Becoming a Web Detective

1. Becoming a Web Detective Ms. Silag Manchester Essex Regional School District December, 2008 Adapted by Ms. Hames McKinney ISD November 2012 For Learning…For Life!

2. 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.

3. Why Website Evaluation? • Billions of websites out there! • Trash vs. treasure • Hoax cites http://www.license.shorturl.com/

4. Share ABC’s of Website Evaluation A = Author Is there an author? Is the author qualified to write about the subject? Can the information be verified elsewhere? Is there contact info? What is the top level domain of the site? The Joe Bros. B = Bias Is information presented in a fair, objective manner or is it one- sided? If biased, does their bias impact the usefulness of the information? Is the page free of unnecessary advertising? John McCain John McCain 2 C= Content Is the information relevant, believable and useful for your purposes? Do most of the links lead to relevant information?Are there mistakes in spelling or word usage?

5. More ABC’s…well, D and E! D= Dates and Design Does the webpage show the date when it was created? Last updated? Is it updated regularly? Is the information outdated? Is the information presented in a clear and organized fashion? Do ads interfere with the content? E= Editor Does 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?

6. 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 URL http://www.wic.org/bio/jgoodall.htm http://www.wic.org/bio/ http://www.wic.orgHost site: Women’s International Center Webpage: Biography on Jane Goodall http://www.myspace.com/barackobama http://www.myspace.com

7. Just Say NO... • No internet without adult supervision. • With supervision, visit sites using your ABCD’s

8. Where Should You Go? Your teacher gives you one of the sites below to determine if it is reliable source of information. (Students will work in groups to evaluate site given.) • Mankato city: http://descy.50megs.com/Emankato/mankato.html • Biohazard Alert detector: http://www.mcwhortle.com/ • Acid Rain: http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/ • AFDB: http://zapatopi.net/afdb/ • Moon Development: http://www.dreamweaverstudios.com/moonbeam/moon.htm • Protecting Endangered Species: http://worldwildlife.org/species/ • Hunting Season for Haggis http://haggishunt.scotsman.com/

9. Sites you should visit instead: Our Webb Research page • http://legacy.mckinneyisd.net/Campuses/school_websites/webb/curriculum%20connections/Library%20stuff/Research%20Resources.htm • Student safe search engines: http://legacy.mckinneyisd.net/Campuses/school_websites/webb/curriculum%20connections/Library%20stuff/student_safe_search_engines.htm

10. For Learning… Reliable, accurate information is essential to solid research… and good grades!

11. 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? Nick Jonas has diabetes...can I get it? Is Barack Obama Oprah Winfrey's best friend?

12. 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 • Evaluating Websites: Retrieved November 19, 2012 • http://www.pensacolachs.org/webpages/capplications/index.cfm?subpage=417792 • Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators. Retrieved November 28, 2008. http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/eval.html

13. What Did You Learn?

14. Additional sites to explore: California's Velcro Crop Challenged Aluminum Foil Deflector Beaniehttp://zapatopi.net/afdb/ Hunting Season for Haggis Moon developmenthttp://www.dreamweaverstudios.com/moonbeam/moon.htm Mankato, MNhttp://descy.50megs.com/Emankato/mankato.html Uncyclopedia Male pregnancy Biohazard Alert Detector: http://www.mcwhortle.com/ • 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