is essential

to solid research…and good grades!

And For Life…

Reliable information is essential to quality of life

Did the Twilight author (Stephenie Meyer) really have her next book stolen and posted on the internet?

Sources• Springfield Township Virtual Library. Retrieved November

25, 2008. http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/evalwebstu.html• CMIS (Curriculum Materials Information Services).

Retrieved November 25 from the Department of Education and training, Western Australia.http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/webeval/eval12.htm

• Pam Berger’s Web Evaluation Guide. Retrieved November 28, 2008 from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/external/webeval

• Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators. Retrieved November 28, 2008.http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/eval.html

What Did You Learn?