Now that web authoring software has become so easy to use, everyone has the potential to be a publisher. In fact, the Internet has become a blank page for all the best, and sometimes the worst, that our society has to offer. So how do we know that the Web is really a good place for students to do their research? How can we teach them the skills to be critical evaluators of what they read? This lesson will help students judge the value and truth of messages they are receiving on the Internet by developing their critical thinking skills for accessing, analyzing and evaluating web sites.

Curriculum Area: Media Literacy
Grade Level: Middle School
Skills Developed: Using the Internet, critical evaluation of web sites
Student Grouping: Whole class, pairs, individual
Time: 3 class periods
Technology Used: Internet

1. Begin this lesson with a discussion on the importance of learning to question the information, sources, and resources students access when researching on the Internet. Talk about some of the basic questions to consider when first examining a web site such as:

• Who provided the information?
• What are his/her qualifications?
• What is the purpose of the site?
• Is it consistent with what experts say?
• Does it reflect a particular viewpoint?
• What are the other viewpoints?
• What can I learn form this web page?

  Next, examine the following web sites together as a class

2. Have students go to a critical evaluation tutorial on the Internet, entitled QUICK- The Quality Information Checklist. Students should read through the tutorial by clicking on each checkpoint. They should then take the quiz at the end of the tutorial.

3. Students should now work in pairs to examine three web sites related to the Globe Theater. Students will also complete the chart on evaluating web sites. (Both the web sites handout and evaluation chart are available for download as a PDF file from the Sun Associates web site.) Have students rank the sites according to what they think would be the most reliable and valuable sources of information.

4. Students will then write a paragraph explaining why they would or would not recommend the site to a fellow student. They should include information on the authorship, accuracy, purpose, detail and design, and overall value of the site.

Other good sites related to critical evaluation for teachers to explore:

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