First, Google is NOT a source,
but you can use it to find the information that BEST suits your needs.
Practice making the most of it.
Use the best search techniques and tools:
|
Don't assume the best about the sites you find in your search.
Consider the following questions for each source:
- Is the information relevant to my topic? (Relevance)
- Is the information appropriate for my age, reading level and core values? (Appropriateness)
- Is there enough information to add to what I've already found? Is there too much information for the topic I've chosen?(Detail)
- When was the information last updated? (Currency)
- Who is the author? Does he know what he's talking about? (Authority)
- Why was this information written? Is it meant to inform me? Persuade me? Entertain me? Sell me something? (Bias)
Evaluate sources with Mary:
Choose one of the scenarios below and follow the bold links to the websites Mary found.
(Other links lead you to additional information.)
Mary Jane decided to write her paper about the octopus. Because she didn't want just the plain old facts that everyone already knew, she went looking for something different. After googling "octopus," she came across an excellent site that was something out of the ordinary. See what you think.
Mary Anne was helping her family plan a vacation over Christmas break. She found this great site that offered all kinds of fun. Best of all, it wasn't very far away. Would you like to visit?
Mary Kay was doing a project on Charles Dickens for Mr. Jacobson and stumbled on some unique facts about robots during Dickens time. She was sure Mr. J would be impressed. What do you think? Google "victorian robots" and see where this site shows up on the list. Also, take a look at the article about this website from the Christian Science Monitor if you can find it.
Mary Lou was working on a project for Mr. Iverson about a chemical that might be hazardous. She found a great website about the dangers of DHMO that really scared her. See what you think. You may also like to check out the Wikipedia article about DHMO.
Mary Sue was trying to come up with a unique demonstration to present in Mrs. Olson's class. She came upon a great website about creating an AFDB. Best of all, she had all the things she needed to make one at home. Check out her source and see if you want her to make you an AFDB, too.
Mary Beth loves dogs. She wants them all to have a perfect home. While researching shelters and animal rescue operations, she came across this idyllic world. This could be the perfect solution for all the homeless dogs in the world.
Mary Clare chose the Staten Island Ferry Disaster as her topic for her disaster paper for Mrs. Olson. She found this great website published by the Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Museum. Imagine her reaction when a classmate sent her this article.
Mary Jo wants to impress Mrs. McBurney with her knowledge of Lewis and Clark. She found this site that she hopes will give her the inside scoop.
Mary Ellen loves basketball and is always excited to find interesting articles about it. She asked Mr. Rohde if there is a rule like this one in South Dakota.
The tree octopus has moved to Facebook - and grown fangs
"No longer friendly, humorous sites created to simply raise awareness in the naive information searcher, today's fake news and information is malicious, attempting to sway public opinion and to influence elections and public policy."
Visit Doug Johnson's blog for more "interesting websites" and get his take on the importance of digital literacy.
"No longer friendly, humorous sites created to simply raise awareness in the naive information searcher, today's fake news and information is malicious, attempting to sway public opinion and to influence elections and public policy."
Visit Doug Johnson's blog for more "interesting websites" and get his take on the importance of digital literacy.