Winters


 * The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth**
 * Critical Analysis of Websites**
 * 8th Grade Language Arts**

__Pre-Assessment__ Teacher will give students a survey to complete prior to this lesson activity as a means to gather information about students’ prior knowledge. Students will be asked questions in regard to knowing how to find the owner and the purpose/intent of a website, how to know whether the information is trustworthy, if the information is up-to-date, etc. __Standard(s) and/or Goal(s):__ 8.2.spi.11 – identify levels of reliability among resources (e.g. eyewitness account, newspaper account, supermarket tabloid account, and Internet source). 8.2.13(g) – evaluate website sources for reliability. __Instructional Objective(s):__ Given a list of specific website URLs and an evaluation form, TSW evaluate each website using the evaluation form with 85% accuracy. __Materials, Media & Other Resources:__ Pre-assessment Survey Form (one for each student), Website Evaluation Form (one for each two students), one computer per two students, teacher computer teaching station Cards with the URL's of questionable websites and legitimate websites on them (if time permits, bookmark the pages prior to the class): [|http://web.archive.org/web/20041012180151/pubweb.northwestern.edu/~abutz/di/intro.html] http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html http://www.dhmo.org/ http://www.bigredhair.com/robots/index.html http://www.bam.gov/ http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/ __Set Induction:__ Teacher will begin a discussion about how students know something is true (ways students can tell if someone is telling the truth or a lie, etc.). Teacher will then ask how students know information in newspapers, magazines and on television and the Internet is true. Teacher will then state that the purpose of this lesson is to teach them to analyze the reliability of websites in regard to the information presented. __Instructional Sequence:__ __Closure:__ Teacher will ask the students what useful skill(s) they learned by doing this lesson that will help them in the future. __Adaptations & Extensions:__ 1. //Differences in students// are provided for by pairing students with a different ability level partner, so that if one is weak in one area, the other can help him or her with the assignment. 2. //Instructional Delivery// is provided using the following methods: direct instruction, computer research, print materials, individual and/or group discovery. 3. //__Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences__:// this unit/lesson plan provides for auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. It also addresses the following multiple intelligences: linguistic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, and interpersonal. __Assessment__: Pre-assessment Survey (formal), Website Evaluation Form (written), teacher observation/student responses (informal)
 * 1) Students will complete pre-assessment survey.
 * 2) Teacher will model the assignment for the class by showing a website on the teaching station, modeling the thinking process, and completing the evaluation form.
 * 3) Students will complete this assignment with a partner.
 * 4) Teacher will give students a specific URL to go to on the Internet and students will complete the evaluation form.
 * 5) Students will prepare a short presentation to present to the rest of the class about the website they were assigned and why they evaluated it as they did.